• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.262-266
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• 2017

Objective: This study was conducted to screen scrotal hernia in domesticated swine from selected breeders in the Philippines. This defect is associated with a cytosine to thymine mutation in the BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX) gene of swine. Methods: Genetic screening was done by DNA extraction followed by amplification and digestion using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, amplifying the 416 bp region of the BAX gene that was subjected to digestion using the Ear I enzyme. Sequencing was also conducted to validate the results. Results: Results revealed that out of 538 samples tested, 411 (76.4%) of the samples were found to be normal whereas the remaining were carriers of the mutation in which 80 (14.9%) were heterozygous mutants and 47 (8.7%) were homozygous mutants. Pietrain breed was found to have the highest incidence. Conclusion: Having a scrotal hernia eliminates the chances of using the boar as a breeder stock because the following generations arising from it would most likely exhibit herniation. It is therefore advised to establish a genetic screening method for Scrotal Hernia in the Philippines to eliminate the negative gene from the herd.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.406-413
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• 2009

The enzyme invertase contributes to sugar unloading, pathogen defense, differentiation and development in plants. We cloned the complete cDNA of a soluble acid invertase from pea seedlings (Pisum sativum) via RT-PCR and the rapid amplification of the cDNA end (RACE) technique. The full-length cDNA of the soluble pea invertase comprised 2237 bp and contained a complete open reading frame encoding 647 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high homology to soluble acid invertases from various plants. Northern blot analysis demonstrated the soluble acid invertase gene of P. sativum was strongly expressed in sink organs such as shoot tips and root tips, and induced by abscisic acid, gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid in shoots. Especially, gibberellic acid enhanced the gene expression of the soluble acid invertase in a time-dependent manner. This study presents that the gene expression patterns of a soluble acid invertase from pea are strongly consistent with the suggestion that individual invertase gene product has different functions in the growing plant.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.177-177
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• 2003

Adult periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease whose etiology is not well defined. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D receptor gene has been a candidate for the susceptibility of adult periodontitis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency of Taq I restriction fragment length polymorphism (RELP) in the vitamin D receptor gene in 141 periodontically healthy controls and 32 adult periodontitis patients. Taq I RFLP in the vitamin D receptor gene were detected by PCR amplification, followed by restriction enzyme digestion and 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. There were no significant difference in the distribution of Taq I RFLP between healthy controls and adult periodontitis group (P > 0.05). Thus, Taq I RFLP in the vitamin D receptor gene may not confer the susceptibility to adult periodontitis in Korean population. However, t allele distributions of this RFLP showed various frequencies among ethnic groups studied. Further studies in other ethnic groups will be required.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.159-161
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• 2003

The coat protein (CP) gene of Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), a member of the genus Ilarvirus, was selected for the design of virus-specific primers for amplification and molecular detection of the virus in cultivated apple. A combined assay of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed with a single pair of ApMV-specific primers and crude nucleic acid extracts from virus-infected apple for rapid detection of the virus. The PCR product was verified by restriction mapping analysis and by sequence determination. The lowest concentration of template viral RNA required for detection was 100 fg. This indicates that the RT-PCR for detection of the virus is a 10$^3$times more sensitive, reproducible and time-saving method than the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The specificity of the primers was verified using other unrelated viral RNAs. No PCR product was observed when Cucumber mosaic virus (Cucumovirus) or a crude extract of healthy apple was used as a template in RT-PCR with the same primers. The PCR product (669 bp) of the CP gene of the virus was cloned into the plasmid vector and result-ant recombinant (pAPCP1) was selected for molecule of apple transformation to breed virus-resistant transgenic apple plants as the next step. This method can be useful for early stage screening of in vitro plantlet and genetic resources of resistant cultivar of apple plants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2305-2309
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• 2012

Crocin, the main pigment of Crocus sativus L., has been shown to have antiproliferative effects on cancer cells, but the involved mechanisms are only poor understood. This study focused on probable effect of crocin on the immortality of hepatic cancer cells. Cytotoxicity of crocin ($IC_{50}$ 3 mg/ml) in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells was determined after 48 h by neutral red uptake assay and MTT test. Immortality was investigated through quantification of relative telomerase activity with a quantitative real-time PCR-based telomerase repeat amplification protocol (qTRAP). Telomerase activity in 0.5 ${\mu}g$ protein extract of HepG2 cells treated with 3 mg/ml crocin was reduced to about 51% as compared to untreated control cells. Two mechanisms of inhibition, i.e. interaction of crocin with telomeric quadruplex sequences and down regulation of hTERT expression, were examined using FRET analysis to measure melting temperature of a synthetic telomeric oligonucleotide in the presence of crocin and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the $T_m$ telomeric oligonucleotides, while the relative expression level of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) gene showed a 60% decrease as compared to untreated control cells. In conclusion, telomerase activity of HepG2 cells decreases after treatment with crocin, which is probably caused by down-regulation of the expression of the catalytic subunit of the enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1996

