• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.720-732
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• 2001

Skeletal muscle is of major economic importance since it is finally converted to meat for consumers. The increase in meat production with low costs of production may be achieved by optimizing muscle growth, whereas a high meat quality requires, among other factors, the optimization of intramuscular glycogen and fat stores. Thus, research in energy metabolism aims at controling muscle metabolism, but also liver and adipose tissue metabolism in order to optimize energy partitioning in favour of muscles. Liver is characterized by high anabolic and catabolic rates. Metabolic enzymes are regulated by nutrients through short-term regulation of their activities and long-term regulation of expression of their genes. Consequences of liver metabolic regulation on energy supply to muscles may affect protein deposition (and hence growth) as well as intramuscular energy stores. Adipose tissues are important body reserves of triglycerides, which result from the balance between lipogenesis and lipolysis. Both processes depend on the feeding level and on the nature of nutrients, which indirectly affect energy delivery to muscles. In muscles, the regulation of rate-limiting nutrient transporters, of metabolic enzyme activities and of ATP production, as well as the interactions between nutrients affect free energy availability for muscle growth and modify muscle metabolic characteristics which determine meat quality. The growth of tissues and organs, the number and the characteristics of muscle fibers depend, for a great part, on early events during the fetal life. They include variations in quantitative and qualitative nutrient supply to the fetus, and hence in maternal nutrition. During the postnatal life, muscle growth and characteristics are affected by the age and the genetic type of the animals, the feeding level and the diet composition. The latter determines the nature of available nutrients and the rate of nutrient delivery to tissues, thereby regulating metabolism. Physical activity at pasture also favours the orientation of muscle metabolism, towards the oxidative type. Consequently, breeding systems may be of a great importance during the postnatal life. Research is now directed towards the determination of individual tissue and organ energy requirements, a better knowledge of nutrient partitioning between and within organs and tissues. The discovery of new molecules (e. g. leptin), of new molecular mechanisms and of more powerful techniques (DNA chips) will help to achieve these objectives. The integration of the different levels of knowledge will finally allow scientists to formulate new types of diets adapted to sustain a production of high quality meat with lower costs of production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.292-301
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• 2010

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a pituitary glycoprotein hormone that is encoded by separate alpha- and betasubunit genes. It plays a key role in stimulating and regulating ovarian follicular development and egg production in chicken. FSH signal transduction is mediated by the FSH receptor (FSHR) that exclusively interacts with the beta-subunit of FSH, but characterization of prokaryotic expression of the FSHb gene and its effect on the expression of the FSHR gene in local chickens have received very little attention. In the current study, the cDNA fragment of the FSHb gene from Dagu chicken was amplified using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and inserted into the pET-28a (+) vector to construct the pET-28a-FSHb plasmid. After expression of the plasmid in E. coli BL21 (DE3) under inducing conditions, the recombination protein, $FSH{\beta}$ subunit, was purified and injected into the experimental hens and the effect on the mRNA expression levels of the FSHR gene was investigated. Sequence comparison showed that the coding region of the FSHb gene in the local chicken shared 99%-100% homology to published nucleotides in chickens; only one synonymous nucleotide substitution was detected in the region. The encoded amino acids were completely identical with the reported sequence, which confirmed that the sequences of the chicken FSHb gene and the peptides of the $FSH{\beta}$ subunit are highly conserved. This may be due to the critical role of the normal function of the FSHb gene in hormonal specificity and regulation of reproduction. The results of gene expression revealed that a recombinant protein with a molecular weight of about 19 kDa was efficiently expressed and it was identified by Western blotting analysis. After administration of the purified $FSH{\beta}$ protein, significantly higher expression levels were demonstrated in uterus, ovary and oviduct samples (p<0.05). These observations suggested that the expressed $FSH{\beta}$ protein possesses biological activity, and has a potential role in regulation of reproductive physiology in chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.554-562
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• 2006

