• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 1998.07a
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• pp.32-33
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• 1998

생물체에서 유전외적 변형의 하나인 DNA 메틸화는 cis-acting factor의 조성변화를 통하여 세포특이 유전자의 발현과 virus latency, genomic imprinting, mutagenesis등과 같은 생물학적 효과를 나타내는 것으로 알려져 있다.(reviewed by Olle Heby, 1995). 5-azaCR, 5-azaCdR 그리고 6-azaCR의 처리결과는 배아자체의 DNA 메틸화의 유지가 정상발생에 필수적임을 알 수 있으며, 메틸화에 의한 배아발생 조절기작이 존재함을 암시하고 있다. 이러한 과정에서 5-azaCR과 5-azaCdR은 서로다른 경로를 통하여 배아발생에 관여함을 보여주었다. 즉, 5-azaCdR은 주로 DNA에 incorporation되어 작용하는 것으로 여겨지며, 5-azaCR은 DNA 보다는 RNA에 incorporation되어 작용하는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고, 비록 소수의 유전자만이 조사되었지만, 5-azaCdR의 incorporation에 의한 cis-acting factor의 변화는 전사인자인 c-myc proto-oncogene과 fluid 수송에 관여하는 $Na^{+}$, $K^{+}$-ATPase 유전자의 전사를 억제하지 않았다. 반면, 5-azaCR의 RNA로의 incorporation은 전사인자인 c-myc proto-oncogene의 전사를 억제하였으며, 연이어 fluid 수송에 관련되어있는 $Na^{+}$, $K^{+}$-ATPase 유전자의 전사를 억제하였다. 이것은 아마도 RNA로 incorporation된 5-azaCR은 RNA의 post-transcriptional processing에 영향을 주어 trans-acting factor의 조성을 변화, 전사적 repression을 유발한 것으로 사료된다. 생쥐 착상전 초기배아에서 DNA 메틸화는 short-term하게는 cis-acting factor로써 전사적 수준에서 유전자발현 조절하며, 그리고 유전자발현을 통하여 long-term하게는 배아발생에 관여 할 것이라고 사료된다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2008

DNA methylation is involved in tissue-specific gene control and essential for normal embryo development Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct-4) is one of the most important transcription factors for early differentiation. This study was performed whether the bovine Oct-4 is tissue specific or developmental dependent epigenetic mark, we investigated transcripts and the methylation status of CpGs of 5'-promoter region of Oct-4 in bovine preimplantation embryos. Oct-4 transcripts were highly detected in morula and blastocyst, while they were present low levels in sperm and 2- to 8-cell stage embryos. These results suggest that de novo expression of Oct-4 initiates at morula stage of embryogenesis. Here we determined that there is a tissue-dependent differentially methylated region (T-DMR) in the 5'-promoter region of Oct-4. The methylation status of the Oct-4 T-DMR was distinctively different in the oocyte from that in the sperm and adult somatic tissues and changed from zygote to blastocyst stage, suggesting that active methylation and demethylation occur during preimplantation development. Based on these results, the 5'-promoter region of Oct-4 gene is target for DNA methylation and the methylation status changes variously during embryonic development in bovine.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2015

Physiological plasticity of insects can be closely related with their epigenetic change. This hypothesis was tested using a polyphagous lepidopteran insect, Spodoptera exigua, by assessing the effects of different diets on development and DNA methylation. Three different diets (Welsh onion (WO), Chinese cabbage (CC), artificial diet (AD)) were assessed by feeding a cohort of larvae from neonate to last instar. There were significant differences in larval developmental rate, pupal weight and adult emergence according to diet treatments. AD-fed larvae exhibited the fastest developmental rate along with the highest pupal weight and adult emergence. Among natural hosts, WO was more favorable for development of S. exigua than CC. Total hemolymph proteins and sugars in the last instar larvae were varied among different diets. Gene expression of an insulin-like peptide (SeILP1) presumably associated with development was also varied among diets. Cytosine methylation of genomic DNA was assessed using a monoclonal antibody. Genomic DNA of S. exigua larvae was methylated. DNA methylation was apparently varied among different diet-fed larvae. The facts that a cohort of S. exigua was differentiated in developmental rate and cytosine methylation by different diets suggest that epigenetic factor(s) may play a crucial role in the physiological plasticity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.634-639
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• 2005

