• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.912-919
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• 2017

Objective: Identification of the candidate genes that play key roles in phenotypic variations can provide new information about evolution and positive selection. Interleukin (IL)-32 is involved in many biological processes, however, its role for the immune response against various diseases in mammals is poorly understood. Therefore, the current investigation was performed for the better understanding of the molecular evolution and the positive selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-32 gene. Methods: By using fixation index ($F_{ST}$) based method, IL-32 (9375) gene was found to be outlier and under significant positive selection with the provisional combined allocation of mean heterozygosity and $F_{ST}$. Using nucleotide sequences of 11 mammalian species from National Center for Biotechnology Information database, the evolutionary selection of IL-32 gene was determined using Maximum likelihood model method, through four models (M1a, M2a, M7, and M8) in Codeml program of phylogenetic analysis by maximum liklihood. Results: IL-32 is detected under positive selection using the $F_{ST}$ simulations method. The phylogenetic tree revealed that goat IL-32 was in close resemblance with sheep IL-32. The coding nucleotide sequences were compared among 11 species and it was found that the goat IL-32 gene shared identity with sheep (96.54%), bison (91.97%), camel (58.39%), cat (56.59%), buffalo (56.50%), human (56.13%), dog (50.97%), horse (54.04%), and rabbit (53.41%) respectively. Conclusion: This study provides evidence for IL-32 gene as under significant positive selection in goat.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.613-630
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• 2006

Nucleic acids are virtually omnipresent; they exist in every living being. These macromolecules constitute the most important genetic storage material: the genes. Genes are conserved throughout the evolution of all living beings; they are transmitted from the parents to their offspring. Many interdisciplinary research groups are interested in modifying nucleic acids for use in a wider variety of applications. These modified oligonucleotides are used in many diverse fields, including diagnostics, detection, and therapeutics. In this account, we summarize our research efforts related to modified nucleic acid systems. First, we discuss our syntheses of modified oligonucleotides containing fluorescent tags for use as molecular probes (molecular beacons) to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisim (SNP) in nucleic acids and to distinguish between the B and Z forms of DNA. We also describe our research efforts into oligonucleotides functionalized with steroid derivatives to enhance their cell permeability, and the synthesis of several calix[4]arene-oligonucleotide conjugates possessing the ability to form defined triplexes. In addition, we have performed systematic studies to have an understanding about the functional groups necessary for a given nucleoside to behave as an organo or hydrogelator. The aggregation properties of a number of nucleoside-based phospholipids have been examined in different solvents; some of these derivatives are potential candidates for use as nucleoside-based liposomes. Finally, we also describe our research efforts toward the preparation of isoxazole- and isoxazoline-containing nucleoside derivatives and the determination of their antiviral activities.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.232-238
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• 2013

Water temperature is key factor influencing growth and reproduction of fish and its increase give rise to various physiological changes including gene expression. Heat shock protein (Hsp), one of the molecular chaperones, is highly conserved throughout evolution and its expression is induced by various stressors such as temperature, oxidative, physical and chemical stresses. Here, we isolated partial cDNA clones encoding 70-kDa Hsp (Hsp70) and $\beta$-actin using reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) from gut of Rhynchocypris kumgangensis, a Korean indigenous species and cold-water fish, and investigated expression profiles of Hsp70 under an increase of water temperature using $\beta$-actin as an internal control for RT-PCR. Cloned Hsp70 cDNA of R. kumgangensis showed homology to Ctenopharyngodon idella (96%), Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (96%), Danio rerio (93%) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (81%) Hsp70. Cloned $\beta$-actin cDNA of R. kumgangensis showed homology to D. rerio (98%), H. molitrix (97%), C. idella (97%) and O. mykiss (90%) $\beta$-actin. Both mRNA of Hsp70 and $\beta$-actin were expressed in gut, brain, and liver in R. kumgangensis. Futhermore, expression of Hsp70, in brain, was highly augmented by an increase of water temperature. These results suggest that Hsp70 mRNA expression level in brain can be used as a biological molecular marker to represent physiological stress against an increase of water temperature.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.307-315
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• 2002

