• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.31.1-31.11
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• 2017

Background: Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2) is an important component of innate immune system in teleosts. In order to understand isoform-specific involvement and regulation of LEAP-2 genes in mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis, Cypriniformes), a commercially important food fish, this study was aimed to characterize gene structure and expression characteristics of two paralog LEAP-2 isoforms. Results: Mud loach LEAP-2 isoforms (LEAP-2A and LEAP-2B) showed conserved features in the core structure of mature peptides characterized by four Cys residues to form two disulfide bonds. The two paralog isoforms represented a tripartite genomic organization, known as a common structure of vertebrate LEAP-2 genes. Bioinformatic analysis predicted various transcription factor binding motifs in the 5'-flanking regions of mud loach LEAP-2 genes with regard to development and immune response. Mud loach LEAP-2A and LEAP-2B isoforms exhibited different tissue expression patterns and were developmentally regulated. Both isoforms are rapidly modulated toward upregulation during bacterial challenge in an isoform and/or tissue-dependent fashion. Conclusion: Both LEAP-2 isoforms play protective roles not only in embryonic and larval development but also in early immune response to bacterial invasion in mud loach. The regulation pattern of the two isoform genes under basal and stimulated conditions would be isoform-specific, suggestive of a certain degree of functional divergence between isoforms in innate immune system in this species.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2012

Growth hormone (GH) transgenesis in fish has the potential to improve aquaculture efficiency and capacity. However, many fast-growing transgenic fish have experienced side effects caused by excess GH expression. To overcome this unwanted issue associated with several GH transgenic mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis lines carrying GH construct driven by a strong ${\beta}$-actin regulator ($pml{\beta}$-actGH), we performed an alternative version of GH autotransgenesis using a weaker but more stable regulator, the mud loach lectin promoter. GH transgenesis with a pmlectGH construct consisting of the mud loach GH gene driven by the 2.3-kb lectin promoter exhibited significant growth stimulation. However, the extent of the growth acceleration in pmlectGH transgenics (six times maximum when assessed 2 months post hatching) was much less than that in transgenic individuals carrying the $pml{\beta}$-actGH construct. Additionally, the extraordinary gigantism that was common in $pml{\beta}$-actGH-transgenic mud loaches was diminished in transgenic loaches harboring the pmlectGH construct. Transgenic founders (pmlectGH) successfully transmitted their transgene into the next generation with up to 41% frequency. Growth stimulation also persisted in the transgenic F1 strains, with a seven-fold increase in maximum body weight at 6 months of age.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.291-301
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• 2013

The genomic organization, tissue distribution, and developmental expression of two paralogous GAPDH isoforms were characterized in the mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis (Cypriniformes). The mud loach gapdh isoform genes (mlgapdh-1 and mlgapdh-2) had different exon-intron organizations: 12 exons in mlgapdh-1 (spanning to 4.88 kb) and 11 in mlgapdh-2 (11.78 kb), including a non-translated exon 1 in each isoform. Southern blot hybridization suggested that the mud loach might possess the two copies of mlgapdh-1 and a single copy of mlgapdh-2. The mlgapdh-1 transcript levels are high in tissues requiring high energy flow, such as skeletal muscle and heart, whereas mlgapdh-2 is expressed abundantly in the brain. Both isoforms are differentially regulated during embryonic and larval development, during which their expression is upregulated with the progress of development. Lipopolysaccharide challenge preferentially induced mlgapdh-2 transcripts in the liver. Therefore, the two isoforms have diversified functionally; mlgapdh-1 is associated more closely with energy metabolism, while mlgapdh-2 is related more to stress/immune responses, in the mud loach.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

Reciprocal hybrids between the mud loach ($Misgurnus$ $mizolepis$) and cyprinid loach ($M.$ $anguillicaudatus$) were produced by artificial fertilization. The chromosome number of mud loach was 2n=48, consisting of 12M+4SM+32A chromosomes. The cyprinid loach has 2n=50, consisting of 10M+4SM+36A chromosomes. The chromosome numbers of the diploid reciprocal hybrids were 2n=49, consisting of 11M+4SM+34A chromosomes. All the karyotypes documented in this study had the same arm number of 64. There was no evidence of chromosomal polymorphisms or sex-related heteromorphism. The cytogenetic traits of the hybrid genotypes were intermediate between those of the parent species. In all genotypes, the chromosomal NORs localized to the terminal short arms of the same metacentric chromosome pair. These results suggest that Robertsonian translocation occurred between metacentric chromosome 1 of mud loach and acrocentric chromosome of cyprinid loach.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.23.1-23.9
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• 2017