Two lines of mice, M16 selected for rapid growth and a randomly selected control ICR as well as their reciprocal crosses were used to study the effects of genotype on whole-body energetics and intestinal responses to monensin. Six mice, eight weeks of age, from each line or reciprocal cross were assigned to one of two treatments, 1) drinking water containing 20 mmol/L monensin dissolved in 0.5% V/V ethanol, and 2) drinking water containing 0.5% V/V ethanol (control) for two weeks. After 11 days (age of 9 weeks and 4 days), whole-body $O_2$ consumption was measured. At the end of two weeks, jejunal $O_2$ consumption, intestinal tissue composition and histomorphometrics as well as the rate and efficiency of glucose absorption were estimated. In comparison with the control, monensin administration in drinking water resulted in less daily water intake (13.4 vs. 15.5 ml/mouse, p<0.01), less protein to DNA ratio of jejunal mucosa (5.41 vs. 6.01 mg/mg, p<0.05), lower villus width (88 vs. $100{\mu}m$, p<0.05), and less jejunal tissue $O_2$ consumption enhancement by alcohol (7.2 vs. 10.5%, p<0.01) in mice. Other than those changes, monensin had little (p>0.05) effect on variables measured in either line of mice or their reciprocal cross. In contrast, the M16 line, selected for rapid growth, as compared to the ICR controls or the reciprocal crosses, had less initial (pre-monensin treatment) whole-body $O_2$ consumption per gram of body weight (1.68 vs. $2.11-2.34{\mu}mol/min{\cdot}g$ BW, p<0.01) as compared to the ICR and reciprocal crosses. In addition, the M16 mice exhibited greater growth (412 vs. 137-210 mg/d, p<0.05), better feed efficiency (41.7 vs. 19.9-29.3 mg gain/g feed, p<0.05), shorter small intestines adjusted for fasted body weight (1.00 vs. 1.22-1.44 cm/g FBW, p<0.05), wider villi (109 vs. $87-93{\mu}m$, p<0.05), more mature height of enterocytes (28.8 vs. $24.4-25.1{\mu}m$, p<0.05) and a lower rate (91 vs. $133-145{\eta}mol\;glucose/min{\cdot}g$ jejunum, p<0.05) and less energetic efficiency (95 vs. $59-72{\eta}mol$ ATP expended/${\eta}mol$ glucose uptake, p<0.05) of glucose absorption compared to the ICR line and the reciprocal cross. Monensin had little (p>0.05) effect on whole-body $O_2$ consumption and jejunal function, whilst selection for rapid growth resulted in an apparent down-regulation of intestinal function. These data suggest that genetic selection for increased growth does not result in concomitant changes in intestinal function. This asynchrony in the selection for production traits and intestinal function may hinder full phenotypic expression of genotypic growth potential.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2017

Dormancy-associated protein (DRM) is involved in the dormancy physiology of plants and is conserved in almost all plant species. Recent studies found that DRM genes are involved in the abiotic stress response, and characterization studies of these genes have been conducted in several plants. However, few studies have focused on DRM genes in woody plants. Therefore, in this study, cDNA coding for DRM (PagDRM1) was isolated from poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa), and its structure and expression characteristics were investigated. PagDRM1 encodes a putative protein composed of 123 amino acids, and the protein contains two conserved domains (Domain I and Domain II). PagDRM1 is present as one or two copies in the poplar genome. Its expression level was highest in the stem, followed by mature leaves, roots, and flowers. During the growth of cultured cells in suspension, PagDRM1 was highly expressed from the late-exponential phase to the stationary phase. In addition, PagDRM1 expression increased in response to drought, salt stress, and treatment with plant hormones (e.g., abscisic acid and gibberellic acid). Therefore, we suggested that PagDRM1 not only plays an important role in the induction of dormancy, but also contributes to stress tolerance in plants.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2000

