• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2006

Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage) is an economically important crop and a model plant for studies on polyploidization and phenotypic evolution. To gain an insight into the structure of the B. rapa genome we analyzed 12,017 BAC-end sequences for the presence of transposable elements (TEs), SSRs, centromeric satellite repeats and genes, and similarity to the closely related genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. TEs were estimated to occupy 14% of the genome, with 12.3% of the genome represented by retrotransposons. It was estimated that the B. rapa genome contains 43,000 genes, 1.6 times greater than the genome of A. thaliana. A number of centromeric satellite sequences, representing variations of a 176-bp consensus sequence, were identified. This sequence has undergone rapid evolution within the B. rapa genome and has diverged among the related species of Brassicaceae. A study of SSRs demonstrated a non-random distribution with a greater abundance within predicted intergenic regions. Our results provide an initial characterization of the genome of B. rapa and provide the basis for detailed analysis through whole-genome sequencing.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.260-277
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• 2018

The evolution of chromosome numbers and the karyotype structure is a prominent feature of plant genomes contributing to or at least accompanying plant diversification and eventually leading to speciation. Polyploidy, the multiplication of whole chromosome sets, is widespread and ploidy-level variation is frequent at all taxonomic levels, including species and populations, in angiosperms. Analyses of chromosome numbers and ploidy levels of 252 taxa of Korean non-commelinid monocots indicated that diploids (ca. 44%) and tetraploids (ca. 14%) prevail, with fewer triploids (ca. 6%), pentaploids (ca. 2%), and hexaploids (ca. 4%) being found. The range of genome sizes of the analyzed taxa (0.3-44.5 pg/1C) falls well within that reported in the Plant DNA C-values database (0.061-152.33 pg/1C). Analyses of karyotype features in angiosperm often involve, in addition to chromosome numbers and genome sizes, mapping of selected repetitive DNAs in chromosomes. All of these data when interpreted in a phylogenetic context allow for the addressing of evolutionary questions concerning the large-scale evolution of the genomes as well as the evolution of individual repeat types, especially ribosomal DNAs (5S and 35S rDNAs), and other tandem and dispersed repeats that can be identified in any plant genome at a relatively low cost using next-generation sequencing technologies. The present work investigates chromosome numbers (n or 2n), base chromosome numbers (x), ploidy levels, rDNA loci numbers, and genome size data to gain insight into the incidence, evolution and significance of polyploidy in Korean monocots.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.90-102
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• 2024

Haploid/double haploid plants developed from isolated microspores can significantly accelerate plant breeding. Haploid plants can naturally double their chromosomes to create a pure homozygous line of diploid plants. We present a method for producing embryos from isolated microspores of hot peppers (Capsicum annuumL.). We analyzed the polyploidization levels of the regenerated plants. The donor plants produced the optimal stage of microspores following short-term growth under low-intensity light, which resulted in high rates of embryogenesis and cotyledonary embryogenesis. To find an efficient culture method, liquid, doubled-layer, and 2-step cultures were tested. Liquid culture yielded the highest number of embryos, whereas the highest efficiency for cotyledonary embryogenesis was afforded by the doubled-layer culture. When normal cotyledonary embryos were transplanted onto a regeneration medium, they developed into complete plants. From these, 208 plants were tested via flow cytometric analysis, and 35.6% and 72.7% of the chromosomes from the Milyang-jare and LV2319 genotypes, respectively, were found to be spontaneous double haploids. These results are the same as those obtained on analyzing horticultural characteristics, including the size of leaves and the size and shape of fruits. The present study provides information on the practical application of isolated microspore culture of hot peppers, factors that affect embryogenesis, and methods for polyploidy testing.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.207-223
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• 1994

Induction of triploid cherry salmon, Oncorhynchus ma.sou was performed by the heat shock procedure. The triploids were induced by 15 and 20 min heat shock treatments after 10 min fertilization at $28^{\circ}C$. Incidences of the triploidy were $91.4\%\;and\;89.8\%$, respectively. Nucleus and erythrocyte from the induced triploids larger than those of the diploids in major axis, minor axis, major axis/minor axis, surface area and volume. The chromosome number of diploid was 2n= 66 (17 pairs of metacentrics or submetacentrics, 16 pairs of acrocentrics or telocentrics), and that of triploid was 3n=99. Satellites were observed in the short arm of the largest telocentrics, and these may be useful marker to determine the polyploidization. Diploid have outgrown to triploid, and female have also outgrown to male in the triploid group during the 22 months of observation period after hatching. During the spawning season, 22 to 26 months after hatching, diploid were observed the growth retardation because of their sexual maturation, however the triploid showed continuous growth.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.381-400
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• 1985

