• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2000

In 1997 when cloned sheep Dolly and soon after Polly were born, it had become head-line news because in the former the nucleus that gave rise to the lamb came from cells of six-year-old adult sheep and in the latter case a foreign gene was inserted into the donor nucleus to make the cloned sheep produce human protein, factor IX, in e milk. In the last few years, once the realm of science fiction, cloned mammals especially in livestock have become almost commonplace. What the press accounts often fail to convey, however, is that behind every success lie hundreds of failures. Many of the nuclear-transferred egg cells fail to undergo normal cell divisions. Even when an embryo does successfully implant in the womb, pregnancy often ends in miscarriage. A significant fraction of the animals that are born die shortly after birth and some of those that survived have serious developmental abnormalities. Efficiency remains at less than one % out of some hundred attempts to clone an animal. These facts show that something is fundamentally wrong and enormous hurdles must be overcome before cloning becomes practical. Cloning researchers now tent to put aside their effort to create live animals in order to probe the fundamental questions on cell biology including stem cells, the questions of whether the hereditary material in the nucleus of each cell remains intact throughout development, and how transferred nucleus is reprogrammed exactly like the zygotic nucleus. Stem cells are defined as those cells which can divide to produce a daughter cell like themselves (self-renewal) as well as a daughter cell that will give rise to specific differentiated cells (cell-differentiation). Multicellular organisms are formed from a single totipotent stem cell commonly called fertilized egg or zygote. As this cell and its progeny undergo cell divisions the potency of the stem cells in each tissue and organ become gradually restricted in the order of totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent. The differentiation potential of multipotent stem cells in each tissue has been thought to be limited to cell lineages present in the organ from which they were derived. Recent studies, however, revealed that multipotent stem cells derived from adult tissues have much wider differentiation potential than was previously thought. These cells can differentiate into developmentally unrelated cell types, such as nerve stem cell into blood cells or muscle stem cell into brain cells. Neural stem cells isolated from the adult forebrain were recently shown to be capable of repopulating the hematopoietic system and produce blood cells in irradiated condition. In plants although the term$\boxDr$ stem cell$\boxUl$is not used, some cells in the second layer of tunica at the apical meristem of shoot, some nucellar cells surrounding the embryo sac, and initial cells of adventive buds are considered to be equivalent to the totipotent stem cells of mammals. The telomere ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes cannot be replicated because the RNA primer at the end of a completed lagging strand cannot be replaced with DNA, causing 5' end gap. A chromosome would be shortened by the length of RNA primer with every cycle of DNA replication and cell division. Essential genes located near the ends of chromosomes would inevitably be deleted by end-shortening, thereby killing the descendants of the original cells. Telomeric DNA has an unusual sequence consisting of up to 1,000 or more tandem repeat of a simple sequence. For example, chromosome of mammal including human has the repeating telomeric sequence of TTAGGG and that of higher plant is TTTAGGG. This non-genic tandem repeat prevents the death of cell despite the continued shortening of chromosome length. In contrast with the somatic cells germ line cells have the mechanism to fill-up the 5' end gap of telomere, thus maintaining the original length of chromosome. Cem line cells exhibit active enzyme telomerase which functions to maintain the stable length of telomere. Some of the cloned animals are reported prematurely getting old. It has to be ascertained whether the multipotent stem cells in the tissues of adult mammals have the original telomeres or shortened telomeres.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.675-678
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• 2008

Permeability of resveratrol, piceid, rhapontigenin, and rhaponticin in Caco-2 cell assays using high-performance liquid chromatography were compared. Caco-2 cell monolayers were used to evaluate the transport rates of stilbene analogues from the apical to the basolateral sides. All stilbenes experimented in this study were transported to the basolateral side by times. For comparing the permeability of 4 stilbenes, we calculated the slope of the cumulative concentration of each stilbene in basolateral sides over time, resulting in those values of resveratrol, piceid, rhapontigenin, and rhaponticin with $3.766{\times}10^{-5}$, $4.330{\times}10^{-6}$, $5.430{\times}10^{-5}$, and $2.458{\times}10^{-5}\;{\mu}M/sec$, respectively. Apparent permeability coefficient of resveratrol and rhapontigenin were calculated to $9.994{\times}10^{-6}$ and $1.441{\times}10^{-6}\;cm/sec$, respectively, while those of piceid and rhaponticin were to $1.149{\times}10^{-7}$ and $6.523{\times}10^{-7}\;cm/sec$, respectively. These results suggest that aglycones would be absorbed more effectively than glycosides in stilbenoids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1457-1465
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• 2012