Membrane type matrix metalloproteinases(MT-MMPs) have been suggested to play an important role during structural remodeling of various tissue. Expression patterns of MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP mRNAs were investigated in oocytes, embryos, ovary and oviduct of mouse during their differentiation or periovulatory period using RT-PCR technique. Both cDNA products of MT1- and MT2-MMP of immature oocytes were barely discernable with a minimum amount but the expressions were distinct in mature oocytes regardless that they were matured in vivo or in vitro. MT2-MMP was not expressed by 2-cell embryos but was expressed by 4-cell stage embryos. From the morula stage untill hatched blastocyst stage, embyos showed intesnse expression of MT2-MMP with a sudden increase at blastocyst stage. While mouse ovarian tissues showed both expression of MT1- and MT2-MMP, there was no stage-specific difference throughout the estrous cycle. Mouse oviducts also exhibit constant amount of both MT1- and MT2-MMP expressions throughout periovulatory period, i.e., before or after ovulation. These observations lead to suggest that the differential expressions of maternal MT1- and MT2-MMP during meiotic resumption of mouse oocytes and embryonic expression of MT2-MMP particularly at blastocyst stage might play a role in the differentiation of mouse oocytes and／or embryos. The precise function of MT1- and MT2-MMP with regards to their participation in the remodeling of ovarian and oviductal tissues remains in a question.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.221-227
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• 2007

In this study, one hundred strains of bacterial flora were isolated from the intestine of cultured and wild black rockfish Sebastes inermis collected in Yeosu and examined for drug resistance to 9 antibiotics. From cultrued fish, the isolated bacteria were Photobacterium group (26 strains) and Acinetobacter group (18 strains) of Gram-negative, and unidentified marine sediment bacterium (6 strains) of Gram-positive. From wild fish, Photobacterium group (18 strains), Acinetobacter group (12 strains) and Shewanella group (5 strains) of Gram-negative and Bacillus group (8 strains), Staphylococcus group (4 strains), and unidentified marine sediment bacterium (3 strains) of Gram-positive. Intestine flora of wild black rockfish was more diverse than that of one cultured. The drugs tested were tetracyclines (oxytetracycline), aminoglycosides (gentamicin), macrorides (erythromycin) and quinolones (flumequine, oxolinic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin). Sensitivity to all seven antibiotics except oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid was higher in bacteria from wild fish than from cultured ones, although wild isolates were more resistant than control strain Escherichia coli ATCC9637. This suggests that use of antibiotics in the fish farm might have some resistance in intestinal flora of wild fish.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1383-1392
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• 2003

Apoptosis is a morphologically and biochemically district form of cell death that occurs in many different cell types in a wide variety of organisms. Albizzia julibrissin belonging the family Leguminosae has been used for the treatment of contusion, sore throat, amnesia, and insomnia in oriental traditional medicine. This study investigates whether the water extract of A. julibrissin induce apoptotic cell death in Jurkat T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. Jurkat cells were increased inhibitions of cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner by A. julibrissin. This herbal medicine also caused apoptosis as measured by cell morphology and DNA fragmentation. The capability of A. julibrissin to induce apoptosis was associated with proteolytic cleavage of specific target proteins such as poly (ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) and beta-catenin proteins suggesting the possible involvement of caspases. Our result showed that Bcl-2 and Bax protein levels were not changed in all A. julibrissin-treated groups compared to control group. These results suggest that A. julibrissin-mediated apoptosis is independent with Bcl-2 related signaling pathway in this cells. The purpose of the present study is also to investigate the Effect of A. julibrissin on cell cycle progression. Our results showed that G1 checkpoint related gene products (cyclin D1, cyclin dependent kinase 4, retinoblastoma, E2F1) were decreased in their protein levels in a dose-dependent manners after treatment of the extract. These results indicate that the increase of apoptotic cell death by A. julibrissin may be due to the inhibition of cell cycle progression in wild type p53-lacking Jurkat cells.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2009

