• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13.1-13.8
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• 2023

Importance of accurate molecular diagnosis and quantification of particular disease-related pathogenic microorganisms is highlighted as an introductory step to prevent and care for diseases. In this study, we designed a primer/probe set for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) targeting rgpA gene, known as the specific virulence factor of periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria 'Porphyromonas gingivalis', and evaluated its diagnostic efficiency by detecting and quantifying relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis within saliva samples collected from clinical subjects. As a result of qRT-PCR, we confirmed that relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis was detected and quantified within all samples of positive control and periodontitis groups. On the contrary, negative results were confirmed in both negative control and healthy groups. Additionally, as a result of comparison with next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based 16S metagenome profiling data, we confirmed relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis, which was not identified on bacterial classification table created through 16S microbiome analysis, in qRT-PCR results. It showed that an approach to quantifying specific microorganisms by applying qRT-PCR method could solve microbial misclassification issues at species level of an NGS-based 16S microbiome study. In this respect, we suggest that P. gingivalis-specific primer/probe set introduced in present study has efficient applicability in various oral healthcare industries, including periodontitis-related microbial molecular diagnosis field.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.23.1-23.9
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• 2023

The mammalian sirtuin family, consisting of SIRT1-SIRT7, plays a vital role in various biological processes, including cancer, diabetes, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, cellular metabolism, and cellular homeostasis maintenance. Due to their involvement in these biological processes, modulating sirtuin activity seems promising to impact immuneand aging-related diseases, as well as cancer pathways. However, more understanding is required regarding the safety and efficacy of sirtuin-targeted therapies due to the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern their activity, particularly in the context of multiple targets. In this study, the interaction landscape of the sirtuin family was analyzed using a systems biology approach. A sirtuin protein-protein interaction network was built using the Cytoscape platform and analyzed using the NetworkAnalyzer and stringApp plugins. The result revealed the sirtuin family's association with numerous proteins that play diverse roles, suggesting a complex interplay between sirtuins and other proteins. Based on network topological and functional analysis, SIRT1 was identified as the most prominent among sirtuin family members, demonstrating that 25 of its protein partners are involved in cancer, 22 in innate immune response, and 29 in aging, with some being linked to a combination of two or more pathways. This study lays the foundation for the development of novel therapies that can target sirtuins with precision and efficacy. By illustrating the various interactions among the proteins in the sirtuin family, we have revealed the multifaceted roles of SIRT1 and provided a framework for their possible roles to be precisely understood, manipulated, and translated into therapeutics in the future.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2023

Paraphlomis koreana (Lamiaceae) was newly named and added to Korean flora in 2014. Paraphlomis belongs to the tribe Paraphlomideae, along with Ajugoides and Matsumurella. However, a recent study has suggested that P. koreana is morphologically similar to Matsumurella chinensis, making them difficult to distinguish from each other. Therefore, we aimed to examine the phylogenetic placement of P. koreana within the tribe and compare its genetic relationship with M. chinensis. We sequenced an additional complete plastid genome for an individual of P. koreana and generated sequences of nuclear ribosomal (nr) DNA regions of internal and external transcribed spacers (ITS and ETS) for two individuals of P. koreana. Maximum likelihood analyses based on two nrDNA regions (ITS and ETS) and four plastid DNA markers (rpl16 intron, rpl32-trnL, rps16 intron, and trnL-F) covering 13 Paraphlomis species and M. chinensis were conducted. Phylogenetic analyses concordantly supported that P. koreana forms a monophyletic group with M. chinensis. Moreover, our study revealed that P. koreana includes nrDNA sequences of M. chinensis as minor intra-individual variants, suggesting that the genetic divergence between the two taxa is incomplete and may represent intraspecific variation rather than distinct species. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the independent species status of P. koreana within Paraphlomis should be reconsidered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.259-259
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• 2022

