• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.319-328
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• 2021

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most destructive viruses worldwide, which causes severe damage to economically important crops, such as pepper and tomato. In this study, we examined the molecular and biological characterization of a TSWV isolate (SW-TO2) infecting tomato and compared it to the recently reported isolates from boxthorn, butterbur, and angelica plants. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome sequences confirmed that SW-TO2 was clustered with those of isolates from boxthorn and pepper in Korea with the maximum nucleotide identities ranging from 98% to 99%. We developed the bioassay method for screening TSWV resistance and tested some commercial pepper and tomato cultivars for resistance evaluation of four isolates of TSWV. TSWV resistance was evaluated as TSWV resistance when all the following three conditions were satisfied: first, when symptoms of necrotic spots or no symptoms were present in the inoculated leaves; second, when there were no symptoms in the upper leaves; and third, when the upper leaves were negative as a result of RT-PCR diagnosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1942-1949
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• 2019

Objective: Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is associated with several physiological processes including inflammation, tumorigenesis, and natural killer T cell generation. Chicken LECT2 (chLECT2) gene was originally identified as one of the differentially expressed genes in chicken kidney tissue, where the chickens were fed with different calcium doses. In this study, the molecular characteristics and gene expression of chLECT2 were analyzed under the stimulation of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand to understand the involvement of chLECT2 expression in chicken metabolic disorders. Methods: Amino acid sequence of LECT2 proteins from various species including fowl, fish, and mammal were retrieved from the Ensembl database and subjected to Insilco analyses. In addition, the time- and dose-dependent expression of chLECT2 was examined in DF-1 cells which were stimulated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly [I:C]), a TLR3 ligand. Further, to explore the transcription factors required for the transcription of chLECT2, DF-1 cells were treated with poly (I:C) in the presence or absence of the nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF{\kappa}B$) and activated protein 1 (AP-1) inhibitors. Results: The amino acid sequence prediction of chLECT2 protein revealed that along with duck LECT2 (duLECT2), it has unique signal peptide different from other vertebrate orthologs, and only chLECT2 and duLECT2 have an additional 157 and 161 amino acids on their carboxyl terminus, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that chLECT2 is evolved from a common ancestor along with the actinopterygii hence, more closely related than to the mammals. Our quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that, the expression of chLECT2 was up-regulated significantly in DF-1 cells under the stimulation of poly (I:C) (p<0.05). However, in the presence of $NF{\kappa}B$ or AP-1 inhibitors, the expression of chLECT2 is suppressed suggesting that both $NF{\kappa}B$ and AP-1 transcription factors are required for the induction of chLECT2 expression. Conclusion: The present results suggest that chLECT2 gene might be a target gene of TLR3 signaling. For the future, the expression pattern or molecular mechanism of chLECT2 under stimulation of other innate immune receptors shall be studied. The protein function of chLECT2 will be more clearly understood if further investigation about the mechanism of LECT2 in TLR pathways is conducted.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 2020

In September 2017, vein clearing and yellowing symptoms resembling those caused by viruses were observed on leaves of Malva verticillata in Chungnam, Korea. Nucleic acids were extracted from leaves of five symptomatic plants and tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using four virus specific primer pairs including malva vein clearing virus (MVCV). Amplicons of the expected size (600 bp) were obtained from total RNA of all samples using the MVCV-specific primers. To confirm the presence of MVCV in symptomatic plants, the DNA fragments from three samples were purified, and directly sequenced. BLAST analysis revealed that it shared the highest nucleotide identity (99%) with a MVCV isolate from tomato (Mexico). The virus isolates obtained from the third re-inoculated Chenopodium was designated as Cm1-5. Tissue from Cm1, Cm3, and Cm5 isolates was mechanically sap inoculated into 23 indicator plants. Cm3 isolate induced chlorotic local and mosaic symptoms in Althaea rosea. Phylogenetic analysis based on coat protein gene of 19 MVCV isolates from 6 different countries and plant species, did not correlated with either the geographical origin of the isolates, or pathogenicity. To our knowledge, this study first reports the natural occurrence of MVCV on M. verticillata in Korea and characterization of three Korean isolates of MVCV.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.334-343
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• 2017

