• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.449-454
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• 2012

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the plane of nutrition on growth performance and meat quality traits, especially marbling and PSE (pale, soft, and exudative), in finishing pigs. One hundred and four barrows and 102 gilts born to Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace dams and Duroc sires were randomly allocated to 16 pens at approximately 80-kg body weight, with 13 animals housed per pen except for two pens. Each eight pens received a diet containing either 3.4 Mcal ME/kg and 0.98% total lysine (high plane) or 3.1 Mcal ME/kg and 0.81% total lysine (medium plane). All animals were slaughtered at approximately 112 kg BW on an average, after which the Longissimus muscle (LM) was analyzed physicochemically. The ADG, ADFI, gain:feed as well as marbling score did not differ between the two dietary groups, whereas backfat thickness was greater in the high-plane group than in the medium-plane group (24.1 vs. 22.5 mm P<0.05). No LM exhibited PSE, i.e. $L^*$ (lightness) > 50, pH < 6.0 and drip loss > 5.0%, nor were these PSE-related variables influenced by the dietary treatment. Contents of crude protein and fat in LM did not differ between the two dietary groups. In conclusion, the present results suggest that growth performance and the occurrence of the PSE or 'watery' carcass are not influenced significantly by increasing the plane of nutrition in finishing pigs when the finisher is adequate nutritionally for supporting maximal lean growth. However, increasing the plane of nutrition is likely to result in an increase in fat deposition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1569-1576
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• 2013

In mice, supplementation of t10,c12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) increases liver mass and hepatic steatosis via increasing uptake of fatty acids released from adipose tissues. However, the effects of t10,c12 CLA on hepatic lipid synthesis and the associated mechanisms are largely unknown. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that gut microbiota-producing t10,c12 CLA would induce de novo lipogenesis and triglyceride (TG) synthesis in HepG2 cells, promoting lipid accumulation. It was found that treatment with t10,c12 CLA ($100{\mu}M$) for 72 h increased neutral lipid accumulation via enhanced incorporation of acetate, palmitate, oleate, and 2-deoxyglucose into TG. Furthermore, treatment with t10,c12 CLA led to increased mRNA expression and protein levels of lipogenic genes including SREBP1, ACC1, FASN, ELOVL6, GPAT1, and DGAT1, presenting potential mechanisms by which CLA may increase lipid deposition. Most strikingly, t10,c12 CLA treatment for 3 h increased phosphorylation of mTOR, S6K, and S6. Taken together, gut microbiota-producing t10,c12 CLA activates hepatic de novo lipogenesis and TG synthesis through activation of the mTOR/SREBP1 pathway, with consequent lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.432-436
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• 2002

A proteomic map of Hanwoo loin was obtained using 2-D SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometric analysis: 27 bovine proteins plus 2 proteins having similarities to other mammal proteins out of 52 proteins analyzed. The identified proteins consisted of 50 % basic house keeping proteins involved in metabolism, 30% muscle proteins, and other miscellaneous proteins. Many proteins on the 2-D gel with different molecular weights and isoelectric points were identified as same proteins due to posttranslational modification. As many of the identified house keeping proteins showed the high sequence similarities to other mammal equivalent proteins, searching the mammal databases could confirm the annotation. The preliminary identification of the proteome in bovine loin tissue could reveal the functions of proteins at over 50 % of chance with high fidelities. Using the established loin proteome map, proteomic difference between 1 yr and 2 yr Hanwoo loin tissues were compared on 2D gel. Regardless of the difficulty normalizing protein concentrations and sample-to-sample variations, three unidentified proteins and myoglobin were selected as up-regulated proteins during the fat deposition period. This study contributes to a move thorough and holistic understanding of beef meat, helping to build the basis for future identification of new markers for good quality meat.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2015

