• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.519-525
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• 2011

Growth hormone (GH) is obligatory for growth and development. But, there is controversy on the GH effect about reproductive processes of sexual differentiation, pubertal maturation, gonadal steroidogenesis, gametogenesis and ovulation. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of GH on estrus, ovulation and embryo implantation. The results obtained were as follows. GH stimulated to increase estrus rate (p<0.05), pregnancy rate (p<0.05), and total fetus number in mice treated for superovulation. Also, the correlation between GH and steroids, E2 and P4, at peri-estrus stage/ peri-ovulation stage/ peri-implantation stage of the superovulation-induced mice was examined. Consequently, GH co-injected with PMSG especially increased P4 level (p<0.05) at peri-estrus stage of superovulationinduced mice. In conclusion, GH co-treatment in superovulation system boosted the rate of estrus, pregnancy and total fetus by increasing progesterone level at peri-estrus stage of superovulation-induced mice.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2009

Procedures that induce microspore embryogenesis have been described for a range of Brassica species, but embryo yield remains low for a number of genotypes. We have carried out experiments with the microspores from a weakly responsive line of B. napus to determine the culture conditions that optimize their in vitro embryogenesis by treating them with effectors of ethylene synthesis and action. The results revealed that isolated microspores subjected to an initial heat stress in a medium supplemented with inhibitors of ethylene synthesis such as AVG and $CoCl_2$ exhibited significantly increased embryo yields. This suggested that regulatory effects are exerted by the ethylene produced by the isolated microspores on the early processes of gametogenesis. As a consequence, treatment of microspores with SAM, an ethylene synthesis precursor, or with the ethylene-releasing agent ethephon, led to decreases in embryo yield. A special response to ethylene during the early stages of microspore development was finally shown to occur through experiments where isolated microspores were treated for increasing periods of time with $CoCl_2$. Collectively, our data demonstrated that the induction of embryogenesis induced by heat stress can be enhanced by inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2007

The effects of water flow rate and phytoplankton concentration on the growth of the sandy shore clam Gafrarium tumidum was investigated in a laboratory flume study using a $3{\times}3$ factorial design. After 60 days, shell length, shell weight and tissue dry weight increased significantly with phytoplankton concentration. For the effect of flow rate, growth was faster when flow rate increased from low to medium level; further increases in flow rate, however, either did not sustain faster growth or resulted in a reduction in growth. The condition index (CI) of a standard-sized clam was significantly higher at low flow rate than at medium and high flow rates and was negatively correlated with phytoplankton concentration. The uncoupled growth of shell and tissue in response to flow rate and phytoplankton concentration may be adaptations to low food environments, so that energy can either be stored to sustain life or reserved for gametogenesis during the reproductive period.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.189-202
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• 1997

The hypothalamic peptide GnRH plays a central role in the regulation of the mammalian reproductive axis. Recent studies suggested that GnRH stimulates or inhibits the ovarian steroidogenesis and gametogenesis directly. Our previous report indicated that GnRH gene is expressed in adult rat ovary as well as in hypothalamus and that the expressed GnRH may induce the follicular atresia and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in rat. Therfore, we studied whether GnRH gene is expressed in the mouse fetal ovary, when the germ cells are degenerating by apoptosis during gonad diffeerentiation. Mouse fetal gonads were obtained on the 12, 15,18 and 20th day of gestation from the mother mice superovulated (10 IU PMSG and 10 IU hCG) and mated. The morphological changes of fetal ovaries were examined histochemically by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The fetal sex was confirmed by PCR methods for sexing. RT-PCR methods were used to examine the expression of GnRH gene and the sex steroid hormones were determined by conventional radioimmunoassays. The levels of estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) were increaseduntil 18th day of gestation and then E was decreased just before parturition. The morphological changes of fetal gonadal tissue sections showed the ovarian development and coincided with the result of PCR analysis for sexing using ovary- or testis- specific oligonucleotide primers. Immunoreactive GnRH in placenta was decreased gradually until the end of gestation but fetal brain and ovarian GnRH were increased. The level of GnRH gene expression was increased during fetal ovarian development from 12 till 18th day and decreased suddenly on 20th day just before birth. From these results, it is suggested that ovarian GnRh may play a regulatory role on the germ cell differentiation of fetal ovary.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.448-458
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• 2020