Soil salinity is a major factor that reduces crop yields. The amount of soil affected by salinity is about 83 million hectares (FAO 2000), which is increasing due to the effects of climate change. In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], nutritional properties such as protein, starch, and sucrose content together with biomass and yield tends to reduce due to excessive salt. As a result of QTL mapping using the 169 F_2:3 population from the KA-1285 (salt-tolerant) × Daepung (salt-sensitive) in a previous study, two major QTLs (Gm03_39796778 and Gm03_40600088) related to salt tolerance were found on chromosome 3. In this study, the CDS region of the Gmsalt3 gene was analyzed using the ABI 3730x1 DNA Analyzer (Macrogen, Korea). The sequence of Gmsalt3 gene in KA-1285 was compared with Williams 82.a4.vl and PI483463 (Glycine soja). Two transversions were found at exon6 in KA-1285 and PI483463. Currently, whole genome sequencing and variation analysis using the Illumine Novaseq 6000 machine (Illumina, USA) are in progress. The results of this study can provide useful molecular markers for the selection of salt-tolerant soybeans and can be used as basic data for future salt-tolerant gene research.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.42.1-42.23
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• 2023

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, one of the most deadly infections in humans. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Mtb strains presents a global challenge. Mtb has shown resistance to many frontline antibiotics, including rifampicin, kanamycin, isoniazid, and capreomycin. The only licensed vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin, does not efficiently protect against adult pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to develop new vaccines to prevent infections caused by these strains. We used a subtractive proteomics approach on 23 virulent Mtb strains and identified a conserved membrane protein (MmpL4, NP_214964.1) as both a potential drug target and vaccine candidate. MmpL4 is a non-homologous essential protein in the host and is involved in the pathogen-specific pathway. Furthermore, MmpL4 shows no homology with anti-targets and has limited homology to human gut microflora, potentially reducing the likelihood of adverse effects and cross-reactivity if therapeutics specific to this protein are developed. Subsequently, we constructed a highly soluble, safe, antigenic, and stable multi-subunit vaccine from the MmpL4 protein using immunoinformatics. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the stability of the vaccine-bound Tolllike receptor-4 complex on a nanosecond scale, and immune simulations indicated strong primary and secondary immune responses in the host. Therefore, our study identifies a new target that could expedite the design of effective therapeutics, and the designed vaccine should be validated. Future directions include an extensive molecular interaction analysis, in silico cloning, wet-lab experiments, and evaluation and comparison of the designed candidate as both a DNA vaccine and protein vaccine.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2023

Antibiotics either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. However, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat with antibiotics. Infections caused by such bacteria often lead to severe diseases. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) can be horizontally transmitted across different bacterial species, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of how ARGs spread across various environments. In this study, we analyzed the plasmid sequences of 33 extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli isolated from pigs, farms, and their owners. We conducted an antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) with aztreonam and seven other antibiotics, as well as whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the strains using MinION. Our results demonstrated that the plasmids that did not harbor ARGs were mostly non-conjugative, whereas the plasmids that harbored ARGs were conjugative. The arrangement of these ARGs exhibited a pattern of organization featuring a series of ARG cassettes, some of which were identical across the isolates collected from different sources. Therefore, this study suggests that the sets of ARG cassettes on plasmids were mostly shared between pigs and their owners. Hence, enhanced surveillance of ARG should be implemented in farm environments to proactively mitigate the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.52-59
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• 2023

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In addition, lymph node metastasis in CRC is considered an important prognostic factor for predicting disease recurrence and patient survival. Recent studies demonstrated that the microbiome makes substantial contributions to tumor progression, however, there is still unknown about the microbiome associated with lymph node metastasis of CRC. Here, we first reported the microbial and tumor-infiltrating immune cell differences in CRC according to the lymph node metastasis status. Materials and Methods: Using Next Generation Sequencing data acquired from 368 individuals diagnosed with CRC (N0, 266; N1, 102), we applied the LEfSe to elucidate microbial differences. Subsequent utilization of the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis enabled the identification of particular genera exerting significant influence on patient survival outcomes. Results: We found 18 genera in the N1 group and 3 genera in the N0 group according to CRC lymph node metastasis stages. In addition, we found that the genera Crenobacter (P=0.046), Maricaulis (P=0.093), and Arsenicicoccus (P=0.035) in the N0 group and Cecembia (P=0.08) and Asanoa (P=0.088) in the N1 group were significantly associated with patient survival according to CRC lymph node metastasis stages. Further, Cecembia is highly correlated to tumor-infiltrating immune cells in lymph node metastasized CRC. Concolusion: Our study highlights that tumor-infiltrating immune cells and intratumoral microbe diversity are associated with CRC. Also, this potential microbiome-based oncology diagnostic tool warrants further exploration.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.832-838
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• 2024