Microgram quantities of DNA per gram soil were recovered with SDS- based and freeze-and thaw procedures. The average DNA fragment size was > 23 Kb. This method generated minimal shearing of extracted DNA. However, the DNA extracts still contained considerable amounts of humic impurities sufficient to inhibit PCR. Several approaches were used to reduce the interferences with the PCR (use of CTAF in extraction step, Elutip-d column purification, addition of BSA to PCR buffer) to accomplish PCR with DNA extract as a template. Most of the DNA extracts were not digested completely by restriction endonuclease, and CTAB-TREATED ane Elutip-d column purified DNA extracts were partially digested. Regarding as restriction enzyme digestion, all PCRs failed to amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments in the DNA extracts. In the case of DNA extracts only where BSA was added to PCR buffer, PCR was successfully conducted whether the DNA extracts were treated with CTAB or purified with columns. However, these two treatments were indispensable for humic impurity-rich DNA extracts to generate the PCR-compatible DNA samples. Direct extraction of DNA, coupled with these procedures to remove and relieve interferences by humic impurities and followed by the PCR, can be rapid and simple method for molecular microbiological study on soil microorganisms.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 2006

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), otherwise known as interferon-gamma-inducing factor (IGIF), is one of several well characterized and important cytokines that contribute to host defenses. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of mature human interleukin-18 gene (hIL-18) was fused with the signal peptide of the rice amylase 1A gene (Ramy1A) and introduced into the plant expression vector under the control of a duplicated CaMV 35S promoter. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Havana) using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The integration of the hlL-18 gene into the genome of transgenic tobacco plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and its expression was observed in the suspension cells that were derived from the transgenic plant callus by using Northern blot analysis. The hlL-18 protein was detected in the extracts of the transgenic callus and in the medium of the transgenic tobacco suspension culture by using immunoblot analysis. Based upon enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) results, the expression level of the hlL-18 protein approximated $166{\mu}g/L$ in the suspension culture medium. Bioassay results from the induction of $interferon-{\gamma}$ from a KG-1 cell line indicated that the hlL-18 secreted into the suspension culture medium was bioactive.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2002

The intergenic spacer (IGS) region of the ribosomal DNA of species in Fusarium section Liseola was analyzed by amplification and subsequent digestion with several restriction enzymes. The length of the amplified IGS region was about 2.6 Kb in all strains except F.moniliforme 12 Which was about 2.9 Kb. The enzymes, EcoRI, HincII, SalI, HindIII, PstI and SmaI, digested the IGS region and nine haplotypes were identified among 11 strains. In the dendrogram based on PCR-RFLP of IGS region combined the results of section Liseola in this study and section Elegans in previous study, variation in the IGS appears to offer considerable potential to resolve intraspecific relationship as well as interspecies or intersection.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.363-374
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• 2007

A biochemical characterization and antimicrobial drugs susceptibility study was conducted in four breeding kennel which was canine abortion caused by Brucella canis in Gyeongbuk province in 2003-2006. Total of 267 dogs domesticated in the four kennel were examination. Among them, 143 (53.6%) dogs were sero-positive and 25 of blood samples were isolated to Brucella canis. At amplification of 35KDa-BCSP gene using PCR, 711 bp DNA fragment was same visible in 25 isolates and B canis RM6/66. Biochemical characterization of B canis isolated was non-hemolytic, no production of $H_2S$, no fermentation of carbohydrates, catalase-positive, oxidase-positive, indol-negative, hydrolyzation of urea, reduction of nitrate and development of thionin dye medium. Using disk-diffusion method, all of 25 strains tested were found to be highly susceptible to tetracycline, aminoglycoside, quinolone, macrolide antibiotics, rifampin and ampicillin in vitro. Using PFGE with restriction enzyme Smi I, 25 isolates tested were typed to 2 pattern, S1 and S2.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.486-489
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• 1996

A simple, rapid, specific and sensitive method for the detection of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique without conventional RNA extraction was developed. HCV template RNA from serum was obtained by boiling the serum at $95^{\circ}C$ for 2 min, cooling rapidly in ice and removing the proteins by cetrifugation. RT-PCR amplifications including the reverse transcription and first PCR amplification were performed in one vessel containing both of reverse transcriptase and Taq DNA polymerase. The detection of HCV RNA from $10^{-3}{\mu}l$. serum was possible with this method. The suitability of this method for clinical analysis was evaluated by assaying HCV RNA in 225 patient samples including anti-HCV antibody negatives (13 samples) and positives (212 samples) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test (ELISA). Detections of HCV RNA with this method were in 4 of 13 anti-HCV antibody negative samples (30.8%) and 95 of 212 positive samples (44.8%). The present method can be completed in 1 hr and has a wide range of application for the clinical utilities to determine the viral RNAS.