• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.570-575
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• 2004

Three different strains of carotenoid accumulating XantlwphyUomyces dendrorhous mutants, JH1, JH2, and JH3, were isolated by NTG (N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) mutagenesis, which might potentially be useful for animal feed as well as for studies on the regulation and biosynthesis of astaxanthin. Mutants were selected based on the capability of growth and carotenoid production on the YM agar plate containing chemical inhibitor, $\beta$-ionone. Astaxanthin-overproducing mutant JH1 produced 4.032 mg astaxanthinlg dry cell weight, and this value was about 15-folds higher than that of wild-type. $\beta$-Carotene-overproducing mutant JH2 produced 0.273 mg $\beta$-carotene/g dry cell weight, and this was 4-folds increase from that of wild-type. In contrast, JH3 was a white-colored mutant that was unable to produce carotenoid pigment.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.191.1-191
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• 1996

No Abstract, See Full Text

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 2002

GTP cyclohydrolase I (E.C. 3.5.4.16) is a homodecameric protein that catalyzes the conversion of GTP to 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate (H2NTP), the initial step in the biosynthesis of pteridines. It was proposed that the enzyme complex could be composed of a dimer of two pentamers, or a pentamer of tightly associated dimers; then the active site of the enzyme was located at the interface of three monomers (Nar et al. 1995a, b). Using mutant enzymes that were made by site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that a decamer of GTP cyclohydrolase I should be composed of a pentamer of five dimers, and that the active site is located between dimers, as analyzed by a series of size exclusion chromatography and the reconstitution experiment. We also show that the residues Lys 136, Arg139, and Glu152 are of particular importance for the oligomerization of the enzyme complex from five dimers to a decamer.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2015

Purpose: Noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) by massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma marks a significant advancement in prenatal screening, minimizing the need for invasive testing of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies. Here, we report the initial clinical performance of NIPT in Korean pregnant women. Materials and Methods: MPS-based NIPT was performed on 910 cases; 5 mL blood samples were collected and sequenced in the Shenzhen BGI Genomic Laboratory to identify aneuploidies. The risk of fetal aneuploidy was determined by L-score and t-score, and classified as high or low. The NIPT results were validated by karyotyping for the high-risk cases and neonatal follow-up for low-risk cases. Results: NIPT was mainly requested for two clinical indications: abnormal biochemical serum-screening result (54.3%) and advanced maternal age (31.4%). Among 494 cases with abnormal biochemical serum-screening results, NIPT detected only 9 (1.8%) high-risk cases. Sixteen cases (1.8%) of 910 had a high risk for aneuploidy: 8 for trisomy 21, 2 for trisomy 18, 1 for trisomy 13, and 5 for sex chromosome abnormalities. Amniocentesis was performed for 7 of these cases (43.8%). In the karyotyping and neonatal data, no false positive or negative results were observed in our study. Conclusion: MPS-based NIPT detects fetal chromosomal aneuploidies with high accuracy. Introduction of NIPT as into clinical settings could prevent about 98% of unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.872-876
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate Biocom (a protein source containing a high level of glutamine and alanyl-glutamine) as a replacement for glutamine (Gln) in nursery pig diets. Forty-two pigs (fourteen pigs per treatment) weaned at 28 d of age were used in a 28-d performance trial using three dietary treatments: control (no Gln), control supplemented with Gln or Biocom. The control diet was composed of corn, soybean meal, whey and fish meal. Individual body weight, pen feed disappearance and diarrhea were monitored. On d 0, 2, 7 and 14 postweaning, respectively, five pigs per treatment were selected and bled from the anterior vena cava to obtain five replicate samples of blood on each dietary treatment for determination of blood biochemical index. Dietary supplementation of Gln and Biocom did not influence performance, plasma Gln and total serum protein concentration (p>0.05). However, the addition of Gln and Biocom could prevent serum urea nitrogen and serum cortisol from increasing on d 2 postweaning (p<0.05). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in any of the examined parameters between Gln- and Biocom-supplemented diets. In conclusion, dietary Gln did not influence the performance of early-weaned piglets owing to the complex diet containing whey, but could prevent the increase of serum urea and cortisol. Biocom could be used as a replacement for free pure Gln without any negative effect on early-weaned piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1776-1783
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• 2002

A population segregating for the naked neck (Na) gene was used to evaluate its effect on fast growing broilers at heat stress. An experimental stock comparable to those of modern broilers was established by backcrossing to colour synthetic male and female lines. Matings between heterozygous (Na/na) males and females produced normally feathered (na/na), heterozygous (Na/na) and homozygous (Na/Na) chicks for the present study. Day old to seven week old coloured broilers of three genotypes viz. normally feathered (na/na), heterozygous naked neck (Na/na) and homozygous naked neck (Na/Na) were compared for heat dissipation, growth performance, body conformation traits, blood biochemical parameters and carcass traits in tropical climate. In hot climate, naked neck broilers had significantly less body temperature and better heat dissipation capabilities as compared to normal broilers. The naked neck broilers had significantly higher body weight and better feed conversion ratio than na/na broilers. The Na/Na or Na/na broilers exhibited higher giblet yield, blood loss and lower feather mass compared to na/na broilers. The results indicated that the reduction in feather coverage in Na/Na and Na/na broilers facilitates better heat dissipation with lower body temperature, more body weight gain, better FCR and carcass traits compared to normal broilers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1005-1010
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• 2008

The genus Burkholderia consists of extremely versatile bacteria that occupy diverse niches and are commonly encountered in the rhizosphere of crop plants. In this study, we characterized three plant growth promoting strains assigned as Burkholderia sp. using biochemical and molecular characterization. The Burkholderia spp. strains CBMB40, CBPB-HIM, and CBPB-HOD were characterized using biochemical tests, BIOLOG carbon substrate utilization, fatty acid methyl ester analysis, analysis of recA gene sequences, and DNA-DNA hybridization. The results from these studies indicated that the strains CBMB40, CBPB-HIM, and CBPB-HOD can be assigned under Burkholderia vietnamiensis, Burkholderia ubonensis, and Burkholderia pyrrocinia, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.250-256
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• 2004

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2008

Earlier we have described new water-soluble Ag- and Zn-derivatives of tetrachloride meso-tetra (4-N-oxiethylpyridyl) porphyrin (TOEtPyP) as potential anticancer drugs. In this work the effect of one of these metal porphyrins, TOEtPyP Ag, on the cell population kinetics was studied in vitro using morphological and biochemical techniques. The results suggested that TOEtPyP Ag action consisted in the simultaneous suppression of the cell growth and activation of the cell death. About 40% of the cells were shown to die via apoptotic pathway. So, the porphyrin studied may be attributed to inducers of both necrotic and apoptotic processes. The results obtained support our previous assertion that TOEtPyP Ag may be considered as a potential chemotherapeutic agent.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.229-231
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• 2003

New biochemical and genetic markers will be required to be more successful in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Postprandial lipid metabolism has received considerable attention since it was shown that postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are independently involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Multiple genes and environmental factors work in concert to alter these lipid. In this paper, postprandial lipemia, genetic variation and cardiovascular risk will be reviewed.