• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 1996

We have developed a couple of new luciferase reporter plasmida with very low background reporter actlvltlea. One can be used to measure the promoter strength, after insertion of some promoter fragment into the reporter plasmid, and the other, with very low basal promoter actlvltlea, allis In studying eukaryotic transcriptional regulators. The latter reporter plasmid contains such cli elements as a 17 nucleotide long inftlator, Spl.blndIng sftes, GAL4 binding sltea, and bInding sitea for a certain Drosophila homeodomain proteins. In an attempt to construct an improved reporter plaimid by fadlltating transcriptional termination and minimizing any interference by cryptic promoters which may be preaent in the reporter pleamld DNA, we have inserted transsrlptional termination-related signals, a three tandem repeat of SV4O polyadenylatlon signal (AAA) and the putative transcrtptional termination signal (UMS) of the mouse c-mos gene, Into just upstream of the initIator, and the promoter actlvitiea were measured by a transIent expression assay employing the Drosophila Schneider line 2 cells. As expected, the basal promoter activitIes decreased maximally when both transcription termination related elements were inserted. Moreover, the reporter plasmld with the two elements allowed more sensitive measurement of transcriptional activation than the reporter piasmid without them. Theae reporter plasmids can be used for studying transcriptional regulators of higher organisms Including mammals as well as Droiophlla melanogaiter.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 1996

Treatment of regenerating amphibian limbs with retinoic acid (RA) is known to induce paftern duplication, which is closely related to the extent of dedifferentiation. In the present study, the activities of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteases are examined to delineate a possible role in the process of dedifferentiation in the regenerating limbs of urodeles, the Korean salamander (Hynobius leechii) and the Mexican axolod (Ambystoma mexicanum). Specifically, we were interested to know if there is any correlation between trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like protease activities and the state of dedifferentiation which is augmented by RA treatment. We were also interested in expoloring if there is any species-specific difference in the profile of enzyme activities during limb regeneration. The results showed that the activities of these two enzymes reached a peak level at dedifferentiation stage, and RA treatment caused elevation of their activities, especially in the case of trypsin-like protease. The increase of trypsin-like protease activity after RA treatment was pronounced in the Korean salamander, which might reflect a species-specific responsiveness to RA. The present results imply that trypsin and chymotrypsin or similar proteases may play an active role in the process of dedifferentiation in regenerating limbs, and that trypsin or trypsin-like eryrymes might be involved in the RA-evoked enhancement of dedifferentiation which precedes overt pattern duplication.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.98-105
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• 1996

Studies on thermal adaptation postulate that optimal temperature of physiological properties matches a usually experienced body temperature (Tb) of organisms. Hibernating bats maintain Tb's that are slighdy higher than ambient temperatures (9$^{\circ}$-12$^{\circ}$C) of their wintering sites. To test the hypothesis that muscle function is adjusted to the Tb range of the hibernating animals, we examined contractile function of the biceps brachil muscle of Korean greater horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus ferrumequlnum korai (n = 5) at tissue temperatures between 1O$^{\circ}$ and 35$^{\circ}$C. Relative tetanic force (% of maximum force) was highest at temperatures of 1O$^{\circ}$-15$^{\circ}$C, which match well their Tb's during hibernation. Because non-hibernating endotherms with Tb of around 37$^{\circ}$C show the optimal temperature for muscle force over 30$^{\circ}$-40$^{\circ}$C, our results strongly suggest that the flight muscle of the bats may exhibit thermal adjustments according to their seasonal Tb's. The capacity to generate strong force at such low body temperatures may be adaptive, because bats must have muscles functioning to fly for occasional watering or excretion, or to move away from potential predators during hibernation.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.115-121
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• 1996

