• BMB Reports
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.749-756
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• 2007

Phosphorylation on serine/threonine or tyrosine residues of target proteins is an essential and significant regulatory mechanism in signal transduction during many cellular and life processes, including spermatogenesis, oogenesis and fertilization. In the present work, we reported the isolation and characterization of mouse testis-specific serine/threonine kinase 5 (Tssk5), which contains four alternatively spliced variants including, Tssk5$\alpha$, Tssk5$\beta$, Tssk5$\gamma$ and Tssk5$\delta$. Moreover, the locus of Tssk5 is on chromosome 14qC3 and the four variants had a similar high expression in the testis and the heart; however, had a low expression in other tissues, except for Tssk5$\alpha$ which also had comparably high expression in the spleen. Each variant of Tssk5 expression began in the testis 16 days after birth. Aside from TSSK5$\alpha$, the other isoforms have an insertion of ten amino acid residues (RLTPSLSAAG) in region VIb (HRD domain) (His-Arg-Asp). Moreover, only TSSK5$\alpha$ exhibited kinase activity and consistently, a further Luciferase Reporter Assay demonstrated that TSSK5$\beta$, TSSK5$\gamma$ and TSSK5$\delta$ cannot be stimulated at the CREB/CRE responsive pathway in comparison to TSSK5$\alpha$. These findings suggest that TSSK5$\beta$, TSSK5$\gamma$, TSSK5$\delta$ may be pseudokinases due to the insertion, which may damage the structure responsible for active kinase activity. Pull-down assay experiments indicated that TSSK5$\beta$, TSSK5 $\gamma$ and TSSK5$\delta$ can directly interact with TSSK5$\alpha$. In summary, these four isoforms with similar expression patterns may be involved in spermatogenesis through a coordinative way in testis.

• BMB Reports
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.300-304
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• 2008

The Dazl gene encodes a germ-cell-specific RNA-binding protein which is essential for spermatogenesis. It has been proposed that this protein (DAZL) binds to RNA in the cytoplasm of germ cells and controls spermatogenesis. Using the specific nucleic acids associated with proteins (SNAAP) technique, we identified 17 target mRNAs bound by mDAZL. Among these transcripts, we focused on TSSK2, which encodes a testis-specific serine/threonine kinase. To date, five TSSK family members have been cloned, and all are exclusively expressed in the testis. We demonstrated that in addition to the TSSK1 3'UTR, the 3'UTRs of TSSKs 2 and 4 were bound by human and mouse DAZL, and that human DAZL (hDAZL) bound to the 3'UTR of human TSSK5 (hTSSK5). Our results suggest that the Dazl gene may play different roles in human and mouse spermatogenesis by regulating different members of the downstream gene family.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.105-113
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• 1977

한국산 불개미의 다형현상에 있어서 일개미의 몸의 크기와 임무수행과의 관계, 유시웅의의 시맥상의 변이, 성비 및 소의 크기에 따르는 일개미번데기의 형별발생과 일개미집단의 형별구성등에 관하여 조사한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 일개미는 3형으로 분화되어 있으며, 소형은 주로 소의 내부에 동료집단의 보호와 외부에서 진딧물에 방문하는 임무를, 그리고 대형과 중간형은 주로 외부에서 식이운반, 조소 및 동료집단의 보호임무를 수행한다. 그러나 소형이 진딧물에 방문하는 임무는 반드시 고정되어 있는 것이 아니고 계절에 따라 다소 변동이 있는 것 같다.