Purpose : An understanding of the immunological process is required if primary prevention of atopic diseases is to be developed in early childhood. But, it is too hard to distinguish atopy from nonatopy under the age of two clinically, because the expression of phenotype and cytokines is vague in early childhood. We evaluated DNA methylation changes at Th2 interleukin-4 gene in peripheral blood from atopic children. Methods : We selected 15 allergic children(mild : eight, moderate to severe : seven) and seven normal controls by using family allergy scores and clinical histories. We measured Total IgE and Der f II specific IgE levels and cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells with Der f II stimulation and extracted DNA from Der f II specific T cells. We examined the change of CpG methylation in DNA from atopic and nonatopic children. Results : In T cells from normal children, IL-4 DNA were predominantly methylated; otherwise, CpG demethylation occurred in Der f II specific T cells from allergic children. Conclusion : IL-4 DNA methylation changes occurred in T genes from allergic children and DNA methylation assay in early childhood.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2003

Zygote genome should entail a complex process of epigenetic reprogramming including a global DNA demethylation to reach a totipotency or pluripotency during early mammalian development. In this study, we have analyzed methylation patterns in cloned bovine embryos to monitor the epigenetic reprogramming process of donor genomic DNA. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns were observed in various genomic regions of cloned embryos except single-copy gene sequences. The overall genomic methylation status of cloned embryos was quite different from that of normal embryos produced in viかo or in vivo. Abnormal methylation profiles were also specifically represented in trophectoderm cells of cloned embryos, which probably result in widespread gene dysregulation in extraembryonic region or placental dysfunction familiar to cloned animals. Our findings suggest that developmental failures of cloned embryos are due to incomplete epigenetic reprogramming of donor genomic DNA. Understanding the epigenetic reprogramming processes of donor genome will clearly define the faulty development of cloned embryos.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Epigenetic changes represented by promoter CpG island hypermethylation and histone modification are an important carcinogenetic mechanism, which is found in virtually all histologic types of human cancer. About 60-70% of human genes harbor CpG islands in their promoters and 5' exonal sequences, and some of them undergo aberrant promoter CpG island hypermethylation and subsequent downregulation of gene expression. The loss of expression in tumor suppressor or tumor-related genes results in acceleration of tumorigenic processes. In addition to regional CpG island hypermethylation, diffuse genomic hypomethylation represents an important aspect of DNA methylation changes occurring in human cancer cells and contributes to chromosomal instability. These apparently contrasting methylation changes occur not only in human cancer cells, but also in premalignant cells. CpG island hypermethylation has gained attention for not only the tumorigenic mechanistic process, but also its potential utilization as a tumor biomarker. DNA methylation markers are actively investigated for their potential uses as tumor biomarkers for diagnosis of tumors in body fluids, prognostication of cancer patients, or prediction of chemotherapeutic drug response. In this review, these aspects will be discussed in detail.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.366-374
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• 2014

The study was conducted to investigate the possibility that epigenetic DNA methylation causes tree phenotypic variation in autotetraploids through evaluating the phenotypic variation and DNA methylation in autotetraploids occurred spontaneously from diploid trifoliate orange. Chromosome analysis confirmed that fourteen trifoliate orange trees of selected by flow cytometry were tetraploids (2n = 4X = 36) without any aneuploids. Chromomycin A3 staining determined that these trees were all autotetraploid with doubled chromosome set. Tree phenotypes, such as tree height and width, branching number, length, and angle, internode length, and leaf characteristics, varied in the autotetraploids. Chlorophyll indices were diverse in the autotetraploids, but photosynthetic rates were not significantly different. In addition, a wide range of variation was observed in stomatal density and guard cell length. Analysis of global cytosine DNA methylation showed that there was a variation of the methylation level in autotetraploids. More than half of 14 autotetraploids had at least 2 times higher methylation level than diploid trifoliate orange. The results indicate that tree phenotypic variation in autotetraploids might be related to global DNA methylation for reducing gene redundancy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1536-1544
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• 2018

