• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.39-45
• /
• 2017

The present study was performed to reveal the morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic position of Platynosomum fastosum Kossack, 1910. A total 167 specimens of P. fastosum were collected in 8 (4.9%) out of 163 sets of gall-bladders and bile ducts of cats. The number of worms was 1-105 per infected cat. This species was characterized by having a long and slender body, slightly larger ventral sucker than the oral sucker, indistinct prepharynx, small pharynx, short esophagus, bifurcation midway between 2 suckers, and ceca extending to the posterior end of the body. The length of the partial sequences of ITS1 and 5.8S rDNA of P. fastosum were 990 bp, GC-rich. AT/GC ratio was 0.9, there were 9 polymorphic sites, and intraspecific variations ranged from 0.1% to 0.9%. Phylogenetic analyses by neighbor-joining phylogram inferred from ITS1 rDNA sequences revealed that the genetic distance between P. fastosum specimens ranged from 0.3 to 1.5% while the smallest interspecific distance among dicrocoeliid species was 20.9 %. The redescription and genetic characters of P. fastosum are taxonomically important to recognize future different species of the genus Platynosomum showing high intraspecific and morphological variability.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.277-283
• /
• 2020

Objective: The sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) guides the clinician's choice of an appropriate assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure. The DFI can be determined using commercially available methodologies, including sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) kits and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). Currently, when DFI is evaluated using SCD kits, the result is analyzed in reference to the SCSA-derived threshold for the choice of an ART procedure. In this study, we compared DFI values obtained using SCSA with those obtained using SCD and determined whether the difference affects the choice of ART procedure. Methods: We compared SCSA to two SCD kits, CANfrag (n=36) and Halosperm (n=31), to assess the DFI values obtained, the correlations between tests, the technical repeatability, and the impact of DFI on the choice of ART. Results: We obtained higher median DFI values using SCD kits than when using SCSA, and this difference was significant for the CANfrag kit (p<0.001). The SCD kits had significantly higher coefficients of variation than SCSA (p<0.001). In vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) would be chosen for a significantly higher proportion of patients if a decision were made based on DFI derived from SCD rather than DFI determined using SCSA (p=0.003). Conclusion: Our results indicate that SCD kit-specific thresholds should be established in order to avoid the unnecessary use of IVF/ICSI based on sperm DNA damage for the management of infertility. Appropriate measures should be taken to mitigate the increased variability inherent to the methods used in these tests.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.49 no.12
• /
• pp.662-670
• /
• 2016

The human oral cavity contains a highly personalized microbiome essential to maintaining health, but capable of causing oral and systemic diseases. Thus, an in-depth definition of "healthy oral microbiome" is critical to understanding variations in disease states from preclinical conditions, and disease onset through progressive states of disease. With rapid advances in DNA sequencing and analytical technologies, population-based studies have documented the range and diversity of both taxonomic compositions and functional potentials observed in the oral microbiome in healthy individuals. Besides factors specific to the host, such as age and race/ethnicity, environmental factors also appear to contribute to the variability of the healthy oral microbiome. Here, we review bioinformatic techniques for metagenomic datasets, including their strengths and limitations. In addition, we summarize the interpersonal and intrapersonal diversity of the oral microbiome, taking into consideration the recent large-scale and longitudinal studies, including the Human Microbiome Project.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.45-50
• /
• 2007

Genetic diversity among selected isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina, a causal agent of charcoal rot (stalk rot) disease in sorghum was studied using PCR-RAPD markers. A set of ten isolates, from ten different rabi sorghum genotypes representing two traditional sorghum growing situations viz., Dharwad- a transitional high rainfall region and Bijapur- a semi-arid low rainfall region in South India. From a set of 40 random primers tested, amplicon profiles of 15 were reproducible. A total of 149 amplicon levels, with an average of 9.9 bands per primer, were available for analysis, of which 148 were polymorphic (99.3%). It was possible to discriminate all the isolates with any of the 15 primers employed. UPGMA clustering of data indicated that the isolates shared varied levels of genetic similarity within a range of 0.14 to 0.72 similarity coefficient index and it was suggestive that grouping of isolates was not related to sampling location in anyway. A high level of genetic heterogeneity of 0.28 was recorded among the isolates.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.701-718
• /
• 2006

