• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.646-653
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• 2003

Investigations were made on the population structure, sex ratio, growth, and recruitment patterns of Leptochela sydniensis in the southwestern coastal areas of Korea, between May 2000 and December 2001. Spawning period, fecundity, brood loss, reproductive output, and size at sexual maturity also were examined. The results of the sex ratio showed that females were more numerous than males during the overall study period. Parameters of growth were estimated using the modified von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) model incorporating seasonal variation into growth. Females grew somewhat faster and reached a larger size than males $(L\infty=12.80\;mm\;CL\;and\;K=0.70\;yr^{-1}\;or\;females,\and\;L\infty=12.08\;mm\;CL\;and\;K=0.69\;yr^{-1}$ for males). The structure of recruitment patterns obtained by the FiSAT program indicated one normally distributed group. Based on the occurrence of ovigerous females and the gonadosomatic index (GSI), the main spawning season was from June to August. Analysis of covariance indicated that brood loss was not observed during the incubation period. The size at which $50\%$ of females are mature is estimated as 5.48 mm CL.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.82-87
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• 2008

Marine fisheries are important natural resources and must be maintained, especially fish species that are important sources of food. Despite the increase in stocking programs to maintain fisheries with artificially raised fish, the genetic impact stocking has on the wild fry population has not been addressed. Genetic variation in rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, within and between wild-caught parents and the $F_1$ generation produced by them in 1 day was assayed using nine highly variable micro satellite markers. The nine micro satellite loci used in this study displayed diverse polymorphisms, and in total, 98 different alleles were observed over all loci. Differences in genetic variability of the $F_1$ offspring compared to their wild-caught parents (brood stock) were observed in terms of allele frequency, gene diversity, and heterozygosity. Although the $F_1$ generation of rock bream was missing 16% of the micro satellite alleles, no significant reduction was found in mean heterozygosity of the $F_1$ population compared to the brood stock. Eight of nine loci showed significant Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) deviations in the $F_1$ population, while the brood stock deviated from HWE at three micro satellite loci (KOF85, KOF360 and KOF374). These deviations showed mostly a deficit of heterozygotes. Our results provide evidence for genetic differences in the $F_1$ hatchery offspring compared to their wild-caught parents and reinforce the need for a series of consecutive egg collections to avoid the loss of genetic variability. This also further underscores the importance of monitoring genetic variability of hatchery populations for the conservation of natural rock bream resources.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.3 no.3_4
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• pp.180-187
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• 2000

Reproductive effort and spawning frequency of the two palaemonid prawns, Exopalaemon modestus and Palaemon gravieri, were investigated. In both embryos of the two species, egg size was larger in E. modestus than in P. gravien but for a given size, number of eggs (EN) was fewer in E. modestus. The statistical results revealed that there were significant differences in egg size and EN between the two species. E. modestus living in freshwater environments had larger and fewer offspring than P. gravieri inhabiting marine environments. These findings are consistent with predictions from r- and K-selections models. Reproductive effort (RE) also was higher in E. modestus, suggesting the possibility for E. modestus to invest larger amount of energy per individual offspring. In the two prawns the ovarian dry weight of females with eyed eggs was significantly higher than those with non-eyed eggs. This indicates that the ovarian maturation occurs during the period between the two embryonic stages, suggesting females being potentially of continuous breeding within a single reproductive period. In the both species brood loss did not occur during the incubation period.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.566-571
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• 2008

Calcineurin (Cn) is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase that has diverse functions in different cell types and organisms. We screened proteins interacting with the C. elegans CnA homolog, TAX-6, by the yeast two-hybrid system. CNP-3 (Calcineurin interacting protein-3) is a novel protein that physically interacts with the catalytic domain of TAX-6. It is strongly expressed in the nuclei of intestine, hypodermis, dorsal uterine regions and spermatheca. Expression begins around the 60-cell stage and proceeds during all larval stages and the adult. To elucidate the biological function of cnp-3 we isolated a cnp-3 deletion mutant. Since CNP-3 binds CnA, we looked at factors associated with calcineurin loss-of-function mutants, such as brood size, body size, serotonin- and levamisole-mediated egg-laying behavior. The cnp-3(jh145) single mutant had no gross defects compared to wild-type animal. However, the phenotypes of the double mutants, tax-6(p675);cnp-3(jh145) and cnb-1(jh103);cnp-3(jh145), were more severe in terms of brood size, body size and serotonin-mediated egg-laying defects than tax-6(p675) and cnb-1(jh103), respectively. These results suggest that dysfunction of cnp-3 enhances certain calcineurin loss-of-function phenotypes in C. elegans.