• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.283-294
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• 2021

A genetic etiology of male infertility is identified in fewer than 25% of infertile men, while 30% of infertile men lack a clear etiology, resulting in a diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility. Advances in reproductive genetics have provided insights into the mechanisms of male infertility, and a characterization of the genetic basis of male infertility may have broad implications for understanding the causes of infertility and determining the prognosis, optimal treatment, and management of couples. In a substantial proportion of patients with azoospermia, known genetic factors contribute to male infertility. Additionally, the number of identified genetic anomalies in other etiologies of male infertility is growing through advances in whole-genome amplification and next-generation sequencing. In this review, we present an up-to-date overview of the indications for appropriate genetic tests, summarize the characteristics of chromosomal and genetic diseases, and discuss the treatment of couples with genetic infertility by microdissection-testicular sperm extraction, personalized hormone therapy, and in vitro fertilization with pre-implantation genetic testing.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.92-96
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• 2020

Hypotonia, Ataxia, and Delayed Development Syndrome (HADDS) is an autosomal-dominant, extremely rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the heterozygous EBF3 gene mutation. EBF3 is located on chromosome 10q26.3 and acts as a transcription factor that regulates neurogenesis and differentiation. This syndrome is characterized by dysmorphism, cerebellar hypoplasia, urogenital anomaly, hypotonia, ataxia, intellectual deficit, and speech delay. The current report describes a 3-year-old Korean male carrying a de novo EBF3 mutation, c.589A>G (p.Asn197Asp), which was identified by whole exome sequencing. He manifested facial dysmorphism, hypotonia, strabismus, vermis hypoplasia, and urogenital anomalies, including vesicoureteral reflux, cryptorchidism, and areflexic bladder. This is the first report of a case of HADDS cause by an EBF3 mutation in the Korean population.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.37.1-37.8
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• 2022

Background: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry. Objectives: In this study, the molecular characteristics of two extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing APEC isolates were compared with previously reported ESBL-producing E. coli isolates. Methods: The molecular characteristics of E. coli isolates and the genetic environments of the ESBL genes were investigated using whole genome sequencing. Results: The two ESBL-producing APEC were classified into the phylogenetic groups C and B1 and ST410 and ST162, respectively. Moreover, the ESBL genes of the two isolates were harbored in different Inc plasmids. The EC1809182 strain, harboring the bla_CTX-M-55 gene on the plasmid, exhibited extensive homology to IncFIB (98.4%) and IncFIC(FII) (95.8%). The EC1809191 strain, harboring the bla_CTX-M-1 gene, was homologous to IncI1-I (Gamma) (99.3%). All chromosomes carried the multidrug transporter, mdf(A) gene. Mobile genetic elements, adjacent to CTX-M genes, facilitated the dissemination of genes in the two isolates, analogous to other ESBL-producing E. coli isolates. Conclusions: This study clarifies the transmission dynamics of CTX-M genes and supports strengthened surveillance to prevent the transmission of the antimicrobial-resistant genes to humans via the food chain.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.51-62
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• 2021

Escherichia coli are the predominant facultative bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Some strains of E. coli that acquire virulence factors and cause foodborne and waterborne diseases in humans are called pathogenic E. coli and can be divided into five pathotypes according to the virulence mechanism: EAEC, EHEC, EIEC, EPEC, and ETEC. Although selective media have been developed to detect E. coli, distinguishing pathogenic strains from non-pathogenic ones is difficult because of their similar biochemical properties. Therefore, it is very important to find a new and effective diagnostic method to identify pathogenic E. coli. With recent advances in molecular biology and whole genome sequencing, the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is increasing rapidly. In this review paper, we provide an overview of pathogenic E. coli and present a review on PCR detection methods that can be used to diagnose pathogenic E. coli. In addition, the possibility of real-time PCR incorporating IAC is introduced. Consequently, this review paper will contribute to solving the current challenges related to the detection of pathogenic E. coli.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.296-305
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• 2024

Peach tree gummosis is a botanical anomaly distinguished by the secretion of dark-brown gum from the shoots of peach trees, and Botryosphaeria dothidea has been identified as one of the fungal species responsible for its occurrence. In South Korea, approximately 80% of gummosis cases are linked to infections caused by B. dothidea. In this study, we isolated microbes from the soil surrounding peach trees exhibiting antifungal activity against B. dothidea. Subsequently, we identified several bacterial strains as potential candidates for a biocontrol agent. Among them, Bacillus velezensis KTA01 displayed the most robust antifungal activity and was therefore selected for further analysis. To investigate the antifungal mechanism of B. velezensis KTA01, we performed tests to assess cell wall degradation and siderophore production. Additionally, we conducted reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis based on whole-genome sequencing to confirm the presence of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of lipopeptide compounds, a well-known characteristic of Bacillus spp., and to compare gene expression levels. Moreover, we extracted lipopeptide compounds using methanol and subjected them to both antifungal activity testing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The experimental findings presented in this study unequivocally demonstrate the promising potential of B. velezensis KTA01 as a biocontrol agent against B. dothidea KACC45481, the pathogen responsible for causing peach tree gummosis.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.30-38
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• 2022

