• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.873-880
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• 2014

In our previous study, miRNA-183, a miRNA in the miR-96-182-183 cluster, was significantly over-expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the present study, we explored the oncogenic roles of miR-183 in ESCC by gain and loss of function analysis in an esophageal cancer cell line (EC9706). Genome-wide mRNA micro-array was applied to determine the genes that were regulated directly or indirectly by miR-183. 3'UTR luciferase reporter assay, RT-PCR, and Western blot were conducted to verify the target gene of miR-183. Cell culture results showed that miR-183 inhibited apoptosis (p < 0.05), enhanced cell proliferation (p < 0.05), and accelerated G1/S transition (p < 0.05). Moreover, the inhibitory effect of miR-183 on apoptosis was rescued when miR-183 was suppressed via miR-183 inhibitor (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the expression of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), which was predicted as the target gene of miR-183 by microarray profiling and bioinformatics predictions, decreased when miR-183 was over-expressed. The 3'UTR luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-183 directly regulated PDCD4 by binding to sequences in the 3'UTR of PDCD4. Pearson correlation analysis further confirmed the significant negative correlation between miR-183 and PDCD4 in both cell lines and in ESCC patients. Our data suggest that miR-183 might play an oncogenic role in ESCC by regulating PDCD4 expression.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2014

Microsatellite markers were used to identify 58 major commercial melon cultivars, and to assess hybrid seed purity of a melon breeding line known as '10H08'. A set of 412 microsatellite primer pairs were utilized for fingerprinting of the melon cultivars. Twenty-nine markers showed hyper-variability and could discriminate all cultivars on the basis of marker genotypes, representing the genetic variation within varietal groups. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard's distance coefficients using the UPGMA algorithm categorized 2 major groups, which were in accordance to morphological traits. The DNA bulks of female and male parents of breeding line '10H08' were tested with 29 primer pairs based on microsatellites to investigate purity testing of $F_1$ hybrid seeds, and 5 primer pairs exhibited polymorphism. One microsatellite primer pair (CMGAN12) produced unambiguous polymorphic bands among the parents. Among 192 seeds tested with CMGAN12, progeny possibly generated by self-pollination of the female parent were clearly distinguished from the hybrid progeny. These markers will be useful for fingerprinting melon cultivars and can help private seed companies to improve melon seed purity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2009

Norovirus (NV) with a variety of genotypes, a member of the family Caliciviridae, causes acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in humans. We determined the nucleotide sequence of three open reading frames (ORFs) of a NV Korean strain and characterized the genetic relationship with others. The Korean strain designated Hu/NLV/Gunpo/2006/KO was isolated from the stool specimen of a 2-year-old female suffering from gastroenteritis. By performing reverse transcription and PCR amplification, three overlapping cDNAs were synthesized and used for direct sequencing. We found that like other NVs, this strain contains three ORFs: ORF1, 5,100 bp; ORF2, 1,647 bp; ORF3, 765 bp. Of 35 NVs, ORF1 had a level of genetic diversity lower than ORF2 and ORF3, of which the C-termini of the ORF2 and ORF3 showed a relatively high degree of genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the Korean strain belonged to genogroup II, with Saitama U1, Gifu'96, Mc37, and Vietnam 026 being formed a single genetic cluster. The nucleotide sequence information of three ORFs of a NV Korean isolate will be useful not only for the development of a diagnostic tool and understanding of genetic relationship, but also provide important basic information for the functional analysis of their gene products.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2011

The study was conducted to select and optimize microsatellite (MS) markers for evaluation of Korean native pig (KNP) populations in order to provide standard for the classification and breed definition of the indigenous breeds. The study also aimed to characterize and classify each KNP populations. A total of 648 pigs from 17 pig populations including six KNP, four Chinese native pig and four commercial pig populations were analyzed with 26 MS markers. KNP populations formed separate cluster from those of Chinese native pig and introduced pig populations. Expected heterozygosity (He) of KNP populations were 0.48~0.55 except two populations with 0.65. Genetic distances between KNP populations were relatively shorter: 0.12-0.34. Among six KNP populations, three showed high genetic uniformity, two showed lower uniformity and one showed high level of impurity and heterozygosity. The results can be used to evaluate and manage animal genetic resources at national scale.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.853-863
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• 2014

