• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권5호
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• pp.499-511
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• 2020

Echinostome metacercariae were investigated in freshwater snails from 26 districts in 7 provinces of upper northern Thailand. The species identification was carried out based on the morphologies of the metacercariae and adult flukes harvested from experimental hamsters, and on nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) genes. Twenty-four out of 26 districts were found to be infected with echinostome metacercariae in freshwater snails with the prevalence of 40.4%. The metacercariae were found in all 6 species of snails, including Filopaludina martensi martensi (21.9%), Filopaludina doliaris (50.8%), F. sumatrensis polygramma (61.3%), Bithynia siamensis siamensis (14.5%), Bithynia pulchella (38.0%), and Anenthome helena (4.9%). The echinostome metacercariae found in these snails were identified as Echinostoma revolutum (37-collar-spined) and Echinostoma macrorchis (45-collar-spined) morphologically and molecularly. The 2-week-old adult flukes of E. revolutum revealed unique features of the cirrus sac extending to middle of the ventral sucker and smooth testes. E. macrorchis adults revealed the cirrus sac close to the right lateral margin of the ventral sucker and 2 large and elliptical testes with slight indentations and pointed posterior end of the posterior testis. The ITS2 and nad1 sequences confirmed the species identification of E. revolutum, and the sequences of E. macrorchis have been deposited for the first time in GenBank. The presence of the life cycle of E. macrorchis is a new record in Thailand and the snail F. doliaris as their second intermediate host seems to be new among the literature.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.87-99
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• 2024

Global climate change, followed by an increase in anthropogenic activities in aquatic ecosystems, and species invasions, has resulted in a decline in aquatic organism biodiversity. The Batanghari River, Sumatra's longest river, is polluted by mercury-containing illegal gold mining waste (PETI), industrial pollution, and domestic waste. Several studies have provided evidence suggesting a decline in fish biodiversity within the Batanghari River. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the present status of biodiversity in this river is currently lacking. The species under investigation were identified through various molecular-based identification methods, as well as morphological identification, which involved the use of neighbor-joining (NJ) trees. All collected specimens were initially identified using morphological techniques and subsequently confirmed with molecular barcoding analysis. Morphological and DNA barcoding identification categorized all specimens (1,692) into 36 species, 30 genera and 16 families, representing five orders. A total of 36 DNA barcodes were generated from 30 genera using a 650-bp-long fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Based on the Kimura two-parameter model (K2P), The minimum and maximum genetic divergences based on K2P distance were 0.003 and 0.331, respectively, and the average genetic divergence within genera, families, and orders was 0.05, 0.12, 0.16 respectively. In addition, the average interspecific distance was approximately 2.17 times higher than the mean intraspecific distance. Our results showed that the COI barcode enabled accurate fish species identification in the Batanghari River. Furthermore, the present work will establish a comprehensive DNA barcode library for freshwater fishes along Batanghari River and be significantly useful in future efforts to monitor, conserve, and manage fisheries in Indonesia.

• BMB Reports
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• 제36권5호
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• pp.508-513
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• 2003

The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produces toxin inclusions that are deleterious to target insect larvae. These toxins are believed to interact with a specific receptor protein(s) that is present on the gut epithelial cells of the larvae. In various insect species (in particular those belonging to the lepidopteran class), aminopeptidase N (APN) is one of the two receptor proteins that are considered to be involved in toxin-receptor interactions. However, in mosquitoes, the nature and identity of the receptor protein is unknown. Here, using RT-PCR, we identified two isoforms of the APN transcripts in the Aedes aegypti mosquito larval midgut. These results are congruent with a previous report of multiple isoforms of the APN gene expression in lepidopteran larvae. Which of the two isoforms (or other yet unidentified receptor proteins) is involved in the killing of mosquito larvae remains to be elucidated.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권11호
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• pp.604-611
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• 2012

Recent advances in genome and transcriptome analysis have enabled identification of numerous members of a new class of noncoding RNA, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). lncRNAs are broadly defined as RNA molecules greater than 200 nt in length and lacking an open reading frame. Recent studies provide evidence that lncRNAs play central roles in a wide range of cellular processes through interaction with key component proteins in the gene regulatory system, and that alteration of their cell- or tissue-specific expression and/or their primary or secondary structures is thought to promote cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. The biological and molecular characteristics of the large majority of lncRNAs remains unknown, and it is anticipated that improved understanding of the roles played by lncRNAs in cancer will lead to the development of novel biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.93-98
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• 2007

