• Korean Journal of Ornithology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.77-81
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• 2018

The Korean Crested ibis Nipponia Nippon is an endangered species. A pair of Crested ibis was introduced from China in October 2008, and a successful program of artificial incubation of the species, and over 200 animals have been successfully bred through the restoration project up to 2017 at Upo ibis restoration center. We assessed genetic diversity and sex determination in the Korean Crested ibis. In total, 228 Crested ibis (115 females and 113 males) were identified. And genetic diversity measures, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, and polymorphic information content values were lower in 2017 than those in 2016. The inbreeding coefficient showed that the degree of ancestry increased in 2017. The decrease in polymorphism and increase in the degree of ancestry is thought to be due to inbreeding in such a small group. In this study provided important insight into protocols for genetic management of the breeding population of Korean Crested ibis in Korea and will help in extending the restoration program.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.64-64
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• 2003

The sex differentiation of fishes occurs under the control of genetic and various environmental factors. DM-domain containing genes are novel zinc finger transcription factors and play key roles in sex determination. In order to isolate the wrasse DMRT (wDMRT) cDNA from the protogynous wrasse (Halichoeres tenuispinnis), the wrasse testis cDNA library was screened using the $^{32}$ P-labeled PCR products, which were amplified with the degenerate primers from conserved DM-domain regions of several DMRT genes. Among a few positives obtained through screening, the full length wDMRT cDNA of 2.9kb size encoding a predicted 300 amino acid residues was isolated. The sequence analysis exhibited 60%, 43% sequence identity with rainbow trout and tilapia DMRT1, respectively. RT-PCR assay showed that wDMRT was expressed specifically in male testis. Also, wDMRT gene was strongly expressed in May during reproductive season, when the reproductivity of wrasse is most active. This results suggested that wDMRT gene function in testis differentiation The conserved DM-domain regions were amplified using PCR from DMRT genes of several species among Labridae, and their sequences were determined. The sequence of DM-domain region of Halichoeres. tenuispinis was identical to those of Pseudolabrus japonicus, Pteragogus flagellifera, and showed 94% identity with that of Halichoeres poecioptrerus.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.276-285
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• 2009

Despite great commercial interest, relatively little has been described about molecular mechanism of bivalve reproduction. We investigated genes involved in ovarian maturation of the Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis. GSI index and histological analysis revealed that maturation of ovary begin in February and spawning period is from April to June which is similar to the previous study in the East Sea. As result of combination analysis of differential display RTPCR (DDRT-PCR) and histological examination, vitellogenin (Vg), ferritin (Ft) and ADT/ATP carrier protein (ACC) were identified as differently expressed genes in maturating ovary. Endpoint RT-PCR results showed that Vg is ovary-specific genes whereas Ft and ACC are expressed ubiquitously suggesting that Vg can be good molecular markers for ovarian development and sex determination in bivalves. Quantitative PCR results revealed that Vg were expressed highest during growth stage and appears to play a major role in oocyte maturation. On the contrary, expression of Ft was highest after spawning stage, which suggests that up-regulation may be involved in spawning and inactive stages in which the scallops recover from spawning. In addition, high level of the mitochondrial gene, ACC, may play a role in energy metabolism in maturating oocytes. Isolation and molecular studies of these key genes will expand our knowledge of the physiological changes from various exogenous factors including temperature, salinity, pH, even or numerous endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during reproductive cycle. In addition, further study of these genes implicates various industrial applications including the stable seed production, increased food quality, or economic aquaculture system.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

Owing to the risk of fetal loss associated with prenatal diagnostic procedures (amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling), noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) is ultimate goal of prenatal diagnosis. The discovery of circulating cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in maternal plasma in 1997 has opened up new probabilities for NIPD by Dr. Lo et al. The last decade has seen great development in NIPD. Fetal sex and fetal RhD status determination by cffDNA analysis is already in clinical use in certain countries. For routine use, this test is limited by the amount of cell-free maternal DNA in blood sample, the lack of universal fetal markers, and appropriate reference materials. To improve the accuracy of detection of fetal specific sequences in maternal plasma, internal positive controls to confirm to presence of fetal DNA should be analyzed. We have developed strategies for noninvasive determination of fetal gender, and fetal RhD genotyping using cffDNA in maternal plasma, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) including RASSF1A epigenetic fetal DNA marker (gender-independent) as internal positive controls, which is to be first successful study of this kind in Korea. In our study, accurate detection of fetal gender through gestational age, and fetal RhD genotyping in RhD-negative pregnant women was achieved. In this assay, we show that the assay is sensitive, easy, fast, and reliable. These developments improve the reliability of the applications of circulating fetal DNA when used in clinical practice to manage sex-linked disorders (e.g., hemophilia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), RhD incompatibility, and the other noninvasive pregnant diagnostic tests on the coming soon. The study was the first successful case in Korea using cffDNA in maternal plasma, which has created a new avenue for clinical applications of NIPD.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2012

