• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.287-298
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• 2008

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different feed conditions on growth, cast production and conversion efficiency of organic matter to the earthworm. The experiment was tested on cow manure(CM) mixed with rice hulls (RH) or rice straw(RS). The mixture ratios were designed as one time, two times and three times of cow manure volume, respectively. The CM and RH mixtures resulted better on growth rate, reproductive efficiency and wormcast production than those for CM and RS mixtures. Especially on three times of RH mixture showed the highest growth characteristics compared to the other mixtures. Although both were between 20 and 34 on carbon and nitrogen ratio, the result inferred that the difference on the growth might have been caused by feeding conditions. On the mixtures of cow manure with rice hulls(CM+RH) was significantly higher on values on the conversion rate and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues than the mixtures of cow manure with rice straw(CM+RS). The most concerned point of the mixture of earthworm feed is that high contents of volatile solid and total carbon that increases in conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues, and also causes the increase in growth rate and reproductive efficiency. The wormcast could be used as a valuable plant growth medium or soil conditioner for sustainable agriculture and it may be due to their high qualities of physico-chemical properties.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2000

Gametogenesis and the reproductive cycle of the marsh clam, Corbicula leana(Prime} were investigated monthly Hyongsan estuary, Korea from January to December 1998 by histological observation. C. leana had separate sexes, and oviparous. The gonads were located between the sub-region of mid-intestinal gland in visceral cavity and reticular cennective tissue. The ovary and testis were composed of a number of ovarian and testicular tubules, respectively, Mature oocytes were characterized by germinal vesicles with nucleoli and their sizes ranged $70\;to\;80{\mu}m$ in diameter. A number of mesenchymal tissues and pigment granular cells were distributed in the growing oocytes and spermatocytes during early developmental stages. With the further development of gonad, these tissuse and cells gradually disappeared. The monthly changes in the fatness index were closely related to reproductive cycle. Minimun size for sexual maturity was reached over 10.0 mm in shell length. The reproductive cycle could be classified into 6 stages : multiplicative (March to April): early growing and growing (May to June), mature (July to August), spent (September), degenerative (October) and recovery (November to February).

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Interleukin-24 (IL-24) belongs to the IL-10 family of cytokines and is well known for its tumor suppressor activity. This cytokine is released by both immune and nonimmune cells and acts on non-hematopoietic tissues such as skin, lung and reproductive tissues. Apart from its ubiquitous tumor suppressor function, IL-24 is also known to be involved in the immunopathology of autoimmune diseases like psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Although the cellular sources and functions of IL-24 are being increasingly investigated, the molecular mechanisms of IL-24 gene expression at the levels of signal transduction, epigenetics and transcription factor binding are still unclear. Understanding the specific molecular events that regulate the production of IL-24 will help to answer the remaining questions that are important for the design of new strategies of immune intervention involving IL-24. Herein, we briefly review the signaling pathways and transcription factors that facilitate, induce, or repress production of this cytokine along with the cellular sources and functions of IL-24.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2010

Modification of proteins by the reversible covalent addition of the small ubiquitin like modifier (SUMO) protein has important consequences affecting target protein stability, sub-cellular localization, and protein-protein interactions. SUMOylation involves a cascade of enzymatic reactions, which resembles the process of ubiquitination. In this study, we characterized the SUMOylation system from an important crop plant, rice, and show that it responds to cold, salt and ABA stress conditions on a protein level via the accumulation of SUMOylated proteins. We also characterized the transcriptional regulation of individual SUMOylation cascade components during stress and development. During stress conditions, majority of the SUMO cascade components are transcriptionally down regulated. SUMO conjugate proteins and SUMO cascade component transcripts accumulated differentially in various tissues during plant development with highest levels in reproductive tissues. Taken together, these data suggest a role for SUMOylation in rice development and stress responses.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

Estrogens are critical to the functioning and maintenance of a diverse array of tissues and physiological systems in mammals. The actions of estrogen on such classical targets as the reproductive tract, gonads, mamary tissue, and hypothalamic/pituitary axis have been well characterized. A role in nonreproductive tissues, such as maintenance of bone mineral density and cardiovascular health in woman, as has been described. There were ne significant differences in the average of body weights, testis weights, among the experimental groups. The lumen of rate testis began to dilate from the day 8 and continued to the 59 post-treatment. The average diameter of dilate of rate testis in ICI 182,780 treated group increased 2.3-fold compared to the control group. Epithelical cell height in the rate testis of the treated mice decreased all the time periods, compared to the control.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.220-229
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• 1995

uftraspirocle (usa) gene product (Uspl is a member of the superfamilv of steroid hormone receptors in Drosophila melonogaster which mediate the hormone action by heteromerization with ecdvsone receptor (EcR). Based on the genetic and molecular characterization of usp, it has been proposed that Usp funtions in at least three significant developmental pathway: embrvogenesis, eve morphogenesis, and female reproduction. In this study, the expression patterns of Usp were investigated by immunohistochemistrv in individual tissues from diHernt developmental stases of Drosophila. Usp is localized in the nucleus with ubiquitous distribution throughout development. Usp expression is detected throughout embrvogenesis. Usp is expressed in imaginal and lanral tissues from late third instar 18nra. The expression pattern of Usp is overlapped by those of EcR. Also Usp is expressed in differentiating adult reproductive organs. This result suggests that Usp is not a transcriptional regulatory factor modulating hormonal response during development, but also play some roles in female and male reproduction of Drosophila.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2003

