• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.528-534
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• 2009

Styan's Grasshopper Warblers (Locustella pleskei) are vulnerable species distributed in East-Asia only. Its known breeding sites in Korea are remote islets including Hongdo Islet, Chilbal Islet, Mara Islet, and Chuja Islets, and, therefore, the breeding biology of this species is still poorly known. This study was conducted on Mara Islet (N $33^{\circ}$ 06', E $126^{\circ}$ 16') from May to September 2008 to investigate the breeding status and breeding site characteristics of the grasshopper warblers. A total of 11 breeding pairs and their nests were found on trees and shrubs at artificially planted forests and hedges of Pinus thunbergii. The grasshopper warblers preferentially utilized the shrub trees for nesting places, and major nesting trees were Camellia japonica, Pittosporum tobira and Pinus thunbergii as nesting trees. Average heights of nesting trees and nests were $2.77{\pm}1.10m$ and $1.75{\pm}0.56m$, respectively. The grasshopper warblers selected lower shrubs and trees for nesting than randomly selected ones around them, probably to avoid strong and prevailed winds in flat and un vegetated environments on Mara Islet. The shape of nests was a round bowl-type, and measurements of nests were $11.9{\pm}0.5cm$ in exterior nest diameter, $11.1{\pm}1.1cm$ in height of exterior nest, $5.8{\pm}0.4cm$ in interior nest depth, and 6.0cm in interior nest diameter. It incubated eggs until the early August on Mara islet, and incubation periods of Mara Islet was possibly later than that of other areas. Furthermore, the clutch size in the study area was three, and they laid smaller number of eggs than normal clutch size (4~5 eggs) reported in other areas. Although we could not observe any nest predator on this species in the study area, selective cutting and pruning of trees will diminish dense shrub layer of forests. Therefore, it may affect the breeding of this threatened species which prefers dense shrubs of artificially planted forest of Pinus thunbergii. This study suggests that detailed and consistent further research on breeding biology and habitats of the grasshopper warblers are needed to conserve and manage of Pinus thunbergii forests on Mara Islet as an important breeding site of Styan's Grasshopper Warblers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.489-493
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• 2008

In 2004, Jorgensen and coworkers proposed the MUC4 gene as a candidate gene of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F4ab/ac receptor in piglets and a mutation of $G{\rightarrow}C$ in intron 7 of MUC4 was identified to be associated with the ETEC F4ab/ac adhesion phenotypes. In this study, we used 310 piglets of three breeds (Landrace, Large White and Chinese Songliao Black) to analyze the relationship between this mutation and the F4ab/ac adhesion phenotype. The results show that the genotypes at this site and the ETEC F4ab/ac adhesion phenotypes were not completely consistent, although they are very strongly associated. Among the individuals with genotype CC, which was identified as a resistant genotype to F4ab/ac adhesion, only 72.1% (124/172) were non-adhesive to ETEC F4ab and 77.9% (134/172) were non-adhesive to ETEC F4ac infections. This suggests that this mutation may not be the causative mutation for ETEC F4ab/ac adhesion, rather, the actual causative mutation may be in another gene closely linked to MUC4, or at aother site within the MUC4 gene. Our results also suggest that the receptors of F4ab and F4ac may be determined by two different but closely linked loci. In order to screen other genes related to F4ab/ac adhesion in piglets, the mRNA profiles from six full sib piglets, of which three were adhesive to ETEC F4ab/ac and three non-adhesive, were analyzed by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). One up-regulated gene, Ep-CAM, was selected for further analysis based on its role in the intestinal epithelial cells adhesion. Using real-time RT-PCR, we found that the Ep-CAM gene was significantly up-regulated in the piglets adhesive to F4ab/ac. It was mapped to SSC3q11-q14 by radiation hybrid mapping.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2013

The myostatin (MSTN) gene, as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, has been proposed to be associated with production traits in farm animals. In the present study, a T/C variant at -125 bp (relative to ATG start codon) of 5'regulatory region of rabbit MSTN was identified by direct sequencing. Two hundred and twenty two rabbits, which were randomly sampled from 3 breeds (Ira rabbits, Champagne rabbits and Tianfu black rabbits), were genotyped by high-resolution melting (HRM). Comparing the genotyping results of 47 samples with direct sequencing, the HRM showed high sensitivity (0.96) and high specificity (0.98). In the three rabbit breeds, the allele C was the predominant allele. The polymorphic site showed high heterozygosity (He = 0.48) and high effective number of alleles (Ne = 1.91). The genetic diversity was reasonably informative (0.25

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2007

We monitored gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica) populations near the Korea National University of Education in Chungbuk, Korea, from 19 May to 8 August, 2006 to examine the spatial distribution of populations in local areas and to investigate patterns of migration of adult gold-spotted pond frogs from terrestrial hibernation sites to breeding sites, We captured individuals from the largest population using a drift fence with 22 pitfall traps surrounding the breeding site. A total of 22 individuals (19 males and 3 females) were captured between 23 May and 15 June. No peak in breeding migration was detected, but the onset of the breeding migration may correspond with increased humidity. Male body weights were negatively correlated with sampling dates. Seven of 22 individuals were captured at the 4th pitfall trap, which was placed between two culverts. The capture rate per pitfall trap was higher in traps close to the rice field banks (1.44, traps $1{\sim}9$) than in traps facing hilly land (0.33, traps $13{\sim}18$). Comparative data from the Korean frog (Rana coreana), a sympatric species in the study area, were also collected and compared with those of the gold-spotted pond frog.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.33-44
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• 2015

