• BMB Reports
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.128-150
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• 2005

Invertebrate animals, which lack adaptive immune systems, have developed other systems of biological host defense, so called innate immunity, that respond to common antigens on the cell surfaces of potential pathogens. During the past two decades, the molecular structures and functions of various defense components that participated in innate immune systems have been established in Arthropoda, such as, insects, the horseshoe crab, freshwater crayfish, and the protochordata ascidian. These defense molecules include phenoloxidases, clotting factors, complement factors, lectins, protease inhibitors, antimicrobial peptides, Toll receptors, and other humoral factors found mainly in hemolymph plasma and hemocytes. These components, which together compose the innate immune system, defend invertebrate from invading bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. This review describes the present status of our knowledge concerning such defensive molecules in invertebrates.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.300-306
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• 2018

라이소자임은 선천성 면역 물질로 개불을 포함하는 여러 무척추동물의 병원균에 대한 방어에 주요하게 작용한다. 본 논문은 개불(Urechis unicinctus)의 체벽 조직 추출물로부터 무척추형 라이소자임의 정제와 그 특성에 관한 분석을 기술하고 있다. 체벽 추출물은 우선적으로 Sep-Pak C18 cartridge를 사용하여 부분적으로 분리되었으며, 분리된 분획 중 60% 메탄올에 용출된 분획이 Bacillus subtilis KCTC 1021에서 강한 항균활성을 나타내었다. 그 후 여러 단계의 역상과 이온교환 고속액체크로마토그래피(High Performance Liquid Chromatography, HPLC)를 사용하여 항균성 물질이 정제되었으며, 분자량은 약 14 kDa이었다. 이 단백질의 일차서열은 LC-MS/MS를 통해 분석되었으며, 얻은 부분적 아미노산 서열을 NCBI BLAST를 통하여 분석해 본 결과, 이 항균성 물질은 다른 동물들로부터 동정된 무척추동물형 라이소자임(invertebrate-type lysozyme)의 서열과 유사도를 가지고 있어, 체벽으로부터 정제된 개불 라이소자임(Urechis unicinctus invertebrate-type lysozyme from body wall, Uu-iLysb)으로 명명하였다. 개불 라이소자임의 활성을 확인하기 위하여 항균활성 및 라이소자임 효소 활성실험을 진행한 결과, 개불 라이소자임이 항균활성과 라이소자임 효소활성 모두 강하게 가지고 있는 것을 확인하였다.

• 환경생물
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2012

독도 조간대 해양무척추동물의 공간적인 분포를 밝히기 위해서 2009년부터 2011년까지 10차례에 걸쳐 현장조사를 실시하였다. Bray-Curtis 유사도를 이용한 집괴분석을 통하여 3개의 군집을 밝혔으며, 첫 번째 군집은 자갈해변군집으로 이동성 복족류인 보말고둥과 깜장각시고둥 그리고 밤고둥이 우점종으로 나타났으며, 두 번째 군집은 잔잔한 암반해안으로 보말고둥, 큰뱀고둥 그리고 군소가 우점종으로 나타났으며, 마지막 군집은 두 종의 고착형 절지동물인 검은큰따개비와 거북손이 우점하는 것으로 나타났다. 이들 군집은 독도 암반조간대의 기질의 종류와 수리역학적인 조건에 의해 결정되었으며, 환경적인 조건이 해양생물의 생물다양성을 유지하고 증가시키는데 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 보인다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Drug dependence deals a heavy socioeconomic burden to the society. For adolescents, the damage from drug dependence is greater than adults considering their higher susceptibility to drug effect and increasing chance for violence leading to criminal punishment process. Habitual drug use depends on genetic and environmental factors and the complex interactions between the two. Mammalian model systems have been useful in understanding the neurochemical and cellular impacts of abused drugs on specific regions of the brain, and in identifying the molecular targets of drugs. More elucidation is required whether biological effects of drugs actually cause the habitual dependence at the cellular level. Although there is much insight available on the nature of drug abuse problems, none of the systems designed to help drug dependent individuals is efficient in screening functional ingredients of the drug, and thus resulting in the failure of helping drug dependent individuals recover from drug dependence. Alternative model systems draw the attention of researchers, such as the invertebrate model systems of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). These models should provide new insight into the mechanisms leading to the behavior of drug users (even functional studies analyzing molecular mechanism), and screening useful components to help remove drug dependence among drug users. The relatively simple anatomy and gene expression of the invertebrate model systems should enable researchers to coordinate current knowledge on drug abuse. Furthermore, the invertebrate model systems should facilitate advance in experiments on the susceptibility of specific genetic backgrounds and the interaction between genetic factors to drug dependence.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.33-36
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• 2002

In vertebrate rhodopsins the glutamic acid at position 113 serves as a counterion to stabilize the protonated retinylidene Schiff base linkage and to shift the spectrum to the visible region. Invertebrate rhodopsins and retinochrome have the amino acid residue different from glutamic acid or asparatic acid at this position and therefore, these pigments may have a counterion at different position. We first investigated the counterion in retinochrome by site specific mutagenesis. The results showed that the counterion is the glutamic acid at position 181, where almost of all the pigments including vertebrate and invertebrate rhodopsins in the rhodopsin family have a glutamic acid or an aspartic acid. In vertebrate rhodopsins, however, Glu 181 does not act as a counterion, and the red-sensitive cone pigments have a histidine at this position, which serves as a chloride-binding site for red-shift of the absorption spectrum. These findings suggested that the role of Glu181 as a counterion may be weakened by the newly acquired counterion at position 113. Taken together with our recent studies on an invertebrate-type rhodopsin, the rhodopsin diversity was discussed from viewpoint of counterion.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.205-207
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• 2009

The specimens of Peregrinamor ohshimai, an ecto-commensal species to Upogebia major, were collected from the mudflat of Chilcheondo Is., Geoje-si, Gyungsangnam-do, Korea and diagnostic characters of P. ohshimai were analyzed. The genus Peregrinamor is reported in Korean fauna for the first time.

