• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.913-919
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• 2015

In vertebrates, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, binds the biologically active ligand $1{\alpha},25-(OH)_2$-vitamin $D_3$ (1,25 $D_3$). Nearly all vertebrates, including Agnatha, possess a VDR with high ligand selectivity for 1,25 $D_3$ and related metabolites. Although a putative ancestral VDR gene is present in the genome of the chordate invertebrate Ciona intestinalis, the functional characteristics of marine invertebrate VDR are still obscure. To elucidate the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi VDR (HrVDR), we cloned full-length HrVDR cDNA and investigated the transcriptional activity of HrVDR in HEK293 cells. HrVDR consists of 1,680 nucleotides (559 amino acids [aa]), including a short N-terminal region (A/B domain; 26 aa), DNA-binding domain (C domain; 72 aa), hinge region (D domain; 272 aa), and C-terminal ligand-binding domain (E domain; 161 aa). The amino acid sequence identity of HrVDR was greatest to that of C. intestinalis VDR (56%). In the luciferase reporter assays, the transcriptional activity of HrVDR was not significantly increased by 1,25 $D_3$, whereas the farnesoid X receptor agonist GW4064 increased the transactivation of HrVDR. These results suggest the presence of a novel ligand for and a distinct ligand-binding domain in ascidian VDR.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.516-523
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• 2011

To compare four populations of sea squirt Halocynthia roretzi adults, their egg quality and larval development were investigated in the hatchery. The populations were: south sea wild (SSW), south sea cultured (SSC), east sea wild (ESW) and Iwate Japan cultured (IJC). Egg quality and larval development were compared using 13 factors (fertilization rate and diameter, proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid contents of eggs, hatching rate and various sizes of tadpole larvae) which were obtained from each population. Fertilized egg diameter, hatching rate and size of tadpole larvae were significantly different among the four populations (P<0.05). Eggs were produced with higher crude protein ($5.20{\pm}0.00%$ SSW, $4.71{\pm}0.01%$ ESW, $4.66{\pm}0.01%$ SSC and $3.96{\pm}0.01%$ IJC) and lipid ($1.22{\pm}0.01%$ ESW, $1.01{\pm}0.00%$ SSW, $0.77{\pm}0.01%$ SSC and $0.69{\pm}0.00%$ IJC,) contents from domestic wild populations than from Japanese or cultured populations. Also amino acid and fatty acid contents were different. The extent of similarity between domestic and Japanese populations (30.5% IJC:SSW, 34.3% IJC:SSC and 40.7% IJC:ESW) was relatively low but was very high between SSW and SSC (73.9%). These results may have been due to differences in the abundance of food types and environmental conditions in the four localities and consequent differences in the diets of the sea squirts.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2009

The causative agent for the tunic softness syndrome of the cultured ascidian Halocynthia roretzi from Jan 1999 to Feb 2009 was identified using virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The pathogenicity of the isolated virus MABV UR-1 strain was determined by experimental infection trials. The cytopathic effects was observed in CHSE-214 cell line at a level 5.1% (4/78) in normal ascidian and 1.8% in abnormal ascidian showing tunic softness syndrome signs. MABV gene was detected in 16.8% (18/107) of normal and 13.1% (5/38) of abnormal organisms by PCR. The ratio of MABV isolation and gene detection was similar level in normal and soft tunic diseased ascidian. Based on the VP2/NS junction region sequences, eight strains of virus isolated from ascidian, were included in the same genogroup with MABV which is originally isolated in wide ranges of marine fish and shellfish species. The UR-1 strain caused 60% mortality (36.5% mortality in control group) by immersion infection and 37% mortality (same mortality in control group) in injection infection indicating no significant differences in infected and control groups. These results suggest that ascidian can act as reservoir of the MABV, and this virus is not directly related with the ascidian mortality.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.151-155
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• 2012

We used nine microsatellite DNA markers to estimate genetic variation among wild and cultured populations of the sea squirt Halocynthia roretzi. The loci were polymorphic, with 6-32 alleles, and allelic richness ranged from 6.0 to 26.1 in each population. The wild and the cultured populations had similar mean heterozygosities ($H_O$ and $H_E$), allele numbers, and allelic richness. One cultured population with softness syndrome had a lower mean in the observed heterozygosity ($H_O$ = 0.57) and higher mean inbreeding coefficient ($F_{IS}$ = 0.261) than any other populations. This suggests that the loss of genetic variation in the diseased population might be due to increased inbreeding. A neighbor-joining tree and pairwise population estimates of $F_{ST}$ showed moderate genetic differentiation between the wild and the cultured populations. Additionally, the softness syndrome population was genetically divergent from wild populations, but it was genetically close to the cultured populations.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2009

Nucleotide sequences of about 500 bp from the 5' end of mitochondrial (mt) DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) were analyzed to estimate the genetic variation between wild and cultured populations of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi from two sites along the coast of Korea. A total of 25 haplotypes were defined by 21 variable nucleotide sites in the examined COI region. Genetic diversity (haplotype diversity and nucleotide divergence) of wild populations was higher than that of the cultured population. These data suggest that reduced genetic variation in the cultured population may have results from bottleneck effect caused by the use of a limited number of parental stock and pooling of gametes for fertilization. Pairwise population $F_{ST}$ estimates inferred that wild and cultured populations were genetically distinct. The combined results suggest that sequence polymorphism in the COI region would be preferable for estimating the genetic diversity of ascidian populations.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 1991