Eclipta prostrata and E. alba are annual herbal medicinal plants and have been used as Chinese medicinal tonics. Both species are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Korea. Both species have similar morphological features but E. alba has smoother leaf blade margins compared with E. prostrata. Although both species are utilized as oriental medicines, E. prostrata is more widely used than E. alba. Morphological semblances have confounded identification of either species. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genomes of both species to provide an authentication system between the two species and understand their diversity. Both chloroplast genomes were 151,733-151,757 bp long and composed of a large single copy (83,285-83,300 bp), a small single copy (18,283-18,346 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (25,075-25,063 bp). Gene annotation revealed 80 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genus Eclipta is grouped with Heliantheae tribe species in the Asteraceae family. A comparative analysis verified 29 InDels and 58 SNPs between chloroplast genomes of E. prostrata and E. alba. The low chloroplast genome sequence diversity indicates that both species are really close to each other and are not completely diverged yet. We developed six DNA markers that distinguish E. prostrata and E. alba based on the polymorphisms of chloroplast genomes between E. prostrata and E. alba. The chloroplast genome sequences and the molecular markers generated in this study will be useful for further research of Eclipta species and accurate classification of medicinal herbs.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.127-138
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• 2020

We attempted to isolate and identify potentially pathogenic bacteria from geoduck clam (Panopea japonica) larvae, juvenile and adult, focusing on Vibrios. The isolates were identified by molecular approach and biochemical characterization. In particular, we applied MLSA (multilocus sequence analysis) to the isolated Vibrios for clear identification and phylogenetic relationships, by combining 16s rDNA and several houskeeping genes (pyrH, recA, rpoA). We obtained 141 isolates; 10 from healthy adults, 52 from moribund adults with blisters and 79 from larvae. 46 from the moribund adults and 39 from the larvae were identified as Vibrio species, while the rest of these samples and all the isolates from healthy adult were identified as marine general bacteria. Among Vibrio species, Vibrio splendidus was the most frequently identified from the moribund adults and clustered with the known V. splendidus in GenBank by MLSA. However, it was still unclear that V. splendidus was the cause of blisters because the artificial infection experiment was not conducted and V. splendidus was isolated also from the larvae. Further studies are necessary to clarify the etiological agent of the blisters found in geoduck clam in this study.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.248-262
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• 2021

Marine planktonic ciliates include two major groups, loricated tintinnids and naked oligotrichs. The study of marine ciliate plankton in Korea began with taxonomic efforts on tintinnids based on the morphology of lorica, a vase-shaped shell. Despite polymorphism in the lorica, it is utilized as a key characteristic in identification of tintinnid species. However, oligotrichs have been studied only recently in Korea due to challenges associated with the observation of ciliary arrangements and the technical development for cell staining. Species diversity and phylogenetic classification of the ciliates have been informed by recent advances in morphological and molecular analyses. Illustrations of the planktonic ciliate in Korea have been published on the basis of taxonomic data of tintinnids and oligotrichs. Planktonic ciliates acting as the major consumers of pico- and nanoplankton as well as the prey of mesozooplankton, has been monitored by spatial and temporal investigations in Korean coastal waters. A practical approach addressing the limitations and potential of marine ciliate studies in Korea is proposed here to improve the data quality of planktonic ciliates, providing an enhanced basis for quality control of ciliate monitoring.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.909-914
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• 2023

While searching for the bacteria which are responsible for degradation of pesticide in soybean field soil, a novel bacterial strain, designated 5-5^T, was isolated. The cells of the strain were Gram-staining-positive, aerobic and non-motile rods. Growth occurred at 10-42℃ (optimum, 30℃), pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-7.5), and 0-2% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1%). The predominant fatty acids were C_15:0 anteiso, C_17:0 anteiso, and summed feature 8 (C_18:1 ω7c and/or C_18:1 ω6c). The predominant menaquinone was MK-9 (H₂). Diphosphatidylglycerol, glycolipids, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol were the major polar lipids. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 5-5^T is a member of the genus Sinomonas and its closest relative is Sinomonas humi MUSC 117^T, sharing a genetic similarity of 98.4%. The draft genome of strain 5-5^T was 4,727,205 bp long with an N50 contig of 4,464,284 bp. Genomic DNA G+C content of strain 5-5^T was68.0 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain 5-5^T and its closest strains S. humi MUSC 117^T and S. susongensis A31^T were 87.0, and 84.3 % respectively. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain 5-5^T and its closest strains S. humi MUSC 117^T and S. susongensis A31^T were 32.5% and 27.9% respectively. Based on the ANI and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization analyses, the 5-5^T strain was considered as novel species belonging to the genus Sinomonas. On the basis of the results from phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain 5-5^T represents a novel speciesof the genus Sinomonas, for which the name Sinomonas terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5-5^T (=KCTC 49650^T =NBRC 115790^T).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.605-611
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• 2023

