• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.383-389
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• 2002

Pb and Cd concentrations and reproductive progress of feral pigeons were investigated in urban (Seoul) and industrial complex (Ansan) areas from November 2000 to May 2001. Results of the Pb analysis for the feral pigeons from the Ansan industrial complex (egg contents: 1.13 $\mu$g/wet g, bones of adult: 10.5 $\mu$g/wet g) and Seoul (1.64 $\mu$g/wet g, 29.5 $\mu$g/wet g, respectively) indicated that the Pb level of eggs and bones of adults were significantly different between the two colonies (p<0.05). Cd concentrations in liver and kidney of adult pigeons were also significantly different between the Ansan (liver: 0.14 $\mu\textrm{g}$/wet g, kidney: 0.43 $\mu$g/wet g) and Seoul (liver. 0.24 $\mu$g/wet g, kidney: 1.05 $\mu$g/wet g) colonies. (p<0.05). However, egg size and thickness, incubation period and nestling growth rates did not differ between the study areas. Also, clutch size, number of young hatched per nest and number of young fledglings per nest did not significantly different in the noted areas. Considering the lead and cadmium concentrations of pigeons, these were not as high as those considered as results in toxic effects in other species, and the biological significance from these level differences is uncertain.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2001

This study was peformed to find out the optimum larval stage among trochophore, early Dshaped larva, late D-shaped larva, early umbo and late umbo stages for cryopreservation of surf clam, Spisula sachalinensis larvae. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)and ethylene glycol were used as cryoprotectant, The larvae were immersed to cryoprotectants for 10 minutes and thereafter, cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. Survival rates of trochophores frozen-thawed in 2.0 M dimethyl sulfoxide and 2.0 M ethylene glycol were the highest as 97.4% and 85.0%, respectively and post-thaw survival rates were decreased with the larval growth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.11b
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• pp.162-162
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• 2002

There has been many findings of natural, environmental or manufactered nonsteroidal substances shown to have estrogenic activity. Since estrogens affect reproduction and cellular development to cause disease in people or animals, chronic exposure may have a major impact on health.(omitted)

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2024

Background: This study explores the potential of discarded male layer embryos as a sustainable and non-GMO cell source for cultivated chicken meat production. The research aims to identify efficient methods for isolating muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) with high proliferative potential by conducting transcriptome analysis on thigh muscle tissues from both male and female chick embryos. Methods: Transcriptome analysis was performed on the thigh muscle tissues of male and female chick embryos, aged 12-13 days, (n = 4 each), to investigate the gene expression profiles and identify strategies for efficiently isolating MPCs. This approach aims to pinpoint techniques that would allow for the selection of MPCs with optimal growth and proliferation capabilities. Results: Using heatmap, hierarchical clustering, and multidimensional scaling (MDS), we found no significant sex-based differences in gene expression, except for the overexpression of the female-specific gene LIPBLL. The expression of muscle stem cell factors, including PAX3, PAX7, and other myogenic regulatory genes, showed no significant variation. However, to recover MPC-rich cells isolated from male thigh muscle, we found that by the pre-plating 7 stage, myogenesis-related genes, MYHs and MUSTN1 were minimally expressed, while the cell cycle arrest gene CDKN1A sharply increased. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that simple cell isolation directly from tissue is a more scalable and efficient approach for cultivated meat production, compared to labor-intensive pre-plating methods, making it a viable solution for sustainable research and resource recycling.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2005

Sargassum fulvellum (Turner) C. Agardh, an edible brown alga is farmed commercially by sexual reproduction and vegetative regeneration. Investigations were made on the phenology, abundance and maturity of reproductive structures in mature fronds, egg release and young germling development under different light conditions (20, 50, 80 and $100{\mu}mol/m^2/s$) and temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$). Monthly sampling was carried out by SCUBA diving at Chungsando on the southwestern coast of Korea from September 2002 to August 2003. The Maximum length of thalli was $104.6{\pm}20.7{\cal}cm$ in March 2003 when the water temperature was $9.0^{\circ}C$ and minimum was $0.8{\pm}0.5{\cal}cm$ in June when the water temperature was $19.5^{\circ}C$. Receptacle formation was observed from February to April. The peak period of egg release for this alga was in April when the water temperature was about $10^{\circ}C$ in nature. In the culture regimes of temperature and irradiance, the egg release of the excised female receptacle was highly affected by temperature. The maximum rate of egg release was $96.7{\pm}5.8{\%}$ under $20^{\circ}C$ and $80{\mu}mol/m^2/s$. The maximum length of young germlings was $3.9{\pm}0.2{\cal}mm$ after 35 days culture under $15^{\circ}C$ and $80{\mu}mol/m^2/s$.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 2011