This study was carried out to construct a DNA profile database of 100 strawberry cultivars using microsatellite markers. Two hundred seventy four microsatellite primer pairs were screened with a set of 21 strawberry cultivars with different morphological traits. Twenty five primer pairs were selected because they produced reliable and reproducible fingerprints. These primer pairs were used to develop DNA profiles of 100 strawberry cultivars. Three to thirteen alleles were detected by each marker with an average of 7.50. The average polymorphism information content varied from 0.331 to 841 (average 0.706). Cluster analysis showed that the 100 cultivars were divided into 7 major groups reflecting geographic origin and pedigree information. Moreover, most of the cultivars could be discriminated by marker genotypes. These markers will be useful as a tool for the protection of plant breeders' intellectual property rights in addition to providing the means to intervene seed disputes relating to variety authentication.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2003

From 1996 to 1999, potato-growing areas in Korea were surveyed for identification and distribution of potato scab pathogens. Potato scab was widely distributed in the mass cultivation areas, especially in Jriu island, southern areas of Chonnam and Gyounggi provinces, and the alpine area of Gangwon province. Jeju island was the most affected area by this disease. A total of 55 Streptomyces strains were isolated from potato scab lesions, among which 40 strains were pathogenic on progeny tubers. Among the pathogenic strain, 21 strains were identified as previously described S. scabies, 7 Strains as S. turgidiscabies, and 5 Strains as S. acidiscabies, while 7 strains were observed as having distinct phenotypic properties. These strains were classified into six distinct clusters based on phenotypic characteristics and selected representative strains for each cluster. S. scabies (S33) had grey spores in a spiral chain. Mean-while, S. turgidiscabies (S27) had grey spores, S. acidiscabies (S71) had white spores, S. luridiscabiei (S63) had yellow-white spores, S. puniciscabiei (S77) had purple-red spores, and S. niveiscabiei (S78) had thin and compact white spores, all in a rectiflexuous chain. Pathogenicity was determined by the production of thaxtomin A and homologs of necl and ORFtnp genes. In TLC, representative strains S27, S71, S63, S77, and S78 produced a yellow band that co-migrated with the authentic thaxtomin A. However, thaxtomin A was not detected in chloroform extracts from oatmeal broth culture and Slice tuber tissue of S. luridiscabiei (S63) and S. puniciscabiei (S77) by HPLC analysis. In addition, no homologs of necl and ORFtnp genes in S. acidiscabies (S71), S. luridiscabiei (S63), S. puniciscabiei (S77), and S. niveiscabiei (S78) were detected by PCR and Southern hybridization analysis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2001

In order to investigate the pathogenicity and development of differential identification technique in the Yersinia species and other entericbacteria, we isolated 5 strains of Y.pseudotuberculosis from spring water sites in Seoul. The biochemical characteristics of isolated strains revealed that indole, VP($25^{\circ}C$, $37^{\circ}C$), $H_2S$, phenylalanine, lysine, arginine, ornithine, gas from glucose, lactose, sucrose, sorbitol, oxidase and motility($37^{\circ}C$) were all negative and urease, glucose, mannitol, salicin, catalase and motility($25^{\circ}C$) were all positive. To detect the causative agent of pseudotuberculosis(Y.pseudotuberculosis), we carried out a study using a PCR with inv primers complementary to the pathogenic region and found that all strains were positive, this revealed that strains from spring waters were pathogenic. Also 16S rDNA for total 5 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis were amplified and a stretch of approximately 1,450 nucleotides were sequenced and analyzed. The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence homologies among Yersinia species ranged 97.5% to 100% and between Y.pseudotuberculosis and other entericbacteria they ranged 93.0% to 95.1%. The Phylogenetic tree generated from the sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA gene showed 3 coherent clusters that could be separated into Y.pseudotuberculsis strains, some Yersinia species strains and other entericbacteria strains.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2005