Gender specificity in muscle growth and development is well known. Genesis of muscle is dependent on proliferation and differentiation potential of resident myogenic satellite cells (MSCs) present in muscle fibers. Multipotential capacity of forming myocyte, osteocyte, and adipocyte like cell makes MSCs a unique stem cell. To understand the molecular mechanism involved in determination of muscle quality due to difference in hormone concentration of different gender of animals, MSCs were isolated from bovine skeletal muscle and cultured in male, female, and castrated serum supplemented media. DNA microarray used consisted of 24,000 spots with 70 mer oligo in each spot. A total of 88 genes were up-regulated and 551 genes were down-regulated by more than two fold. Among up-regulated gene, 33, 34, and 21 genes were found up-regulated in cells grown in male, female, and castrated serum, respectively. Interestingly, male serum showed 4, female 11 and castrated male showed 4 genes expressed highly in each gender. Further study on the highly up-regulated gene may unfold the mystery of gender specificity found in muscle development. Also, the identification of differentially expressed genes in gender-specific serum will add information on infrastructure of bovine genome research.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 2019

Allelic differences in A and B mating-type loci are a prerequisite for the progression of mating in the genus Pleurotus eryngii; thus, the crossing is hampered by this biological barrier in inbreeding. Molecular markers linked to mating types of P. eryngii KNR2312 were investigated with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA to enhance crossing efficiency. An A4-linked sequence was identified and used to find the adjacent genomic region with the entire motif of the A locus from a contig sequenced by PacBio. The sequence-characterized amplified region marker $7-2_{299}$ distinguished A4 mating-type monokaryons from KNR2312 and other strains. A BLAST search of flanked sequences revealed that the A4 locus had a general feature consisting of the putative HD1 and HD2 genes. Both putative HD transcription factors contain a homeodomain sequence and a nuclear localization sequence; however, valid dimerization motifs were found only in the HD1 protein. The ACAAT motif, which was reported to have relevance to sex determination, was found in the intergenic region. The SCAR marker could be applicable in the classification of mating types in the P. eryngii breeding program, and the A4 locus could be the basis for a multi-allele detection marker.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.455-461
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• 2009

Calcineurin is a $Ca^{2+}$/Calmodulin activated Ser/Thr phosphatase that is well conserved from yeast to human. It is composed of catalytic subunit A (CnA) and regulatory subunit B (CnB). C. elegans homolog of CnA and CnB has been annotated to tax-6 and cnb-1, respectively and in vivo function of both genes has been intensively studied. In C. elegans, calcineurin play roles in various signaling pathways such as fertility, movement, body size regulation and serotonin-mediated egg laying. In order to understand additional signaling pathway(s) in which calcineurin functions, we screened for binding proteins of TAX-6 and found a novel binding protein, HLH-11. The HLH-11, a member of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins, is a putative counterpart of human AP4 transcription factor. Previously bHLH transcription factors have been implicated to regulate many developmental processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation, sex determination and myogenesis. However, the in vivo function of hlh-11 is largely unknown. Here, we show that hlh-11 is expressed in pharynx, intestine, nerve cords, anal depressor and vuvla muscles where calcineurin is also expressed. Mutant analyses reveal that hlh-11 may have role(s) in regulating body size and reproduction. More interestingly, genetic epistasis suggests that hlh-11 may function to regulate serotoninmediated egg laying at the downstream of tax-6.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2017

Anabolic steroids have similar structures to testosterone, both of which promote the growth of muscle mass and increase strength. However, the side effects of anabolic steroid use may lead to heart attacks or strokes. Additionally, the excessive use of steroids inhibits the production of the sex hormones in the body via a negative feedback loop, which results in testicular atrophy in males and amenorrhea in females. Currently, the method of choice used to test for the presence of anabolic steroids is GC-MS. However, GC-MS methods require chemical derivatization of the steroid sample to ensure compatibility with the analytical method; therefore, analysis of many different samples is difficult and time consuming. Unlike GC-MS, the liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) method is suitable for many samples. Twenty-two different anabolic steroids were analyzed by LC-Q-TOF-MS with various collision energies (CE). Accurate mass spectral data were obtained using a Q-TOF-MS equipped with an electro-spray ionization source and operated in the positive MS/MS mode for several classes of steroids that are often the targets of testing. Based on the collected data, fragmentation pathways were carefully elucidated. The high selectivity and sensitivity of the LC-Q-TOF-MS instrument combined with these fragmentation pathways offers a new approach for the rapid and accurate screening of anabolic steroids. The obtained data from the 22 different anabolic steroids will be shared with the scientific community in order to establish a library to aid in the screening of illegal anabolic steroids.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.117-131
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• 2000