Major factors affecting the impact resistance of high impact polystyrene (HIPS), the rubber-toughened grade of polystyrene, are rubber-phase particle size and size distribution, molecular weight, morphology, and degree of grafting. Accordingly, it is important to control or investigate these factors. In this study, the effect of solvent content was analyzed by the morphology and particle size distribution of rubber phase, and final properties in bulk-solution polymerization of HIPS. The prepolymerization time was, first, determined by measuring the evolution of particle size distribution of dispersed phase to explain the phase inversion with time. As the solvent content increased, the size of rubber particle increased and then gradually decreased. Rubber-phase morphology was likely to have higher degree of grafting as the solvent content increased. Rheological and mechanical properties decreased as the solvent content increased because of the decrease of matrix molecular weight due to the chain transfer reaction to solvent and the existence of residual solvent. Nevertheless, the impact resistance seemed to increase when the rubber particle size increased.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 1988

An endogenous 17-6a inhibitor of Caa+_activated protease has been purified from neo-plastic tissues of human stomach using heat treahent and conventional chromatographir procedures. It appears to consist of a single polvpeptide since the same molecular weight was obtained by both gel fntration under nondenaturing condition and gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS. Since the size of the inhibitor or is the smallest amens those reported so far, it may represent a functional unit for inhibiting Caa+_activated protease. This protein is also capable of inhibiting the protease isolated loom chick skeletal muscle. Thus, the functional unit of the inhibitor most well be conserved during evolution. Howrver, it remains unclear what may be the physiological significance of the presence of the Iow-molecular weight form of the inhibitor in neoplastic tissues of human stomach. 사람의 위암조직으로부터 Ca2)_activated protease을 저해하는 단백질을 열처리 및 여러 크로마토그라피 방법을 이용하여 순수분리 하였다. 이 저해단백질은SDS-전기영동카자1 filtra-tion의 방법에 의하여 그 분자량이 17 kDa으로 나타남으로 보아 단일 Polypeptide로 구성되어 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이 저해 단백질의 분자량은 지금까지 알려진 CaB+_activated protease의 저해단백질에 비하여 가장 작은 것이었다. 따라서, 이 단.백질은 Ca2)에 의하여 활성화되는 단백질 분해효소의 작용을 저해하는 기능적 단위로 추측되었다. 한편, 이 저해제는 계 골격근에서 추출한 Ca2+ _activated protease의 촹성 도 억제 하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러 한 결과는 이 저 해 단백질의 기능적 단위가 진화과정 동안 오래 보존되어 왔음을 시사한다. 그러나, 사람의 위암조직에서 이 저해제가 무슨 이유로 가장 작은 분자량의 단백질로 존재하는지에 대한 생리학적 중요성에 관한 문제는 앞으로 많이 연구되어져 야 할 것이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.113-118
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• 1999

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) is found in all vertebrates and its type-II molecule is regarded as a fundamental embryonic growth factor during development. We have firstly identified, in this study, a cDNA clone corresponding to IGF-II (flIGF-II) from the adult brain of the teleost, Paralichthys olivaceus. We also examined the tissue expression of flIGF-II in several adult tissues by RT-PCR. The flIGF-II cDNA contained a complete ORF consisting of 215 amino acids and one stop codon. Its molecular characteristics appear to be similar to the previously identified IGF-II molecules, in which a common primary structure exhibiting B, C, A, D, and E domains is evidently observed. This cDNA clone seems to be cleaved at $Ala_{52}$ for the $NH_2$-end signal peptide and appears to produce a 98 amino acid-long E-peptide from the $Arg^{118}$. The functional B-D domain regions, therefore, include 65 amino acids and is able to encode a 7.4-kDa protein. The most prominent structural difference between IGF-I and IGF-II was that the D domain of IGF-II exhibits a two-codon-deleted pattern compared to the 8 amino acid-containing IGF-I. The insulin family signature in the A domain and six cysteins forming three disulfide bridges between the B and A domains were evolutionary-conserved from teleosts to mammalian IGF-II. Interestingly, the E-peptide region appears to provide a distinct hallmark between teleosts in amino acid composition. The flIGF-II shows 85.1% of sequence identity to salmon and trout, 90.6% to tilapia, and 98.4% to perch in amino acid level. In tissue expressions of IGF-II, it is very likely that flIGF-II has a significant expression in the adult brain. However, liver seems to be the main source for IGF-II production, and relatively low signals were observed in the adult muscle and kidney. Taken together, it would be concluded that the functional region for IGF-II mRNA is highly similar in phylogeny and is evolutionary, conserved as a mediator for the growth of vertebrates.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2012