• 환경생물
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.225-231
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• 2013

동해안의 암반조간대 무척추동물상의 분포 특성을 연구하기 위하여 독도를 비롯한 울릉도, 경상북도의 경주, 포항, 영덕, 울진 그리고 강원도 등 총 19개 정점의 암반 조간대무척추동물상을 조사하여 출현종의 유사도를 공통종의 출현비율 (%)과 Bray-Curtis similarity matrix를 이용한 집괴분석과 MDS를 이용하여 분석하였으며 SIMPER를 이용하여 독도와 그 외의 동해안 암반저서 무척추동물의 특징종을 선출하였다. 공통종의 출현비와 집괴분석결과, 가장 가까이 위치한 울릉도를 제외하면, 경상북도의 영덕이 가장 높은 유사도를 보였으나, 전체적으로 독도 암반저서생태계는 다른 동해안 연안과 차이를 보인 것으로 나타났다.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.171-191
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• 2024

Identification of Helicotylenchus species is very challenging due to phenotypic plasticity and existence of cryptic species complexes. Recently, the use of rDNA barcodes has proven to be useful for identification of Helicotylenchus. Molecular markers are a quick diagnostic tool and are crucial for discriminating related species and resolving cryptic species complexes within this speciose genus. However, DNA barcoding is not an error-free approach. The public databases appear to be marred by incorrect sequences, arising from sequencing errors, mislabeling, and misidentifications. Herein, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the newly obtained, and published DNA sequences of Helicotylenchus, revealing the potential faults in the available DNA barcodes. A total of 97 sequences (25 nearly full-length 18S-rRNA, 12 partial 28S-rRNA, 16 partial internal transcribed spacer [ITS]-rRNA, and 44 partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] gene sequences) were newly obtained in the present study. Phylogenetic relationships between species are given as inferred from the analyses of 103 sequences of 18S-rRNA, 469 sequences of 28S-rRNA, 183 sequences of ITS-rRNA, and 63 sequences of COI. Remarks on suggested corrections of published accessions in GenBank database are given. Additionally, COI gene sequences of H. dihystera, H. asiaticus and the contentious H. microlobus are provided herein for the first time. Similar to rDNA gene analyses, the COI sequences support the genetic distinctness and validity of H. microlobus. DNA barcodes from type material are needed for resolving the taxonomic status of the unresolved taxonomic groups within the genus.

• 한국작물학회지
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.497-504
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• 2006

Biodiversity is closely related to the conservation of ecosystems. Ecosystems provide more subtle, but equally essential, services. Microorganisms decompose human's waste and renew the soils that produce our food crops. Biodiversity in Korean paddies encompass 54 families and 107 species of freshwater invertebrates. In terms of the number of aquatic insects affected by different sources, the order starting with the highest population was swine slurry > chemical fertilizer > fresh straw with reduced fertilizers > control. The number of freshwater invertebrate and aquatic macro-invertebrate in surface water of the plots without insecticidal application were 2 and 2.1 times greater than in fields receiving insecticide applications, respectively. The soil microfungal flora of the 85 isolates paddy fields in Korea was 30 species in 13 genera and 11 isolates were unidentified yet. Agricultural policy should be changed to assist the conservation of biodiversity because until now the agricultural ecosystems have been negatively affected from the development of high-yield varieties to enhance food production, and the expansion of fertilizer and chemical use. For the conservation of agricultural ecosystems, agricultural practices with less investment and more resource saving, as well as enhancing the safety of agricultural and livestock products are essential. Finally, this paper was written for the contribution for the development of environmentally friendly farming systems with neighboring or whole ecosystems.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.16-23
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• 2007

Myostatin (GDF8) is a growth factor that limits muscle tissue growth and development in vertebrates. We isolated a myostatin-like gene (Py-MSTN) from the marine invertebrate, the scallop Patinopecten yessoensis. Py-MSTN was highly expressed in the adductor muscle and in the gill unexpectedly. Amino acid analysis showed that Py-MSTN has 49% amino acid sequence identity and 64% similarity to human myostatin (Hs-MSTN), and 42% identity and 61% similarity to myoglianin, the only invertebrate homolog. These results indicated that Py-MSTN may be functionally similar to the vertebrate MSTN than the invertebrate homolog. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Py-MSTN is an ancestral form of vertebrate MSTN and GDF11 and does not belong to other $TGF-{\beta}$ family members. Molecular modeling showed that Py-MSTN exhibits a similar tertiary structure to mammalian BMP7, a member of $TGF-{\beta}$ family. In addition, the amino acid residues which contact extracellular domain of the receptor were relavively conserved. Given these results, we propose that Py-MSTN is a functionally active member of the $TGF-{\beta}$ family and is involved In muscle growth and regulation.