• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is the first identified imprinted gene, which is paternally expressed in multiple mammalian species. A paternally expressed QTL for muscle growth and backfat thickness (BFT) has previously been identified near the IGF2 locus on the distal tip of pig chromosome 2 (SSC2p). Therefore the IGF2 gene is considered an economically important candidate gene for pig industry. Herein, this study explored genetic variation of IGF2 for in3-G3072A, in7-G162C and a new SNP in intron7 (C1589T) in Korean native pig (KNP) and commercial pig breeds, and detected their linkage disequilibrium within these breeds. Furthermore we investigated the effect of in3-G3072A on IGF2 gene expression in post-natal muscle and backfat tissues. The real-time quantitative PCR results showed that animals inherited allele G from a KNP sire had significant higher IGF2 gene expression in backfat tissue than those inherited allele A from a Yorkshire sire, however opposite situation in muscle. These results demonstrated the allele 3072G is associated with a higher IGF2 gene expression in fat tissues, but low gene expression in muscle tissues when compared with the 3072A allele. These results suggest that KNP with lower muscle mass and higher fat deposition might be associated with a higher frequency of the 3072G allele, and selecting KNP based on IGF2 genotypes could result in an economic benefit to KNP producers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2009

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a multi-functional enzyme with a central role in the synthesis of long-chain fatty acid and has been considered as a positional candidate gene for BTA 19 quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting milk-fat content and fatty acid composition. In this study, we sequenced the FASN gene in several cattle breeds including Hanwoo and imported beef cattle, and identified novel DNA polymorphisms and their linkage relationship in Hanwoo. We found a significant frequency difference of the FASN (AF285607) g.17924 A$\rightarrow$G polymorphism between Hanwoo (70%) and other breeds and this polymorphism has been known for an association with fatty acid composition in Angus. Furthermore, by direct DNA sequencing in 18 unrelated Hanwoo, we identified 27 SNPs including nine novel variations in the FASN gene. Among 27 SNPs identified in the FASN gene, four SNPs were further genotyped in 100 Hanwoo and 96 imported beef cattle, and analyzed for haplotype construction and association with beef quality traits. We performed haplotype block and linkage disequilibrium studies using four selected SNPs. Two different haplotype blocks (block A: g.10568 C$\rightarrow$T and g.11280 G$\rightarrow$ A; block B: g.13125 C$\rightarrow$T and g.17924 G$\rightarrow$A) were constructed and the block A in particular had a very high r2 (0.936), which indicated a nearly complete linkage disequilibrium existed between the g.10568 C$\rightarrow$T and g.11280 G$\rightarrow$A polymorphisms. A total of four major haplotypes (frequency > 0.05) were identified with the four polymorphisms including TATG (0.36), CGCG (0.31), CGTA (0.19) and TACG (0.06). Statistical association analysis revealed that the g.10568 C$\rightarrow$T and g.11280 G$\rightarrow$A polymorphisms in the FASN were significantly associated with meat color (P=0.004) and texture (P=0.0114). The g.13125 C$\rightarrow$T and g.17924 G$\rightarrow$A polymorphisms in the FASN were also significantly associated with back-fat thickness and quantity index (P=0.0179 and 0.0495, respectively). Our findings suggested that the FASN gene polymorphisms may be used for determining the (unsaturated) fatty acid contents and carcass trait in the Hanwoo beef.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.33-48
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• 2012

As a scientific curiosity to understand the structure and the function of crops and experimental efforts to apply it to plant breeding, genetic maps have been constructed in various crops. Especially, in the case of Brassica crop, genetic mapping has been accelerated since genetic information of model plant $Arabidopsis$ was available. As a result, the whole $B.$ $rapa$ genome (A genome) sequencing has recently been done. The genome sequences offer opportunities to develop molecular markers for genetic analysis in $Brassica$ crops. RFLP markers are widely used as the basis for genetic map construction, but detection system is inefficiency. The technical efficiency and analysis speed of the PCR-based markers become more preferable for many form of $Brassica$ genome study. The massive sequence informative markers such as SSR, SNP and InDels are also available to increase the density of markers for high-resolution genetic analysis. The high density maps are invaluable resources for QTLs analysis, marker assisted selection (MAS), map-based cloning and comparative analysis within $Brassica$ as well as related crop species. Additionally, the advents of new technology, next-generation technique, have served as a momentum for molecular breeding. Here we summarize genetic and genomic resources and suggest their applications for the molecular breeding in $Brassica$ crop.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 2018