Reproductive cycle with the gonadal development of Ruditapes philippinarum can be classified into five successive stages by histological observations: early active stage (January to March), late active stage (February to May), ripe stage (April to August), partially spawned stage (May to October), and spent/inactive stage (August to February). Changes in total protein contents in the adductor muscle tissues reached the maximum in the early and late active stages (February) and appeared the minimum in the ripe and partially spawned stages (May), while changes in their contents in the visceral mass tissues reached the maximum in the ripe and partially spawned stages (June) and gradually decreased in the partially spawned stage (June to October). On the whole, changes in total protein contents showed a negative correlationship between the adductor muscle and visceral mass tissues (r = -0.292, p < 0.05). Changes in total lipid contents in the adductor muscle tissues reached the maximum in the inactive and early active stages (January) and sharply decreased in the early and late active stages (February), while their contents in the visceral mass tissues reached the maximum in the ripe and partially spawned stages (April) and gradually decreased in the partially spawned stage (to October). On the whole, changes in total lipid contents showed a negative correlationship between the adductor muscle and visceral mass tissues (r = -0.699, p<0.05). Changes in glycogen contents in the adductor muscle tissues reached the maximum in the late active and ripe stages (April) and rapidly decreased in the partially spawned stage (May to October), while their contents in the visceral mass tissues reached the maximum in the early and late active stages (February) and rapidly decreased in the late active stage (March). Thereafter, their levels gradually increased in the ripe and partially spawned stages (April to July). On the whole, changes in glycogen contents appeared no correlationship between the adductor muscle and visceral mass tissues (r = 0.062, p > 0.05). These results indicate that the adductor muscle and visceral mass tissues are an important energy storage and nutrient supply organ in the Manila clams, and the nutrient contents of the adductor muscle and visceral muscle tissues change in response to gonadal energy needs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1100-1105
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• 2006

During involution of the mammary gland after the lactation period, the gland undergoes an extensive epithelial cell death. In our previous study, overexpression of an extracellular proteinase inhibitor (Expi) gene accelerated apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells. Here we found that expression of the cathepsin D gene was induced in the Expi-overexpressed apoptotic cells. To understand the role of cathepsin D in apoptosis, we transfected cathepsin D gene into mammary epithelial HC11 cells and established the stable cell lines overexpressing the cathepsin D gene. We found that overexpression of the cathepsin D gene partially induced apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells. Expression patterns of the cathepsin D gene were examined in mouse mammary gland at various reproductive stages. Expression of the cathepsin D gene was increased during involution stages compared to lactation stages, and highest expression levels were shown at involution on day 4. We also examined expression of the cathepsin D gene in various mouse tissues. Mammary gland at involution on day 2 showed highest levels of cathepsin D mRNA of the mouse tissues that we examined. Liver tissues showed high levels of cathepsin D expression. These results demonstrate that cathepsin D may contribute to the apoptotic process of mammary epithelial cells.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 2010

During normal early embryonic development in mammals, the global pattern of genomic DNA methylation undergoes marked. changes. The level of methylation is high in male and female gametes. Thus, we cloned the cDNA of the porcine DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) gene to promote the efficiency of the generation of porcine clones. In this study, porcine Dnmt1 cDNA was sequenced, and Dnmt1 mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase reaction (RT-PCR) in porcine tissues during embryonic development. The porcine Dnmt1 cDNA sequence showed more homology with that of bovine than human, mouse, and rat. The complete sequence of porcine Dnmt1 cDNA was 4,774-bp long and consisted of an open reading frame encoding a protein of 1611 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of porcine DNMT1 showed significant homology with those of bovine (91%), human (88%), rat (76%), and mouse (75%) Dnmt1. The expression of porcine Dnmt1 mRNA was detected during porcine embryogenesis. The mRNA was detected at stages of porcine preimplantation development (1-cell, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages). It was also abundantly expressed in tissues (lung, ovary, kidney and somatic cells). Further investigations are necessary to understand the complex links between methyltransferase 1 and the transcriptional activity in cloned porcine tissues.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.441-448
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• 2017

Bisphenol-A(BPA) is a member of alkylphenol family, and shows adverse effects including reduced fertility, reproductive tract abnormalities, metabolic disorder, cancer induction, neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity. In the present study, we conducted Hershberger assay to evaluate whether the two candidates to replace BPA have androgenic or antiandrogenic activity. The assay was carried out using immature castrated Sprague-Dawley male rats. After 7 days of the surgery, testosterone propionate (TP, 0.4 mg/kg/day) and test materials (low dose, 40 mg/kg/day; high dose, 400 mg/kg/day) were administered for 10 consecutive days by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection and oral gavage, respectively. Test materials were BPA, isosorbide (ISO) and cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM). The rats were necropsied, and then the weights of five androgen-dependent tissues [ventral prostate, seminal vesicle, levator ani-bulbocavernosus (LABC) muscle, paired Cowper's glands, and glans penis] and three androgen-insensitive tissues (kidney, spleen and liver) were measured. All test materials including BPA did not exhibit any androgenic activity in the assay. On the contrary, antiandrogen-like activities were found in all test groups, and the order of the intensity was CHDM > BPA > ISO in the five androgen-sensitive tissues. There was no statistical difference between low dose treatment and high dose treatment of BPA group as well as ISO group. In CHDM group, high dose treatment exhibited most severe weight reduction in all measured tissues. There was no statistical difference in androgen-insensitive tissue measurements, except BPA groups. Since the effects of ISO treatment on the accessory sex organs were much less or not present at all when compared to those of BPA, ISO could be a strong candidate to replace BPA. CHDM treatment brought most severe weight reduction in all of androgen-sensitive tissues, so this material should be excluded for further screening of BPA substitute selection.