Intestinal phosphate (Pi) absorption across the apical membrane of small intestinal epithelial cells is mainly mediated by the type IIb Na-coupled phosphate co-transporter (NaPi-IIb), but its expression and regulation in the chicken remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA and protein levels of NaPi-IIb in three regions of chicken small intestine, and related their expression levels to the rate of net phosphate absorption. Our results showed that maximal phosphate absorption occurs in the jejunum, however the highest expression levels of NaPi-IIb mRNA and protein occurs in the duodenum. In response to a low-Pi diet (TP 0.2%), there is an adaptive response restricted to the duodenum, with increased brush border membrane (BBM) Na-Pi transport activity and NaPi-IIb protein and mRNA abundance. However, when switched from a low-(TP 0.2%) to a normal diet (TP 0.6%) for 4 h, there is an increase in BBM NaPi-IIb protein abundance in the jejunum, but no changes in BBM NaPi-IIb mRNA. Therefore, our study indicates that Na-Pi transport activity and NaPi-IIb protein expression are differentially regulated in the duodenum vs the jejunum in the chicken.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.34-45
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• 1994

This investigation has been carried out to examine the structure of digestive tract from Korean Leech, Erpobdella lineata, using light and electron microscope. The digestive tract is composed of mouth, pharynx, Oesophagus, six-chambered stomach, three-chambered intestine, rectum and anus. Stomach and intestine have not gastric or intestine ceca and consist of only straight tube. All digestive tracts from pharynx to rectum are covered with simple columnar epithelial cells. While the surfaces of endothelial cell of pharynx and rectum are covered with cuticular layer of about $0.3{\mu}m$ in thickness, stomach and intestine are covered with estimated $0.2-0.3{\mu}m$ and $0.5{\mu}m$ microvilli respectively. Circular folds were found only in first and second chambers of stomach, intestine and rectum, but not in pharynx and the other chambers (third to sixth) of stomach. The granules of $0.3-0.8{\mu}m$ and $0.5-1.0{\mu}m$ in diameter were observed in the cytoplasm of stomach endothelial cell. These granules were demonstrated to contain protein which showed a positive reaction to ninhydrin. It was also found that there are well-developed microvilli in the apical portion of intestine endothelial cell in which endocytosis occurs actively.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.273-286
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• 2007

Records of selected gymnodinioid dinoflagellates from the open waters in the vicinity of the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents, the Philippine, Celebes, Sulu and South China Seas, western and central equatorial and southeast Pacific Ocean are described and illustrated. The species Gymnodinium fusus Schütt, Gyrodinium falcatum Kofoid et Swezy, G. caudatum Kofoid et Swezy, G. sugashimanii J. Cachon et al. and Pseliodinium vaubanii Sournia are considered to be morphotypes of a single species, that until further studies can establish the correct genus, are named G. falcatum. This study is the first to record individuals of G. falcatum with very long curly extensions. Other gymnodinioid dinoflagellates that showed bifurcated hyposomes may be related to Gyrodinium bifurcatum Kofoid et Swezy or cells of thecate dinoflagellates exuviated from their thecae. Some specimens showed a rigid cover, although no discernible thecal plates. In this group, the most common species was Ptychodiscus noctiluca Stein and, for the first time, a micrograph of a tentative specimen of the genus Berghiella Kofoid et Michener is reported. The validity of the genera Berghiella and Balechina Loeblich Jr. et Loeblich III with thick cell covers is discussed. Several species with apical extensions, other unknown taxa with distinctive shapes, and colonial forms are illustrated. The diversity of gymnodinioid dinoflagellates is underinvestigated in the open ocean.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.79-90
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• 2004

Nuclear DNA contents of spermatia from eight ceramiacean and four dasyacean algae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) and microspores from two land plants were estimated by fluorescence microscopic image processing and their nuclear SSU rDNA sequence data were analyzed. In frequency distribution patterns, the DAPI-stained nuclear volume (NV) of spermatia showed two peaks corresponding to 1C and 2C. Nuclear 2C DNA contents estimated from NV were 0.45-2.31 pg in ceramiacean and 0.40-0.57 pg in dasyacean algae and 8.42-9.51 pg in two land plants, Capsicum annuum and Nicotiana tabacum. By nuclear patterning of vegetative cells derived from an apical cell, 2C DNA contents of spermatia were 2.31 pg in an alga having uninucleate and non-polyploid nucleus (Aglaothamnion callophyllidicola), 0.45-1.94 pg in algae having uninucleate and polyploid nucleus (Antithamnion spp. and Pterothamnion yezoense), and 0.40-0.62 pg in algae having multinucleate and non-polyploid nuclei (Griffithsia japonica and dasyacean algae). Each mature spermatium and microspore (pollen grain) seemed to have a 2C nucleus, which may provide a genetic buffering system to protect the genetic content of a spermatium and microspore from potentially lethal mutations. Nuclear DNA content and SSU rDNA sequence of Antithamnion sparsum from Korea were reasonably different from those of Antithamnion densum from France. The data did not support the previous taxonomic studies that these two taxa could be conspecific.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 1997

