• Journal of Biomedical and Translational Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.116-124
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• 2018

Korean Native Pig (KNP) has a uniform black coat color, excellent meat quality, white colored fat, solid fat structure and good marbling. However, its growth performance is low, while the western origin Yorkshire pig has high growth performance. To take advantage of the unique performance of the two pig breeds, we raised crossbreeds (KNP ${\times}$ Yorkshire to make use of the heterotic effect. We then analyzed the liver transcriptome as it plays an important role in fat metabolism. We sampled at two stages: 10 weeks and at 26 weeks. The stages were chosen to correspond to the change in feeding system. A total of 16 pigs (8 from each stage) were sampled and RNA sequencing was performed. The reads were mapped to the reference genome and differential expression analysis was performed with edgeR package. A total of 324 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed (${\left|log2FC\right|}$ > 1 & q < 0.01), out of which 180 genes were up-regulated and 144 genes were down-regulated. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the samples clustered according to stages. Functional annotation of significant DEGs (differentially expressed genes) showed that GO terms such as DNA replication, cell division, protein phosphorylation, regulation of signal transduction by p53 class mediator, ribosome, focal adhesion, DNA helicase activity, protein kinase activity etc. were enriched. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the DEGs functioned in cell cycle, Ras signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway etc. Twenty-nine transcripts were also part of the DEGs, these were predominantly Cys2His2-like fold group (C2H2) family of zinc fingers. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that there were three highly interconnected clusters, suggesting an enrichment of genes with similar biological function. This study presents the first report of liver tissue specific gene regulation in a cross-bred Korean pig.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2011

Knowledge of genetic diversity and genetic relationships among inbred lines gives a significant impact on the selection of parental lines for hybrid maize varieties. Genetic diversity and genetic relationships among 86 popcorn inbred lines were analyzed using 50 SSR markers distributed over the whole genome. A total of 256 alleles were identified at all the SSR loci with an average of 5.1 and a range between two and sixteen per locus. The gene diversity values varied from 0.21 to 0.831 with an average of 0.579. The cluster tree generated using the described SSR markers recognized three major groups at 35.8% genetic similarity. Groups I, II, III respectively included 40, 39 and 7 inbred lines. The present study indicates that the SSR markers chosen for this analysis are effective for the assessment of genetic diversity and genetic relationships among 86 popcorn inbred lines in Korea.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that induces symptoms such as a decrease in motor function and cognitive impairment. Increases in the aggregation and deposition of amyloid beta protein ($A{\beta}$) in the brain may be closely correlated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the effects of an adzuki bean extract on the aggregation of $A{\beta}$ were examined; moreover, the anti-Alzheimer's activity of the adzuki extract was examined. MATERIALS/METHODS: First, we undertook thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate the effect of an adzuki bean extract on $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregation. To evaluate the effects of the adzuki extract on the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in vivo, $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing Drosophila were used. In these flies, overexpression of $A{\beta}_{42}$ induced the formation of $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregates in the brain, decreased motor function, and resulted in cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Based on the results obtained by ThT fluorescence assays and TEM, the adzuki bean extract inhibited the formation of $A{\beta}_{42}$ aggregates in a concentration-dependent manner. When $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing flies were fed regular medium containing adzuki extract, the $A{\beta}_{42}$ level in the brain was significantly lower than that in the group fed regular medium only. Furthermore, suppression of the decrease in motor function, suppression of cognitive impairment, and improvement in lifespan were observed in $A{\beta}_{42}$-overexpressing flies fed regular medium with adzuki extract. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal the delaying effects of an adzuki bean extract on the progression of Alzheimer's disease and provide useful information for identifying novel prevention treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2017

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are common pollinators and important insects studied in agriculture, ecology and basic research. Recently, RDA (Rural Development Administration) and YIRI (Yecheon-gun Industrial Insect Research Institute) have been breeding a triple crossbred honey bee named Jangwon, which have the ability to produce superior quality honey. In this study, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker in the genome of Jangwon honeybee, particularly, in the paternal line (D line). Initially, we performed Sequence-Based Genotyping (SBG) using the Illumina Hiseq 2500 in 5 honeybee inbred lines; A, C, D, E, and F; and obtained 1,029 SNPs. Seventeen SNPs for each inbred line were generated and selected after further filtering of the SNP dataset. The 17 SNP markers validated by performing TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR and genotyping analysis was conducted. Genotyping analysis of the 5 honeybee inbred lines and one hybrid line, $D{\times}F$, revealed that one set of SNP marker, AmD9, precisely discriminated the inbred line D from the others. Our results suggest that the identified SNP marker, AmD9, is successful in distinguishing the inbred honeybee lines D, and can be directly used for genotyping and breeding applications.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.718-728
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• 2022

