• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.2-6
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• 2013

Until recently, since the Human Genome Project, the general view has been that the majority of the human genome is composed of junk DNA and has little or no selective advantage to the organism. Now we know that this conclusion is an oversimplification. In April 2003, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) launched an international research consortium called Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) to uncover non-coding functional elements in the human genome. The result of this project has identified a set of new DNA regulatory elements, based on novel relationships among chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, DNA methylation, transcription, and the occupancy of sequence-specific factors. The project gives us new insights into the organization and regulation of the human genome and epigenome. Here, we sought to summarize particular aspects of the ENCODE project and highlight the features and data that have recently been released. At the end of this review, we have summarized a case study we conducted using the ENCODE epigenome data.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2001

Long terminal repeats (LTRs) of the human endogenous retrovirus K family (HERV-K) have been found to be coexpressed with sequences of genes closely located nearby. We examined transcribed HERV-K LTR elements in human brain tissue. Using cDNA synthesized from mRNA of the human brain, we performed PCR amplification and identified ten HERV-K LTR elements. These LTR elements showed a high degree of sequence similarity (92.4-99.7%) with the human-specific LTR elements. A phylogenetic tree obtained by the neighbor-joining method revealed that HERV-K LTR elements could be divided into two groups through evolutionary divergence. Some HERV-K LTR elements (HKL-B7, HKL-B8, HKL-B10) belonging to the group II from human brain cDNA were closely related to the human-specific HERV-K LTR elements. Our data suggest that HERV-K LTR element are active in the human brain; they could conceivably play a pathogenic role in human diseases such as psychosis.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2016

Although some mutations are beneficial and are the driving force behind evolution, it is important to maintain DNA integrity and stability because it contains genetic information. However, in the oxygen-rich environment we live in, the DNA molecule is under constant threat from endogenous or exogenous insults. DNA damage could trigger the DNA damage response (DDR), which involves DNA repair, the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints, and the induction of programmed cell death or senescence. Dysregulation of these physiological responses to DNA damage causes developmental defects, neurological defects, premature aging, infertility, immune system defects, and tumors in humans. Some human syndromes are characterized by unique neurological phenotypes including microcephaly, mental retardation, ataxia, neurodegeneration, and neuropathy, suggesting a direct link between genomic instability resulting from defective DDR and neuropathology. In this review, rare human genetic disorders related to abnormal DDR and damage repair with neural defects will be discussed.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2008

This study develops DNA array which can detect specific sequence of human papilomavirus (HPV) by using lateral flow membrane assay which is usually used for point of care test including pregnant diagnosis. Principle of HPV DNA array is as follow; fixing DNA probe which is peculiar to HPV type 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 45 on a surface of lateral flow membrane and inducing hybridization response between probe and HPV PCR products which is obtained by using biotin-labeled MY09/l1 primers. And then, we can see the result of DNA hybridization that streptavidin labelled colloidal gold is responded with hybrid biotin. Lateral flow membrane array developed in this study confirms major HPV type economically and conveniently compared with existing HPV DNA chip method.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.605-609
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• 2008

This work describes the preparation of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) and their bioapplication to human DNA separation. Silica coated MNPs were prepared by changing the volume ratio of tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS) for controlled coating thickness on the original nanoparticle of MNPs. The sol-gel process in silica coating on MNPs surface was adapted for relatively mild reaction condition, low-cost, and surfactant-free. And then amino functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using amine groups as surface modifiers. The result of adsorption efficiency for human DNA with amino-functionalized silica coated MNPs was calculated as a function of the number of amine groups.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2001

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is the most commonly used phthalate ester in polyvinyl chloride formulations including food packing and storage of human blood. DEHP is a well known as non-genotoxic carcinogen and endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC). DEHP have shown all negative results in ICH-guildeline recommended standard genotoxicity test battery. In this study, to assess the clastogenic and DNA damaging effect in human-derived tissue specific cells, DEHP was treated in human derived MCE-7 cells, HepG2 cells, LNCap cells, BeWo cells, MCE-10A cells, and female peripheral blood cells using micronucleus assay and in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells up to $1.28$\times$10^{-2}$ M using Comet assay. The in vitro micronucleus assay is a mutagenicity test system for the detection of chemicals which induce the formation of small membrane bound DNA fragment i.e. micronuclei in the cytoplasm of interphase cells, originated from clastogenic and/or aneugenic mechanism. The single cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay) is used to detect DNA strand-breaks and alkaline labile site. In our results, DEHP increased significantly and/or dose-depentently and time-dependently micronucleus frequency at the 6 and 24 hr without metabolic activation system only in MCE-7 cells. DEHP treated with 2 hrs in MCF-7 cells using Comet assay induced DNA damage dose-depentantly.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3213-3222
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• 2016

