• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1301-1306
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• 2012

We combined real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR (R/P) assays using a hydrolysis probe to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific 16S rRNA and its rRNA gene (rDNA). The assay was applied to 28 non-respiratory and 207 respiratory specimens from 218 patients. Total nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA) were extracted from samples, and results were considered positive if the repeat RT-PCR threshold cycle was ${\leq}35$ and the ratio of real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR load was ${\geq}1.51$. The results were compared with those from existing methods, including smear, culture, and real-time PCR. Following resolution of the discrepant results between R/P assay and culture, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of all samples (including non-respiratory and respiratory specimens) were 98.2%, 97.2%, 91.7%, and 99.4%, respectively, for R/P assay, and 83.9%, 89.9%, 72.3%, and 94.7%, respectively, for real-time PCR. Furthermore, the R/P assay of four patient samples showed a higher ratio before treatment than after several days of treatment. We conclude that the R/P assay is a rapid and accurate method for direct detection of MTBC, which can distinguish viable and nonviable MTBC, and thus may guide patient therapy and public health decisions.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.177-188
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• 1993

This study was performed to find out the reasonable sexing methods In the chicken, obtain the basic information for the mechanisms related to chicken sexual differentiation and identify the genes which known to involved in chicken sex differentiation. The chromosome analysis of chicken embryonic fibroblast was a simple method to determine sex of chicken by means of Z and W chromosome identification. The bands of female chicken genomic DNA digested with Xho Ⅰ and Eco RI restriction endonuclease showed to be useful in direct sex determination and these repetitive sequences of Xho Ⅰ and Eco RI families were proposed to be very homologous in their sequences by colony hybridization analysis. Seven of 150 random primers were selected to amplify the W chromosome-specific band by using arbitrary primed PCR and three of them were useful to identify the sex of chicken. To identify the sex differentiation genes in the chicken, PCR for the amplification of ZFY and SRY sequences was performed. ZFY and SRY sequences were amplified successfully in the chicken genome, implying that chicken genome might have the sex-related conserved sequences similar to mammalian ones. The PCR products of ZFY amplification were the same in both sexes, suggesting that these sequences may be located on autosome or Z chromosome. The profile of PCR amplification for SRY sequences showed variation between sexes, but this result was not enough to specify whether the SRY gene in chicken is on the autosome or sex chromosome.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.1234-1240
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• 2009

Purpose:Enteroviruses (EVs) are commonly known to cause infection, especially in infants and children. This report presents an overview of enterovirus epidemiology in central Korea. Methods:From the spring of 2005 to the autumn of 2006, we collected the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and stool samples from the pediatric patients with a febrile illness or suspected meningitis who were admitted to hospitals in central Korea. In order to test for EVs, cell lines were derived from pretreated susceptible specimen, and the cytopathic effects were observed. Seminested real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and direct sequencing were performed for genotypic and phylogenetic analyses. Results:Of the 305 patients examined, 51 (16.7%) tested positive for EV. Of these 51 patients, 44 showed the following serotypes: Echovirus (ECV) 18 (18 cases, 35.2%), Coxsackievirus B (CVB) 5 (13 cases, 25.4%), ECV25 (5 cases, 9.8%), ECV9 (4 cases, 7.8%), ECV5 (3 cases, 5.8%), and EV74 (1 case, 1.9%). In 2005, between June and August, ECV18 and CVB5 were mostly responsible for the enteroviral infections among the patients in central Korea. In 2006, between July and August, ECV25 was mostly the cause of enteroviral infection. Conclusions:There is a need for continuous surveillance of enteroviral infection and its clinical manifestations, particularly for EV74, which was first identified in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.123-130
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• 1999

Purpose : Meningitis is an inflammation of meninges by various kinds of organisms. Almost 85% of aseptic meningitis is caused by Enterovirus. This study was done to detect the causative virus of those with aseptic meningitis through sequencing the 5'-noncoding region to compare prototype and homology. Methods : RNA was extracted from Coxsackie Bl, Echovirus 3, 7, 9, 30. DNA was synthesized by RT-PCR and we compared homology with prototype from WHO by direct sequencing. Results : 1) PCR products from these viruses showed same bands of 155 bp and 440 bp on gel electrophoresis. 2) Coxsackievirus and Echovirus 11 prototype sequences were compared, which showed 12 bp changes with 92.1%. 3) Coxsackievirus B1 from a patient showed 94.1% homology when compared with prototype. 4) Echovirus 3 showed 92.8%, echovirus 7 92.8%, echovirus 30 82.9% homology. Conclusion : 5'-NCR of enterovirus has high homology which was good for use of diagnosis and more long sequencing requires for typing of viruses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.315-320
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• 2016

Porcine beta-defensin-1 (PBD-1) gene plays an important role in the innate immunity of pigs. The peptide encoded by this gene is an antimicrobial peptide that has direct activity against a wide range of microbes. This peptide is involved in the co-creation of an antimicrobial barrier in the oral cavity of pigs. The objective of the present study was to detect polymorphisms, if any, in exon-1 and exon-2 regions of PBD-1 gene in Large White Yorkshire (LWY) and native Ankamali pigs of Kerala, India. Blood samples were collected from 100 pigs and genomic DNA was isolated using phenol chloroform method. The quantity of DNA was assessed in a spectrophotometer and quality by gel electrophoresis. Exon-1 and exon-2 regions of PBD-1 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the products were subjected to single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Subsequent silver staining of the polyacrylamide gels revealed three unique SSCP banding patterns in each of the two exons. The presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was confirmed by nucleotide sequencing of the PCR products. A novel SNP was found in the 5'-UTR region of exon-1 and a SNP was detected in the mature peptide coding region of exon-2. In exon-1, the pooled population frequencies of GG, GT, and TT genotypes were 0.67, 0.30, and 0.03, respectively. GG genotype was predominant in both the breeds whereas TT genotype was not detected in LWY breed. Similarly, in exon-2, the pooled population frequencies of AA, AG, and GG genotypes were 0.50, 0.27, and 0.23, respectively. AA genotype was predominant in LWY pigs whereas GG genotype was predominant in native pigs. These results suggest that there exists a considerable genetic variation at PBD-1 locus and further association studies may help in development of a PCR based genotyping test to select pigs with better immunity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.241-247
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• 1996