Fibroblasts of large animals are easy to isolate and to maintain in vitro culture. Thus, these cells are extensively applied to donor cell for somatic cell nuclear transfer, and to substrate cells to generate induced pluripotent stem cells after transfection of requited genes to be essentially required for direct reprogramming. However, limited mitotic activity of fibroblasts to differentiate along a terminal lineage becomes restrictive for their versatile application. Recently, commercial culture medium and systems developed for primary cells are provided by manufactures. In this study, we examined whether one of the systems developed for primary fibroblasts of human are effective on porcine ear skin fibroblasts. To this end, we performed proliferation assay after five days culture in vitro of porcine fibroblasts in medium DMEM, which is generally used for fibroblasts culture, and medium M106 for human dermal fibroblasts, supplemented with various concentrations of FBS and LSGS contained mainly growth factors, respectively. Consequence was that presence of 15% FBS and 0.1 ${\times}$ concentrations of LSGS in DMEM showed most active proliferation of porcine fibroblasts.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

This study examined the expression of inhibitor of DNA-binding (Id) proteins and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the ovary according to female age using a mice model as the first step in investigating the potential role of Ids and VEGF in ovarian aging. C57BL inbred female mice of three age groups (6-9, 14-16, and 23-26 weeks) were injected with 5 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) in order to synchronize the estrus cycle. After 48 h, ovarian expression of Ids and VEGF was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry. Ovarian apoptosis was examined by ovarian expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Expression of Id-1 and VEGF was decreased with advancing female age, but not Id-2, Id-3, and Id-4. In particular, their expressions were significantly decreased in aged mice of 23-26 weeks compared with the young mice of 6-9 weeks (p < 0.05). In contrast, ovarian apoptosis was greatly increased in the aged mice compared to the young mice. This result suggests that Id-1 may have an implicated role in ovarian aging by associating with VEGF.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2013

Here, we present an approach of blood plasma proteome profiling and their comparisons between the young and the adult pigs as prerequisite for the identification of bio-markers related to the health conditions, growth performance and meat quality. To profile the proteome in porcine plasma, blood samples were collected from 19 young piglets and 20 adult male barrows and the plasma was retrieved. Then, protein profiling was initiated using one and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Proteins were spotted and then identified by MALDI-TOF-TOF and LC-MS-MS. In the results, more than thirty-six and twenty eight protein spots were selected in young piglets and adult pigs, respectively and twenty three proteins were identified. The proteome profile images were compared between those ones using Image Master Version 7.0. The image of expressed proteome showed that most of proteins from plasma of young piglet separated clearly and concentrated in 2DE display compared to ones from adult. Image analysis in detail was carried out to look for the specific proteins related to age progression. It demonstrated that the characteristics of proteome expression could be distinct to their age stages. Further investigations needed to proceed to understand the age dependent change of protein conformation and biological meaning of those differences in proteome expression between young and mature adult pigs.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2014

In this study, to further understand the mechanism of animal growth and to develop a miniature transgenic animal model, we constructed and tested tetracycline-inducible RNAi system using shRNA targeting the mRNA of mouse insulin-like growth factor (mIGF-1) or mouse growth hormone receptor (mGHR) gene. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of mouse liver cell (Hepa1c1c7) cells transfected with these vectors showed 85% or 90% of expression inhibition effect of IGF-1 or GHR, respectively. In ELISA analysis, the protein level of IGF-1 in the cells expressing the shRNA targeting IGF-1 mRNA was reduced to 26% of non-transformed control cells. Unexpectedly, in case of using shRNA targeting GHR, the IGF-1 protein level was decreased to 75% of control cells. Further experiments are needed to explain the lower interference effect of GHR shRNA in IGF-1 protein. Accumulated knowledge of this approach could be applicable to a variety of related biological area including gene function study, gene therapy, development of miniature animals, etc.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2011

To explore the role of histone deactylase (HDAC) activation in an in vivo model of hypertrophy, we studied the effects of Trichostatin A (TSA). TSA subjected to thoracic aortic banding (TAB)-induced pressure stress in mice. In histological observations, TAB in treated mice showed a significant hypertrophic response, whereas the sham operation remained nearly normal structure with partially blunted hypertrophy. TSA treatment had no effect (measured as HW/BW) on sham-operated animals. TAB animals treated with vehicle manifested a robust ~50% hypertrophic response (p<0.05 vs sham). TAB mice treated with 2 mg/kg/day TSA manifested a blunted growth responses, which was significantly diminished (p<0.05) compared with vehicle-treated TAB mice. TAB mice treated with a lower dose of TSA (0.5 mg/kg/day) manifested a similar blunting of hypertrophic growth (~25% increase in heart mass). Furthermore, to determine activity duration of TSA in vitro, 1 nM TSA was added to H9c2 cells. Histone acetylation was initiated at 4 hr after treatment, and it was peak up to 18 hr, then followed by significantly reduced to 30 hr. We also analyzed the expression of p53 following TSA treatment, wherein p53 expression was elevated at 4 hr, and it was maintained to 24 hr after treatment. ERK was activated at 8 hr, and maintained till 30 hr after treatment suggesting an intracellular signaling interaction between TSA and p53 expression Taken together, it is suggested that HDAC activation is required for pressure-overload growth of the heart. Eventually, these data suggest that histone acetylation may be a novel target for therapeutic intervention in pressure-overloaded cardiac hypertrophy.