Objectives: To develop a new immunohistochemical marker system for supplementation of the Noyes histological classification of the endometrium in women of child bearing age with regular menstrual cycles, and to employ this system to evaluate pathologic factors involved in endometriosis, and thus to ascertain if it is useful in diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Endometrial biopsies were sampled from the posterior fundus of 41 (24 proliferative phases, 17 secretory phases) women with regular menstrual cycles (28-32 days), and each sample was immunohistochemically stained according to Noyes et al (1975) for determination of expression for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), integrin ${\alpha}_1$, ${\alpha}_4$, ${\beta}_3$, COX-1 and COX-2. Then, the PR, integrin ${\beta}_3$ and COX-2 which were clearly expressed in the luteal phase was with endometrial samples were obtained from 20 cases of normal patients (group 1) and 25 cases with endometriosis (group 2) after confirming the day of ovulation by sex steroid level measurements 7-8 days after ovulation Results: In the regular menstruation group the expression of ER showed a tendency to be increased in the proliferative phase and decreased in the secretory phase, and was the highest in the proliferative phase. However, PR in the stromal cells showed no change in the entire menstrual cycle while in the epithelial cells, PR reached a peak in the late proliferative phase and was almost absent in the secretory phase. Integrin (${\alpha}_1$, ${\alpha}_4$, and ${\beta}_3$ expression in the epithelial cells was absent in the proliferative phase but ${\alpha}_1$ was strongly expressed starting from the early secretory phase into the entire secretory phase. ${\alpha}_4$ was expressed strongly in the early and mid secretory phases and disappeared in the late proliferative phase, while ${\beta}_3$ appeared after the mid secretory phase and continued to be expressed until the late secretory phase. Expression in the stromal cells was weak overall and did not show any cyclic pattern. COX-1 expression was shown as a cyclic pattern in the stromal and epithelial cells and was particularly strongly expressed in the mid secretory phase of epithelial cells, and in the mid secretory and menstruation phase of stromal cells. In the endometrial epithelial cells there was strong expression during the entire cycle with stronger expression in the secretory phase compared to the prolferative phase. COX-2 was clearly expressed in the late proliferative, early and mid secretory phases in the stromal cells. No expression was observed in the proliferative phase of the epithelial cells, but which began to appear in the early secretory phase reaching a significant pattern from the mid secretory phase onwards. There was almost no expression in the stromal cells. In the cases with endometriosis showing normal endometrial maturation according to the Noyes classification, PR expression was increased while Integrin-${\beta}_3$의 expression was significantly decreased compared to the normal group. Also, COX-2 expression was slightly decreased in the stromal cells of patients with endometriosis while it was significantly increased in the stromal cells. Conclusion: Immunohistochemical markers can supplement the original Noyes classification of histological endometrial dating and therefore ascertain existing pathologic conditions. Particularly for patients with endometriosis with normally mature endometrial cells, changes in COX-2 and integrin expression patterns may assist in elucidating pathophysiologic mechanisms and therefore aid in the diagnosis of abnormal implantation conditions, and consequently determine a treatment modality.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2007

Background: Airway mucus hypersecretion plays an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma, and is associated with the induction of MUC5AC expression in airway secretion. The MUC5AC gene is highly polymorphic; however, there are few studies about the association between the polymorphisms of the MUC5AC gene and asthma susceptibility or asthma phenotypes. We have investigated the association of MUC5AC promoter polymorphisms with the risk of asthma and asthma phenotypes. Methods: We determined the genotypes of the MUC5AC promoter (-1274G>A) in 78 asthma patients and in 78 age, sex-matched control individuals in the Korean population. Genomic DNAs from blood were analyzed by PCR and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) determination. We examined $FEV_1$, total eosinophil count, serum IgE level, $PC_{20}$ and the presence of atopy (by a skin test) in asthma patients. Results: The mean age of the patients was $47.7{\pm}16.1$ years and 38.5% were men, and the mean $FEV_1$ was $84.4{\pm}22.3%$ of predicted in the asthma patients. The -1274G>A polymorphism of the MUC5AC promoter in asthma patients was not significantly different as compared with normal individuals (GG 57.7%, AG 34.6% and AA 7.7% in asthma patients vs. GG 56.4%, AG 38.5% and AA 5.1% in control subject, p = 0.752, Cod). Several clinical parameters in asthma patients such as $FEV_1$, total eosinophil count, serum IgE level, $PC_{20}$ and the presence of atopy, were not associated with the -1274G>A polymorphism of the MUC5AC promoter. Conclusion: The -1274G>A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequency of the MUC5AC promoter was not associated with asthma in a Korean population.