In November 2008, typical powdery mildew symptoms were observed on leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Col-0 plants in a growth room under controlled laboratory conditions at Korea University, Seoul. The disease was characterized by the appearance of white powder-like fungal growth on the surface of infected leaves. As the disease progressed, infected leaves exhibited chlorotic or necrotic brown lesions, and leaf distortion and senescence. Conidiophores of the causal fungus were hyaline, unbranched, 3-4 celled, cylindrical, and $80-115{\times}6-9{\mu}m$ in size. Singly produced conidia (pseudoidium type) were hyaline, oblong to cylindrical or oval in shape, and $26-55{\times}15-20{\mu}m$ in size with a length/width ratio of average 3, angular/rectangular wrinkling of outer wall and no distinct fibrosin bodies. Appressoria on the hyphae were multi-lobed. These structures are typical of the powdery mildew Oidium subgenus Pseudoidium, anamorph of the genus Erysiphe. The measurements of the fungal structures coincided with those of Erysiphe cruciferarum. The phylogenetic analysis using ITS rDNA sequences revealed that the causal fungus Erysiphe sp. KUS-F23994 is identical to E. cruciferarum. The isolated fungus incited powdery mildew symptoms on the inoculated Arabidopsis leaves, which proved Koch's postulates. Taken all data together, we first report the occurrence of powdery mildew disease of A. thaliana caused by Erysiphe cruciferarum in Korea.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 2005

The monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP3), on chromosome 17q11.2-q12, is a secreted chemokine, which attracts macrophages during inflammation and metastasis. In an effort to discover additional polymorphism(s) in genes whose variant(s) have been implicated in asthma, we scrutinized the genetic polymorphisms in MCP3 to evaluate it as a potential candidate gene for asthma host genetic study. By direct DNA sequencing in twenty-four individuals, we identified four sequence variants within the 3 kb full genome including 1,000bp promoter region of MCP3; one in promoter region (-420T>C), three in intron (+136C>G, +563C>T, +984G>A) respectively. The frequencies of those four SNPs were 0.020 (-420T>C), 0.038 (+136C>G), 0.080 (+563C>T), 0.035 (+984G>A), respectively, in Korean population (n = 598). Haplotypes, their frequencies and linkage disequilibrium coefficients (|D'|) between SNP pairs were estimated. The associations with the risk of asthma, skin-test reactivity and total serum IgE levels were analyzed. Using statistical analyses for association of MCP3 polymorphisms with asthma development and asthma-related phenotypes, no significant signals were detected. In conclusion, we identified four genetic polymorphisms in the important MCP3 gene, but no significant associations of MCP3 variants with asthma phenotypes were detected. MCP3 variation/haplotype information identified in this study will provide valuable information for future association studies of other allergic diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.179-188
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• 2017

White-rot basidiomycetes are the organisms that decompose lignin most efficiently, and Trametes villosa is a promising species for ligninolytic enzyme production. There are several publications on T. villosa applications for lignin degradation regarding the expression and secretion of laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) but no reports on the identification and characterization of lignin peroxidase (LiP), a relevant enzyme for the efficient breakdown of lignin. The object of this study was to identify and partially characterize, for the first time, gDNA, mRNA, and the corresponding lignin peroxidase (TvLiP) protein from T. villosa strain CCMB561 from the Brazilian semiarid region. The presence of ligninolytic enzymes produced by this strain grown in inducer media was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by spectrophotometry, qPCR, and dye fading using Remazol Brilliant Blue R. The spectrophotometric analysis showed that LiP activity was higher than that of MnP. The greatest LiP expression as measured by qPCR occurred on the $7^{th}$ day, and the ABSA medium (agar, sugarcane bagasse, and ammonium sulfate) was the best that favored LiP expression. The amplification of the TvLiP gene median region covering approximately 50% of the T. versicolor LPGIV gene (87% identity); the presence of Trp199, Leu115, Asp193, Trp199, and Ala203 in the translated amplicon of the T. villosa mRNA; and the close phylogenetic relationship between TvLiP and T. versicolor LiP all indicate that the target enzyme is a lignin peroxidase. Therefore, T. villosa CCMB561 has great potential for use as a LiP, MnP, and Lac producer for industrial applications.