This study was performed to propose the site selection plan for the restoration of the target Narrow-mouth Frog(Kaloula borealis) habitat, and has developed the AHP model to select the optimal site for narrow-mouth frog habitat restoration on the basis of the narrow-mouth frog Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) items (factors and variables). The assessment areas were established by the narrow-mouth frog HSI factors such as space, feed, cover, water(breeding), threatening factors and others, and the sub-assessment items by each assessment area were established based on the narrow-mouth frog HSI variables. The weighting values of the assessment areas and items were calculated by the developed AHP method. The weighting values of the 5 assessment areas were arranged in order as cover(0.283), water(breeding)(0.276), feed(0.230), space(0.147), and threatening factor(0.064). The final weighting values of the 14 assessment items were arranged in order of height as low-rise grassland(0.190), soil quality(0.178), and stones and between the stones(0.105). The scoring criteria according to the assessment items and factors were marked and applied by equal intervals considering the criteria by HSI items of the narrow-mouth frog and finally the scoring criteria diagram has been proposed for the optimal site selection of the narrow-mouth frog habitat restoration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2015

This study was performed to propose the site selection plan for the restoration of the target Reeve's turtle (Maunemys reevesii) habitat and has developed the AHP model to select the optimal site for Reeve's turtle habitat restoration on the basis of the Reeve's turtle Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) items (factors and variables). The assessment areas were established by the Reeve's turtle HSI factors such as breeding space, feed, cover, water, threatening factors and others and the sub-assessment items by each assessment area were established based on the Reeve's turtle HSI variables. The weighting values of the assessment areas and items were calculated by the developed AHP method. The weighting values of the 5 assessment areas were arranged in order as breeding space(0.293), food(0.273), water(0.217), cover(0.113), and threatening factor(0.104). The final weighting values of the 17 assessment items were arranged in order of height as all kind of food(0.222), water depth(0.096), altitude of spawning ground(0.093). The scoring criteria according to the assessment items and factors were marked and applied by equal intervals considering the criteria by HSI items of the Reeve's turtle and finally the scoring criteria diagram as been proposed for the optimal site selection of the Reeve's turtle habitat restoration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.182-184
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• 2009

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.70-70
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• 2003

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1141-1149
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• 2018

Objective: Cluster of differentiation 4 protein (CD4) gene is an important immune related gene which plays a significant role in T cell development and host resistance during viral infection. Methods: In order to unravel the relationship of CpG island methylation level of CD4 gene with its gene expression and T lymphocyte subpopulation traits, we used one typical Chinese indigenous breed (Dapulian, DP) and one commercial breed (Landrace), then predicted the CpG island of CD4 gene, determined the methylation status of CpG sites by bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (BSP), and carried out the correlation analyses of methylation frequencies of CpG sites with mRNA expression and T lymphocyte subpopulation traits. Results: There was one CpG island predicted in the upstream -2 kb region and exon one of porcine CD4 gene, which located 333 bp upstream from the start site of gene and contained nine CpG sites. The correlation analysis results indicated that the methylation frequency of CpG_2 significantly correlated with CD4 mRNA expression in the DP and Landrace combined population, though it did not reach significance level in DP and Landrace separately. Additionally, 15 potential binding transcription factors (TFs) were predicted within the CpG island, and one of them (Jumonji) contained CpG_2 site, suggesting that it may influence the CD4 gene expression through the potential binding TFs. We also found methylation frequency of CpG_2 negatively correlated with T lymphocyte subpopulation traits CD4+CD8-CD3-, CD4-CD8+CD3- and CD4+/CD8+, and positively correlated with CD4-CD8+CD3+ and CD4+CD8+CD3+ (for all correlation, p<0.01) in DP and Landrace combined population. Thus, the CpG_2 was a critical methylation site for porcine CD4 gene expression and T lymphocyte subpopulation traits. Conclusion: We speculated that increased methylation frequency of CpG_2 may lead to the decreased expression of CD4, which may have some kind of influence on T lymphocyte subpopulation traits and the immunity of DP population.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.917-922
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• 2008

A disintegrin-like and metalloprotease (reprolysin type) with thrombospondin type 1 motif (ADAMTS1) plays a critical role in follicular rupture and represents a major advance in the proteolytic events that control ovulation. In this study, a 9,026-bp DNA sequence containing the full coding region, all 8 introns and part of the 5'and 3' untranslated region of the porcine ADAMTS1 gene was obtained. Analysis of the ADAMTS1 gene using the porcine radiation hybrid panel indicated that pig ADAMTS1 is closely linkage with microsatellite marker S0215, located on SSC13q49. The open reading frame of its cDNA covered 2,844 bp and encoded 947 amino acids. The coding region of porcine ADAMTS1 as determined by sequence alignments shared 85% and 81% identity with human and mouse cDNAs, respectively. The deduced protein contained 947 amino acids showing 85% sequence similarity both to the human and mouse proteins, respectively. Comparative sequencing of three pig breeds revealed one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within exon 7 of which a G-C substitution at position 6006 changes a codon for arginine into a codon for proline. The substitution was situated within a PvuII recognition site and developed as a PCR-RFLP marker for further use in population variation investigations and association analysis with litter size. Allele frequencies of this SNP were investigated in seven pig breeds/lines. An association analysis in a new Qingping female line suggested that different ADAMTS1 genotypes have significant differences in litter size (p<0.01).