• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.2 s.50
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• pp.511-525
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• 1995

To elucidate some DNA adducts as a biological marker for workers of chromate pigment, the effects of chromium exposure on the formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine(8-OH-dG) and sister chromatid exchanges(SCEs) frequency in 38 workers of a pigment plant in Bucheon which utilized lead chromates, were examined. The chromium contents of venous blood and urine were measured as working environmental exposure level. The concentrations of 8-OH-dG in DNA isolated from lymphocytes were determined with high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detector and denoted as a molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to deoxyguanosine(dG). The SCEs frequency were analyzed in DNA isolated from lymphocytes. A significant correlation was found between creatinine adjusted urine chromium concentration and the molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to dG(r=0.47, p<0.01). After adjusting the current smoking habit, the correlation coefficient was increased(r=0.62, p<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between the SCE frequency and chromium exposure. This significant results between molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to dG and chromium exposure are in good agreement with in vitro studies that support the importance of DNA adduct formation for the carcinogenic effect of chromium.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.210-220
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• 2015

Athletic performance is an important criteria used for the selection of superior horses. However, little is known about exercise-related epigenetic processes in the horse. DNA methylation is a key mechanism for regulating gene expression in response to environmental changes. We carried out comparative genomic analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in the blood samples of two different thoroughbred horses before and after exercise by methylated-DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-Seq). Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the pre-and post-exercise blood samples of superior and inferior horses were identified. Exercise altered the methylation patterns. After 30 min of exercise, 596 genes were hypomethy-lated and 715 genes were hypermethylated in the superior horse, whereas in the inferior horse, 868 genes were hypomethylated and 794 genes were hypermethylated. These genes were analyzed based on gene ontology (GO) annotations and the exercise-related pathway patterns in the two horses were compared. After exercise, gene regions related to cell division and adhesion were hypermethylated in the superior horse, whereas regions related to cell signaling and transport were hypermethylated in the inferior horse. Analysis of the distribution of methylated CpG islands confirmed the hypomethylation in the gene-body methylation regions after exercise. The methylation patterns of transposable elements also changed after exercise. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) showed abundance of DMRs. Collectively, our results serve as a basis to study exercise-based reprogramming of epigenetic traits.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.828-834
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• 2023

The cDNA that encodes transmembrane protein 258 (Tmem258) was cloned from Gryllus bimaculatus and named GbTmem258. This protein comprises 80 amino acids, has no N-glycosylation site, and contains five potential phosphorylation sites at two serines, two threonines, and one tyrosine. The predicted molecular mass of GbTmem258 is 9.06 kDa, and its theoretical isoelectric point is 5.5. The tertiary structure of GbTmem258 was predicted using the available secondary structure information, which suggests the presence of alpha helices (52.5%), random coils (22.5%), extended strands (16.25%), and beta turns (8.75%). Homology analysis revealed that GbTmem258 exhibits high similarity at the amino-acid level to Tmem258 found in other species. The effect of starvation and refeeding on GbTmem258 mRNA expression was also examined in this study. It was found that GbTmem258 mRNA expression in the hindgut progressively increased throughout the starvation period, peaking at almost 1.5 times the control level after six days of starvation. However, refeeding for one to two days after the six-day starvation period restored GbTmem258 mRNA expression to the control level. In fat body, GbTmem258 mRNA expression was almost 3-fold higher during starvation compared to the control level. Refeeding for one to two days after the six-day fast resulted in a decline in the expression to about a 2.5-fold increase over the control level. Throughout the starving and refeeding periods, no other tissues showed any discernible alterations in GbTmem258 mRNA expression.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.400-406
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• 2010

Etiolation of plant leaves evoke to be photosynthetically inactive because plant leaves are unable to convert photochlorophyllide to chlorophyllide in the absence of light. In addition, UV-B radiation plays an important role in photomorphogenesis and excessive UV-B radiation decreases photosynthesis and causes to damage to cellular DNA. In the present study, two electrical lights obtained with the ultraviolet lamp and moderate lamp were employed to young plants soybean (Glycine max Merr. var Seoritae). After treatment of different lights, young plants were harvested for the determination of pigment contents and chlorophyll fluorescence. The contents of carotenoids and anthocyanins were significantly enhanced with the excessive UV-B radiation. Excessive UV-B light reduced dramatically photosynthetic efficiency causing an irreversible damage on PSII in comparison to the controls treated under normal illumination. As the treatment of normal illumination after dark treatment, the contents of carotenoids and anthocyanains were not changed in the leaves and photosynthetic ability were retained. Therefore, Seoritae soybean leaves might protect themselves from excessive UV-B radiation with up-regulation of antioxidants.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2008