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), synthesized in the hypothalamus, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vertebrate reproduction. Since molecular isoforms of GnRH and their receptors (GnRHR) have been isolated in a broad range of vertebrate species, GnRH and GnRHR provide an excellent model for understanding the molecular co-evolution of a peptide ligand-receptor pair. Vertebrate species possess multiple forms of GnRH, which have been created through evolutionary mechanisms such as gene/chromosome duplication, gene deletion and modification. Similar to GnRHs, GnRH receptors (GnRHR) have also been diversified evolutionarily. Comparative ligand-receptor interaction studies for non-mammalian and mammalian GnRHRs combined with mutational mapping studies of GnRHRs have aided the identification of domains or motifs responsible for ligand binding and receptor activation. Here we discuss the molecular basis of GnRH-GnRHR co-evolution, particularly the structure-function relationship regarding ligand selectivity and signal transduction of mammalian and non-mammalian GnRHRs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.422-425
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• 2004

To discover a potent strain against wheat leaf rust, soil samples collected from Ilgamho, Seoul, Korea were tested in vivo and a strain belonging to Streptomyces sp. was found to show good antifungal activity when fermented in a broth. The identification of the strain was carried out based on 16S rDNA analysis, and the active compound was separated from the fermented broth. Even though its structure was not determined completely, the authors report the results obtained so far indicate that the fermented broth of the strain showed activity against wheat leaf rust. Therefore, we propose that this may be a potential novel strain showing antifangal activity against Puccinia recondita.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.93-112
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• 2008

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are important sources for plant secondary metabolites, which are important for human healthcare. Improvement of the yield and quality of these natural plant products through conventional breeding is still a challenge. However, recent advances in plant genomics research has generated knowledge leading to a better understanding of the complex genetics and biochemistry involved in biosynthesis of these plant secondary metabolites. This genomics research also concerned identification and isolation of genes involved in different steps of a number of metabolic pathways. Progress has also been made in the development of functional genomics resources (EST databases and micro-arrays) in several medicinal plant species, which offer new opportunities for improvement of genotypes using perfect markers or genetic transformation. This review article presents an overview of the recent developments and future possibilities in genetics and genomics of MAP species including use of transgenic approach for their improvement.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권8호
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• pp.575-584
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• 2014

Potassium is a macronutrient that is crucial for healthy plant growth. Potassium availability, however, is often limited in agricultural fields and thus crop yields and quality are reduced. Therefore, improving the efficiency of potassium uptake and transport, as well as its utilization, in plants is important for agricultural sustainability. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in potassium uptake and transport in plants, and the molecular response of plants to different levels of potassium availability. Based on this information, four strategies for improving potassium use efficiency in plants are proposed; 1) increased root volume, 2) increasing efficiency of potassium uptake from the soil and translocation in planta, 3) increasing mobility of potassium in soil, and 4) molecular breeding new varieties with greater potassium efficiency through marker assisted selection which will require identification and utilization of potassium associated quantitative trait loci.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.351-353
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• 1998

A 245 bp segment of E. coli chromosomal replication origin, oriC, contains 11 repeats of the GATC sequence in which adenine is methylated by Dam methylase. Newly replicated oriC is hemimethylated. The parental strand of the newly replicated oriC is methylated, but the nascent strand is not yet methylated until methylated by Dam methylase. The hemimethylated oriC plays an important role in the regulation of chromosomal replication. Activity in the seqA mutant was identified to bind preferentially to hemimethylated DNA, but not to fully-methylated DNA. This activity may participate in the sequestration of initiation of chromosomal replication.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.77-80
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• 2005

Targeting of complex system such as human cells rather than biochemically pure molecules will be a useful approach to massively identify ligands specific for the markers associated with human disease such as cancer and simultaneously discover the specific molecular markers. In this study, we developed in vitro selection method to identify nuclease-resistant nucleic acid ligands called RNA aptamers that are specific for human cancer cells. This method is based on the combination of the cell-based selection and subtractive systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method. These aptamers will be useful for cancer-specific ligands for proteomic research to identify cancer-specific molecular markers as well as tumor diagnosis and therapy.