Two distinct cDNAs encoding aquaporins (mmAQPs 1a and 3a) were isolated and characterized from mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis. The identified mud loach AQP cDNAs encode for polypeptides of 260 and 302 amino acids. Topology predictions confirmed six putative membrane-spanning domains connected by five loops and the N- and C-terminal domains being cytoplasmic. The mud loach AQPs 1a and 3a showed broad distribution in multiple tissues including immune-responsive tissues as well as osmoregulatory tissues. Hence, the diversity of AQP distribution and expression possibly indicated its differential functions in the regulation of fluid movement in response to environmental stimuli. The transcription of mmAQP genes was differentially modulated by immune challenges. In particular, the mmAQP3a expression level in the liver was more responsive to immune challenges than that of mmAQP1a. Taken together, fish stimulation or infection resulted in significant modulation of mud loach AQP genes, suggesting potential functional roles of these proteins in piscine pathophysiological process.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 1997

construct containing reporter gene(pFV4CAT) regulated by carp $\beta$-actin promoter was microinjected into the one-cell stage egg of mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis), and was successfully expressed, possibly by the integration into the genome. Both mean hatching success and early survival of the microinjected groups were not significantly different with those of control groups (P>0.05). The incidence of transgene was ranged from 7 to 48% based on the PCR and/or Southern blot analyses with the DNA prepared from fin or blood tissue. The spatial and temporal patterns of expression of the pFV4CAT gene, measured by in situ immunohistochemical analysis peroxidase-conjugated anti-CAT antibody, were variable among the experimental individuals. These results suggest that carp $\beta$-actin promoter is effective to express other transgene in mud loach, such that this promoter can be useful in the generation of valuable transgenic mud loach.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 1996

Validities of several gene transfer methods including microinjection, electroporation and lipo-fection with luciferase gene (pRSVL), and effectiveness of mud loach expression vector which contains ARS from mud loach on production of transgenic mud loach were evaluated. Microiniection revealed the $0\~8\%$ of transgene incidence in 2-week-old fish with significant mosaicism. Electroporation and lipofection of mud loach sperm also successfully introduced the transgene into sperm cells, and transferred the foreign DNA into zygote. Gene transfer by electroporation and lipofection showed a range of $0\~28\%$ and $0\~48.1\%$ of transgene incidence, respectively in newly hatched larvae, altough most DNA introduced were gradually degraded with the development of fish. Microinjections of mud loach expression vector caused a significantly reduced survival rate of mud loach embryos with severe teratogenic effects, and ARS/Luc transgene could not be detected in normally developed fish after microinjection.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2001

Generation of transgenic fish acquiring the ability to express desirable phenotypes offers new possibilities for addressing fundamental biological questions, and can also attribute to enhanced aquaculture productivity. I describe here the recent research progress in my laboratory with particular emphasis on the development of fast-growing autotransgenic fish and its chromosome-set manipulation using our experimental organism, the mud loach, Misgurnus mizolepis. (omitted)

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2001

The skin structure of Misgurnus mizolepis was studied based on the microanatomical investigation of skin fragments taken from four regions. The epidermis was distinguished by two types of skin glands, a small mucous cell and a large club cell. The mucous cell was acid sulfomucins (some sialomucins) but the club cell did not give any histochemical tests for mucosubstances. The presence of a well defined lymphatic system with small lymphocytes was established in the stratum germinativum layer of the epidermis. A large number of blood capillaries run very close to each other just below the basement membrane, and a definite area giving AB and PAS positive was present between the basement membrane and scale. These structural features of skin in M. mizolepis seem to be closely related with cutaneous respiration.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.471-478
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• 2014

Genomic organization, including the structural characteristics of 5'-flanking regions of two 65-kDa protein (WAP65) isoform genes associated with warm temperature acclimation, were characterized and their transcriptional responses to immune challenges were examined in the intestine, kidney and spleen of the mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis; Cypriniformes). Both mud loach Wap65 isoform genes displayed a 10-exon structure that is common to most teleostean Wap65 genes. The two mud loach Wap65 isoforms were predicted to possess various stress- and immune-related transcription factor binding sites in their regulatory regions; however, the predicted motif profiles differed between the two isoforms, and the inflammation-related transcription factor binding motifs, such as NF-${\kappa}B$ and CREBP sites, were more highlighted in the Wap65-2 isoform than the Wap65-1 isoform. The results of qRT-PCR indicated that experimental immune challenges using Edwardsiella tarda, lipopolysaccharide or polyI:C induced the Wap65-2 isoform more than Wap65-1 isoform, although modulation patterns in response to these challenges were tissue- and stimulant-dependent. This study confirms that functional diversification between the two mud loach Wap65 isoforms (i.e., closer involvement of Wap65-2 in the acute phase of inflammation and innate immunity) occurs at the mRNA level in multiple tissues, and suggests that such differential modulation patterns between the two isoforms are related to the different transcription factor binding profiles in their regulatory regions.