Splicing factor B subunit 4 (SF3B4), a component of the U2-pre-mRNA spliceosomal complex, contributes to tumorigenesis in several types of tumors. However, the oncogenic potential of SF3B4 in lung cancer has not yet been determined. The in vivo expression profiles of SF3B4 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from publicly available data revealed a significant increase in SF3B4 expression in tumor tissues compared to that in normal tissues. The impact of SF3B4 deletion on the growth of NSCLC cells was determined using a siRNA strategy in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. SF3B4 silencing resulted in marked retardation of the A549 cell proliferation, accompanied by the accumulation of cells at the G0/G1 phase and increased expression of p27, p21, and p53. Double knockdown of SF3B4 and p53 resulted in the restoration of p21 expression and partial recovery of cell proliferation, indicating that the p53/p21 axis is involved, at least in part, in the SF3B4-mediated regulation of A549 cell proliferation. We also provided ubiquitination factor E4B (UBE4B) is essential for p53 accumulation after SF3B4 depletion based on followings. First, co-immunoprecipitation showed that SF3B4 interacts with UBE4B. Furthermore, UBE4B levels were decreased by SF3B4 depletion. UBE4B depletion, in turn, reproduced the outcome of SF3B4 depletion, including reduction of polyubiquitinated p53 levels, subsequent induction of p53/p21 and p27, and proliferation retardation. Collectively, our findings indicate the important role of SF3B4 in the regulation of A549 cell proliferation through the UBE4B/p53/p21 axis and p27, implicating the therapeutic strategies for NSCLC targeting SF3B4 and UBE4B.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.251-261
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• 2023

Photobacterium sp. YW2207 was isolated from rainbow trout raised in a fish farm located in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, South Korea. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis, it was confirmed that Photobacterium sp. YW2207 showed 100% similarity with Photobacterium piscicola and Photobacterium phosphoreum, and 94.6% similarity with P. damselae subsp. damselae. Biochemical analysis revealed that Photobacterium sp. YW2207 is a Gram-negative, motile bacterium with a cell size of 1.5~3×3~5 ㎛. The bacteria were cultured on nutrient agar, brain heart infusion agar, Muller-Hinton agar, tryptic soy agar, and thiosulfate citrate bile sucrose agar with NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 2.5%. The API50CHE and API20E tests indicated lower utilization capabilities compared to the P. damselae strains provided in the API database. Furthermore, unlike most Photobacterium species, Photobacterium sp. YW2207 presented negative for catalase test. Results from the flow cytometric measurement indicated that Photobacterium sp. YW2207 exhibited a more diverse distribution of cell sizes and had larger cell sizes compared with P. damselae subsp. damselae. Minimum inhibitory concentration tests showed that Photobacterium sp. YW2207 had low susceptibility to β-Lactam and aminoglycoside antibiotics, while having high susceptibility to tetracycline, doxycycline, and quinolone antibiotics. Pathogenicity on rainbow trout revealed that an immersion of 1×10⁵ CFU/ml did not cause mortality or clinical symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2015

Chicken is one of the major livestock, especially for supplying proteins to human. The chicken genome size is approximately one-third compared with that of the human genome and regarded as a valuable model animal for genetics and development biology. In this study, we constructed the genetic linkage map for Korean native chicken (KNC) using 131 microsatellite (MS) and 8 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. As a result, the total map length was calculated as 2729.4 cM and the average genetic distance between markers was 19.64 cM. The marker orders and genetic distances were well matched with the consensus linkage map except for the physical order of ADL0278 and MCW0351 in GGA8. In addition, the recombination rates in marcrochromosomes were 3.7 times higher than that of microchromosomes. The average numbers of alleles, expected heterozygosity (Hexp) and polymorphic information content (PIC) values were calculated as 5.5, 0.63 and 0.58, respectively. These results will give useful information for the understanding of genetic structure and QTL studies in KNC.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.623-632
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• 2011

