• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.185-202
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• 2013

In this study, we present the nearly complete mitogenome sequences of the garden chafer, Polyphylla laticollis manchurica, which is listed as an endangered species in Korea. The P. l. manchurica mitogenome, which includes unfinished whole A+T-rich region and a partial srRNA was 14,473-bp long, possessing typical sets of genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes). Gene arrangement of the P. l. manchurica mitogenome was identical to the common one found in the majority of insects. The 5 bp-long motif sequence (TAGTA) that has been suggested to be the possible binding site for the transcription termination peptide for the major-strand was also found in the P. l. manchurica mitogenome between $tRNA^{Ser}$(UCN) and ND1. The start codon for COI gene and ATPase8 was designated as a typical TTG. All tRNAs of the P. l. manchurica showed a stable canonical clover-leaf structure of other mt tRNAs, except for $tRNA^{Ser}$(AGN), DHU arm of which could not form stable stemloop structure. As has been previously determined, the high A/T content was unanimously observed in P. l. manchurica in terms of A/T bias in the third codon position (73.5%) compared with the first (66.4%) and second codon position (66.2%). The PCGs encoded in major-strands are slightly T-skewed, whereas those of the minor-strand are A-skewed, indicating strand asymmetry in nucleotide composition in the Coleoptera including P. l. manchurica.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10433-10438
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• 2015

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children and represents approximately 25% of cancer diagnoses among those younger than 15 years of age. Aim and Objectives: This study investigated substitutions in the ATP synthase subunit 6 gene of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as a potential diagnostic biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Based on mtDNA from 23 subjects diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, approximately 465 bp of the ATP synthase subunit 6 gene were amplified and sequenced. Results: The sequencing revealed thirty-one mutations at 14 locations in ATP synthase subunit 6 of mtDNA in the ALL subjects. All were identified as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a homoplasmic pattern. The mutations were distributed between males and females. Novel haplotypes were identified in this investigation: haplotype (G) was recorded in 34% in diagnosed subjects; the second haplotype was (C) with frequency of 13% in ALL subjects. Neither of these were observed in control samples. Conclusions: These haplotypes were identified for the first time in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Five mutations able to change amino acid synthesis for the ATP synthase subunit 6 were associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This investigation could be used to provide an overview of incidence frequency of acute lyphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Saudi patients based on molecular events.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.206-211
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• 2012

DNA barcoding has been widely used in species identification and biodiversity research. A short fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence serves as a DNA bio-barcode. We collected DNA barcodes, based on COI sequences from 156 species (529 sequences) of fish, insects, and shellfish. We present results on phylogenetic relationships to assess biodiversity the in the Korean peninsula. Average GC% contents of the 68 fish species (46.9%), the 59 shellfish species (38.0%), and the 29 insect species (33.2%) are reported. Using the Kimura 2 parameter in all possible pairwise comparisons, the average interspecific distances were compared with the average intraspecific distances in fish (3.22 vs. 0.41), insects (2.06 vs. 0.25), and shellfish (3.58 vs. 0.14). Our results confirm that distance-based DNA barcoding provides sufficient information to identify and delineate fish, insect, and shellfish species by means of all possible pairwise comparisons. These results also confirm that the development of an effective molecular barcode identification system is possible. All DNA barcode sequences collected from our study will be useful for the interpretation of species-level identification and community-level patterns in fish, insects, and shellfish in Korea, although at the species level, the rate of correct identification in a diversified environment might be low.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2021

This study was carried out to provide information on the taxonomic classification and analysis of mitochondrial genomes of Spirometra theileri. One strobila of S. theileri was collected from the intestine of an African leopard (Panthera pardus) in the Maswa Game Reserve, Tanzania. The complete mtDNA sequence of S. theileri was 13,685 bp encoding 36 genes including 12 protein genes, 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs with absence of atp8. Divergences of 12 protein-coding genes were as follow: 14.9% between S. theileri and S. erinaceieuropaei, 14.7% between S. theileri and S. decipiens, and 14.5% between S. theileri with S. ranarum. Divergences of 12 proteins of S. theileri and S. erinaceieuropaei ranged from 2.3% in cox1 to 15.7% in nad5, while S. theileri varied from S. decipiens and S. ranarum by 1.3% in cox1 to 15.7% in nad3. Phylogenetic relationship of S. theileri with eucestodes inferred using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences exhibited identical tree topologies. A clade composed of S. decipiens and S. ranarum formed a sister species to S. erinaceieuropaei, and S. theileri formed a sister species to all species in this clade. Within the diphyllobothridean clade, Dibothriocephalus, Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra formed a monophyletic group, and sister genera were well supported.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.280-288
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• 2018

