• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2021

This study was performed to elucidate the inhibitory effects of Alveopora japonica extract on melanin synthesis by measuring the levels of cell viability, mRNA expression, tyrosinase activity, and melanin production in the B16F10 cell line. The effects of A. japonica extract on tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), TYRP2, tyrosinase (TYR), and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) mRNA expression levels and melanin content were determined. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR show that A. japonica extract decrease the mRNA expression levels of TYRP1, TYRP2, TYR, and MITF in B16F10 cell line, resulting in lower levels of melanin production compared to α-MSH-treated B16F10 cells. Tyrosinase activity assays reveal that A. japonica extract decrease melanin production in B16F10 cells. These results demonstrate the whitening effects of A. japonica extract on B16F10 cells; thus, A. japonica extract is a potent ingredient for skin whitening. Further research is needed on the mechanism of action of A. japonica extract. Such research will benefit not only cosmetics, but also the health food and medical industries.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.131-148
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• 1982

A systematic study of Korean stony corals was done with specimens from 16 localities in the coastal seas of Korea for the period of 1969 through 1981. The scleractinians identified in the present study turned out to be 17 species, 11 genera, six families and five suborders. They were all new to the Korean scleractinians founa: Psammocora profundacella, Alveopora japonica, Culicia japonica, Caryophyllia japonica, Cyathoceras niinoi, Heterocyathus aequicostatus, H.japonicus, Stephanocyathus (Odontocyathus) spiniger, Desmophyllum insignis, flabellum distinctum, F. rubrum, F. transversale, Dendrophyllia boschmai, D. bribrosa, D. florulenta, Tubastraea aurea and T. coccinea.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2022

The high latitude scleractinian coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1965 occurs in high density in the shallow rocky subtidal in Jeju Island, forming coral carpets. Despite its ecological role providing a unique habitat for other benthic organisms, the benthic fauna associated with the A. japonica coral carpet is poorly known. To identify fauna associated with the coral carpet, we explored three sites dominated by A. japonica and one control site on northwestern Jeju Island in May 2013. Using SCUBA, we collected A. japonica and the epibenthic mega-fauna associated with the colonies in 1×1 m² and identified them to the species level. At a depth of 10 to 15 m, A. japonica colonies heavily covered the seafloor, forming a layer called a coral carpet, with a density of 94 (Keumneung-ri), 133 (Biyangdo), and 155 (Gwidok-ri) colonies/m². Thirty-four molluscan species were identified from the four sites, including 20 bivalves and 14 gastropods. The coral carpets were enriched with sessile bivalves compared to the control site, as we identified twenty bivalve and eight gastropod species from the coral carpets. Most bivalve species associated with the coral carpets had tropical-subtropical affinities, while gastropods were mainly subtropical and subtropical-low boreal species. Leiosolenus lischkei M. Huber, 2010, in the family Mytilidae and Barbatia steamsi (Pilsbry, 1895), in the family Arcidae, were the two most abundant bivalve species in the coral carpet, L. lischkei being a borer, and B. stearnsi a nestler. The tropical to subtropical Pacific star shell Astralium haematragum (Menke, 1829)was the most abundant gastropod at the study sites. The bivalves and gastropods associated with the coral carpet were small-sized juveniles or sub-adults, suggesting that the coral carpet provides a micro-habitat for the bivalves and gastropods.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2011

Chemical investigations of the stony coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi (Poritidae) resulted in the isolation of four known compounds (1 - 4). The structures of 1 - 4 were identified as a sterol, ergosta-5,24(28)-dien-$3{\beta}$-ol (1), a mixture of monoacyl glycrols (2), eicosanoic acid and tetracosanoic acid, and two nucleosides, thymine (3) and 2'-deoxythymidine (4), respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses including 1D- and 2D- NMR techniques as well as by comparison of their data with the published values. Compounds 1 - 4 were isolated from this species for the first time. Moreover, these compounds (1 - 4) were found in the genus Alveopora and the family Poritidae for the first time.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.102-105
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• 2012

Marine organism extracts were prepared from 26 species of Korean indigenous marine organisms, including 25 species belonging in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria and a species belonging to subphylum Urochordata of phylum Chordata, and screened their inhibitory effects against ${\mu}$-calpain. As a result, the thirteen extracts were found to be active in the criteria of $IC_{50}$ < 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. Among them, the MeOH extracts of Plexauroides praelonga and Alveopora japonica showed remarkable ${\mu}$-calpain inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ values of $4.62{\pm}0.22$ and $4.82{\pm}0.07{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In addition, chemical investigation of A. japonica led to the isolation of an active compound, hexadecyl tetradecanoate, as a selective cathepsin B inhibitor ($IC_{50}=9.05{\pm}2.45{\mu}M$). This compound was isolated as constituent of A. japonica for the first time in the present study.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.351-359
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• 2008