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitis predominately affecting infants and children. The dominant incidence age of KD is from 6 months to 5 years of age, and the incidence is unusual in those younger than 6 months and older than 5 years of age. We tried to identify genetic variants specifically associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months or older than 5 years of age. We performed an age-stratified genome-wide association study using the Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChip data (296 cases vs. 1,000 controls) and a replication study (1,360 cases vs. 3,553 controls) in the Korean population. Among 26 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested in replication study, only a rare nonsynonymous SNP (rs4365796: c.1106C>T, p.Thr369Met) in the lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) gene was very significantly associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months of age (odds ratio [OR], 3.07; $p_{combined}=1.10{\times}10^{-5}$), whereas no association of the same SNP was observed in any other age group of KD patients. The same SNP (rs4365796) in the LEF1 gene showed the same direction of risk effect in Japanese KD patients younger than 6 months of age, although the effect was not statistically significant (OR, 1.42; p = 0.397). This result indicates that the LEF1 gene may play an important role as a susceptibility gene specifically affecting KD patients younger than 6 months of age.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2008

Purpose : Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity and is considered to be a multifactorial disorder involving a genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, and alterations in the ET-1 system are thought to play a role in triggering the vasoconstriction seen with preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of the 4 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (c.1370T>G, c.137_139delinsA, c.3539+2T>C, and c.5665G>T) of the ET-1 gene in normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and to investigate whether these SNPs are associated with preeclampsia in pregnant Korean women. Methods : We analyzed blood samples from 206 preeclamptic and 216 normotensive pregnancies using a commercially available SNapShot kit and an ABI Prism 3100 Genetic analyzer. Results : There were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of the 4 SNPs in the ET-1 gene between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. The respective frequencies of the 3 haplotypes (TDTG, GDCT, and TICT; >10% haplotype frequency) were 61%, 13% and 13%, respectively, in preeclampsic pregnancies and 62%, 14% and 12%, respectively, in normotensive pregnancies. The frequencies of these haplotypes were similar for both groups. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we did not observe an increase in the risk of preeclampsia for the 4 SNPs of the ET-1 gene under either a recessive or dominant model. Conclusion : This study suggests that the 4 SNPs of the ET-1 gene are not associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia in pregnant Korean women.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2008

We report on two cases of pericentric inversion of X chromosome. The cases were found in a 40-year-old man with azoospermia and in a family of a 38-year-old pregnant woman. The first case with 46,Y,inv(X)(p22.1q27) had concentrations of LH, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone that were within normal ranges; however, FSH levels were elevated. Testis biopsy revealed maturation arrest at the primary and secondary spermatocytes without spermatozoa. There were no microdeletions in the 6 loci of chromosome Y. For the second case, the cytogenetic study of thepregnant woman referring for advanced maternal age and a family history of inversion X chromosome was 46,X,inv(X)(p22.11q27.2). The karyotype of her fetus was 46,X,inv(X)(p22.1q27). Among other family members, the karyotypes of an older sister in pregnancy and her fetus were 46,X,inv(X)(p22.11q27.2), and 46,Y,?inv(X), respectively. The proband's father was 46,Y,inv(X)(p22.11q27.2). All carriers in the family discussed above were fertile and phenotypically normal. In addition, the ratio of inactivation of inv(X) by RBG-banding was discordant between the two sisters, with the older sister having only 4.1% of cells carrying inactivated inv(X) while the proband had a 69.5% incidence of late replicating inv(X). Therefore, we suggest that the cause of azoospermia in the first case might be related to inversion X chromosome with positional effect. Also, the family of the second case showing normal phenotype of the balanced inv(X) might be not affected any positional effect of genes.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2008

Purpose : Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on uncultured amniotic fluid cells offers the opportunity for rapid screening of aneuploidies and has become an integral part of the current practice in many clinical cytogenetics laboratories. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the results of interphase FISH in 943 amniotic fluid samples and assessed the efficiency of FISH for rapid detection of aneuploidies. Methods : Interphase FISH for chromosome 13, 18, and 21 was performed in 943 consecutive amniotic fluid samples for rapid diagnosis of aneuploidies referred from 2004 to 2006. Karyotypes from standard cytogenetic analysis were compared to the FISH results. Results : A total of 45 chromosomal rearrangements (4.8%) were found after conventional cytogenetic analysis of the 943 amniotic fluid. After exclusion of known familiar chromosomal rearrangements and inversions (2.1%, 20/943), 2.7% (25/943) were found to have chromosomal abnormalities. Of this group, 0.7% (6/943) were chromosomal abnormalities not detectable by FISH and 2.0% (19/943) were numerical abnormalities detectable by FISH. All 14 cases of Down syndrome (Classic type, 13 cases; Robertsonian type, 1 case) and 5 cases of trisomy 18 were diagnosed and detected by FISH and there were no false-positive or -negative results (specificity and sensitivity=100%). Conclusion : The present study demonstrates that FISH can provide a rapid and sensitive clinical method for prenatal identification of chromosome aneuploidies. However, careful genetic counseling is essential to explain the limitations of FISH, including the inability to detect all chromosomal abnormalities and the possibilities of uninformative or false-negative results in some cases.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2008

