• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.455-460
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• 2009

Glutamate-induced cobalt uptake reveals that non-NMDA glutamate receptors (GluRs) are present in rat taste bud cells. Previous studies involving glutamate induced cobalt staining suggest this uptake mainly occurs via kainate type GluRs. It is not known which of the 4 types of taste bud cells express subunits of kainate GluR. Circumvallate and foliate papillae of Sprague-Dawley rats (45~60 days old) were used to search for the mRNAs of subunits of non-NMDA GluRs using RT-PCR with specific primers for GluR1-7, KA1 and KA2. We also performed RT-PCR for GluR5, KA1, $PLC\beta2$, and NCAM/SNAP 25 in isolated single cells from taste buds. Taste epithelium, including circumvallate or foliate papilla, express mRNAs of GluR5 and KA1. However, non-taste tongue epithelium expresses no subunits of non-NMDA GluRs. Isolated single cell RT-PCR reveals that the mRNAs of GluR5 and KA1 are preferentially expressed in Type II and Type III cells over Type I cells.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2023

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are widely used genetic markers with applications in human disease diagnostics, animal breeding, and evolutionary studies, but existing genotyping methods can be labor-intensive and costly. The aim of this study is to develop a simple and rapid method for identification of a single nucleotide change. Methods: A modified Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification of Multiple Specific Alleles (PAMSA) and high resolution melt (HRM) analysis was performed to discriminate a bovine polymorphism in the NCAPG gene (rs109570900, 1326T > G). Results: The inclusion of tails in the primers enabled allele discrimination based on PCR product lengths, detected through agarose gel electrophoresis, successfully determining various genotypes, albeit with some time and labor intensity due to the use of relatively costly high-resolution agarose gels. Additionally, high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis with tailed primers effectively distinguished the GG genotype from the TT genotype in bovine muscle cell lines, offering a reliable way to distinguish SNP polymorphisms without the need for time-consuming AS-PCR. Conclusions: Our experiments demonstrated the importance of incorporating unique mismatched bases in the allele-specific primers to prevent cross-amplification by fragmented primers. This efficient and cost-effective method, as presented here, enables genotyping laboratories to analyze SNPs using standard real-time PCR.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 1998

Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy are the major neuromuscular disorders with X-linked recessive inheritance. Preimplantation diagnosis of sex determination has been generally used to avoid male pregnancies with these diseases. However, in order to determine if the embryo is normal, carrier or affected regardless of the sex, there is a need for a combined analysis of specific exon on dystrophin gene as well as sex determination of embryo using the same biopsied blastomere. If the exon deletion is not determinable, further diagnosis of carrier or patient can be performed by haplotype analysis. In this study, we applied the primer extension preamplification (PEP) method, which amplifies the whole genome, in 40 cases of single amniocyte and 40 cases of chorionic villus cell. We analysed haplotypes using two (CA)n dinucleotide polymorphic markers located at the end of 5' and 3' region of the dystrophin gene. Exon 46 of dystrophin gene and DYZ3 on chromosome Y were chosen as a target sequence for coamplification PCR. Upon optimizing the conditions, the amplification rates were 91.25% (73/80) for haplotypes (92.5% in amniocyte, 90% in chorionic villus cell) and 88.75% (71/80) for coamplification (85% in amniocyte, 92.5% in chorionic villus cell). The result of the study indicates that haplotypes analysis and coamplification of dystrophin and Y-specific gene using PEP can be applied to prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis in Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy making it possible to determine if the fetus is a carrier or an affected one.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.119-129
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• 1996

The present study was conducted to rapidly detect Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk. Specificity and sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) technique, and direct PCR were examinded in raw milk, also were compared the calssical culture methods with PCR technique. This method used a pair of primers based on a unique region in the 16S rRNA sequence of L nomocytogenes. In the PCR specificity tests, each of the 10 strains of L monocytogenes tested gave a single 70-bp band. But the other six Listera spp tested gave negative results. Results of the sensitivity tests showed that as few as 2 CFU of L monocytogenes in pure cultures could be detected with 16S rRNA-based primers, L-1 and L-2. In different PCR cycles, a PCR product was detected with $10^3$ cells of L monocytogenes from 25 cycles to 50 cycles and the concentration of PCR products was cycle-dependent. Raw milk samopes added L monocytogenes cells gave negative results. However, these samplers gave a single 70-bp band by pretreatment of pronase, and PCR products were detected with $10^1$ cells of L monocytogenes. To detemine the most sensitive culture protocol to use in conjunction with the PCR assay, raw milk samples were inoculated with L monocytogenes at concentrations ranging from 1 to $5.7{\times}10^4CFU/ml$. PCR assays from Listeria enrichment broth(LEB) containing raw milk samples added L monocytogene EGD could dtect 10 cells in pronase-pretreated samples without incubation, and 1 cell of L monocytogenes in both 12 hr and 24 hr incubation, respectively. Isolation raw of PCR assays was similar to that of classical culture methods, but required time for detection of L monocytogenes could remarkably be reduced compare to culture methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1016-1024
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• 2000

