• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.567-572
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• 2010

5,10-Methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase from chicken liver was purified through 30-70% ammonium sulfate fractionation, Q Sepharose Fast Flow anion exchange and Source 15Phe hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Specific activities of cell extract, ammonium sulfate, Q Sepharose Fast Flow and Source 15Phe were 0.0085, 0.031, 0.80 and 1.27 U/mg, respectively. Purification fold activities of cell extract, ammonium sulfate, Q Sepharose Fast Flow and Source 15Phe were 1, 3.7, 94.1 and 149.4, respectively. HPLC gel permeation chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis experiments indicated that the enzyme is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 22.8 kDa. Km for 5-methyl THF and Mg-ATP were $7.1\;{\mu}M$ and $63\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Optimum temperature and pH were $30^{\circ}C$ and 6.0, respectively. The data for metal ion specificity and stoichiometry showed that the maximum activity was obtained with a 1:l. ratio of $Mg^{2+}$. The ATP and Km values increased in the order of MgATP, MgCTP, MgUTP and MgGTP, and the maximum activities also decreased in the same order, indicating MgATP as the most efficient substrate. The enzyme was chemically modified only by tetranitrometane and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)-carbodiimide, indicating that tyrosine and carboxylate are present in the active site.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.67-69
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• 2003

Three mature layer chickens from a farm in which chickens showed green diarrhea, cyanosis, lethargy, loss of appetite were pathologically examined. Grossly, multiple variable sized caseous nodules were detected in the liver, intestinal serosa and mesentery. In addition, parathypoid nodules in the liver and fibrous serositis on the several peritoneal organs and tissues were noticed. One of spleens had multiple infarction areas. Histologically caseous nodules consisted of central caseous core and peripheral epithelioid cells overlying the fibrous connective tissue. Multinucleated giant cells were scattered between the epithelioid cells and fibrous connective tissue. In these nodules Gram negative cocobacilus bacterial colonies were present, whereas Periodic Schiff reaction and Ziehl-Neelsen stain detected neither fungi nor acid fast bacteria. From these results multiple granulomas might be induced by Escherichia coli. In addition, severe Ascafdiodf and Salmonellosis were coinfected in these chickens.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.95-96
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the high-value added new products from spent hens. Spent hens were randomly designed to one of the four dietary treatments: 1) Control (commercial feed),2) T1 (commercial feed supplemented with 100 lU ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, 3) T2 (commercial feed with 10% squid liver oil and 4) T3 (commercial feed with 100 IU ${\alpha}$-tocopherol plus 10 % squid liver oil). They were fed one of the experimental diets for 15 days and slaughtered. And, also, somking of spent hens as follows : digestion in sources, boiling and somking.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.269-271
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• 1974

This investigation was performed to study of chickens naturally infected with leucocytozoon. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The characteristic macroscopical changes observed were hemorrhages and elevated greyish white spots on the oviduct, the liver, the pancreas, the kidney and the pectoral muscles. 2. Microscopically, megaloschizonts were located in groups in the elevated greyish white spots. Hemorrhage and degenerative necrotic changes were observed around the megaloschizonts.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.233.2-233.2
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• 2003

Diosgenin(25(R)-spirost-5-en-3${\beta}$-ol) is the steroid saponin, was isolated from Mexican yam(Oioscorea). Estrogenic, progesterogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of diosgenin has been hypothesized due to its structural similarity to estrogen, progesterone precursors. And diosgenin had been reported to lower serum cholesterol in chicken and rabbits fed cholesterol and to decrease liver cholesterol in cholesterol-fed rats. (omitted)

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 1996

An experiment was conducted to compare the effects of early feed restriction on the performance and abdominal fat deposition in broilers. The treatments consisted of providing feed ad libitum (Full-fed) and three feed restriction treatments of restricting feeding between 8-21 days of age (DOA) either for a duration of 7 days or 14 days. The three feed restriction treatments were Restrict 8-14 DOA, Restrict 8-21 DOA and Restrict 15-21 DOA. Live weights and feed consumption were obtained at weekly intervals. Samples of both male and female broilers were taken at 43 DOA to determine the weight of abdominal fat, liver and gizzards. Feed efficiency was generally improved by feed restriction, but a compensatory gain was not observed in the restricted groups. Broilers on restricted feeding also had lower mortality as compared to the full-fed broilers. There is no effect of early feed restriction on the weight of the abdominal fat and the dressing percentages but the weights of the liver and gizzard were affected by restriction. Also there was an effect of sex on the weights of the abdominal fat, the liver and gizzard of the males and females.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1552-1556
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• 2005

The UCPs are members of the mitochondrial inner membrane transporter family, present in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Their main function is increasing the energy expenditure via diminishing the resulting production of ATP from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation instead of yielding dissipative heat. They are associated with the metabolism of fat and regulation of energy expenditure. The UCP gene can be viewed as the candidate gene for chicken fatness. In the present study, RT-PCR and Northern Blot methods were developed to investigate the expression of the UCP gene in ten tissues including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, gizzard, intestine, brain, breast muscle and abdominal fat of chicken. The results of both RT-PCR and Northern Blot methods showed that the UCP gene expressed specific in breast muscle. The expression levels of UCP gene in breast muscles from egg-type and meat-type chickens of hatching, 2, 4, 6 and 8 wk of age were detected by RT-PCR assay and results showed that the expression levels of UCP gene were related to breeds. Expression level of UCP gene in layers was higher than that in broilers at various weeks of age except at 6 wk. The UCP gene's expression was higher at 6 wk and had no significant difference among other weeks of age in broilers; in layers the expression level of UCP gene had no significant difference among weeks of age. The experiment results also showed that insulin could increase the expression level of UCP gene by 40% compared with control group.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.212-217
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• 2007