Objective: The use of molecular genetic methods in pig breeding can significantly increase the efficiency of breeding and breeding work. We applied the F_st (fixsacion index) method, the main focus of the work was on the search for common options related to the number of born piglets and the weight of born piglets, since today the urgent task is to prevent a decrease in the weight of piglets at birth while maintaining high fertility of sows. Methods: One approach is to scan the genome, followed by an assessment of Fst and identification of selectively selected regions. We chose Large White sows (n = 237) with the same conditions of keeping and feeding. The data were collected from the sows across three farrowing. For genotyping, we used GeneSeek GGP Porcine HD Genomic Profiler v1, which included 68,516 single nucleotide polymorphisms evenly distributed with an average spacing of 25 kb (Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA, USA). Results: Based on the results of the Fst analysis, 724 variants representing selection signals for the signs BALWT, BALWT1, NBA, and TNB (weight of piglets born alive, average weight of the 1st piglets born alive, total number born alive, total number born). At the same time, 18 common variants have been identified that are potential markers for both the number of piglets at birth and the weight of piglets at birth, which is extremely important for breeding work to improve reproductive characteristics in sows. Conclusion: Our work resulted in identification of variants associated with the reproductive characteristics of pigs. Moreover, we identified, variants which are potential markers for both the number of piglets at birth and the weight of piglets at birth, which is extremely important for breeding work to improve reproductive performance in sows.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.147-153
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• 2024

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) recommends two protocols (ITS and COI) for conventional PCR of G. salaris diagnosis. However, ITS PCR protocol may yield false-positive results, leading to unnecessary countermeasures. It's difficult to distinguish between G. salaris and false-positive by similar amplicon size of PCR, since the amplicon size of ITS PCR in G. salaris and false-positive was 1,300 and 1,187 bp, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of ITS false-positive in rainbow trout is 99.7% identical to previously reported host genome sequences of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and 95.3 to 89.1% identical to those of other salmonid fish species. To reduce false-positive PCR band, PCR was performed by the different annealing temperature, but PCR bands were still detected. In RFLP analysis by HaeIII, the PCR product of G. salaris was digested into four bands of 512, 399, 234 and 154 bp, while the false-positive was digested into seven bands of 297, 263, 242, 144, 93, 80 and 68 bp. In the RFLP patterns digested by HindIII, G. salaris showed two bands of 659 and 640 bp, while false-positive had one fragment of 1,187 bp without any digestion. Therefore, the RFLP method of ITS PCR with HaeIII and HindIII can be used for differentiation between G. salaris and false-positive. These results might provide important information on the improvement of PCR diagnostic method of G. salaris.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.50.1-50.9
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• 2023

Vaccine development is one of the key efforts to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it has become apparent that the immunity acquired through vaccination is not permanent, known as the waning effect. Therefore, monitoring the proportion of the population with immunity is essential to improve the forecasting of future waves of the pandemic. Despite this, the impact of the waning effect on forecasting accuracies has not been extensively studied. We proposed a method for the estimation of the effective immunity (EI) rate which represents the waning effect by integrating the second and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The EI rate, with different periods to the onset of the waning effect, was incorporated into three statistical models and two machine learning models. Stringency Index, omicron variant BA.5 rate (BA.5 rate), booster shot rate (BSR), and the EI rate were used as covariates and the best covariate combination was selected using prediction error. Among the prediction results, Generalized Additive Model showed the best improvement (decreasing 86% test error) with the EI rate. Furthermore, we confirmed that South Korea's decision to recommend booster shots after 90 days is reasonable since the waning effect onsets 90 days after the last dose of vaccine which improves the prediction of confirmed cases and deaths. Substituting BSR with EI rate in statistical models not only results in better predictions but also makes it possible to forecast a potential wave and help the local community react proactively to a rapid increase in confirmed cases.