The study was conducted to develop a rapid method for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using hemolysin gene (hlyA) primers. Specificity and sensitivity of PCR, optimal conditions for PCR and application of hlyA gene primers for the detection of L. monocytogenes from milk and beef were investigeted. Each of the 20 L. monocytogenes strains gave a single 713 bp band, but other Listeria sup. and other bacteria did not show any bands. As few as 1 pg of L. monocytogenes DNA or 2.4$\times$10$^4$L. monocytogenes cells could be detected with hlyA gene primers. PCR product was most improved at 20~30 cycle in terms of removal of tailing and sensitivity. Also, the sensitivity was significantly improved by the further 10~15 cycle after 20 cycle PCR amplication. Milk (10 mL) and beef (10 g) samples were inoculated with L. monocytogenes at the concentrations ranging from 0 to 10$^{7}$ CFU/mL or g to determine the best sensitivity of PCR for the rapid detection of L. monocytogenes. PCR assay could detect 2 cells in milk with repeating PCR amplication and 2.6$\times$10$^2$cells in beef sample after 24 hr enrichment growth at 35$^{\circ}C$ in LEB.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2005

The effect of melatonin on in vitro embryo development and the expression of antioxidant enzyme gene in preimplantation porcine embryos was determined by modified semi-quantitative single cell RT-PCR. Porcine embryos derived from in vitro maturation /in vitro fertilization were cultured in 5% $CO_2$ and 20% $O_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$ in NCSU23 medium. Melatonin was added to medium at concentration of 1nM, 5 nM, and 10 nM. When treated with 1nM (39.0%) of melatonin, the developmental rate of embryos beyond the morula stage were higher than that of control group (31.0%) (p<0.05). Number of inner cell mass and tropectoderm cell in control (23.0${\pm}$0.5 and 17.3${\pm}$0.8), 1 nM (23.6${\pm}$0.6 and 19.0${\pm}$0.5), and 5 nM (23.3${\pm}$1.1 and 16.3${\pm}$0.8) treated with melatonin were higher than in 10 nM (20.0${\pm}$0.5 and 13.3${\pm}$0.8) treated with melatonin (p<0.05). To develop an mRNA phenotypic map for the expression of catalase, bax and caspase-3, single cell RT-PCR analysis were carried out in porcine IVM/IVF embryo. Catalase was detected in 0, 1 and 5 nM supplemented with melatonin, but bax and caspase-3 were detected in 10 nM treated with melatonin.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.281-284
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• 1994

Sex determination in genomic DNA from human blood leucocytes was performed by amplification of human Y chromosome-specific DNA sequences using PCR technique. A clear DNA fragment(154 nucleotides long) was appeared only in the male genomic DNA, but no specific band was observed in the case of female genomic DNA and negative control. To know the sensitivity of this method, the amplification reaction was performed in genomic DNA diluted to 2pg equivalent to the amonut present in the single human cell, and clear band also observed. The PCR amplification was so succesfully performed in the single leucocyte separated from human blood using micromanipulator that this techniqe is assumed to be applied to single blstomere before embryo transfer.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.103-106
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• 2002

Direct PCR from intact fungal cells is not readily suitable to all fungi mainly because of difficulties in rupturing the cell walls. Microwave irradiation has been proven to be useful in fungal DNA extraction protocol. Here we describe a fast template preparation method for PCR amplification from Aspefillus nidulans conidiospores using microwave irradiation. We optimized the duration far microwave irradiation, and the amount of template DNA for PCR. Amplification from samples prepared in this manner was so efficient that we could get PCR products with size enough to identify transformants. We believe that this is a time-saving procedure for screening true transformants of A. nidulans.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.781-784
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the adenovirus-mediated double suicide gene (CD/TK) for selective killing of gastric cancer cells. Gastric cancer cells SCG7901 and normal gastric epithelial cell lines were infected by adenoviruses Ad-survivin/GFP and Ad-survivin/CD/TK. GFP expression and CD-TK were detected by fluorescence microscopy and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. After treatment of the infected cells with the pro-drugs ganciclovir (GCV) and/or 5-FC, the cell growth status was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. Cell cycle changes were detected using flow cytometry. In nude mice bearing human gastric cancer, the recombinant adenovirus vector was injected directly into the tumor followed by an intraperitoneal injection of GCV and/or 5-FC. The subsequent tumor growth was then observed. The GFP gene driven by survivin could be expressed within the gastric cancer line SCG7901, but not in normal gastric epithelial cells. RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of the CD/TK gene product in the infected SCG7901 cells, but not in the infected normal gastric epithelial cells. The infected gastric cancer SCG7901, but not the gastric cells, was highly sensitive to the pro-drugs. The CD/TK fusion gene system showed significantly greater efficiency than either of the single suicide genes in killing the target cells (P<0.01). Treatment of the infected cells with the pro-drugs resulted in increased cell percentage in G0-Gl phase and decreased percentage in S phase. In nude mice bearing SCG7901 cells, treatment with the double suicide gene system significantly inhibited tumor growth, showing much stronger effects than either of the single suicide genes (P<0.01). The adenovirus-mediated CD/TK double suicide gene driven by survivin promoter combined with GCV an 5-FC treatment could be an effective therapy against experimental gastric cancer with much greater efficacy than the single suicide gene CD/TK combined with GCV or 5-FC.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2003

hFSH (human follicle stimulating hormone) is heterodimer consisting of $\alpha$ and $\beta$ subunits. Since assembly of the both subunits in the cell is often the rate-limiting step in production of functional hormone, single-chain hormones have been engineered by genetically linking two different cDNA fragments with a linker sequence. Using retrovirus vector system, the resulting recombinant hFSH gene was transferred in CHO cells and chicken embryos, and the expression of the gene was investigated. In CHO cells, protein synthesis from the single-chain FSH gene was 17 fold higher than that from the heterodimeric counterpart. In the study of transgenic chickens, ten of the eleven chicks hatched from 62 embryos manupulated with recombinant retrovirus stock was determined to carry transgenic genes. RT-PCR analyses confirmed transcription of the single-chain FSH gene, however, no recombinant FSH was detected from the blood samples.