The ultrastrucures of Xenopus otic vesicle from normal embryo (st. 43) and induced otic vesicle from animal cap assay with Activin A were compared. Activin A was applied to the presumptive ectoderm at various concentrations for three days at $20^{\circ}C$. The results were almost identical to the reference studies, but it was found that the otic vesicle was induced at the concentration of 10 ng/ml in to)v rate. This otic vesicle may be secondarily induced by the neural tissue showed commonly at the concentration of 10 ng/ml. Otoliths were observed as three or four-axis crystaline bodies in the lumen of otic vesicle. In electron micrograph of the normal embryo, two kinds of microvilli were observed on the apical position of hair cells. One was small and common, the other was large-sized and sparsely distributed. In both cell of otic vesicle, mitochondria, golgi apparatus and multivesicular body were rich, so, they showed a lot of similarities in ultrastructure. However, the otolith was not found and microvilli were overexpressed in the otic vesicle induced by Activin A.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 1982

Morphological changes of the oviductal epithelium of the rat treated with hormones ($17{\beta}$-estradiol ${\mu}g$/day and progesterone 2.5mg/day) for ten days were observed transmission and scanning electron microscopically. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The cilia formation of ciliary cell(CC) was more accelerated by the treatment of estradiol than progesterone, but the balance of estrogen and progesterone was required for the maintenance of CC. The effect of hormone was different between the segments for the maintenance of CC. 2. The short secretory cell(SSC) was severely inhibited in the formation of secretory granules with single hormonal treatment but the activity of secretion was more inhibited by progesterone than by estradiol. 3. The long secretory cell(LSC) had not a great difference between estradiol and progesterone treatments as compared with the normal sexual cycle, but the formation of secretory granules was somewhat accelerated by progesterone treatment. 4. The formation of secretory granules of junctional cell (JC) was severely accelerated by estradiol treatment as compared with the normal sexual cycle. The formation of secretory granules during progesterone treatment, on the other hand, was inhibited completely, but the numbers of pinocytotic vesicles appeared at the cytoplasmic apical portion. 5. Three types of secretory cells, SSC, LSC and JC, on the rat oviductal epithelium could be suggested to have different cell tapes respectively from the morphological changes by hormone treatment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.252-257
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• 2007

Escherichia coli HslVU is an ATP-dependent protease consisting of two heat shock proteins, the HslU ATPase and HslV peptidase. In the reconstituted enzyme, HslU stimulates the proteolytic activity of HslV by one to two orders of magnitude, while HslV increases the rate of ATP hydrolysis by HslU several-fold. Here we show that HslV alone can efficiently degrade certain unfolded proteins, such as unfolded lactalbumin and lysozyme prepared by complete reduction of disulfide bonds, but not their native forms. Furthermore, HslV alone cleaved a lactalbumin fragment sandwiched by two thioredoxin molecules, indicating that it can hydrolyze the internal peptide bonds of lactalbumin. Surprisingly, ATP inhibited the degradation of unfolded proteins by HslV. This inhibitory effect of ATP was markedly diminished by substitution of the Arg86 residue located in the apical pore of HslV with Gly, suggesting that interaction of ATP with the Arg residue blocks access of unfolded proteins to the proteolytic chamber of HslV. These results suggest that uncomplexed HslV is inactive under normal conditions, but may can degrade unfolded proteins when the ATP level is low, as it is during carbon starvation.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.479-487
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• 2012

Biological attachment device is optimized in insect legs for attachment onto the variety of natural substrate. We have studied the microstructural characteristics of the tarsal appendages in the ladybug Harmonia axyridis using scanning electron microscopy to reveal the attachment system of their legs. The attachment devices are composed of claws and adhesive pads. The claws are connected with pretarsal segment, and their apical diverged hooks are developed to hold rough substrates. In contrast, the adhesive pads have an adhesive function onto smooth surface. The pads are interspersed at the ventral part of each tarsomere, and are composed of two kinds of hairy setae. The discoid tip seta (DtS) has a spoon-shaped endplate usually with a rounded concave structure, whereas the pointed tip seta (PtS) has a pointed tip, usually with a hooked endplate. While the PtS is broadly localized concentrically on the marginal area of both the proximal and distal pads, the DtS can be seen at the central areas of each adhesive pad except for the hind legs. Our findings demonstrate the presence of the direction-dependence pattern of the fibrillar system as well as a functional modification of the tenent setae to achieve proper contact with almost any kind of substrates.