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is the single most intensively studied chromosome alteration characterizing a human malignancy. The specific genetic alteration of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is the formation of the BCR/abl fusion gene in leukemic cells. The presence of the BCR/abl gene has important diagnostic and prognostic implications in CML. The detection of BCR/abl transcripts by reverse transcriptase based polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was investigated in patients with CML in whom the Ph chromosome abnormality was documented by cytogenetic analysis. In a total of 68 CML patient cases, the Ph chromosome was found in 53 cases (77.9%) by cytogenetic analysis. On the other hand, sixty two cases (91.2%) were detected to have BCR/abl gene rearrangement Of these, b3a2 was 44 cases (64.7%) and b2a2 was 17 cases (25,0%). There was one case with both b3a2 and b2a2 (1.5%). Of the fifteen cases of Ph chromosome negative by cytogenetic anlaysis, the BCR/abl gene was observed in nine cases, The results of BCR/abl fusion gene confirmed by the direct sequencing method correlated well with PCR analysis, The amplified PCR products were detected by $1{\times}10^{-5}$ dilutions. In conclusion, PCR technique is sensitive, rapid and relatively simple for a laboratory test in detecting the BCR/abl fusion gene with CML regardless of the result of cytogenetic analysis.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2018

Background: Angelica gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba are commercially important in the herbal medicine market, and among them, A. gigas has the highest economic value and price. However, their similar morphological traits are often used for fraud. Despite their importance in herbal medicine, recognition of the differences between Angelica species is currently inadequate. Methods and Results: A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed for direct detection and identification of A. gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba. The gene for the distinction of species was targeted at ITS in the nucleus and trnC-petN gene in chloroplasts. The optimized multiplex PCR in the present study utilized each Angelica species-specific primer pairs. Each primer pair yielded products of 229 base pairs (bp) for A. gigas, 53 bp for A. sinensis, 170 bp for A. acutiloba. Additionally non-specific PCR products were not detected in similar species by species-specific primers. Conclusions: In the present study, a multiplex-PCR assay, successfully assessed the authenticity of Angelica species (A. gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba). and whole genome amplification (WGA) was performed after DNA extraction to identify, the species in the product. The detection method of raw materials developed in the present study could be applied to herbal medicine and health functional food management.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.355-359
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• 2006

The functional stability of mRNA is one of the crucial factors affecting the efficiency of in vitro translation. As the rapid degradation of mRNA in the cell extract (S30 extract) causes early termination of the translational reactions, extending the mRNA half-life will improve the productivity of the in vitro protein synthesis. Thus, a simple PCR-based method is introduced to increase the stability of mRNA in an S30 extract. The target genes are PCR-amplified with primers designed to make the ends of the transcribed mRNA molecule anneal to each other. When compared with normal mRNA, the mRNA with the annealing sequences resulted in an approximately 2-fold increase of protein synthesis in an in vitro translation reaction. In addition, sequential transcription and translation reactions in a single tube enabled direct protein expression from the PCR-amplified genes without any separate purification of the mRNA.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1309-1316
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• 2011

This paper presents a high-speed RNA microextractor for the direct isolation of RNA from blood lysate using magnetic oligo(dT) beads. The extraction is performed through lateral magnetophoresis, which is induced by a ferromagnetic wire array inlaid. With this RNA microextractor, more than 80% of the magnetic beads could be separated at a flow rate up to 20 ml/h, and the overall extraction procedure was completed within 1 min. The absorbance ratio of RNA to protein(A260/A280) was greater than 1.7, indicating that the extraction technique yields pure RNA. The feasibility of using this technique in reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction procedures was investigated by cDNA synthesis and PCR processes. The results confirmed that the RNA microextractor is a practical device for easy, fast, and high-precision RT-PCR using minimal amounts of reagent.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2006

Analysis of molecular nature of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be powerful marker for anthropological studies of modern populations. While population genetic studies on mtDNA have been reported for several ethnic groups, no such study has been documented for the Korean population. We surveyed mtDNA polymorphisms in the HVS I of noncoding D-loop region and its upstream region from 430 unrelated healthy Korean population by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and direct sequencing analysis. PCR product with 2,790 bp spanning the specific mtDNA region (mt13715-16504) was subjected to RFLP analysis using 6 restriction enzyme (Hinf I, Hae III, Alu I, Dde I, Mbo I, Rsa I). On the PAUP analysis of PCR-RFLP results, 38 mtDNA haplotypes (Hap 1-38) were detected in the Korean populations, which were classified into 11 haplogroups (Grp 1-11) of related haplotypes encompassing all 38 haplotypes. In comparison of sequencing data with Anderson's reference sequence, the transition type was more prevalent than the transversion type. Insertions or deletions were not found. In addition, three of the polymorphic sites (A16240C, A16351G, G16384A) in HVS-I region are determined newly. The polymorphic sites were distributed randomly in the region, though the frequency at each site was variable. Thus, this research might be required for the genealogical study of Orientals.