Recently, sporadic cases of human infection by genetic reassortants of H7Nx influenza A viruses have been reported; such viruses have also been continuously isolated from avian species. In this study, A/wild bird/South Korea/sw-anu/2023, a novel reassortant of the H7N1 avian influenza virus, was analyzed using full-genome sequencing and molecular characterization. Phylogenetic analysis showed that A/wild bird/South Korea/sw-anu/2023 belonged to the Eurasian lineage of H7Nx viruses. The polymerase basic (PB)2, PB1, polymerase acidic (PA), and nucleoprotein (NP) genes of these viruses were found to be closely related to those of avian influenza viruses isolated from wild birds, while the hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), matrix (M), and nonstructural (NS) genes were similar to those of avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic ducks. In addition, A/wild bird/South Korea/sw-anu/2023 also had a high binding preference for avian-specific glycans in the solid-phase direct binding assay. These results suggest the presence of a new generation of H7N1 avian influenza viruses in wild birds and highlight the reassortment of avian influenza viruses found along the East Asian-Australasian flyway. Overall, H7Nx viruses circulate worldwide, and mutated H7N1 avian viruses may infect humans, which emphasizes the requirement for continued surveillance of the H7N1 avian influenza virus in wild birds and poultry.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.991-1002
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the underlying gene regions responsible for productive, phenotypic or adaptive traits in different ecological types of Tibetan sheep and the discovery of important genes encoding valuable traits. Methods: We used whole-genome resequencing to explore the genetic relationships, phylogenetic tree, and population genetic structure analysis. In addition, we identified 28 representative Tibetan sheep single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genomic selective sweep regions with different traits in Tibetan sheep by fixation index (Fst) and the nucleotide diversity (θπ) ratio. Results: The genetic relationships analysis showed that each breed partitioned into its own clades and had close genetic relationships. We also identified many potential breed-specific selective sweep regions, including genes associated with hypoxic adaptability (MTOR, TRHDE, PDK1, PTPN9, TMTC2, SOX9, EPAS1, PDGFD, SOCS3, TGFBR3), coat color (MITF, MC1R, ERCC2, TCF25, ITCH, TYR, RALY, KIT), wool traits (COL4A2, ERC2, NOTCH2, ROCK1, FGF5, SOX9), and horn phenotypes (RXFP2). In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed the four most significantly associated SNP loci (g. 29481646 A>G, g. 29469024 T>C, g. 29462010 C>T, g. 29461968 C>T) and haplotypes. Conclusion: This finding demonstrates the potential for genetic markers in future molecular breeding programs to improve selection for horn phenotypes. The results will facilitate the understanding of the genetic basis of production and adaptive unique traits in Chinese indigenous Tibetan sheep taxa and offer a reference for the molecular breeding of Tibetan sheep.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2016

Heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and human, even at trace concentration. Herein we investigated the effect of Cd on the gene expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in marine ciliate Euplotes crassus. Seven ABC transporters and one GST genes were partially cloned and sequences, and thereafter, transcriptional modulation of these genes after exposure to Cd for 8 h was investigated using quantitative real time RT- PCR (qRT-PCR). As results, sequence analysis and phylogenetic study revealed that E. crassus ABCs are likely typical ABC transports, in particular, B/C family, and GST gene may be similar to GST theta isoform. A significant increase in the expression of ABCs, except for ABCB21 was observed in a concentration dependent manner after exposure to Cd (0.1 and 0.5 mg/l) for 8 h. The GST mRNA level was the highest at 0.5 mg/l Cd and then reduced until control level. These findings suggest that ABCs and GST may be involved in a protective mechanism against Cd-mediated toxicity in E. crassus.