To increase the anti-carcinogens phenylethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), myrosinase (MYR), and glutathione S-transferase (GST), genes related to PEITC pathway were isolated and the gene expressions were regulated by Agrobacterium transformation. Isolated cDNAs, MYR, and GST genes were 1,647 bp and 624 bp, respectively, and the protein expression was confirmed through pET system. Thereafter, we constructed a sense-oriented over-expressing myrosinase (pBMY) and RNAi down-regulated GST (pJJGST) binary vectors for the Chinese cabbage transformation. After the transformation, thirteen over-expressing transgenic Chinese cabbage plants (IMS) with pBMY and five down-regulated ones (IGA) with pJJGST were selected by PCR analysis. Selected $T_0$ transgenic plants were generated to $T_1$ plants by self-pollination. Based on the Southern blot analysis on these $T_1$ transgenic plants, 1-4 copies of T-DNA were transferred to Chinese cabbage genome. Thereafter, RNA expression level of myrosinase gene or GST gene was analyzed through real-time RT PCR of IMS, IGA, and non-transgenic inbred lines. In case of IMS lines, myrosinase gene was increased 1.03-4.25 fold and, in IGA lines, GST gene was decreased by 26.42-42.22 fold compared to non-transgenic ones, respectively. Analysis of PEITC concentrations using GC-MS it showed that some IMS lines and some IGA lines increased concentrations of PEITC up to 4.86 fold and up to 3.89 fold respectively compared to wild type. Finally in this study IMS 1, 3, 5, 12, and 15 and IGA 1, 2, and 4 were selected as developed transgenic lines with increasing quantities of anti-carcinogen PEITC.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.176-185
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• 2011

Rice is one of the most important crop in the world, in particular for food resources. With its small genome size of 383 Mb, the Oryza sativa is a model plant for genome research. Indeed, it's grain provides human with a source of carbohydrates and proteins. Rice grain has relatively low protein contents (around 8%) compared to other legume seeds (around 40%). Osborne classified seed proteins into water soluble albumin, salt soluble globulin, alcohol soluble prolamin and acidic/alkaline solution soluble glutelin. Glutelin and prolamin are the major storage proteins in rice. For the gene expression study of seed storage proteins, we analyzed 33,192 EST clones at immature stages in a rice cultivar (Oryza sativa L. cv. 'Ilpum'). Based on the expression analysis, we cloned 11 glutelin genes and figured out the 8 genes are located on Chromosome 2. The expression of glutelin genes appears to be about 28.2% of total level in immature seeds. Interestingly, glu-04 is duplicated as inverted sequences on the same chromosomes as far 4.5 kb. Our results indicate that glutelin genes, evolutionarily, were replicated on the chromosome and thus expressed as specific manners. In a whole protein composition analysis, glu05 (type B7) contains the highest lysin contents (4.51%) among the 11 rice glutelin genes. It will be an interesting future work to increase lysin contents by the gene overexpressor strategy with the aim of improved diet nutritionally fortified.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.86-95
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• 2002

As a result of genome projects, the research to elucidate the function of a protein of interest has recently been well-recognized. In order to facilitate functional genomics, a useful mammalian gene expression vector is required. Using an infectious CDNA clone of BVDV pNADLclns-, we have developed a mammalian gene expression vector. In this study, a replication-competent full-length infectious CDNA clone containing puremycin acetyltransferase (pac) gene (pNADLclns-/pac) was successfully generated. The viral RNA replication and viral protein NS3 synthesis were examined by detecting metabollically $^{32}P$-labelled genomic viral RNA and immunoblotting with a mouse anti-NS3 antibody. To generate viral replicon as an expression vector, we examine if the viral structural genes (C, E0, El, E2) are required for viral replication by deletion analysis. As a result, all of the structural proteins are dispensable for viral replication per se, but essential for infectious viral particle formation. Based on our deletion analysis, we have generated a replication-competent BVDV viral replicon (pNADLclns-/pac/${\Delta}S$), whose structural genes are all deleted. In addition to NADLclns- /pac/${\Delta}S$, NADLclns-/ luc/${\Delta}S$ viral replicon containing luciferase gene as a reporter was constructed and fecund to be replication-compotent in HeLa and BHK cells as well as MDBK cells. Therefore, BVDV viral replicon developed in our study will be a useful tool to express a protein of interest in various mammalian cells.