Twelve species of subfamily Leuciscinae from Korea are reviewed and keys to species and genera are provided. The species include Tribolodon hakonensis, T. branti, Phoxinus phoxinus, Moroco oxycephalus, M. steindachneri, M. keumgang, M. semotilus, Zacco platypus, Z. temminckii, Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, Aphyocypris chinensis and Squaliobarbus curriculus. In the present study M. lagowskii and O. bidens recorded previously in Korea have to be classified to M. steindachneri and O.u.amurensis based on several characters such as caudal peduncle depth, their distributions and lateral line scales, etc. A. chinensis from Korea is easily distinguished from that of mainland China in head length and caudal peduncle length. The skull and weberian apparatus of M. keumgang, endemir to Korea are described and compared with the other species of this subfamily. The diploid chromosome number of 9 species has three patterns: 2n=50 (T. hakonensis, P. phoxinus, M. oxycephalus, M. steindachneri and M. keumgang), 2n=48(Z. platypus, Z. temminckii and A. chinensis), 2n=76 (O. u. amurensis). Polyploidization or intraspecific polymorphism of chromosome was not observed in any species studied. Both species of P. phoxinus and A. chinensis are shown to be electrophoretically distinct from other taxa examined. The genera of subfamily Leuciscinae in Korea are represented by three possible groups: 1) Zacco-Opsariichthys-Tribolodon-Phoxinus-Morco, 2) Aphyocypris, and 3) Squaliobarbus.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2005

Somatic chromosome numbers of 19 taxa of Korean Rubus was investigated. Subg. Anoplobatus (2 species), subg. Cylactis (1 species), subg. Idaeobatus (15 taxa) and subg. Malachobatus (1 species) are found in Korea. All taxa belonging to subg. Idaeobatus except for R. parvifolius which shows tetrapolid and hexaploid are diploid. The basic chromosome number of the genus was x=7. New chromosome numbers for 5 taxa were reported here: R. hongnoensis of Jeju-island endemic species, 2n=14; R. longisepalus, 2n=14; R. longisepalus var. tozawai, 2n=14; R. parvifolius, 2n=28; R. parvifolius var. taquetii, 2n=28. The rest 12 taxa except for R. coreanus Miq was well counted as 2n=14 and well consistent with previous reports from China and Japan. Our new chromosome level for R. parvifolius as 6x may indicate that speciation by polyploidization has occurred within Korean population. Unlikely to Japanese population (2n=42), Korean population of R. buergeri has same ploidy level with Taiwanese population as 2n=56.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Panax ginseng (Ginseng or Korean ginseng) is one of the most important medicinal herbs in the world. We made a high-quality whole genome sequence of P. ginseng using 'Chunpoong' cultivar, which is the first cultivar registered in Korea Seed and Variety Service (KSVS) with relatively similar genotypes and superior phenotypes, representing approximately 3 Gbp and 60,000 genes. Genome sequence analyses of P. ginseng and related speciesrevealed the origin of Korean ginseng and the ecological adaptation of 18 Panax species around the world. Korean ginseng and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) are tetraploid species having 24 chromosome pairs, while the other 16 species are diploid species with 12 chromosome pairs. Panax and Aralia are the closest genera belonging to the Araliaceae family that diverged approximately 8 million years ago (MYA). All Panax species evolved as shade plants adapting to cool climates and low light conditions under the canopy of deep forests from Southeast Asia such as Vietnam to Northeast Asia such as Russia approximately 6 MYA. However, through recurrent ice ages and global warming, most diploid Panax species disappeared due to the freezing winter, while tetraploid P. ginseng may have appeared by allotetraploidization, which contributed to the adaptation to cold temperaturesin Northeast Asian countries including the Korea peninsula approximately 2 MYA. American ginseng evolved by the adaptation of P. ginseng in Northeast America after the intercontinental migration 1 MYA. Meanwhile, most of diploid Panax species survived in high-altitude mountains over 1,600 meters in Southeast Asia because they could not endure the hot temperature and freezing cold. The genome sequence provides good basisto unveil the origin and evolution of ginseng and also supports practical gene chips which is useful for breeding and the ginseng industry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.376-386
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• 2016

Apoptosis induction has been proposed as an efficient mechanism by which malignant tumor cells can be removed following chemotherapy. The intrinsic mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway is frequently implicated in chemotherapy-induced tumor cell apoptosis. Since DNA-damaging agent (DDA)-induced apoptosis is mainly regulated by the tumor suppressor protein p53, and since more than half of clinical cancers possess inactive p53 mutants, microtubule-damaging agents (MDAs), of which apoptotic effect is mainly exerted via p53-independent routes, can be promising choice for cancer chemotherapy. Recently, we found that the apoptotic signaling pathway induced by MDAs (nocodazole, 17α-estradiol, or 2-methoxyestradiol) commonly proceeded through mitotic spindle defect-mediated prometaphase arrest, prolonged Cdk1 activation, and subsequent phosphorylation of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bim in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. These microtubule damage-mediated alterations could render the cellular context susceptible to the onset of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by triggering Bak activation, Δψm loss, and resultant caspase cascade activation. In contrast, when the MDA-induced Bak activation was inhibited by overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL), the cells in prometaphase arrest failed to induce apoptosis, and instead underwent mitotic slippage and endoreduplication cycle, leading to formation of populations with 8N and 16N DNA content. These data indicate that cellular apoptogenic mechanism is critical for preventing polyploid formation following MDA treatment. Since the formation of polyploid cells, which are genetically unstable, may cause acquisition of therapy resistance and disease relapse, there is a growing interest in developing new combination chemotherapies to prevent polyploidization in tumors after MDA treatment.