Purpose : Large exon deletions in the DMD gene are found in about 60% of DMD/BMD patients. Multiplex PCR has been employed to detect the deletion mutation, which frequently generates noise PCR products due to the presence of multiple primers in a single reaction as well as the stringency of PCR conditions. This often leads to a false-negative or false-positive result. To address this problematic issue, we introduced the dual primer oligonucleotide (DPO) system. DPO contains two separate priming regions joined by a polydeoxyinosine linker that results in high PCR specificity even under suboptimal PCR conditions. Methods : We tested 50 healthy male controls, 50 patients with deletion mutation as deletion-positive patient controls, and 20 patients with no deletions as deletion-negative patient controls using DPO-multiplex PCR. Both the presence and extent of deletion were verified by simplex PCR spanning the promoter region (PM) and 18 exons including exons 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 43-48, 50-52, and 60 in all 120 controls. Results : DPO-multiplex PCR showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for the detection a deletion. However, it showed 97.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity for determining the extent of deletions. Conclusion : The DPO-multiplex PCR method is a useful molecular test to detect large deletions of DMD for the diagnosis of patients with DMD/BMD because it is easy to perform, fast, and cost-effective and has excellent sensitivity and specificity.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2008

Purpose : Phenylketonuria(PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism and a genetic disorder resulting from a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase(PAH) and decreased activity of tetrahydrobiopterin(BH4).In this study the correlation between the DNA mutation and clinical manifestations was investigated and PAH DNA mutations were compared bewteen Asian and Caucasian populations. Methods : DNA was isolated from peripheral leukocytes. The PAH gene was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) and the sequence was analyzed with Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification(MLPA). Results : We characterized the PAH gene of 102 independent Korean patients with PKU. PAH nucleotide sequence analysis revealed 44 different mutations, including 10 novel mutations comprising 9 missense mutations(N207D, K95del, A447P, G344D, P69S, S391I, A202T, G103S, and I306L) and 1 novel splice-site variant mutation(IVS10-3C>G). R243Q was the most prevalent mutation in this study. A259T has not previously been reported in Asian populations, but we found that this mutation had a frequency of 10.1% in our study. Furthermore, the genotypes of $BH_4$ responsive patients were analyzed and were divided into two groups: $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group. In the $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group, R241C was the most common mutation. Conclusion : Novel mutations in the PAH gene of PKU patients are still being discovered. Additional information as to the frequency of mutations in the tetrahydrobiopterine responsive gene is also accumulating. We anticipate that knowledge of these PKU gene mutations will assist the diagnosis, genetic counseling, and therapeutic treatment of PKU patients in future.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2008

Purpose: Preecalmpsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder that reflects widespread endothelial dysfunction resulting from increases of adhesion molecule expression. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for preeclampsia, and ICAM-1 plasma levels and/or function is genetically influenced. Therefore, we evaluated the distribution of ICAM-1 gene K469E polymorphism in pregnant Korean women with preeclampsia and evaluated the association between this polymorphism and preeclampsia. Methods: The K469E polymorphism was analyzed in peripheral blood samples from 197 preeclamptic pregnancies and 193 normotensive pregnancies by a SNapShot kit and an ABI Prism 3100 Genetic analyzer. Results: Genotypic and allelic frequencies of ICAM-1 gene polymorphism (K469E) did not differ between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. The distributions of the KK, KE, and EE genotypes were 40.6%, 43.7%, and 15.7%, respectively, in preeclamptic pregnancies and 38.9%, 45.1%, and 16.1%, respectively, in normotensive pregnancies. The frequencies of K and E alleles were 0.62 and 0.38, respectively, in preeclamptic pregnancies and 0.61 and 0.39, respectively, in normotensive pregnancies. By multiple logistic regression analysis, there was no increased risk of preeclampsia in subjects with ICAM-1 KE (OR, 1.08; P=0.74) or EE (OR, 1.07; P=0.88) genotypes. Conclusion: This study suggests that the ICAM-1 gene K469E polymorphism does not associate with an increased risk of preeclampsia in pregnant Korean women.