• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.278-281
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• 2012

Comparative sequence analyses were conducted on complete mtDNA sequences from four small mammal species in Korea and revealed the presence of 30 well conserved sequences in various regions of the complete mtDNA sequences. The conserved sequences were found in 9 regions in protein coding genes, 10 regions in tRNA genes, 10 in rRNA genes, one region in replication origin and 2 regions in D loop. They could be used to design primers for amplifying complete mtDNA sequences of small mammals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 1996

In order to investigate the contents of total mercury in zoo animal located near in Seoul, we measured the contents of total mercury in fur and feather collected in zoo animal by the Mercury Analyzer. The contents of total mercury in mammals was $61.56\pm 20.32 \mu g/kg$, but in birds $659.49\pm 162.73 \mu g/kg$. Compared with feeding pattern, the contents of total mercury of omniverous and carniverous were detected higher than those of herbiverous in mammals, and also same as in birds. The contents of total mercury of Cuculidae and Ciconidae were detected highestly among classification of family in zoo animal, but those of Camelidae and Cervidae were detected lowestly. Of carniverous, 30.5% was higher than $1000 \mu g/kg$, but the ratio of omniverous detected less than $100 \mu g/kg$ was 45.5%, and in herbiverous 95.4%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2006

Constructing a long, linear structure such as a high-way may cause the break-up of the natural ecology by cutting off the trails of animals. We could observe 12 kinds of mammals, 49 kinds of birds and 10 kinds of amphibia and reptilia at the research area. With this research, we were so sure of the necessity of building ecological corridors to prevent the ecological break-up of wild animals that we studied the building and maintaining of 3 types of ecological corridors; tunnel types, over-bridge type and line type.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2005

Drosophila protects itself from infection by microbial organisms by means of its pivotal defense, the so-called innate immunity system. This is its sole defense as it lacks an adaptive immunity system such as is found in mammals. The strong conservation of innate immunity systems in organisms from Drosophila to mammals, and the ease with which Drosophila can be manipulated genetically, makes this fly a good model system for investigating the mechanisms of virulence of a number of medically important pathogens. Potentially damaging endogenous and/or exogenous challenges sensed by specific receptors initiate signals via the Toll and/or Imd signaling pathways. These in turn activate the transcription factors Dorsal, Dorsal-related immune factor (Dif) and Relish, culminating in transcription of genes involved in the production of antimicrobial peptides, melanization, phagocytosis, and the cytoskeletal rearrangement required for appropriate responses. Clarifying the regulatory interactions between the various pathways involved is very important for understanding the specificity and termination mechanism of the immune response.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2012

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is generally considered dead woody material in various stages of forest decomposition and has been hypothesized to be an important habitat feature for mammals in forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Sherman and pitfall trapping were conducted for 2 years on three paired sites with low and high amounts of CWD. Deer mice was the dominant species with a total capture of 605 (45.6%). Four species of insectivores were captured, including Sorex moncicolus, S. trowbridgii, S. vagrans, and Neurotrichus gibbsii. A Poisson regression model was used to test whether 11 CWD variables could predict insectivore captures. The volume of logs and mean decay were important variables for deer mice use of CWD. Mean distance from pieces of CWD to the capture point was significantly related to the total number of captures of trowbridge shrew (Sorex trowbridgii) and all insectivore species. Vagrant shrews (Sorex vagrans) were significantly associated with log volume. Retaining large size CWD should be part of a management plan for ground-dwelling insectivores in forests to secure their biodiversity.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2015

Whales are marine mammals that are fully adapted to aquatic environment. Whales breathe by lungs so they require adaptive system to low oxygen concentration (hypoxia) while deep and prolonged diving. However, the study for the molecular mechanism underlying cetacean adaptation to hypoxia has been limited. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is the central transcription factor that regulates hypoxia-related gene expression. Here we identified HIF-binding sites in whale genome by phylogenetic footprinting and analyzed HIF-target genes to understand how whales cope with hypoxia. By comparison with the HIF-target genes of terrestrial mammals, it was suggested that whales may retain unique adaptation mechanisms to hypoxia.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.489-495
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• 2001

DNA damage by UV and environmental agents are the major cause of genomic instability that needs to be repaired, otherwise it give rise to cancer. Accordingly, mammalian cells operate several DNA repair pathways that are not only responsible for identifying various types of DNA damage but also involved in removing DNA damage. In mammals, nucleotide excision repair (NER) machinery is responsible for most, if not all, of the bulky adducts caused by UV and chemical agents. Although most of the proteins involved in NER pathway have been identified, only recently have we begun to gain some insight into the mechanism by which proteins recognize damaged DNA. Binding of Xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein (XPC)-hHR23B complex to damaged DNA is the initial damage recognition step in NER, which leads to the recruitment of XPA and RPA to form a damage recognition complex. Formation of damage recognition complex not only stabilizes low affinity binding of XPA to the damaged DNA, but also induces structural distortion, both of which are likely necessary for the recruitment of TFIIH and two structure-specific endonucleases for dual incision.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.87-99
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• 2012

Before the construction of Hantangang dam, we surveyed vertebrate fauna along the Hantangang River and collected samples. We collected 248 specimens (1,394 individuals) of 41 fish species from 10 families in four orders, including 17 endemic species and 5 endangered species. In our herpetofauna survey, we collected 47 amphibian samples of 10 species from 5 families in 2 orders, and 19 reptile samples of 5 species from 2 families in 1 order. We observed 25 species of bird (6 orders, 14 families) inclulding collection of 51 bird specimens (10 species from 5 families in 1 order). We collected 91 mammals of 6 species, and identified 7 species from field sign and direct observation from a total of 10 families in 5 orders. This collection and list comprise the final vertebrate faunal survey of the Hantangang region, and will provide basic scientific information for future research on conservation and restoration of the region.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.308-313
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• 2008

In animals, microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) repress expression of protein coding genes by assembling distinct RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs). It has previously been shown that passenger-strand cleavage is the predominant mechanism when siRNA duplexes are loaded into Argonaute2 (Ago2)-containing RISC, while an unwinding bypass mechanism is favored for miRNA duplexes with mismatches. Here I present experimental data indicating that some mammalian miRNAs are assembled into Ago2-containing RISC by cleaving their corresponding miRNA star strands. This phenomenon may depend on the secondary structure near the scissile phosphate of the miRNA duplex. In addition, I show that ATP is not required for star-strand cleavage in this process. Taken together, the data here provide insight into the miRNA-loading mechanisms in mammals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.452-457
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• 2005

The adaptor protein (AP) complexes are involved in membrane transport of many proteins. There are 3 AP complexes in C. elegans unlike mammals that have four. To study the biological functions of the AP-3 complexes of C. elegans, we sought homologues of the mouse and human genes that encode subunits of the AP-3 complexes by screening C. elegans genomic and EST sequences. We identified single copies of homologues of the ${\mu}3$, ${\sigma}3$, ${\beta}3$ and ${\delta}$ genes. The medium chain of AP-3 is encoded by a single gene in C. elegans but two different genes in mammals. Since there are no known mutations in these genes in C. elegans, we performed RNAi to assess their functions in development. RNAi of each of the genes caused embryonic and larval lethal phenotypes. APM-3 is expressed in most cells, particularly strongly in spermatheca and vulva. We conclude that the products of the C. elegans ${\mu}3$, ${\sigma}3$, ${\beta}3$ and d genes are essential for embryogenesis and larval development.