• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.102-111
• /
• 2016

The goal of this study was to characterize the BrDSR (Drought Stress Resistance in B. rapa) gene and to identify the expression network of drought-inducible genes in Chinese cabbage under drought stress. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was conducted using a B. rapa inbred line ('CT001') and the pSL100 vector containing the BrDSR full length CDS (438 bp open reading frame). Four transgenic plants were selected by PCR and the expression level of BrDSR was approximately 1.9-3.4-fold greater than that in the wild-type control under drought stress. Phenotypic characteristics showed that BrDSR over-expressing plants were resistant to drought stress and showed normal growth habit. To construct a co-expression network of drought-responsive genes, B. rapa 135K cDNA microarray data was analyzed to identify genes associated with BrDSR. BrDSR was directly linked to DARK INDUCIBLE 2 (DIN2, AT3G60140) and AUTOPHAGY 8H (ATG8H, AT3G06420) previously reported to be leaf senescence and autophagy-related genes in plants. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that BrDSR plays a significant role in enhancement of tolerance to drought conditions.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.575-584
• /
• 2015

Drought stress is a crucial environmental factor determining crop survival and productivity. The goal of this study was to clearly identify a new drought stress-tolerance gene in Brassica rapa. From KBGP-24K microarray data with the B. rapa ssp. pekinensis inbred line 'Chiifu' under drought stress treatment, a gene which was named BrDSR (B. rapa Drought Stress Resistance) was chosen among 738 drought-responsive unigenes. BrDSR function has yet to be determined, but its expression was induced over 6-fold by drought. To characterize BrDSR, the gene was isolated from B. rapa inbred line 'CT001' and found to contain a 438-bp open reading frame encoding a 145 amino acid protein. The full-length cDNA of BrDSR was used to construct an over-expression vector, 'pSL100'. Tobacco transformation was then conducted to analyze whether the BrDSR gene can increase drought tolerance in plants. The BrDSR expression level in T1 transgenic tobacco plants selected via PCR and DNA blot analyses was up to 2.6-fold higher than non-transgenic tobacco. Analysis of phenotype clearly showed that BrDSR-expressing tobacco plants exhibited more tolerance than wild type under 10 d drought stress. Taking all of these findings together, we expect that BrDSR functions effectively in plant growth and survival of drought stress conditions.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2010

Objectives The clinical trial was designed to investigate the safety and effects of Bofu-tsusho-san extracts on the change of the weight, body compositions, serum in obese patients. Methods This study was a 4-weeks, double blind, comparative clinical trial. Eligible subjects had a body mass index(BMI) greater than $25\;kg/m^2$ and waist circumference(WC) longer than 85 cm in woman or 90 cm in man. Among 38 subjects, 36 subjects were randomized either to Bofu-tsusho-san or placebo. After 4 weeks of treatment, we measured anthropometric factors(weight, height, WC, BMI etc.), abdominal fat area by CT scanning, serum lipid(total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol), blood level of variety(glucose, adiponectine, leptin, C-reactive protein(CRP) etc.), blood pressure(BP). Adverse events also evaluated. Results BMI, BP, TG, CRP were reduced and weight, WC, score of KOQOL(Korean version of obesity-related QOL scale), SRI(Stress response inventory) were significant changed in Bofu-tsusho-san. But there were no considerable difference between Bofu-tsusho-san and placebo. there were no serious adverse events in either group. Conclusion There were limitations in this study that it conducted within a short period of 4 weeks. but its weight and WC loss effect was significant and it had few adverse events.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.58 no.4
• /
• pp.15.1-15.6
• /
• 2016

Background: Our previous study had identified the SNP (g.81966377T > C) and indel (g.81966364D > I) located in the promoter of APM1 to have a significant effect on marbling in Hanwoo. APM1 encodes an adipocytokine called adiponectin, which plays a significant role in lipogenesis. The aim of this study was to verify and validate the effect of the SNP and indel on marbling and other carcass traits in a large, representative, countrywide population of Hanwoo cattle. The carcass traits measured were marbling (MAR), backfat thickness (BFT), loin eye area (LEA), and carcass weight (CAW). Results: Primers were designed to amplify 346 bp of the genomic segment that contained the targeted SNP (g.81966377) and the indel (g.81966364). After data curation, the genotypes of 8,378 individuals identified using direct sequencing analysis estimated frequencies for C (0.686) and T (0.314) respectively showing genotype frequencies for CC (0.470), CT (0.430) and TT (0.098). The genotypes were significantly associated with MAR, BFT and LEA. The indel had significant effect on marbling (P < .0001) with strong additive genetic effects. The allele frequencies was estimated at (DEL, 0.864) and insertion (INS, 0.136) presenting genotypes of D/D (75.63 %), D/I (21.44 %), and I/I (2.92 %). Significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was not detected for both the SNP and the indel. Conclusion: The SNP genotypes showed significant association with MAR, BFT and LEA with strong additive genetic effects, while the indel was significantly associated with MAR. The results confirmed that the variants can be used as a genetic marker for improving marbling in Hanwoo.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.153-159
• /
• 2006