Solanum brevicaule는 괴경을 형성하는 감자 야생종 중의 하나로 감자재배에서 문제가 되는 중요한 몇 가지 병에 대해 저항성 보여 감자의 신품종 육성을 위한 재료로 이용될 수 있다. 하지만, 본 연구에서 이용된 S. brevicaule의 EBN이 2인 사실로 인하여 재배종 감자와의 생식에 의한 종자생산에 장벽이 되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 차세대 유전체 기술에 의해 완성된 S. brevicaule의 엽록체 전장 유전체와 다른 7개 Solanum 종의 엽록체 전장 유전체를 비교하여 S. brevicaule를 다른 Solanum 종과 구별할 수 있는 Solanum 종 특이적인 분자마커를 개발하였다. S. brevicaule의 엽록체 전장 유전체의 총길이는 155,531 bp였으며, Blastn을 통해 S. spegazzinii 및 S. kurtzianum과 각각 99.99% 및 99.89%의 유사도를 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 그 구조와 유전자의 구성이 다른 Solanum 종과 매우 유사하였으며, 계통수 분석에서도 다른 Solanum 종들과 매우 가까운 유연관계를 가지는 것으로 확인되었다. 엽록체 전장 유전체 다중 정렬에서는 총 27개의 S. brevicaule 특이적인 SNP 영역이 확인되었으며, 이들 중 세 개의 SNP 영역을 대상으로 최종적으로 S. brevicaule 특이적인 PCR 기반의 CAPS 분자마커를 개발하였다. 본 연구를 통해 얻은 S. brevicaule의 엽록체 전장 유전체와 S. brevicaule 특이적인 분자마커의 결과는 향후 Solanum 종을 대상으로 한 진화와 S. brevicaule를 이용한 감자품종 육성 연구에 기여를 할 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권11호
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• pp.1834-1845
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• 2018

The lactobacilli associated with a fermented goat milk product from Tajikistan were isolated to characterize their technological properties and antibiotic resistances in order to assess their suitability for development as starter cultures. In this study, twenty three strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as typical dairy-associated lactic acid bacterial strains, i.e. L. plantarum, L. pentosus, L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus and L. paracasei. These strains were generally susceptible to most antibiotics tested in this study and this allowed a selection of strains as safe starters. The draft genomes of four representative strains were sequenced and the number of contigs of the four assembled genomes ranged from 51 to 245 and the genome sizes ranged from 1.75 to 3.24 Mbp. These representative strains showed differences in their growth behavior and pH-reducing abilities in in vitro studies. The co-inoculation of these Lactobacillus spp. strains together with a yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus MBT-5698, or together with the yeast and an additional Streptococcus thermophilus MBT-2, led to a pH reduction to 3.4 after 48 h. Only in the case of fermentation inoculated with the co-culture, the viscosity of the milk increased noticeably. In contrast, fermentations with single strains did not lead to gelation of the milk or to a decrease in the pH after 24h. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the predominant lactobacilli related to Tajikistani fermented milk products.