Objectives : The authors purposed to present data for explaining gene-environmental interaction causing depressive disorder by examining the effects of genetic factors related to the serotonin system and environmental factors such as stressful life events in early adulthood. Methods : The subjects were 150 young adults(mean age 25.0${\pm}$0.54), a part of 534 freshmen who had completed the previous study of genotyping of TPH1 gene. We assessed characteristics of life events, depression and anxiety scale and checked if they had a depressive disorder with DSM-IV SCID interview. Along with TPH1 A218C genotype confirmed in previous study, TPH2 -1463G/A and 5HTR2A -1438A/G genes were genotyped using the SNaPshot$^{TM}$ method. Results : In comparison with the group without C allele of TPH1 gene, the number of life events had a significant effect on the probability of depressive disorder in the group with C allele. Other alleles or genotypes did not have a significant effect on the causality of life events and depressive disorder. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that TPH1 C allele is a significant predictor of onset of depressive disorder following environmental stress. It means that the TPH1 gene may affect the gene-environmental interaction of depressive disorder.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.287-295
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• 2005

In order to compare bacteria] community structure and diversity in activated sludges, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of PCR-amplified 16s rDNAs was analyzed for 31 domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WTPs). Regardless of the characteristics of the wastewaters, the bacteria] community structures of activated sludges appeared diverse and complex. In particular, activated sludges in domestic WTPs contained higher bacterial diversity than those in industrial WTPs. It was also found that terminal restriction fragment (T-RF) profiles derived from domestic WTPs were very similar with each other, although activated sludges were collected from different plants at different locations. Interestingly, activated sludges of a WTP where restaurant and toilet sewages of a company were managed showed a bacterial community structure similar to that of domestic WTPs. Activated sludges in leather industria] WTPs also showed a high similarity. However, other wastewaters possessed different bacterial communities, so that overall similarity was as low as about $30\%$. Since activated sludges from WTPs for domestic wastewaters and a company sewage appeared to hold similar bacterial communities, it was necessary to confirm if similar wastewaters induce a similar bacterial community. To answer this question, analysis of T-RFs for activated sludges, taken from another 12 domestic WTPs, was conducted by using a 6­FAM$^{TM}$-Iabeled primer and an automated DNA sequencer for higher sensitivity. Among 12 samples, it was again found that T-RF profiles of activated sludges from Yongin, Sungnam, Suwon, and Tancheon domestic WTPs in Kyonggi-do were very similar with each other. On the other hand, T-RF profiles of activated sludges from Shihwa and Ansan WTPs were quite different from each other. It was thought that this deviation was caused by wastewaters, since Ansan and Shihwa WTPs receive both domestic and industrial wastewaters. From these results, it was tentatively concluded that similar bacterial communities might be developed in activated sludges, if WTPs treat similar wastewaters.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.268-276
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• 2012

