• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4513-4518
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• 2014

The prevalence of BRCA1 gene mutations in breast cancer differs between diverse ethnic groups. Relatively little information is known about patterns of BRCA1 mutations in early-onset breast cancer in women of Uighur or Han descent, the major ethnic populations of the Xinjiang region in China. The aim of this study was to identify BRCA1 mutations in Uighur and Han patients with early-onset (age <35 years), and sporadic breast cancer for genetic predisposition to breast cancer. For detection of BRCA1 mutations, we used a polymerase chain reaction single-stranded conformation polymorphism approach, followed by direct DNA sequencing in 22 Uighur and 13 Han women with early-onset sporadic breast cancer, and 32 women with benign breast diseases. The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations in this population was 22.9% (8/35) among early-onset sporadic breast cancer cases. Of these, 31.8% (7/22) of Uighur patients and 7.69% (1/13) of Han patients were found to have BRCA1 mutations. In 7 Uighur patients with BRCA1 mutations, there were 11 unique sequence alterations in the BRCA1 gene, including 4 clearly disease-associated mutations on exon 11 and 3 variants of uncertain clinical significance on exon 11, meanwhile 4 neutral variants on intron 20 or 2. None of the 11 BRCA1 mutations identified have been previously reported in the Breast Cancer Information Core database. These findings reflect the prevalence of BRCA1 mutations in Uighur women with early-onset and sporadic breast cancer, which will allow for provision of appropriate genetic counseling and treatment for Uighur patients in the Xinjiang region.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1319-1326
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• 2007

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP1) is a key regulatory enzyme of gluconeogenesis that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to generate fructose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. Deficiency of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase is associated with fasting hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis. The enzyme has been shown to occur in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. The bovine FBP1 gene was cloned and characterized in this study. The full length (1,241 bp) FBP1 mRNA contained an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 338 amino acids, a 63 bp 5' untranslated region (UTR) and a 131 bp 3' UTR. The bovine FBP1 gene was 89%, 85%, 82%, 82% and 74% identical to the orthologs of pig, human, mouse, rat and zebra fish at mRNA level, and 97%, 96%, 94%, 93% and 91% identical at the protein level, respectively. This gene was broadly expressed in cattle with the highest level in testis, and the lowest level in heart. An intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (A/G) was identified in the $5^{th}$ intron of the bovine FBP1 gene. Genotyping of 133 animals from four beef breeds revealed that the average frequency for allele A (A-base) was 0.7897 (0.7069-0.9107), while 0.2103 (0.0893-0.2931) for allele B (G-base). Our preliminary association study indicated that this SNP is significantly associated with traits of Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI) and Carcass Length (CL) (p<0.01). In addition, the FBP1 gene was assigned on BTA8 by a hybrid radiation (RH) mapping method.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2005

Objective: Although several genetic factors have been associated with defects in human spermatogenesis, the unambiguous causative genes have not been elucidated. The male infertility by haploinsufficiency of PRM1 or PRM2 has been reported in mouse model. The aim of this study was to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PRM1 and PRM2, related to the genotype of Korean infertile men. Methods: Genomic DNAs were extracted from peripheral bloods of infertile men with oligozoospermia or azoospermia, and analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. We carried out the direct sequencing analysis of amplified fragments in PRM1 (557 nucleotides from -42 to 515) and PRM2 (599 nucleotides from 49 to 648) genes, respectively. Results: Three SNPs of coding region in the PRM1 gene was found in the analysis of 130 infertile men. However, the SNPs at a133g (aa 96.9%, ag 3.1% and gg 0.0%), c160a (cc 99.2%, ca 0.8% and aa 0.0%) and c321a (cc 56.9%, ca 35.4% and aa 7.7%) coded the same amino acids, in terms of silence phenotypes. On the other hand, as results of the PRM2 gene sequencing in 164 infertile men, only two SNPs, g398c (gg 62.2%, gc 31.1% and ga 6.7%) and a473c (aa 63.4%, ac 29.9% and cc 6.7%), were identified in the intron of the PRM2 gene. Conclusions: There was no mutation and significant SNPs on PRM1 and PRM2 gene in Korean infertile men. These results suggest that the PRM1 and PRM2 genes are highly conserved and essential for normal fertility of men.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.3 s.76
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• pp.540-545
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• 2006