To investigate gestational profiles in gene expression of placental lactogen I fpL4), PL-lI and Pit-1, RNA samples were extracted from the placentas of pregnant day 12 to 20 at 2 day intervals. Northern blots showed changes in gene expression of PL4, - 11 and Pit-i. Sizes of PL-l and -II mRNA were changed and amounts of PL-I, -H and Pit-1 mRNA increased during progress of gestation. To examine the effect of estrogen on the gene expression of PL-I, -Il and Pit-1, pregnant female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and daily injected with estradiol (OVX + E). OVX markedly lowered the amount of PL4 and 41 mRNA, and shifted niRNA size from 1 kb to i 3 kb in PL-l mRNA and 0.6 kb to i kb in PL-ll mRNA, respectively. OVX had no effect on the mRNA size of Pit-1, but markedly attenuated Pit-1 mRNA level. Estrogen injection reversed the effect of OVX on the size-shift but not on the amount of PL4 and -Il mRNA. Replacement of E partially recovered OVX-induced inhibition of Pit-i mRNA level. Present results suggest that estrogen may play a pivotal role on the gene expression of PL-l and -Il such as alternative RNA splicing and/or polyadenylation, and Pit-1 may be involved in the gene expression of PL-l and 41 by estrogen.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.437-446
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• 1996

The courtship and fighting behaviors and the sexual dimorphism of the salamander Hynohius leechil were studied. The parameters, snout vent length, body length (from snout to tail tip), and proportion of snout vent length to body size were larger in the female than the male. Five physical parameter in males were significantly correlated with one another, body length, snout vent length, head width, tail vent length, and tall depth, while all, except tail depth, were significantly correlated in females. Sexual behavior of H. leechIl involved external fertilization and consisted of three stages, identifying the female, aifrading the female, and insemination. The identification stage consisted of a positive advance by the male toward the female and display of snout contact. The male attracted the female with chin rubbing, tail undulation, smelling, and digging displays. The insemination process consisted of four phases, amplex, separating egg sacs from the female's cloacal, fertilizing eggs, and post fertilization. liighting behaviors were quite simple. The attacking male would generally bite the opposite male's upper chin or hind limbs and then shakes his head two or three times. The bitten male, which in most cases was of a dissimilar body size, quicidy escaped from the attacking male. After fighting, winning male usually displayed rapid tail undulation.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.523-530
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• 1995

Specific affinity binding sites for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were Investigated in the pig ovarian tissues by in vitro autoradiographic techniques. In the pig ovary, the highest binding sites for 12514abeiled rANP(l~28) were localized in the granulosa cell layer of the forncles. The binding sies on theca layer of the ovarian follicles were mainly localized in the external layer, but none was observed In the Internal layer. In the corpus luteum, the binding site was not observed. The specific bindings of 200 pM of l2Sl4abelled rANP(l~28) to granulosa and theca externa layers were reversed completely by excess concentration (1 ~4) of unlabelled rANP(l~28) but not by 10 ~ of unrelated peptides, human angiotensin II and arginine vasopressin. The binding was also displaced by 1 ~ of desiGIn18, Ser19, Gly2O, leu21, Gly22I ANP(4~2g) (C- ANF) as a spedfic ligand of the ANP clearance receptor. Therefore these results indicate ~hat the biological and the clearance ANP receptors exist in the theca externa and granulosa layer of the pig ovary, and suggest that the ANP receptors may be related with the regulatory lundion of the ovarian follicular development including oocyte maturation.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.231-243
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• 1994

Samples of Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus borberi ) from Korea were analyzed by multivariate, air-drying , and blot-hybridization methods in order to determine the degree of variations of morphological characters, chromosomal karyotype, and mtDNA restriction fragment patterns, respectively, Moreover, morphometric characters of samples of Siberian chipmunks from Manchuria(T.sibiricus orientalis) were also analyzed in order to clarify the taxonomic status of the subspecies barberi. Siberian chipmunks from six localities in Korea were in morphometric characters more or less similar with one another and Siberian chipmunks from Manchuria were not so distinct enough to from a subgroup. Siberian chipmunks from Four localities in Korea were identical in their karyotypes (2n=38) : samples from three localities in Korea were nore or less similar in their mtDNA fragment patterns. Siberian chipmunks from Korea appeared to be a omogeneous population and as noted by Corbet (1978) subspecies barberi is the synonym of subspecies orientalis. The scientific name of Siberian chipmunks from Korea and Manchuria is T. sibiricus orientalis, although systematic studies with the samples from North korea, Manchuria and China will be necessary for their taxonomic reconsideration.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2002