Background: Methyl donor status influences DNA stability and DNA methylation although little is known about effects on DNA methyltransferases. The aim of this study was to determine whether methyl-donor status influences DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) gene expression in cervical cancer cells, and if so, whether there are associated effects on global DNA methylation. Materials and Methods: The human cervical cancer cell line, C4-II, was grown in complete medium and medium depleted of folate (F-M+) and folate and methionine (F-M-). Growth rate, intracellular folate, intracellular methionine and homocysteine in the extracellular medium were measured to validate the cancer cell model of methyl donor depletion. Dnmt expression was measured by qRT-PCR using relative quantification and global DNA methylation was measured using a flow cytometric method. Results: Intracellular folate and methionine concentrations were significantly reduced after growth in depleted media. Growth rate was also reduced in response to methyl donor depletion. Extracellular homocysteine was raised compared with controls, indicating disturbance to the methyl cycle. Combined folate and methionine depletion led to a significant down-regulation of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b; this was associated with an 18% reduction in global DNA methylation compared with controls. Effects of folate and methionine depletion on Dnmt3a and 3b expression were reversed by transferring depleted cells to complete medium. Conclusions: Methyl donor status can evidently influence expression of Dnmts in cervical cancer cells, which is associated with DNA global hypomethylation. Effects on Dnmt expression are reversible, suggesting reversible modulating effects of dietary methyl donor intake on gene expression, which may be relevant for cancer progression.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.71-75
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• 2016

The replication protein A (RPA) plays a crucial role in DNA replication, recombination, and repair. RPA consists of 70, 32 and 14 kDa subunits and has high single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding affinity. The largest subunit, RPA70, mainly contributes to bind to ssDNA as well as interact with many cellular and viral proteins. In this study, we performed nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on the complex of the DNA binding domain A of human RPA70 (RPA70A) with ssDNA, d(CCCCC), at various pH, to understand the effect of pH on the ssDNA binding of RPA70A. The chemical shift perturbations of binding residues were most significant at pH 6.5 and they reduced with pH increment. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of the ssDNA binding of human RPA.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.22
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• pp.27-40
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• 2001

DNA typing is often used to determine identity from human remains. Recently, the molecular biological analysis of ancient deposits has become possible since methods for the recovery of DNA conserved in bones or teeth from archaeological remains have been developed. In the field of archaeology, one of the most promising approaches is to identify the individuals present in a mass burial site. We performed nuclear DNA typing and mitochondrial DNA sequencing analysis based on PCR from a Korea ancient human remain excavated from Sa-chon Nuk-island and civilian access controlline(CACL). A femur bone were collected and successfully subjected to DNA extraction, quantification, PCR amplification, and subsequently typed for several shot tandem repeat(STR)loci. 4 types of STR systems used in this study were CTT multiplex(CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01), FFv multiplex(F13A01, FESFPS, vWA), Silver STRⅢ multiplex(D16S539, D7S820, D13S317), and amelogenin for sex determination. This studies are primarily concerned with the extraction, amplification, and DNA typing of ancient human bone DNA samples. Also, it is suggestive of importance about closely relationship between both fields of archaeology and molecular biology.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.361-376
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• 1989

Norepoine is N-methylated by the enzyme phenly ethanolamine N-metyltransferase(PNMT)to form epinephrine.this enzyme is larhly restructed to the adrenal medulla where epinephrine in mammalian brain where epinephrine function as a neurotransmitter.It seems clear that central epinephrine is involved in the regulation of cardiovacular function and in several forms of hypertension.However,information about the struture of mammalian epinephrine forming enzyme has been limited until now.But recently we isolate bovine and human PNMT cDNA clone using gtll expression library and sequcde total nucleotide composition.To obtain information about the structrue of the human and rat PNMT proteins and gones and to further define the extent of the evolutionary relationships among the PNMT molecules of these species human and rat genomic DNA clones to PNMT were sequentially isolated and characterized.