T-DNA-mediated transformation is a common method for generating transgenic plants with insertional mutagenesis. In order to identify important genes involved in shoot development, a system of promoter trap insertional mutagenesis was employed in Arabidopsis thaliana. For this system, an efficient promoter trap vector, pFGL561 was developed. The pFGL561 includes a basta-resistant gene, an intron with multiple splicing donor and acceptor sites, and a promoter-less GFP reporter gene. Using floral-dipping method, we made total 300 $T_1$ promoter-trap lines which were screened for GFP expression. GFP signals in the $T_1$ plants were detected with high frequency, 26.7%, and the signals were reconfirmed in $T_2$ plants. To isolate the genes that are involved in shoot development, phenotypes were analyzed in $T_2$ plants of the 19 $T_1$ lines that had GFP signals in shoot apex, and 6 $T_1$ lines were selected that had abnormal shoot development. These lines will be very useful for the investigation of shoot development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.765-773
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• 2009

Sterol regulatory element binding factor 1 (SREBF1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes play an important role in the biosynthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, and in lipid metabolism. This study used polymorphisms in the intron 5 of bovine SREBF1 and in the thioesterase (TE) domain of FASN genes to evaluate their associations with beef fatty acid composition. A previously identified 84-bp indel (L: insertion/long type and S: deletion/short type) of the SREBF1 gene in Korean cattle had significant associations with the concentration of stearic (C18:0), linoleic (C18:2) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The stearic acid concentration was 6.30% lower in the SS than the LL genotype (p<0.05), but the linoleic and PUFA contents were 11.06% and 12.20% higher in SS compared to LL (p<0.05). Based on the sequence analysis, five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) g.17924G>A, g.18043C>T, g.18440G>A, g.18529G>A and g.18663C>T in the TE domain of the FASN gene were identified among the different cattle breeds studied. Among these, only g.17924 G>A and g.18663C>T SNPs were segregating in the Hanwoo population. The g.17924G>A SNP is a non-synonymous mutation (thr2264ala) and was significantly associated with the contents of palmitic (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1). The oleic acid concentration was 3.18% and 2.79% higher in Hanwoo with the GG genotype than the AA and AG genotypes, respectively (p<0.05), whereas the GG genotype had 3.8% and 4.01% lower palmitic acid than in those cattle with genotype AA and AG, respectively (p<0.05). Tissue expression data showed that SREBFI and FASN genes were expressed in a variety of tissues though they were expressed preferentially in different muscle tissues. In conclusion, the 84-bp indel of SREBF1 and g.17924G>A SNP of the FASN gene can be used as DNA markers to select Hanwoo breeding stock for fatty acid composition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1254-1262
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• 2014

Lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF-1) is a member of the T-cell specific factor (TCF) family, which plays a key role in the development of breast endothelial cells. Moreover, LEF-1 gene has been identified as a candidate gene for teat number trait. In the present study, we detected two novel mutations (NC_010450.3:g. 99514A>G, 119846C>T) by DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in exon 4 and intron 9 of LEF-1 in Guanzhong Black, Hanjiang Black, Bamei and Large White pigs. Furthermore, we analyzed the association between the genetic variations with teat number trait in these breeds. The 99514A>G mutation showed an extremely significant statistical relevance between different genotypes and teat number trait in Guanzhong (p<0.001) and Large White (p = 0.002), and significant relevance in Hanjiang (p = 0.017); the 119846C>T mutation suggested significant association in Guanzhong Black pigs (p = 0.042) and Large White pigs (p = 0.003). The individuals with "AG" or "GG" genotype displayed more teat numbers than those with "AA"; the individuals with "TC" or "CC" genotype showed more teat numbers than those with "TT". Our findings suggested that the 99514A>G and 119846C>T mutations of LEF-1 affected porcine teat number trait and could be used in breeding strategies to accelerate porcine teat number trait improvement of indigenous pigs breeds through molecular marker assisted selection.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2011