To add genetic information to the conservation efforts on grey coral (Naemorhedus caudatus) in Korea, we investigated the pattern of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence (606 bp) of six specimens from two localities in Korea. The corresponding sequences of N. caudatus in China obtained from GenBank were also used. The nucleotide Tamura-Nei distances between each of four haplotypes of N. caudatus in Korea and the haplotype of N. caudatus in China varied from 0.0650 to 0.0803: N. caudatus revealed high level of sequence diversity in Bovidae. In N. caudatus in Korea, the distances among three haplotypes at Yanggu were 0.0151 to 0.0185, and it suggests that the genetic diversity of Yanggu population was decreased in low level. Moreover, the distances between each of three haplotypes at Yanggu and one haplotype at Samcheok were 0.0343 to 0.0489. It indicates that habitat isolation caused the continuous increase of genetic distance with geographic distance in N. caudatus, and various conservation plans for mitigating the loss of genetic diversity in Korea have to be in immediate action. To clarify the taxonomic status of N. caudatus, the sequence (276 bp) of N. goral available from GenBank were also utilized, and n goral was not distinct from N. caudatus. It suggests that they may be conspecific, but further analyses with additional specimens of two species are necessary.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.165-179
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• 2002

In spite of dramatic change of environmental condition since Cambrian big-bang (explosion occurred ca.540 mya, the phylum Arthropoda retains a great diversity, and it is estimated approximately that 1-10 million arthropod species are extant on the earth. Except for an extinct arthopod subphylum Trilobita, extant arthropods could be divided into five subphyla: Hexapoda, Crustacea, Myriapoda, Chelicerata, and Pycnosonida. During the last century, systematists have disputed about interrealtionships among Arthropoda and its relatives (Onychophora, Tardigrada, and Pentastomida), arthropod phylogenetic position within protostome animals, monophyly or polyphyly of the phylum Arthropods, and interrelationships among five arthropod subgroups (subphyla) etc. Recently, new animal phylogeny was reported that protostomes could be clustered into two groups, Lophotrochozoa and Ecdysozoa, and molting animals such as Nematoda and Arthropoda were included within the Ecdysozoa. On the basis of the new animal phylogeny, first of all, I would mention phylogenetic positions and relationships of Arthropods and its relatives to introduce controversies of arthropod phylogeny in phylum level of animals. After that, I focused mainly on the controveries related to arthropod monophyly and phylogenetic relationships among four major arthropod groups except Pycnogonida. In this work, Pycnogonida which is a relatively small group and one of the five arthropod subphyla was not handled significantly although there are some controversies if it is a sister taxon of chelicerates or the most primitive arthropod group (namely, a sister of four remains arthropod groups).

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 1990

Progesterone production and oocyte maturation in ovarian follicles of Rana nigromaculata and Rana rugosa were investigated. Addition of frog pituitary homogenate (FPH) to the in utiro cultured follicles of R. nigromaculata stimulated a marked increase in the accumulation and secretion of progesterone (P$_4$) by the follicles and induced their oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) in a dose dependent manner. The FPH (0.1 pituitary equivalent/2 ml)-inducted P4 peak appeared in 3-6 hours and followed by the oocyte GVBD in 9-12 hours after the hormone stimulation. lncreae of intrafollicular cAMP levels with forskolin (an adenylatecyclase stimulator) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) mimic the FPH action in the stimulation of P$_4$ production but not in the induction of oocyte maturation. The in uitro cultured follicies of R. rugosa behaved very differently from other amphibian follicles. Addition of FPH-(0. 1 pit. equivl2 ml) to the culture medium neither stimulated P$_4$ production by the follicles nor induced the oocyte GVBD. However, treatment of the follicles with forskolin and IBMX drastically stimulated both the intrafollicular accumulation (800 pg/follicle) and secretion (1700 pg/follicle) of P$_4$ by the follicles during culture period. Thus, the data suggest that the follicles are ready to respond to cAMP increase but not to the FPH stimulation in terms of P$_4$ production.