T-DNA insertional mutations in Arabidopsis genes have conferred huge benefits to the research community, greatly facilitating gene function analyses. However, the insertion process can cause chromosomal rearrangements. Here, we show an example of a likely rearrangement following T-DNA insertion in the Anti-Silencing Function 1B (ASF1B) gene locus on Arabidopsis chromosome 5, so that the phenotype was not relevant to the gene of interest, ASF1B. ASF1 is a histone H3/H4 chaperone involved in chromatin remodeling in the sporophyte and during reproduction. Plants that were homozygous for mutant alleles asf1a or asf1b were developmentally normal. However, following self-fertilization of double heterozygotes (ASF1A/asf1a ASF1B/asf1b, hereafter AaBb), defects were visible in both male and female gametes. Half of the AaBb and aaBb ovules displayed arrested embryo sacs with functional megaspore identity. Similarly, half of the AaBb and aaBb pollen grains showed centromere defects, resulting in pollen abortion at the bi-cellular stage of the male gametophyte. However, inheritance of the mutant allele in a given gamete did not solely determine the abortion phenotype. Introducing functional ASF1B failed to rescue the AaBb- and aaBb-mediated abortion, suggesting that heterozygosity in the ASF1B gene causes gametophytic defects, rather than the loss of ASF1. The presence of reproductive defects in heterozygous mutants but not in homozygotes, and the characteristic all-or-nothing pollen viability within tetrads, were both indicative of commonly-observed T-DNA-mediated translocation activity for this allele. Our observations reinforce the importance of complementation tests in assigning gene function using reverse genetics.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2010

DNA methylation is one of the major epigenetic regulations of gene expression. The DNA methylation patterns are dramatically changed during gametogenesis and embryogenesis, and especially, it has been known that embryonic stem cells show a distinct methylation pattern. In this study, we examined the methylation patterns of imprinting genes, H19, Igf2r, and Snrpn, in stem cells induced from fertilized embryo (fES) and somatic cell nuclear transferred embryo (ntES). The methylation pattern of H19 gene in both fES and ntES were similar. However, the methylation patterns of Igf2r and Snrpn in ntES (hypermethylated) were slightly different from fES cells.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.131-141
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• 1997

전북 김제시 심포에서 1994년 1월부터 12월까지 월별로 채집된 백합 Meretrix lusoria의 생식세포형성과정 및 생식주기를 , 조직학적으로 조사한 결과는 다음과 같다. 백합은 자웅이체이고 난생을 하며, 생식소는 내장낭의 간중장선의 하부로부터 족부의 근육부근까지 분포하며, 성숙되면 팽대되지만 방란, 방정 후에는 위축된다. 생식소는 많은 난자형성여포들과 정자형셩여포들로 구성되어 있다. 여포에는 호산성 세포와 미분화간충직들이 들어 있는데, 이들은 초기 생식세포의 영양물질로 제공되고 있으며, 생식소가 발달함에 따라 점차 소실된다. 초기활성기의 난원세포는 직경 10$\mu\textrm{m}$ 내외이며, 초기 난모세포는 난병을 여포벽에 부착한 채 성장을 하여 70$\mu\textrm{m}$ 내외의 완숙란으로 된다. 정원세포가 성장을 하여 정보세포, 정세포를 거쳐 변태를 마친 정자는, 정자형성소낭의 중앙 내강에 정자속을 형성한다. 방란, 방정을 마친 생식소는, 일부 미방출된 생식세포가 퇴화 흡수되면서 비활성기를 지나 이듬해 수온상승과 더불어 새로운 발달을 시작한다. 생식주기는 연속적인 5단계로 구분할 수 있는데, 초기 활성기(1-3월), 후기 활성디 (2-5월), 완숙기(4-8월), 부분 방출기(6-9월), 퇴화 및 비활성기(9-2월)로 구분할 수 있다. 산란은 6월 (22$^{\circ}C$)부터 9월 ($25^{\circ}C$)까지 지속되지만, 산란성기는 7월(27$^{\circ}C$)-8월(28$^{\circ}C$)이다. 생식소지수는 1월에 0.58을 나타내며 5월에 4.60으로 최대값을 나타낸 후, 6월부터 점차 감소하기 시작하여 12월과 1월에는 1.0미만에 머무른다.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2010