Broad bean wilt virus 2 (BBWV2), genus Fabavirus, subfamily Comovirinae, family Secoviridae, causes damage in many economically important horticultural and ornamental crops. Sequence alignments showed several conserved sequences in 5' non-coding regions (5' NCRs) of RNA 1 and RNA 2 in all BBWV2 strains characterized so far. Based on this observation, we generated a hpRNA construct (pIR-BBWV2) harboring an inverted repeat containing a 210 bp cDNA fragment homologous to 5' NCR portion of BBWV2 RNA 1 to investigate the silencing potential for its ability to interfere with a rapidly replicating BBWV2. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of the IR-BBWV2 had a detrimental effect on BBWV2 infection, showing no distinct symptoms in non-inoculated leaves of the agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana plants. BBWV2 genomic RNAs were not detected by RT-PCR from tissues of both the inoculated leaves and upper leaves of the agroinfiltrated plants. Accumulation of virus-derived small interfering RNAs was detected in the inoculated leaf tissues of N. benthamiana plants elicited by transient expression of IR-BBWV2 indicating that RNA silencing is responsible for the resistance to BBWV2.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.269-272
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Since 2015, fire blight disease caused by Erwinia amylovora has been devastating apple and pear orchards every year. To quickly block the disease spreading, infected apple and pear trees have been buried in soil. However, concern on the possibility of the pathogen survival urgently requires informative data on the buried host plants. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the survival of the pathogen from the buried host plants. METHODS AND RESULTS: Apple trees buried in 42 months ago in a Jecheon site and pear trees buried in 30 months ago in an Anseong site were excavated using an excavator. Plant samples were taken from stems and twigs of the excavated trees. The collected 120 samples were checked for rotting and used for bacterial isolation, using TSA, R2A, and E. amylovora selection media. The purely isolated bacteria were identified based on colony morphology and 16S rDNA sequences. Wood rotting and decay with off smells and discoloring were observed from the samples. A total of 17 genera and 48 species of bacteria were identified but E. amylovora was not detected. CONCLUSION: Our investigation suggests that the survival of E. amylovora doesn't seem possible in the infected hosts which have been buried in soil for at least 30 months. Therefore, the burial control can be considered as a safe method for fire blight disease.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2002

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are the chemicals that affect endocrine systems through activation or inhibition of steroid hormone response. It is necessary to have a good system to evaluate rapidly and accurately endocrine-disrupting activities of suspected chemicals and their degradation products. The key targets of EDs are nuclear hormone receptors, which bind to steroid hormones and regulate their gene transcription. We constructed a co-expression system of Gal4p DNA binding domain (DBD)- ligand binding domain of human estrogen receptor $\alpha$ or $\beta$, and Gal4p transactivation domain (TAD)-co-activator AIB-1, SRC-1 or TIF-2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a chromosome-integrated lacZ reporter gene under the control of CYC1 promoter and Gal4p binding site (GAL4 upstream activating sequence, GAL4$_{UAS}$). Expression of this reporter gene was dependent on the presence of estrogen or EDs in the culture medium. We found that the two-hybrid system with combination of the hER$\beta$ LBD and co-activator SRC-1 was most effective in the xenoestrogen-dependent induction of reporter activity. The extent of transcriptional activation by those chemicals correlated with their estrogenic activities measured by other assay systems, indicating that this assay system is efficient and reliable for measuring estrogenic activity. The data in this research demonstrated that the yeast detection system using steroid hormone receptor and co-activator is a useful tool for identifying chemicals that interact with steroid receptors.s.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.439-449
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• 2008

Algicidal bacterium was isolated from sea water during the declining period of Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms and this bacterium had a significant algicidal activity against C. polykrikoides. In this study, algicidal bacterium was identified on the basis of biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and analysis of 16S rDNA sequences. The algicidal bacterium showed 98.6% homology with Micrococcus luteus ATCC $381^T$. Therefore, this bacterium was designated Micrococcus luteus SY-13. The optimal culture conditions of the algicidal bacterium was $25^{\circ}C$, initial pH 8.0, and 3.0% NaCl concentration. M. luteus SY-13 is assumed to produce secondary metabolites which have algicidal activity. When 10% culture filtrate of this strain was applied to C. polykrikoides ($1.0\;{\times}\;10^4\;cells/ml$) cultures, over 98% of C, polykrikoides cells were destroyed within 6 hours. The culture filtrate of M. luteus SY-13 exhibited similar algicidal activity after heat-treatment at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. While algicidal activity remained in filtrates with pH adjusted to 8.0, loss of algicidal activity occurred when the pHs of filtrates were adjusted to over 9.0 or heat-treated at $121{\times}180^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. M. luteus SY-13 showed significant algicidal activities against C. polykrikoides (98.9%) and a wide algicidal range against various harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. However, there was no algicidal effect on diatom and marine livefood organisms except Isocrysis galbana. These results suggest that M. luteus SY-13 could be a candidate for use in the control of HABs.