• 대한유전성대사질환학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2023

아미노아실-tRNA 합성효소는 단백질을 만드는 번역(translation)단계에서 아미노산을 활성화시키고 적절한 아미노산을 해당 tRNA에 결합을 시키는 중요한 효소이며, IARS2 유전자는 미토콘드리아에서 작용하는 isoleucylt-RNA 합성효소를 코딩하는 핵의 유전자이다. IARS2 유전자의 돌연변이는 백내장, 성장 호르몬 결핍, 감각 신경병증, 감각신경성 난청, 골격 형성 이상 증후군의 특징을 보이는 CAGSSS (MIM#616007)라는 희귀 질환의 원인으로 상염색체 열성으로 유전된다. 현재까지 이 증례 보고를 포함하여 29명의 환자만이 보고가 되었음에도 단지 백내장의 증상만 나타냈던 환자, 그리고 신경학적 증상이 두드러지는 Leigh 증후군을 유발하면서 여러 장기에 영향을 주는 환자 등 다양한 임상 증상의 환자가 보고되었다. Leigh 증후군은 드문 진행성 신경 퇴행성 미토콘드리아 질환이다. 이 연구는 IARS2 연관된 Leigh 증후군의 환자에서 방광 기능의 이상의 표현형을 보고하는 첫 증례 보고로 의미가 있다. 5세의 한국인 여아는 복부 팽만을 동반한 복통으로 응급실에 내원하였으며, 복부CT에서 명백한 폐쇄 증상, 급성 신장염, 요로감염의 징후가 보이지 않으면서 현저하게 팽창된 방광이 확인 되었다. 여아의 발달 상태는 발달 저하를 보이면서, 6개월에 뒤집기가 가능하였지만 이후는 신경학적 퇴행으로 내원당시에는 목 가누기도 되지 않고, 의미 있는 단어를 말하지도 못하는 전반적인 발달 지연 상태였다. 2세에는 양쪽 눈의 백내장이 발생하여 수술한 과거력이 있었다. 뇌 MRI T2 강조영상에서는 양쪽에 대칭적으로 기저핵(basal ganglia)에 고신호를 보였고, 이는 Leigh 증후군에 전형적인 영상의 특징이다. Whole mitochondrial genome의 유전자검사를 시행했지만 의미 있는 돌연변이가 확인되지 않았으므로, Whole exome sequencing 검사를 시행했으며, IARS2 유전자의 이중대립유전자 돌연변이(biallelic mutation), c.2446C>T (p. Arg816Ter)와 c.2450G>A (p. Arg817His)가 확인이 되었고 부모님은 보인자였다. 현재까지 IARS2 유전자의 돌연변이를 가지는 환자 중에서 신경학적 발달 저하, 인지장애 등의 증상이 동반된 환자는 신체의 다중장기질환의 증상으로 심비대, 부정맥, 빈혈, 측만증, 청력 저하, 뇌전증, 부갑상선저하증이 알려졌으나, 이 연구에서 IARS2 유전자 돌연변이를 가진 환자에서 배뇨근의 이상을 동반한 과민성방광증상을 확인하여 방광이상증상을 처음 보고를 한다. IARS2 유전자의 이상이 확인된 환자에서는 하부요로이상증상이 동반 가능성에 대해서 인지하는 것이 필요하고, 증상이 보이면 배뇨 일지나 요역동학검사를 통해서 조기에 진단 및 치료가 환자의 관리에 필요할 수 있다. 이 증례 보고는 IARS2 유전자의 임상 양상의 확대 및 유전자의 이해를 넓히는데 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권11호
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• pp.584-589
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• 2018

Secondary prevention via earlier detection would afford the greatest chance for a cure in premalignant lesions. We investigated the exomic profiles of non-malignant and malignant changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the genomic blueprint of human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven carcinogenesis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Whole-exome (WES) and whole-genome (WGS) sequencing were performed on peripheral blood and adjacent non-tumor and tumor specimens obtained from eight Korean HNSCC patients from 2013 to 2015. Next-generation sequencing yielded an average coverage of $94.3{\times}$ for WES and $35.3{\times}$ for WGS. In comparative genomic analysis of non-tumor and tumor tissue pairs, we were unable to identify common cancer-associated early mutations and copy number alterations (CNA) except in one pair. Interestingly, in this case, we observed that non-tumor tonsillar crypts adjacent to HPV-positive OPSCC appeared normal under a microscope; however, this tissue also showed weak p16 expression. WGS revealed the infection and integration of high-risk type HPV16 in this tissue as well as in the matched tumor. Furthermore, WES identified shared and tumor-specific genomic alterations for this pair. Clonal analysis enabled us to infer the process by which this transitional crypt epithelium (TrCE) evolved into a tumor; this evolution was accompanied by the subsequent accumulation of genomic alterations, including an ERBB3 mutation and large-scale CNAs, such as 3q27-qter amplification and 9p deletion. We suggest that HPV16-driven OPSCC carcinogenesis is a stepwise evolutionary process that is consistent with a multistep carcinogenesis model. Our results highlight the carcinogenic changes driven by HPV16 infection and provide a basis for the secondary prevention of OPSCC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.494-500
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• 2019

Objective: Feed consumption contributes a large percentage for total production costs in the poultry industry. Detecting genes associated with feeding traits will be of benefit to improve our understanding of the molecular determinants for feed efficiency. The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes associated with feed conversion ratio (FCR) via genomewide association study (GWAS) using sequence data imputed from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel in a Chinese indigenous chicken population. Methods: A total of 435 Chinese indigenous chickens were phenotyped for FCR and were genotyped using a 600K SNP genotyping array. Twenty-four birds were selected for sequencing, and the 600K SNP panel data were imputed to whole sequence data with the 24 birds as the reference. The GWAS were performed with GEMMA software. Results: After quality control, 8,626,020 SNPs were used for sequence based GWAS, in which ten significant genomic regions were detected to be associated with FCR. Ten candidate genes, ubiquitin specific peptidase 44, leukotriene A4 hydrolase, ETS transcription factor, R-spondin 2, inhibitor of apoptosis protein 3, sosondowah ankyrin repeat domain family member D, calmodulin regulated spectrin associated protein family member 2, zinc finger and BTB domain containing 41, potassium sodium-activated channel subfamily T member 2, and member of RAS oncogene family were annotated. Several of them were within or near the reported FCR quantitative trait loci, and others were newly reported. Conclusion: Results from this study provide valuable prior information on chicken genomic breeding programs, and potentially improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism for feeding traits.