In an effort to develop high-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) proxies for mid-latitude regions, two massive reef-building coral species, Alveopora and Favia, were collected from Jeju and Tsushima Islands, respectively. Their skeletons were subsequently analyzed for annual growth banding, Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios. Hermatypic corals are thinly distributed in the waters of Jeju Island, where Alveopora japonica was the only dominant coral species. A higher diversity of hermatypic corals were observed in the waters of Tsushima Island, where Favia sp. was the most common coral species and even forming an about 6-m-high reef structure. Both Alveopora and Favia showed annual growth layers consisting of couplets of high- and low-density bands. Sr/Ca ratio of both species and Mg/Ca ratio of Alveopora also showed seasonal variation, likely reflecting SST variation. These results suggest the possibility that Alveopora and Favia species can be used as potential SST proxies. However, this study also highlights the potential growth disturbance of middle latitude corals due to high rainfall during monsoon and low SST during winter. This possibility should be taken into account in the investigation of Sr/Ca(Mg/Ca)-SST relationships.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.126.4-126
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• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2001

Three species of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates, zooxanthellae, are investigated from six host species of anthozoans from Korea. Three unrecorded endosymbionts species are Symbiodinium kawagutii, Symbiodinium microadriaticum, and Symbiodinium sp. Symbiodinium kawagutii Is associated with Alveopora japonica, Anthopleura japonica and Parasicyonis actinostoloides. Symbiodinium microadiraticum is found in Anthopleura kurogane and Parasicyonis sp. Unlike the former two symbionts, Symbiodinium sp. is associated with Anthopleura midori.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2011

The actiniarian sea anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, and the scleractinian coral, Alveopora japonica, host symbiotic dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Symbiodinium (Freudenthal). We studied the host-symbiont specificity of these two anthozoan hosts in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Symbionts within the two hosts were identified using partial large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and complete internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 rDNA regions. The host, E. quadricolor, was identified using the partial LSU rDNA molecular marker. Genetic analysis showed that E. quadricolor only harbors dinoflagellates belonging to subclade C1/3 of the genus Symbiodinium. Moreover, no genetic variation was detected among the symbionts of E. quadricolor within the study region (Korea and Japan), even though the two distant sites were separated by more than 1000 km, at collection depths of 1 m in shallow and 13-16 m in deep water. Whilst scleractinian corals host multiple Symbiodinium clades in tropical waters, A. japonica, sampled over a wide geographical range (800 km) within the study region, only hosts Symbiodinium sp. clade F3. The high specificity of endosymbionts in E. quadricolor and A. japonica within the northwestern Pacific Ocean could be accounted for because symbiotic dinoflagellates within the host anemones appear to be acquired maternally, and the Kuroshio Current might affect the marine biota of the northwestern Pacific. However, the consistency of the symbiotic relationships between these two anthozoan hosts and their endosymbionts could change after climate change, so this symbiotic specificity should be monitored.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.996-1008
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• 2016

Effects of substrate types (bedrock and boulder habitat) on the community structures of benthic biota (macroalgae, macrobenthos) were monthly examined at Sinheung in Jeju Island, Korea, from Feb. to Nov. 2015. Species diversity of seaweeds and macrobenthos was greater at bedrock sites with 57 and 102 species than at boulder sites having 42 seaweeds and 67 macrobenthos. Average annual biomass of seaweeds was $1,601.13g\;wet\;wt./m^2$ at bedrock site and $448.85g\;wet\;wt./m^2$ at boulder site. Ecklonia cava was the most dominant species, occupying 62.64% ($1,002.93g/m^2$)of total biomass at bedrock. Amphiroa anceps was the most dominant species and subdominant species was Ecklonia cava, Grateloupia angusta, Peyssonnelia capensis and Meristotheca papulosa at boulder site. Density and biomass of macrobenthos were estimated to be $106.9indivi./m^2$ and $871.93g/m^2$, respectively at bedrock site and they were $64.6indivi./m^2$ and $984.28g/m^2$ at boulder site. The dominant macrobenthos species based on biomass were Turbo comutus (36.40%), Astralium haematragum (19.18%) and Anthocidaria crassispina (13.61%) at bedrock site and they were Alveopora japonica (54.13%) and Psammocora profundacella (24.28%) at boulder site.