In this study, an approach for the analysis of the five cephalopod species (octopus, long-arm octopus, squid, wet-foot octopus, beka squid) consumed in the Republic of Korea is developed. The samples were collected from the Southeast Asian countries Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. The SYBR-green-based real-time qPCR method, based on the mitochondrial DNA genome of the five cephalopods was developed and validated. The intergroup variations in the mitochondrial DNA are evident in the bioinformatic analysis of the mitochondrial genomic DNA sequences of the five groups. Some of the highly-conserved and slightly-variated regions are identified in the mitochondrial cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, 16s ribosomal RNA (16s rRNA) gene, and 12s ribosomal RNA (12s rRNA) gene of these groups. To specify each five cephalopod groups, specific primer sets were designed from the COI, 16s rRNA and 12s rRNA regions. The specific primer sets amplified the DNA using the SYBR-green-based real-time PCR system and 11 commercially secured animal tissues: Octopus vulgaris, Octopus minor, Todarodes pacificus, Dosidicus gigas, Sepia esculenta, Amphioctopus fangsiao, Amphioctopus aegina, Amphioctopus marginatus, Loliolus beka, Loligo edulis, and Loligo chinensis. The results confirmed by a conveient way to calculate relative amplification levels between different samples in that it directly uses the threshold cycles (Ct)-value range generated by the qPCR system from these samples. This genomic DNA-based molecular technique provides a quick, accurate, and reliable method for the taxonomic classification of the animal tissues using the real-time qPCR.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1331-1339
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• 2017

DNA barcoding is the identification of a species based on the DNA sequence of a fragment of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the mitochondrial genome. It is widely applied to assist with the sustainable development of fishery-product resources and the protection of fish biodiversity. This study attempted to verify horse-head fish (Branchiostegus japonicus) and fake horse-head fish (Branchiostegus albus) species, which are commonly consumed in Korea. For the validation of the two species, a real-time PCR method was developed based on the species' mitochondrial DNA genome. Inter-species variations in mitochondrial DNA were observed in a bioinformatics analysis of the mitochondrial genomic DNA sequences of the two species. Some highly conserved regions and a few other regions were identified in the mitochondrial COI of the species. In order to test whether variations in the sequences were definitive, primers that targeted the varied regions of COI were designed and applied to amplify the DNA using the real-time PCR system. Threshold-cycle (Ct) range results confirmed that the Ct ranges of the real-time PCR were identical to the expected species of origin. Efficiency, specificity and cross-reactivity assays showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($21.85{\pm}3.599$) and the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($33.49{\pm}1.183$) for confirming B. japonicus. The assays also showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($22.49{\pm}0.908$) and the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($33.93{\pm}0.479$) for confirming B. albus. The methodology was validated by using ten commercial samples. The genomic DNA-based molecular technique that used the real-time PCR was a reliable method for the taxonomic classification of animal tissues.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2008

Siberian flying squirrel, an endangered species in South Korea, is distributed through major mountain regions of South Korea. The number of Siberian flying squirrel(Pteromys volans) in South Korea has decreased and their habitats are fragmented and isolated because of anthropogenic activities. So far no molecular genetic data has, however, been available for their conservation and management. To obtain better information concerning genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the Siberian flying squirrel in South Korea, we examined 14 individuals from South Korea, 7 individuals from Russia, and 5 individuals from northeastern China along with previously published 29 haplotypes for 1,140 bp of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene. The 14 new individuals from South Korea had 7 haplotypes which were not observed in the regions of Russia and Hokkaido. The level of genetic diversity(0.616%) in the South Korean population was lower than that in eastern Russia(0.950%). The geographical distribution of mtDNA haplotypes and reduced median network confirmed that there are three major lineages of Siberian flying squirrel, occupying; Far Eastern, northern Eurasia, and the island of Hokkaido. The South Korean population only slightly distinct from the Eurasia, and eastern Russian population, and is part of the lineage Far Eastern. Based on these, we suggest that the South Korean population could be considered to belong to one partial ESU(Far Eastern) of three partial ESUs but a different management unit. However, the conservation priorities should be reconfirmed by nuclear genetic marker and ecological data.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1859-1866
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• 2010