Annual gonad development of the rock shell, Thais clavigera distributed in Jeju Port was investigated over a 12 month period from March 1998 to February 1999. Monthly change in gonad development was examined using histology. Gametogenesis of T. clavigera in the study area initiated as early as in October and fully ripe eggs could be observed from May to July. Percent gonad area (PGA) also increased rapidly from May to July then dropped in August when the water temperature remained $22.6-24.5^{\circ}C$, suggesting that rock shell released their eggs during this period. All female rock shell collected during the course of study exhibited pseudo-penis in the head, indicating that a certain level of imposex had progressed in the study site. Relative penis size index (RPSI), an indicator of level of imposex phenomenon varied 59.5-173.4% and this value was relatively higher than the index reported from elsewhere. It was believed that such imposex phenomenon observed in T. clavigera was caused by endocrine disruption by chemical contaminants such as TBTs released from biocidal paints in the port environment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.176-185
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• 1998

For the sustainable production of cultured arkshell Scapharca broughtonii and pre-estimation of the harvest of it, we investigated the relationship between the habitat environmental factors and the physiological conditions of the arkshell in the two experiment sites near the Chinhae Bay, Korea. For the analysis of habitat environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, DIP (dissolved inorganic phosphate), DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen), suspended solids and chlorophyll a of bottom water and T-S (total sulfide) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) of surface sediment were measured, To determine physiolosical condition of cultured arkshell, shell length, fatness, glycogen, hemoglobin content and gametogenesis were examined. Water temperature were higher in Woongchon than in Songdo in 1992, and were Higher in Songdo in 1993. Salinity were higher in Songdo than in Woongchon except from January to May in 1992. COD, suspended solids and chlorophyll a content were higher in Songdo than in Woongchon, while the contents of sediment sulfide, DO, DIP and DIN were higher in Woongchon. Based on the environmental assessment, significant factors affecting the growth and physiological condition of arkshell were quantity of food and total sulfide content in the bottom sediment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1976

Larval morphogenesis and infection rates of Cercaria pectinata Huet were investigated in regards to histological changes and mortality of the hard clam, Meretrix lusoria $(R\ddot{o}ding)$, in Buan located on the Western Coast of Korea. The trichocerous cercariae, Cercaria pectinata, and its sporocysts parasitize mainly in the tissues of goand, digestive gland and gills of the hard clams. One branched sporocyst grows into a great number of cylindrical sporocysts, and a heavily infected clam possesses 2,000 to 5,000 cylindrical spo ro cysts. Each of them produces approximately 30 to 70 germinal cells and cercariae. Of 2,639 clams examined 347 individuals $(13.2\%)$ were found to be infected. The infection rates showed seasonal variations, the rate being highest $(29.6\%)$ in July, and lowest $(2.0\%)$ in March. Whereas, the infection rates did not change significantly with the changes of size class of the shell. No infection was observed in Meretrix petachialis (Lamarck) collected from Myeong-ji, Kimhae Gun located near Busan. In the iefected clams, the gametogenesis (oogenesis and apermatogenesis) did not undergo completely, therefore the heavily infected clam seemed to be castrated. Also the tissues of the digestive gland and gills were compressed by the multiplication of the parasites. When they were kept in aquariums in the laboratory, high mortality has occurred in the infected clams. All of the 60 infected clams died within 35 days.