Doxorubicin is an anthracycline-family polyketide compound with a very potent anti-cancer activity, typically produced by Streptomyces peucetius. To understand the potential target biosynthetic genes critical for the doxorubicin everproduction, a doxorubicin-specific DNA microarray chip was fabricated and applied to reveal the growth-phase-dependent expression profiles of biosynthetic genes from two doxorubicin-overproducing strains along with the wild-type strain. Two doxorubicin-overproducing 5. peucetius strains were generated via over-expression of a dnrl (a doxorubicin-specific positive regulatory gene) and a doxA (a gene involved in the conversion from daunorubicin to doxorubicin) using a streptomycetes high expression vector containing a strong ermE promoter. Each doxorubicin-overproducing strain was quantitatively compared with the wild-type doxorubicin producer based on the growth-phase-dependent doxorubicin productivity as well as doxorubicin biosynthetic gene expression profiles. The doxorubicin-specific DNA microarray chip data revealed the early-and-steady expressions of the doxorubicin-specific regulatory gene (dnrl), the doxorubicin resistance genes (drrA, drrB, drrC), and the doxorubicin deoxysugar biosynthetic gene (dnmL) are critical for the doxorubicin overproduction in S. peucetius. These results provide that the relationship between the growth-phase-dependent doxorubicin productivity and the doxorubicin biosynthetic gene expression profiles should lead us a rational design of molecular genetic strain improvement strategy.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2011

The study was conducted to select and optimize microsatellite (MS) markers for evaluate Korean Native Chicken (KNC) breeds in order to provide standard for the classification and breed definition of the indigenous breeds. The study also aimed to characterize and classify each KNC populations for inventory and management of avian genetic resources. A total of 462 chickens from 11 populations of chicken breeds including eight KNC breeds and three commercial chicken breeds were analyzed with 19 MS markers. KNC breeds, especially Long-Tail Chicken breeds, formed separate cluster from those commercial chicken breeds. Genetic distances between KNC populations (0.11~0.18) were relatively shorter. Genetic uniformity of KNC (except KNCR breed) (0.86~0.88) were higher than that of commercial breeds (except Cornish) (0.95~0.97). On the other hand, genetic uniformity of KNC Long Tail (KNCLT) were relatively higher (0.91~0.97). The result can be used to evaluate and manage animal genetic resources at national scale.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.413-422
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigated the mechanism of pharmacological action of local anesthetic and provide the basic information about the development of new effective local anesthetics. Fluorescent probe techniques were used to evaluate the effect of lidocaine HCl on the physical properties (transbilayer asymmetric lateral and rotational mobility, annular lipid fluidity and protein distribution) of synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV) isolated from bovine cerebral cortex, and liposomes of total lipids (SPMVTL) and phospholipids (SPMVPL) extracted from the SPMV. An experimental procedure was used based on selective quenching of 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)propane (Py-3-Py) and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) by trinitrophenyl groups, and radiationless energy transfer from the tryptophans of membrane proteins to Py-3-Py. Lidocaine HCl increased the bulk lateral and rotational mobility of neuronal and model membrane lipid bilayes, and had a greater fluidizing effect on the inner monolayer than the outer monolayer. Lidocaine HCl increased annular lipid fluidity in SPMV lipid bilayers. It also caused membrane proteins to cluster. The most important finding of this study is that there is far greater increase in annular lipid fluidity than that in lateral and rotational mobilities by lidocaine HCl. Lidocaine HCl alters the stereo or dynamics of the proteins in the lipid bilayers by combining with lipids, especially with the annular lipids. In conclusion, the present data suggest that lidocaine, in addition to its direct interaction with proteins, concurrently interacts with membrane lipids, fluidizing the membrane, and thus inducing conformational changes of proteins known to be intimately associated with membrane lipid.