Depression is a common, serious, and recurring mental disorder. The pathogenesis of depression involves many factors such as environmental factor, genetic factor and alteration of structure and function in neurobiological systems. Increasing evidence supports that epigenetic alteration may be associated with depression. The epigenetics is explained as the mechanisms by which environmental factor causes changes in chromatin structure and alters gene expression without changing DNA base sequence. DNA methylation and histone modification involving histone acetylation and methylation are the main epigenetic mechanisms. Animal studies have shown that stressful environment such as early life stress can leave persistent epigenetic marks in the genome, which alter gene expression and influence neural and behavioral function through adulthood. A potentially important gene in depression is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF plays a central role in depression and antidepressant action. In studies of the rodent, exposure to stress at prenatal, postnatal, and adult stages alters BDNF expression through histone modification and DNA methylation of the BDNF gene which results in anxiety and depressive-like behavior. This review discusses recent advances in the study of the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to depression, particularly histone modification and DNA methylation of the BDNF gene, that may help in the development of new targets for depression treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.169.2-169.2
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• 2012

암 관련 유전자를 후성유전학적으로 제어하는 방법에는 miRNA, DNA 메틸화, 그리고 히스톤 단백질의 변형에 의해서 가능하다. 그러나 후성유전학적 방법을 통해서 암 관련 유전자를 제어하기 위해서는 첫째, 한 유전자에 여러 miRNA들에 의해서 조절되기 때문에 선택의 문제가 있으며, 둘째, 암 관련 유전자를 제어하는 DNA 메틸화 패턴이 다양하며, 셋째, 히스톤 단백질의 변형 자체가 다양하며 각 유전자에 대한 히스톤 변형의 특이성이 있다. 따라서 후성유전학 기반 하에서 암 관련 유전자를 제어하기 위해서는 시스템 수준에서의 접근이 바람직하다. 본 연구에서는 암 관련 유전자의 네트워크를 구축하고, 이 네트워크를 기반으로 암 유전자를 제어하는 miRNA에 최우선 순위를 부여하는 방법, 암 유전자의 DNA 메틸화 모티프 패턴을 분석하는 방법, 히스톤 변형과 암 관련유전자의 상관관계를 분석하는 방법을 제시하고자 한다.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.181-188
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• 2013

노인에게서 두드러지게 나타나고 있는 저근육형 비만은 근육감소를 동반한 체지방의 증가로 신체상의 뚜렷한 체성분의 변화를 야기 시킨다. 이때 골감소증을 동반하여 신체기능의 감소 및 골절장애 그리고 대사성 관련 질환의 위험도가 올라가는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 노화로 인한 체성분의 변화는 단순한 저근육형일 경우와 비만일 때 보다 급격히 증가된 복부내장 지방조직에서 분비되는 염증성 사이토카인, C-반응성 단백질(CRP), 인터루킨(IL)-6, IL-8 및 종양 괴사 인자(TNF-${\alpha}$)들이 단백질 대사를 저해하여 근육량의 감소를 더욱 촉진시키며, 염증관련 대사질환의 유병률에 중요한 요인이다. 본 연구에서는 DNA 메틸화가 당뇨병, 심혈관질환, 암과 같은 만성염증성 질환에 관계하고 있다는 최근 연구 결과를 기초로 하여 항염증 영양소와 생리활성을 갖는 식품인자들의 충분한 섭취가 염증조절에 중요하게 기여할 것으로 생각되며, 또한 염증성 질환의 주요 표식자인 DNA 메틸화와 히스톤 변형을 유발하는 효소의 활성 또는 비 암호화된 RNA의 발현을 조절함으로써 근육량 증가와 체지방 감소에 중요한 역할을 하는 것을 살펴보았다. 따라서 최근 새롭게 인식되는 후생유전학적 연구의 중심에 있는 항염증 영양소의 효과와 체성분 변화와의 긍정적 관계를 중심으로 저근육형 비만의 예방 및 인구고령화에 건강한 노화를 위한 효과적인 방법을 제시하였다.