The chicken oviduct is a dynamic organ that produces secretory proteins such as ovalbumin during the laying period. In this study, we identified oviduct-specific proteins in hens during the egg-laying period by proteomic analysis. Proteins extracted from the magnum of hens of different ages (5, 35, and 65 weeks) were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to compare the intensity of proteins among samples. Approximately 300 spots were detected on each gel. Based on the comparison of image gels, we found that the intensity of eight spots in 35-week magnums was increased at least by 2-fold compared with the others. Five of the eight spots were identified as calumenin, acidic ribosomal phosphoproteins (ARP), prohibitin, heart fatty acid-binding protein, and anterior gradient-2 (AGR-2). In particular, ARP and AGR-2 were highly expressed in 35- week magnums compared with 5- and 65-week magnums. In addition, the level of these proteins was consistent with their RNA levels. Expression of AGR-2 mRNA was detected in the mature magnum, whereas no signal was observed in premature tissue. Among various tissues, expression of AGR-2 mRNA was highest in the magnum, high in the isthmus, and five fold lower in muscle. It was undetectable in the liver and in other tissues (heart and kidney). However, the mRNA levels of other proteins were ubiquitous among tissues. In transcriptional activity of AGR-2, a 3.0 kb fragment of promoter region containing potential estrogen receptor binding sites had enhanced its activity strongly. In conclusion, these results suggest that AGR-2 has functional regulatory roles in the chicken oviduct during the egglaying period.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2004

The fractional synthesis rates(FSR) were measured with 2l-wk and 3l-wk-old broiler breeder pullets and hens to investigate the effect of sexual maturity on FSR. The FSR were obtained from chicken tissues and blood samples using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry(HPLC/MS). A L-l-13C, 15N -leucine saline solution was infused by bolus injection as a tracer into broiler breeder pullets in the experiment. A rapid HPLC/MS method was developed to measure the isotopic enrichments of leucine in plasma, tissue samples, and eggs. The enrichments of stable isotope leucine incorporated into protein and the enrichments of the stable isotope free leucine were measured in liver, breast muscle and blood samples. Two sets of experiments were conducted. In experiment one, 2l-wk-old, sexually immature broiler breeder pullets were divided into groups of three and blood samples were collected at 20 or 30 min intervals until 1.5 h from initial injection. The pullets were sacrificed in groups of three at varying time intervals for 7 h after injection. The liver, breast muscle and blood samples were removed for analysis. The FSR were estimated to be 8.7l%/day for liver, 4.06％/day for breast muscle, and 5.08％/day for blood samples in 30 minutes after injection from the enrichment ratios. In experiment two, sexually matured 3l-wk-old broiler breeder hens were assorted into groups of three and blood samples were obtained at 20 or 30 min intervals for 2 h. The FSR for blood samples were determined. The broiler breeder hens were sacrificed in groups of three at various time intervals until 7 h after injection and liver, breast muscle and blood samples were removed for analysis. The FSR were calculated to be 5.96％/day for liver. Eggs were collected from five chickens daily for 10 days after large bolus injection. The average of total enrichments of stable isotope in egg albumin was increased by 0.064% at 4 days after injection and was back to normal in 7 days.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1632-1646
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• 2023

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary betaine (BT) supplementation on the hepatic transcriptome profiles in broiler chickens raised under heat stress (HS) conditions. Methods: A total of 180 (21-d-old) Ross 308 male broiler chicks were allotted to 1 of 3 treatment groups with 6 replicated cages in a completely randomized design. One group was kept under thermoneutral conditions at all times and was fed a basal diet (PC). Other 2 groups were exposed to a cyclic heat stress condition. One of the 2 groups under heat stress conditions was fed the basal diet as a negative control (NC), whereas the other group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.2% BT. All chickens were provided with diets and water ad libitum for 21 d. Following the experiment, the liver samples were collected for RNA sequencing analysis. Results: Broiler chickens in NC and BT group had decreased (p<0.05) growth performance. In the transcriptome analysis, the number of differentially expressed genes were identified in the liver by HS conditions and dietary BT supplementation. In the comparison between NC and PC treatments, genes related to energy and nucleic acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and immune system were altered by HS, which support the reason why heat-stressed poultry had decreased growth performance. In the comparison between NC and BT treatments, genes related to lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and immune system were differently expressed under HS conditions. Conclusion: HS negatively impacts various physiological processes, including DNA replication, metabolism of amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, and cell cycle progression in broiler chickens. Dietary BT supplementation, however, offers potential counteractive effects by modulating liver function, facilitating gluconeogenesis, and enhancing immune systems. These findings provide a basis for understanding molecular responses by HS and the possible benefits of dietary BT supplementation in broiler chickens exposed to HS.