Purpose: Wilson disease is an autosomal recessive disorder which causes excessive copper accumulation in the hepatic region. So far, ATP7B gene is the only disease-causing gene of Wilson disease known to date. However, ATP7B mutations have not been found in ~15% of the patients. This study was performed to identify any causative gene in Wilson disease patients without an ATP7B mutation in either allele. Materials and Methods: The sequence of the coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of the five ATP7B-interacting genes, ATOX1, COMMD1, GLRX, DCTN4, and ZBTB16, were analyzed in the 12 patients with Wilson disease. Results: Three nonsynonymous variants including c.1084A>G (p.Thr362Ala) in the exon 12 of the DCTN4 gene were identified in the patients examined. Among these, only p.Thr362Ala was predicted as possibly damaging protein function by in silico analysis. Examination of allele frequency of c.1084A>G (p.Thr362Ala) variant in the 176 patients with Wilson disease and in the 414 normal subjects revealed that the variant was more prevalent in the Wilson disease patients (odds ratio [OR]=3.14, 95% confidence interval=1.36-7.22, P=0.0094). Conclusion: Our result suggests that c.1084A>G (p.Thr362Ala) in the ATP7B-interacting DCTN4 gene may be associated with the pathogenesis of Wilson disease.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.100-108
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• 2017

Cathepsin F, which is encoded by CTSF, is a cysteine proteinase ubiquitously expressed in several tissues. In a previous study, novel transcripts of the CTSF gene were identified in the crab-eating monkey deriving from the integration of an Alu element-AluYRa1. The occurrence of AluYRa1-derived alternative transcripts and the mechanism of exonization events in the CTSF gene of human, rhesus monkey, and crabeating monkey were investigated using PCR and reverse transcription PCR on the genomic DNA and cDNA isolated from several tissues. Results demonstrated that AluYRa1 was only integrated into the genome of Macaca species and this lineage-specific integration led to exonization events by producing a conserved 3' splice site. Six transcript variants (V1-V6) were generated by alternative splicing (AS) events, including intron retention and alternative 5' splice sites in the 5' and 3' flanking regions of CTSF_AluYRa1. Among them, V3-V5 transcripts were ubiquitously expressed in all tissues of rhesus monkey and crab-eating monkey, whereas AluYRa1-exonized V1 was dominantly expressed in the testis of the crab-eating monkey, and V2 was only expressed in the testis of the two monkeys. These five transcript variants also had different amino acid sequences in the C-terminal region of CTSF, as compared to reference sequences. Thus, species-specific Alu-derived exonization by lineage-specific integration of Alu elements and AS events seems to have played an important role during primate evolution by producing transcript variants and gene diversification.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1157-1165
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• 2007

VvMSA, a grapevine ASR which is highly inducible by sugar and abscisic acid signals was previously shown to be a transcription factor for a hexose transporter gene VvHT1. We isolated a cDNA clone, VlASR which is regulated temporally during the grape berry development by ACP RT-PCR (annealing control primer reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) and it proved identical to VvMSA. RT-PCR and real-time PCR analyses revealed that the VlASR gene was expressed in berries at fruit set and that its expression increased as berries aged but decreased at the late ripening stage. In order to understand the regulatory mechanism of the asr gene, a genomic fragment was cloned from grapevine. The genomic DNA was 1375 bp long and a sugar box (sucrose box 3 and sucrose responsive element 1) was identified in the 611 bp upstream region of the open reading frame. Analysis of the VlASR promoter::reporter gene fusion demonstrated that this promoter was expressed in transgenic Arabidopsis even without sucrose treatment. This result suggests that the ASR/VvHT1-mediated sugar/ABA signaling, previously reported in grapevine, may not function in Arabidopsis which has no ASR homologue.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2013

Megalocytivirus is a major fish pathogen in marine aquaculture of Asian countries including Korea. Despite of many species affected by this pathogen, little is known interaction between megalocytivirus and the fish immune system. One of the cyclooxygenase isoforms, named COX-2, is playing an important role in immune regulation, and distinct from COX-1 isoform of constitutive activity. COX-2 enzyme is induced by various inflammatory signals, including injection of lipopolysaccharide or infection by pathogenic agents. We cloned COX-2 gene in rock bream using degenerated primers designed from reported sequences of other fish species in PCR followed with 5'- and 3'-end RACE-PCR. The full length of cDNA of rbCOX2 (rock bream COX-2) gene are 2655 bp and that translates into 609 amino acids. The rbCOX-2 genomic organization are found to span 10 exons separated by 9 introns. We also studied if the experimental infection of rock bream with megalocytivirus could affect the expression of COX-2 gene. When injected with LPS, expression of the COX-2 gene was reached peak level at 1 day post injection and showed 13.10 fold increased level compared with that of control. While, when injected with megalocytivirus, we were not able to find significantly increased COX-2 gene expression different from that of control. Cloned and analyzed COX-2 gene in rock bream will help to understand defence mechanisms in fish after viral infection and will also support the development of the measures for treatment and prevention of viral infection.