Osteocalcin (OC) is the most abundant noncollagenous protein of extracellular matrix in the bone. In an OC deficient mouse, bone formation rates are increased in cancellous and cortical bones. OC is known as a negative regulator of mineral apposition. OC is also expressed in the tooth of the rat, bovine, and human. However, little is known about OC during tooth development in Xenopus. The purpose of this study is to compare the expression of OC with mineralization in the developing tooth of Xenopus, by using von Kossa staining and in situ hybridization. At stage 56, the developmental stage of tooth germ corresponds to the cap stage, and an acellular zone was apparent between the dental papilla and the enamel organ. From stage 57, calcium deposition was revealed by von Kossa staining prior to OC expression, and the differentiated odontoblasts forming predentin were located at adjoining predentin. At stage 58, OC transcripts were detected in the differentiated odontoblasts. At stage 66, OC mRNA was expressed in the odontoblasts, which was aligned in a single layer at the periphery of the pulp. These findings suggest that OC may play a role in mineralization and odontogenesis of tooth development in Xenopus.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.605-610
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• 2020

Skeletal myogenesis is a complex process that is finely regulated by myogenic transcription factors. Recent studies have shown that saturated fatty acids (SFA) can suppress the activation of myogenic transcription factors and impair the myogenic differentiation of progenitor cells. Despite the increasing evidence of the roles of miRNAs in myogenesis, the targets and myogenic regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs are largely unknown, particularly when myogenesis is dysregulated by SFA deposition. This study examined the implications of SFA-induced miR-183-5p on the myogenic differentiation in C2C12 myoblasts. Long-chain SFA palmitic acid (PA) drastically reduced myogenic transcription factors, such as myoblast determination protein (MyoD), myogenin (MyoG), and myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), and inhibited FHL1 expression and myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, accompanied by the induction of miR-183-5p. The knockdown of FHL1 by siRNA inhibited myogenic differentiation of myoblasts. Interestingly, miR-183-5p inversely regulated the expression of FHL1, a crucial regulator of skeletal myogenesis, by targeting the 3'UTR of FHL1 mRNA. Furthermore, the transfection of miR-183-5p mimic suppressed the expression of MyoD, MyoG, MEF2C, and MyHC, and impaired the differentiation and myotube formation of myoblasts. Overall, this study highlights the role of miR-183-5p in myogenic differentiation through FHL1 repression and suggests a novel miRNA-mediated mechanism for myogenesis in a background of obesity.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.194-203
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• 2014

Yam (Dioscorea batatas) is widely consumed as functional food for health promotion mainly in East Asia countries. We assessed whether yam root (tuber) or bark (peel) extracts stimulated the activity of osteoblasts for osteogenesis. MC3T3-E1 cells (mouse osteoblasts) were treated with yam root extracts (water or methanol) (study I) or bark extracts (water or hexane) (study II) within $0{\sim}10{\mu}g/mL$ during the periods of osteoblast proliferation (5~10 day), matrix maturation (11~15 day) and mineralization (16~20 day) as appropriate. In study I, both yam root water and methanol extracts increased cell proliferation as concentration-dependent manner. Cellular collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, both the indicators of bone matrix protein and inorganic phosphate production for calcification respectively, were also increased by yam root water and methanol extract. Osteoblast calcification as cell matrix Ca and P accumulation was also increased by the addition of yam root extracts. In study II, yam bark extracts (water and hexane) increased osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, as collagen synthesis and ALP activity and osteoblast matrix Ca and P deposition. The study results suggested that both yam root and bark extracts stimulate osteogenic function in osteoblasts by stimulating bone matrix maturation by increasing collagen synthesis, ALP activity, and matrix mineralization.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.466-470
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• 2007

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$($C/EBP{\alpha}$) plays an important role in lipid deposition and adipocyte differentiation. In order to find genetic markers to improve the meat quality of Korean cattle, the bovine $C/EBP{\alpha}$ gene was chosen as a candidate gene to investigate its association with carcass and meat quality traits in Korean cattle. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was identified at position 271 (A/C substitution) of coding region in the $C/EBP{\alpha}$ gene. A PCR-RFLP procedure with restriction enzyme SmaI was developed for determining the marker genotypes. The frequencies of alleles C and A and were 0.374 and 0.626, respectively. The genotype frequencies for CC, AC and AA were 12.9, 49.0 and 38.1%, respectively, in Korean cattle population. The frequencies of genotype were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Association analysis indicated that the gene-specific SNP marker of $C/EBP{\alpha}$ showed a significant association with marbling score (p<0.05). The animals with AA genotype had higher marbling score than those with the AC or CC genotype. Although further studies are needed to validate our results, the $C/EBP{\alpha}$ gene could be useful as a genetic marker for carcass and meat quality traits in Korean cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1493-1498
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• 2014

Epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation status, may regulate adipogenesis and lipogenesis, thus affecting intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition in longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of beef cattle. In Korean cattle steers, the LM consists mainly of muscle tissue. However, the LM tissue also contains IMF. We compared the gene expression levels between the IMF and muscle portions of the LM after tissue separation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the mRNA levels of both adipogenic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma isoform 1 (PPARG1) and lipogenic fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) were higher (p<0.01) in the IMF than in the muscle portion of the LM. We determined DNA methylation levels of regulatory regions of the PPARG1 and FABP4 genes by pyrosequencing of genomic DNA. DNA methylation levels of two of three CpG sites in the PPARG1 gene promoter region were lower (p<0.05) in the IMF than in the muscle portion of the LM. DNA methylation levels of all five CpG sites from the FABP4 gene promoter region were also lower (p<0.001) in the IMF than in the muscle portion. Thus, mRNA levels of both PPARG1 and FABP4 genes were inversely correlated with DNA methylation levels in regulatory regions of CpG sites of the corresponding gene. Our findings suggest that DNA methylation status regulates tissue-specific expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes in the IMF and muscle portions of LM tissue in Korean cattle.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Alzheimer's disease is a common form of dementia occurring among the elderly population and can be identified by symptoms such as cognition impairments, memory loss and neuronal dysfunction. Alzheimer's disease was found to be caused by the deposition of $\beta$-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. In addition, mutation in the APP (Amyloid precursor protein), Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) genes were also found to contribute to Alzheimer's disease. Since the potential conformational diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease requires histopathological tests on brain through autopsy, potential early diagnosis still remains challenging. In recent years, several researches have proposed the use of biomarkers for early diagnosis. In cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), $\beta$-amyloid(1-42), phosphorylated-tau and total tau were suggested to be effective biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. However, a single biomarker might not be sufficient for potential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, the use of RNA interference (RNAi) through microRNAs (miRNAs) has been proposed by several researchers for simultaneous analysis of several biomarkers using microarray technology. These miRNA based biomarkers can be analysed from both blood and CSF, but miRNAs from blood are advantageous over CSF as they are non-invasive and simple for collection. Moreover, the RNAi based therapeutics by siRNA (short interference RNA) or shRNA (short hairpin RNA) have also been proposed to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review describes the promising application of RNAi technology in therapeutics and as a biomarker for both Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1592-1597
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• 2001

Sixteen pigs from 2 distinct genetic lines (LGAH and VFIL) obtained after eight generations of divergent selection for high (H) and low (L) lean tissue growth rate with ad-libitum feeding (LGA) and voluntary feed intake (VF1), respectively, were used in this study. The objectives of this investigation were to establish appropriate working conditions for the postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) assay and to study relationships between fat deposition and plasma lipids, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) lipids, VLDL-subfractions and postheparin plasma LPL activity in growing pigs. Four preliminary experiments were performed to determine the appropriate working conditions for the postheparin plasma LPL assays. Postheparin plasma preincubated with SDS (20-50 mM) at $26^{\circ}C$ for 45 minutes inhibited hepatic lipase activity. A total of $2{\mu}l$ VLDL/assay produced maximum stimulation of LPL activity. Postheparin plasma protein and increasing incubation time contributed an optimum response. LGAH pigs had a significantly higher proportion subtraction 2 than VFIL pigs. No differences were observed in postheparin plasma LPL activity and backfat thickness for two lines of pigs. There were positive correlations between backfat thickness and proportion of subtractions 2 and postheparin plasma LPL activity but the results were not statistically significant. Backfat thickness was not statistically correlated with proportion of subtraction 2 and postheparin plasma LPL activity in a multiple regression analysis. It is believed that the apolipoprotein E, which is present in higher quantities in VLDL-subfraction 2 plays an important role for clearing VLDL triacylglycerol into adipose tissue. LPL activity of pigs can be measured by using postheparin plasma technique. If the relationships of backfat thickness and VLDL-subfraction 2 and postheparin plasma LPL activity can be established, it suggests that these parameters could be used as indicators in selection programmes. Further experiments need to be conducted by using larger sample size and different breed of pigs with greater differences in backfat thicknesses to confirm these trends.