It is reported that about 80% of deer antlers (Cervi Pantotricuhum Cornu) produced in the world are consumed in Korea. Fraudulent replacement or mislabeling of costly deer antlers with cheaper ones, however, is one of the most common problems in the Korean deer antler market. Therefore, there is a continuous need for the development of genetic markers to discriminate between genuine and fraudulent deer antlers. This study was performed to develop a method for the identification and authentication of deer antlers using nucleotide sequence analysis against displacement loop of mitochondrial genome among four deer antlers, Cervus eleaphus sibericus, Cervus eleaphus bactrianus, Cervus eleaphus Canadensis, and Cervus eleaphus, originated from Russia, China, North America and New Zealand, respectively. As a result, multiple-alignment of mitochondrial displacement (D) loop region in 1.2 kb showed that, among the four deer antlers, a deleted sequence of about 70 bps was only found in Cervus elaphus bactrianus from China. Finally, Cervus elaphus bactrianus among nine samples of deer antlers were successfully identified by PCR using primer amplifying deleted D-loop. Cervus elaphus bactrianus was also confirmed from cloning the PCR products and their nucleotide sequence analyses were confirmed. However, no marker to identify Cervus eleaphus sibericus, Cervus eleaphus canadensis and Cervus eleaphus were found in the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial D-loop. Our results suggest that PCR for deleted D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA are useful for identification and authentication of deer antlers of Cervus elaphus bactrianus originating from China.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.363-370
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• 1997

RNase MRP is a ribonucleoprotein complex with a site-specific endonuclease activity. Its original substrate for cleavage is the small mitochondrial RNA near the mitochondrial DNA replication origin, thus it was proposed to generate the primer for mtDNA replication. Recently, it has been shown to have another substrate in the nucleus, such as pre-S.8S ribosomal RNA in nucleolus. The gene for the RNA component of RNase MRP (MRP RNA) was found to be encoded by the nucleus genome, suggesting an interesting intracellular trafficking of MRP RNA to both mitochondria and nucleolus after transcription in nucleus. In this study, genomic DNA encoding MRP RNA was microinjected into the nucleus of Xenopus oocytes, to analyze promoter regions involved in the transcription. It showed that the proximal sequence element and TATA box are important for basal level transcription; octamer motif and Sp1 binding sites are for elevated level transcription. Most of Xenopus MRP RNA was exported out to the cytoplasm following transcription in the nucleus. Utilizing various hybrid constructs, export of MRP RNA was found to be regulated by the promoter and the 5' half of the coding region of the gene. Interestingly, the transcription in nucleus seems to be coupled to the export of MRP RNA to cytoplasm. Intracellular transport of injected MRP RNA can be easily visualized by whole-mount in situ hybridization following microinjection; it also shows possible intra-nuclear sites for transcription and export of MRP RNA.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2008

Soft coral Dendronephthya gigantea (Verrill, 1864) is a conspicuous species dominating shallow sea waters of Jejudo Island, Korea. Recently its whole mitochondrial genome sequencing was completed by us and the sequence information provided an opportunity to test the age of Octocorallia and time of evolutionary separation between some representative orders of the subclass Octocorallia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 13 mitochondrial protein encoding genes revealed a polyphyletic relationship among octocorallians representing two orders (Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea) and four families (Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, Briareidae, and Gorgoniidae). Estimates of divergence times among octocorallians indicate that the first splitting might occur around end of or after Cretaceous period (50-79 million years ago (Ma)). The age is relatively young compared to the long history of stony sea corals (>240 Ma). Taken together our result suggests a possible relatively recent radiating evolution at least in the order Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea. Molecular dating and phylogenetic analysis based on much broader taxon sampling and many genes might give an insight into this interesting hypothesis.