We have studied the effect of speed of deposited atom on morphology evolution during Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD). Using Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation that incorporate molecular dynamics simulations, we have shown that the rough surface morphology became smoother as the speed of deposited atom is increased. The growth exponent ${\beta}$ change from 0.97 to 0.67 as the speed increase from ${\upsilon}_0$ to $10{\upsilon}_0$ in the case of GLAD. We also examined the effect of speed of deposited atom for the case of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) simulation. Compared to GLAD, the variation in scaling exponent ${\beta}$ is small but the speed of deposited atom also have considerable effect on growth morpholgy in the case of CVD.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 2015

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a major pattern recognition receptor that recognize the structure of invading pathogen and play key roles by triggering immune response. In this study, we identified a sequence of TLR homolog and characterized at molecular level from the abalone (Haliotis discus hannai). Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis of abalone TLR protein belongs to the TLR 2/6. Expression level of abalone TLR 2/6 in the tissue was comparatively high in the mantle, gill, digestive duct, and hemocytes, but lowest in the muscle. Expression level of abalone TLR 2/6 mRNA in the mantle, gill, digestive duct, and hemocytes was 20-fold, 60-fold, 115-fold, 112-fold higher than in the muscle, respectively. Expression level of abalone TLR 2/6 mRNA in the mantle was steadily increased until 12 h and decreased post-infection with Vibrio parahemolyticus. While the expression level of abalone TLR 2/6 mRNA in the gill and hemocytes was drastically increased at 6 and 9 h post-infection with Vibrio parahemolyticus, respectively. These results suggest that abalone TLR 2/6 is conserved through evolution and may play roles similar to its mammalian counterparts.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 2006

Copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) plays a key role to the first antioxidant defense system against oxidative stress in diverse aerobic organisms. Due to the housekeeping action of Cu,Zn-SOD, it was reported that the structure and function have been conserved during evolution. In this study Cu,Zn-SOD from cloudy catshark Scyliorhinus torazame was subjected to phylogenetic analyses to know its evolutionary relationship in the vertebrate lineage. Molecular phylogenetic trees inferred by NJ, MP, ML and/or Bayesian analyses showed two shark species, Prionace glauca and S. torazame grouped together with high statistical supports. In general, they placed at the separated position from bony vertebrates. Thereafter, bony vertebrates composed of teleosts and birds/mammals (amniotes) formed a monophyletic group. Each teleost and amniote clade was also supported by relatively high statistical values. These phylogenetic relationships are well congruent with the phylogenetic hypothesis of the ancestral position of cartilaginous fishes to bony vertebrates.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2011

The seven leptocephali (14.6~68.0 mm in total length) of the family Ophichthidae, from the East Sea of Korea, were identified using 12S rRNA 861-bp sequences and their morphological development were described. Our seven leptocephali were identified to Echelus uropterus based on genetic distance (d=0.000) being well consistent with that of adult E. uropterus. Our seven leptocephali of E. uropterus are characterized by morphological combinations: caudal fin present; the melanophores present in series of nine gut swellings; total myomeres 154~158; body depth in total length less than 10%; eight black horizontal bands present from anus to caudal fin base. Our morphological and molecular results suggest that E. uropterus may be an intermediate group between subfamily Ophichthinae and Myrophinae.