• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.51-51
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• 2002

Despite of importance of integrated events of nucleus and microtubule remodeling in nuclear transferred embryos with somatic cells, little information is available on this subject. In this study we compared chromatin, r-tubulin and microtubule organization in porcine oocytes following somatic cell nuclear transfer and parthenogenetically activation in order to clarify nuclear remodeling process and to demonstrate centrosome inheritance during nuclear transfer. (omitted)

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.225-229
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• 2001

Nek2 is a mammalian protein kinase that is structurally homologous to NIMA, a mitotic regulator in Aspergillus nidulans. To understand cellular processes in which Nek2 participates during mammalian development, we investigated the expression and subcellular localization of Nek2 in vivo. The Nek2 protein was detected in spermatocytes and in a fraction of actively dividing ovarian follicle cells and of embryonic tissues. We also observed that Nek2 was localized in both the nucleus and centrosome in embryonic cells. Such localization pattern supports the proposal that Nek2 is a mitotic regulator that is involved in multiple cell cycle events during mammalian development.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 1995

Microtubules와 micrfilaments는 포유동물 난자이 주요한 세포 구조물들로, 이들은 난자의 성숙, 수정 및 배발달시 핵질의 이동과 세포질 분열에 직접 관여하는 것으로 알려져 왔다. 난자내 세포구조물의 정확한 움직임은 정상적인 배 발달을 위해 필수적이다. Microtubules는 $\alpha$, $\beta$- bubulin이 서로 연결되어 이루어져 있으며, 수정시 웅성.자성전핵 움직임과 세포분열시, 유사 및 감수분열시 그 역할을 한다. 생쥐를 제외한 대부분의 동물에서 microbubules의 역할은 수정시 정자가 centrosome을 난자내로 이전하여 sperm aster를 형성함으로써 시작된다고 보고되고 있다. 따라서 정자의 도움없이 배발달이 일어나는 단위발생시 microbubules의 형성은 연구들 사이에 흥미로운 연구대상이 되고 있다. 한편 microfilaments는 세포분열시 세포질을 분할하는 기계적인 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있으며, 최근 생쥐 난자에서는 정자의 난자내 융합과 웅성 및 자성 전핵의 이동에 관여한다고 보고되고 있다. 포유동물 난자의 체외성숙, 체외수정을 유도할 때 여러 가지 비정상적인 핵움직임과 세포분열이 관찰되어지고, 낮은 배발달율이 보고되고 있는데, 최근 연구자들은 세포구조물, 즉 microtubules와 microfilaments의 비정상적인 역할에서 기인한다고 보고 있다. 따라서 포유동물 난자의 성숙.수정 및 단위발생시 세포구조물의 움직임과 역할 및 상호관계에 대한 정확한 이해는 체외수정율 및 배발달 향상에 중요한 기초자료로 이용되리라고 본다.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.249-255
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• 2014

Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) belongs to a family of serine-threonine kinases and plays a critical role in mitotic progression. Plk1 involves in the initiation of mitosis, centrosome maturation, bipolar spindle formation, and cytokinesis, well-reported as traditional functions of Plk1. In this review, we discuss the role of Plk1 during DNA damage response beyond the functions in mitotsis. When DNA is damaged in cells under various stress conditions, the checkpoint mechanism is activated to allow cells to have enough time for repair. When damage is repaired, cells progress continuously their division, which is called checkpoint recovery. If damage is too severe to repair, cells undergo apoptotic pathway. If damage is not completely repaired, cells undergo a process called checkpoint adaptation, and resume cell division cycle with damaged DNA. Plk1 targets and regulates many key factors in the process of damage response, and we deal with these subjects in this review.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2003

Ultrastructure of germ cell during gametogenesis of surf clam, Spisula sachalinensis were investigated by electron microscopic observations. Oogonia are oval in shape and 5-6 ${\mu}m$ in diameter. They contain a large nucleus and have several mitochondria in the cytoplasm. Vitellogenic oocytes grew attached by a stalk to the germinal epithelium in the ovarian sac and their cytoplasm contained many yolk granules, lipid granules and mitochondria. Mature oocytes measuring 50-60 ${\mu}m$ in diameter have a nucleus containing an electron dense nucleolus, and a lots of yolk granules, lipid granules, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and cortical granules were present in the cytoplasm. The surface of the plasma membrane in mature oocytes was formed of microvilli approximately 1.5 ${\mu}m$ long and enveloped in the vitelline layer. Spematogonia are oval in shape and about 5 ${\mu}m$ in diameter. Sprmatogonia develop into spermatocyte, spermatid and spermatozoon. The spermatozoon consisted of the head, midpiece and tail. The sperm head with diameter of about 1.5 ${\mu}m$ was ovoid, and contained the nucleus which consisted of acrosome. The four mitochondria encircled the centrosome in midpiece. The flagellum measuring about 40 ${\mu}m$ long had the classical 9+2 axoneme structure.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2014