Mass mortality of Halocynthia roretzi has been occurred in culturing grounds of southern coast of Korea during the long period of summer drought and the unusal high water temperature in 1988. Especially Halocynthia roretzi was damaged severely in 2 years group. Therefore we verified these phenomena by observing the environmental factors of culturing grounds and by evaluating oxygen consumption rate in indoor experiment. In culturing grounds, the mortality rate was high in Namhae Mizo area where water temperature was the highest and the lowest in dissolved oxygen concentration as low as 3.76m/l in field observation. In indoor experiment, the higher the water temperature, the more mortality was occurred and the salinity above 30 had no effect on its mortality. In oxygen consumption rate experiment, the smaller needs more oxygen than larger one, i. e., oxygen demand per unit weight was higher in 2 years group than that of 3 years. The theoretical and the actual minimum oxygen demands(MOB) for preventing asphixation was 3.7ml/kg/h at $20^{\circ}C$ and 6.3ml/kg/h gat $25^{\circ}C$, But actual MOD was 4.3ml/kg/h at $25^{\circ}C$ in indoor experiment. It seemed that mass mortality of Halocynthia roretzi in summer was caused by metabolism disorder due to insufficient oxygen level influenced by the high water temperature and the high density of Halocynthia roretzi, which results in the paucity of oxygen especially in 2 years groups.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2020

The ascidian Halocynthia aurantium (sea peach), which belongs to the phylum Chordata, is thought to be a valuable organism of aquaculture like H. roretzi (sea pineapple), but its biological characteristics such as development and ecology are not well known. In this study, in order to obtain basic data for H. aurantium farming, the development processes of H. aurantium inhabiting the east coast of Gangwon-do were investigated and compared with those of H. roretzi, a related species. As a result, the morphology and developmental stages of the fertilized eggs, embryos and larvae of H. aurantium were very similar to those of H. roretzi. Fertilized eggs of H. aurantium took about 42.1 hours to hatch at 11℃, almost similar to 40.9 hours of H. roretzi. The time required for larvae to metamorphose into juveniles after hatching was very similar between the two species. The hatched larvae of the two species became juveniles with oral and atrial siphons after 23 days at 11℃. Both types of embryos developed slowly in seawater at low temperatures and rapidly developed at high temperatures. Fertilized eggs of H. aurantium hatched in an average of 62.3 hours at 9℃, 42.1 hours at 11℃, and 36.3 hours at 13℃, whereas those of H. roretzi hatched in an average of 60.4 hours, 40.9 hours, and 35.2 hours. Most of H. aurantium embryos did not develop normally above 15℃, so it is thought that attention is needed in the seed production processes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.1481-1486
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• 2010

In this study we investigated the antioxidant activities and quality characteristics of Halocynthia aurantium and Halocynthia roretzi. The pH of H. aurantium was higher than that of H. roretzi. The volatile basic nitrogens of H. roretzi and H. aurantium were 22.41 mg% and 16.80 mg%, respectively. Lightness and yellowness of H. roretzi were higher than those of H. aurantium, but redness of H. aurantium was higher. The results of sensory evaluation showed that the H. aurantium was better for color, odor, taste and acceptability. Total combined amino acid contents of H. roretzi and H. aurantium were $36368.23\;{\mu}mol/g$ and $36500.12\;{\mu}mol/g$, respectively. Our results showed that H. roretzi had relatively higher contents of Asp, Glu, Gly, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity and reducing power. Also total phenol content of H. roretzi was higher than that of H. aurantium. The organoleptic properties of the H. aurantium were superior but the antioxidant activities were relatively lower than those of H. aurantium. For commercial usage, additional study would be helpful in the two ascidians to recommend.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2001

Experimental culture of Halocynthia roretzi was carried out near coast by Wolsung from January to August 1997 to investigate accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Cu) by H. roretzi, Water temperature, salinity, pH and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) were $10.7\sim25.2^{\circ}C$, $33.0\sim34.6\%_{\circ},\;8.25\sim8.49\;and\;3.84\ksim7.92\;mg/L$, respectively, The heavy metal accumulation in H. roretzi was in the order of Cu>Pb>Cd. Heavy metal concentrations in the organs showed following order; Gill${\geq}Viscera{\gg}$Gonad>Muscle>Mantle for Cd, $Gill{\geq}Viscera{\gg}$ Gonad> Muscle$ {\geq}$Mantle for Pb and Viscera>Gill${\gg}$ Gonad>Muscle>Mantle for Cu.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2002

To understand the effect of heated effluent from a nuclear power plant on marine organism, experimental culture of Halocynthia roretzi was carried out at heated effluent of Wolsung nuclear power plant from January to December 1996. Temperature was $11.2\~27.9^{\circ}C$ and salinity was $32.54\~34.59\%_{\circ}$ during the culture period, The Growth of H. roretzi on lower area of Bonggil-ri (St. 1) was not normal in height, breadth and weight due to heated effluent. Daily growth rate (DGR) of H. roretzi about Kampo area (St, 4) was significant other station, and St. 1 was significant from other station except St. 4, Mytilus edulis was major fouling organism (over $90\%$) that were M. edulis, Dideninum moseleyi, Styela clava in experiment culture farm. St. 1 was higher (mean 143 individual) and St. 4 was lower (mean 56 individual) appearance attached of M. edulis. Growth of H. roretzi reduced when attached number of M. eduiis was increased, because correlation between DGR and number of M. edulis was negative.