A 2,656 bp fragment of chicken ghrelin gene was cloned and SNPs were detected by PCR-RFLP and Allele Specific PCR (ASP) in 12 Chinese indigenous chicken breeds and a commercial chicken population. The results showed that there were 23 base variations and an amino acid change ($Gln{\rightarrow}Arg$) in cloned chicken ghrelin gene. Three SNPs were confirmed in 13 populations and associations between this gene and growth traits of Tibetan chicken (TC) and Recessive White chicken (RW) were investigated. The results of haplotype analysis revealed that 26 haplotype genotypes were composed of eight haplotypes. The results of $x^2$ tests indicated that there were significant differences between genotypes or haplotype genotype frequencies in some of the breeds or sexes at 0.05 or 0.01 levels. The results of ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences between genotypes or haplotype genotypes on some growth traits of TC and RW chicken breeds at 0.05 or 0.01 levels. Multiple comparisons showed that there were significant associations between genotype CT at site 71 and some growth traits of two chicken breeds and between genotype AG at site 1,215 and body weight at 16 wk of two chicken breeds, and there was a significant association between haplotype genotype CAA/CAG and body weight and shank girth at 16 wk of two chicken breeds.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1181-1186
• /
• 2014

Sialyltransferase gene expression is altered in several cancers, including examples in the cervix. Transcriptional regulation of the responsible genes depends on different promoters. We aimed to determine the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the B3 promoter of the ST3GAL4 gene and the P1 promoter of the ST6GAL1 gene with cervical premalignant lesions or cervical cancer. A blood sample and/or cervical scrapes were obtained from 104 women with normal cytology, 154 with premalignant lesions and 100 with cervical cancer. We also included 119 blood samples of random donors. The polymorphisms were identified by sequencing from PCR products. For the B3 promoter, a fragment of 506 bp (from nucleotide -408 to +98) was analyzed, and for the P1 promoter a 490 bp (-326 to +164) fragment. The polymorphism analysis showed that at SNP rs10893506, genotypes CC and CT of the ST3GAL4 B3 promoter were associated with the presence of premalignant lesions (OR=2.89; 95%CI 1.72-4.85) and cervical cancer (OR=2.23; 95%CI 1.27-3.91). We detected only one allele of each polymorphism in the ST6GAL1 P1 promoter. We did not detect any genetic variability in the P1 promoter region in our study population. Our results suggest that the rs10893506 polymorphism -22C/T may increase susceptibility to premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2004

Objectives: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation are commonly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, and through their defects in homocysteine metabolism, they have been implicated as a risk factor for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Recent report describe that 28-bp tandem repeat polymorphism in thymidylate synthase enhancer region (TSER) that influence enzyme activity would affect plasma homocysteine level. We have investigated the relationship between TSER genotype and plasma homocysteine level in 54 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion. Methods: Plasma homocysteine level was measured by fluorescent polarizing immunoassay. MTHFR mutation (C677T and A1298C) was identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay and TSER mutation was analyzed by PCR method. The data were analyzed using the program SAS 8.2 for Windows. Results: Total homocysteine level was significantly higher in MTHFR 677TT genotype ($9.80{\pm}3.87{\mu}mol/L$) than MTHFR 677CC genotype ($8.14{\pm}1.74{\mu}mol/L$) in Korean patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (p=0.0143). However, the plasma homocysteine level was not significantly different in the MTHFR 1298AA ($8.42{\pm}2.65{\mu}mol/L$) and 1298CC ($6.09{\pm}0.32{\mu}mol/L$; p=0.2058) and, TSER 2R2R ($8.61{\pm}1.68{\mu}mol/L$) and 3R3R ($8.05{\pm}2.81{\mu}mol/L$; p=0.9319) mutant genotypes, respectively. In this study, we found the combination effects of TSER and MTHFR C677T genotypes. Plasma homocysteine levels were the highest ($11.47{\pm}4.66{\mu}mol/L$) in individuals with TSER 3R3R ($8.05{\pm}2.81{\mu}mol/L$) and MTHFR 677TT ($9.80{\pm}3.87{\mu}mol/L$) genotypes. Individuals with a combination of both TSER 2R2R/2R3R and MTHFR 677CC/CT genotypes ($7.69{\pm}1.77{\mu}mol/L$) had lower plasma homocysteine levels than TSER 2R2R ($8.61{\pm}1.68{\mu}mol/L$) and MTHR 677CC ($8.14{\pm}1.74{\mu}mol/L$) genotypes, respectively. The effect of MTHFR polymorphism in the homocysteine metabolism appears to be stronger than that of TSER polymorphism. Conclusion: Although statistically not significant, we found the elevated level of plasma homocysteine in combined genotypes with TSER and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) in Korean patients with unexplained habitual abortion. In this study, we reported the possibility that TSER polymorphism is a genetic determinant of plasma homocysteine levels in the Korean patients as well as MTHFR C677T polymorphism. A large prospective study is needed to verify our findings.