In cancer microarray experiments, the experimenter or patient which is nested in each experimenter often shows quite heterogeneous error variability, which should be estimated for identifying a source of variation. Our study describes a Bayesian method which utilizes clinical information for identifying a set of DE genes for the class of subtypes as well as assesses and examines the experimenter effect and patient effect which is nested in each experimenter as a source of variation. We propose a Bayesian multilevel mixed effect model based on analysis of covariance (ANACOVA). The Bayesian multilevel mixed effect model is a combination of the multilevel mixed effect model and the Bayesian hierarchical model, which provides a flexible way of defining a suitable correlation structure among genes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.1041-1044
• /
• 2007

To assess the effects of a proton beam on oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among strains induced by a proton beam were investigated based on a clustering analysis. According to an AFLP DNA polymorphism analysis, the induced strains were divided into four groups that coincided with the dose. When applying proton-beam radiation, the dissimilarity among the induced strains increased when increasing the dose. When using more than 400 Gy, the genetic dissimilarity of the irradiated strains was 46-58%. Thus, evaluating the induced strains using the AFLP technique was effective in revealing the mutation effect of the proton beam.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2005

Parthenogenesis in mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. acquires immense use in the development of outstanding homozygous lines with higher viability, hybrid vigour, combining ability and less phenotypic variability. It can serve as a powerful tool in controlling sex of the offsprings as well as a useful tool in selection. In fact India is the second largest silk producing country in the world next only to China and all the five types of natural silks viz., mulberry, oak tasar, tropical tasar, muga and eri are produced in India. However, little information is available on the role of artificial parthenogenesis in the development of superior silkworm breeds. This paper overviews some important studies carried out on artificial parthenogenesis, and outline of different types of parthenogenesis, methods of induction of artificial parthenogenesis, factors responsible for successful parthenogenetic development, cytogenetics of artificial parthenogenesis and role of artificial parthenogenesis in silkworm breeding. Besides, an attempt is made to describe briefly about parthenogenetic engineering which includes cloning in silkworm, artificial insemination, chimeras, hybridization, chromosomal substitution and recombinant DNA in silkworm.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.188-193
• /
• 2005

Twenty nine samples of pigeon droppings (n = 12) and soil contaminated with avian excreta (n = 19), collected from different sites in Busan, were examined for isolation and characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans. Of these samples, 5 strains of C. neoformans were recovered from pigeon droppings (5/12 : 41.7%). All isolates were belonged to C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A). The extracellular enzyme activities of the strains by using the API-ZYM system showed two different enzymatic patterns. The genetic variability among C. neoformans isolates was analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using three 10-mer primers. Two different RAPD patterns, which clearly distinguished the isolates, were identified. Analysis of RAPD patterns provided a good characterization of environmental strains of C. neoformans serotype A as a heterogeneous group and were in good agreement with enzymatic profiles.

• Plant Resources
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.86-94
• /
• 2002

This study characterized the genetic variations of 13 populations of Asplenium antiquum and its relative species using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total 88 scorable RAPD bands were generated by the 12 random oligo primers and were analyzed by Nei and Li's genetic distance. High genetic variability was detected between A. antiquum and A. nidus, with the range from 0.568 to 0.682. And slightly low genetic variations showed within the populations of same species. Seven populations of A. antiquum showed slight differences (0.000-0.216), and five populations of A. nidus showed similar low genetic variations (0.114 to 0.171). Two individuals from Sup-seom Island which are growing in might be the regenerated one from abroad. A. antiquum were clustered as two groups (Group I, Group II) by UPGMA phenogram. And five populations of A. nidus were clustered as two groups correlated with geographical distribution. The RAPD data was very useful to define the genetic variations and to discuss the phylogenetic relationships among A. antiquum and the related species..

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.318-327
• /
• 2005

Southern blot analysis revealed a ubiquitous distribution and high copy number of Ty3-gypsy-like elements in the genome of Hibiscus syriacus. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the large subunit of Rubisco and the integrase region of Ty3-gypsy elements in various plant species indicated that the retrotransposon-like sequences have different evolutionary histories and their own unique polymorphism in the H. syriacus population. Sequence-tagged site-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (STS-RFLP) analysis also indicated great variability in the numbers and sequences of Ty3-gypsy-like elements within H. syriacus varieties. Ty3-gypsy-like elements may still be active within H. syriacus, since Northern analysis of wounded leaves of H. syriacus variety Saehan with a probe for the integrase domain gave strong hybridization signals. The sequence heterogeneity and ubiquity of the Ty3-gypsy-like elements in H. syriacus genomes could provide reliable DNA markers for line identification as well for the analysis of genetic diversity in H. syriacus.