Cell cycle process is regulated by a number of protein kinases and among them, serine/threonine kinases carry phosphate group from ATP to substrates. The most important three kinase families are Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk), Polo-like kinase (Plk), and Aurora kinase. Polo-like kinase family consists of 5 members (Plk1-Plk5) and they are involved in multiple functions in eukaryotic cell division. It regulates a variety of aspects such as, centrosome maturation, checkpoint recovery, spindle assembly, cytokinesis, apoptosis and many other features. Recently, it has been reported that Plks are related to tumor development and over-expressed in many kinds of tumor cells. When injected the anti-Plk antibody into human cells, the cells show aneuploidy, and if inhibit Plks, most of the mitotic cell division does not proceed properly. For that reasons, many inhibitors of Plk have been recently emerged as new target for remedy of the cancer therapeutic research. In this paper, we reviewed briefly the characteristics of Plk families and how Plks work in regulating cell cycles and cancer formation, and the possibilities of Plks as target for cancer therapy.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.281-286
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• 2004

Spermatogenesis and sperm ultrastructure of the marsh clam (Corbicula japonica) were investigated by electron microscopic observations. Testis of the marsh clam consists of numerous spermatogenic follicle containing germ cells in the different developmental stages. Spermatogonia are located nearest the outer wall of the follicle, while spermtocytes and spermatids are positioned nearer to the lumen. Spematogonia are oval-shaped and about $5{\mu}m$ In diameter. Spermatogonia develop into spermatocyte, spermatid and spermatozoon. In the spermatid to about $2{\mu}m$ in diameter, cytoplasm decreases and mitochondria move to the base of the nucleus and fuse into several spheres, the centrioles become orthogonally oriented, a flagellum appears, and an acrosomal vesicle forms. The mature sperm has primitive type, consisting of a head, a midpiece and a tail. The sperm was arrow-shaped, and its head is about $8{\mu}m$ long and comprised of a long nucleus and an acrosome. The four mitochondria encircled the centrosome in midpiece. The flagellum had the classical 9+2 axoneme structure, and axonemal lateral fins in the tail were observed.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.229-235
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• 2018

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) has been known to be a critical element in cell division including centrosome maturation, cytokinesis and spindle formation in somatic, cancer, and mammalian embryonic cells. In particular, Plk1 is highly expressed in cancer cells. Plk1 inhibitors, such as BI2536, have been widely used to prevent cell division as an anticancer drug. In this study, the fertilized murine oocytes were treated with BI2536 for 30 min after recovery from the oviduct to investigate the effect of down-regulation of Plk1 in the in vivo-fertilized murine embryos. Then, the localization and expression of Plk1 was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The sperm which had entered into the oocyte cytoplasm did not form male pronuclei in BI2536-treated oocytes. The BI2536-treated oocytes showed significantly lower expression of Plk1 than non-treated control group. In addition, alpha-tubulin and Plk1 gathered around sperm head in non-treated oocytes, while BI2536-treated oocytes did not show this phenomenon. The present study demonstrates that the Plk1 inhibitor, BI2536, hinders fertilization by inhibiting the formation of murine male pronucleus.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.363-370
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• 2012

The outer dense fiber 2 (ODF2) protein is an important component of sperm tail outer dense fiber and localizes at the centrosome. It has been reported that the RO072 ES cell derived homozygote knock out of ODF2 results in an embryonic lethal phenotype, and XL169 ES cell derived heterozygote knock out causes severe defects in sperm tail development. The ODF2s splicing variant, Cenexin1, possesses a C-terminal extension, and the phosphorylation of serine 796 residue in an extended C-terminal is responsible for Plk1 binding. Cenexin1 assembles ninein and causes ciliogenesis in early stages of the cell cycle in a Plk1-independent manner. Alternatively, in the late stages of the cell cycle, G2/M phase, Cenexin1 binds to Plk1 and results in proper mitotic progression. In this study, to identify the in vivo function of Plk1 binding to phosphorylated Cenexin1 S796 residue, and to understand the in vivo functional differences between ODF2 and Cenexin1, we generated ODF2/Cenexin1 S796A/Cenexin1 WT expressing transgenic mice in a RO072 ES cell derived $ODF2^{+/-}$ knock out background. We observed a severe defect of sperm tail development by ectopic expression of Cenexin1 S796A mutant and no phenotypic differences between the ectopic expression of ODF2/Cenexin1 WT in $ODF2^{+/-}$ background and in normal wild type mice.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2009

This study was performed to confirm the microtubule assemblies and methylation patterns of porcine IVF and parthenogenetic embryos. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected and matured in vitro for 42 hr. Oocytes were fertilized by prepared fresh sperm or activated parthenogenetically by exposure to electric stimulation and 6-dimethylaminopurine. Porcine IVF and parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in vitro for 6 days. Embryos were stained by immunofluorescence staining method to observe the dynamic of nucleus and microtubules in the first mitotic phase and the methylation patterns in different developmental stages. After then, samples were confirmed and analyzed through a laser-scanning confocal microscope. IVF embryos had a centrosome originated from sperms, which was shown a $\gamma$-tubulin spot. However, $\gamma$-tubulin spot was not observed in parthenogenetic embryos. A lower methylation level was observed in IVF embryos compared to parthenogenetic ones at the morula and blastocyst stages. In conclusion, it is considered that microtubule assemblies and genetic regulation mechanism differ between parthenogenetic and IVF embryos.