• Animal Bioscience
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.957-966
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• 2021

Objective: Ovarian follicular development, which dependent on the proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells (GCs), is a complex biological process in which miRNA plays an important role. Our previous study showed that miR-458b-5p is associated with ovarian follicular development in chicken. The detailed function and molecular mechanism of miR-458b-5p in GCs is unclear. Methods: The luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-458b-5p and catenin beta-1 (CTNNB1), which is an important transcriptional regulatory factor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling were applied to explore the effect of miR-458b-5p on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of chicken GCs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels. Results: We demonstrated that the expression of miR-458b-5p and CTNNB1 showed the opposite relationship in GCs and theca cells of hierarchical follicles. The luciferase reporter assay confirmed that CTNNB1 is the direct target of miR-458b-5p. Using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry with PI and Annexin V-FITC labeling, we observed that transfection with the miR-458b-5p mimics significantly reduced proliferation and has no effects on apoptosis of chicken GCs. In addition, miR-458b-5p decreased the mRNA and protein expression of CD44 molecule and matrix metallopeptidase 7, which are the downstream effectors of CTNNB1 in Wnt/β-Catenin pathway and play functional roles in cell proliferation. Conclusion: Taken together, the data indicate that miR-458b-5p regulates ovarian GCs proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting CTNNB1, suggesting that miR-458b-5p and its target gene CTNNB1 may potentially play a role in chicken ovarian follicular development.

• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.166-175
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• 2018

Recombination activating gene-2 (RAG-2) plays a crucial role in the development of lymphocytes by mediating recombination of T cell receptors and immunoglobulins, and loss of RAG-2 causes severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in humans. Rag-2 knockout mice created using homologous recombination in ES cells have served as a valuable immunodeficient platform, but concerns have persisted on the specificity of Rag-2-related phenotypes in these animals due to the limitations associated with the genome engineering method used. To precisely investigate the function of Rag-2, we recently established a new Rag-2 knockout FVB mouse line ($Rag-2^{-/-}$) manifesting lymphopenia by employing a CRISPR/Cas9 system at Center for Mouse Models of Human Disease. In this study, we further characterized their phenotypes focusing on histopathological analysis of lymphoid organs. $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice showed no abnormality in development compared to their WT littermates for 26 weeks. At necropsy, gross examination revealed significantly smaller spleens and thymuses in $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice, while histopathological investigation revealed hypoplastic white pulps with intact red pulps in the spleen, severe atrophy of the thymic cortex and disappearance of follicles in lymph nodes. However, no perceivable change was observed in the bone marrow. Moreover, our analyses showed a specific reduction of lymphocytes with a complete loss of mature T cells and B cells in the lymphoid organs, while natural killer cells and splenic megakaryocytes were increased in $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice. These findings indicate that our $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice show systemic lymphopenia with the relevant histopathological changes in the lymphoid organs, suggesting them as an improved Rag-2-related immunodeficient model.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.371-381
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• 2018

Purpose: Immune suppression is common in patients with advanced breast cancer but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we aimed to identify B7 family members that were able to predict the immune status of patients, and which may serve as potential targets for the treatment of breast cancer. We also aimed to identify microRNAs that may regulate the expression of B7 family members. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas data from 1,092 patients with breast cancer, including gene expression, microRNA expression and survival data, were used for statistical and survival analyses. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure messenger RNA and protein expression, respectively. Luciferase assay was used to investigate direct microRNA target. Results: Bioinformatic analysis predicted that microRNA (miR)-93, miR-195, miR-497, and miR-340 are potential regulators of the immune evasion of breast cancer cells, and that they exert this function by targeting CD274, PDCD1LG2, and NCR3LG1. We chose CD274 for further investigations. We found that miR-195, miR-497, and CD274 expression levels were inversely correlated in MDA-MB-231 cells, and miR-195 and miR-497 expressions mimic inhibited CD274 expression in vitro. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that miR-195 and miR-497 directly target CD274 3' untranslated region. Conclusion: Our data indicated that the level of B7 family members can predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients, and miR-195/miR-497 regulate CD274 expression in triple negative breast cancer. This regulation may further influence tumor progression and the immune tolerance mechanism in breast cancer and may be able to predict the effect of immunotherapy on patients.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.1458-1468
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• 2019

Objective: As one of the most important metabolic organs, the liver plays vital roles in modulating the lipid metabolism. This study was to compare miRNA expression profiles of the Large White liver between two different developmental periods and to identify candidate miRNAs for lipid metabolism. Methods: Eight liver samples were collected from White Large of 70-day fetus (P70) and of 70-day piglets (D70) (with 4 biological repeats at each development period) to construct sRNA libraries. Then the eight prepared sRNA libraries were sequenced using Illumina next-generation sequencing technology on HiSeq 2500 platform. Results: As a result, we obtained 346 known and 187 novel miRNAs. Compared with the D70, 55 down- and 61 up-regulated miRNAs were shown to be significantly differentially expressed (DE). Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis indicated that these DE miRNAs were mainly involved in growth, development and diverse metabolic processes. They were predicted to regulate lipid metabolism through adipocytokine signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase, AMP-activated protein kinase, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B, and Notch signaling pathway. The four most abundantly expressed miRNAs were miR-122, miR-26a and miR-30a-5p (miR-122 only in P70), which play important roles in lipid metabolism. Integration analysis (details of mRNAs sequencing data were shown in another unpublished paper) revealed that many target genes of the DE miRNAs (miR-181b, miR-145-5p, miR-199a-5p, and miR-98) might be critical regulators in lipid metabolic process, including acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4, ATP-binding casette A4, and stearyl-CoA desaturase. Thus, these miRNAs were the promising candidates for lipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our study provides the main differences in the Large White at miRNA level between two different developmental stages. It supplies a valuable database for the further function and mechanism elucidation of miRNAs in porcine liver development and lipid metabolism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권7호
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• pp.1083-1095
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• 2019

Butyrate is known to play a significant role in energy metabolism and regulating genomic activities that influence rumen nutrition utilization and function. Thus, this study investigated the effects of an isolated butyrate-producing bacteria, Clostridium saccharobutylicum, in rumen butyrate production, fermentation parameters and microbial population in Holstein-Friesian cow. An isolated butyrate-producing bacterium from the ruminal fluid of a Holstein-Friesian cow was identified and characterized as Clostridium saccharobutylicum RNAL841125 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The bacterium was evaluated on its effects as supplement on in vitro rumen fermentation and microbial population. Supplementation with $10^6CFU/ml$ Clostridium saccharobutylicum increased (p < 0.05) microbial crude protein, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids concentration but had no significant effect on $NH_3-N$ at 24 h incubation. Butyrate and total VFA concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in supplementation with $10^6CFU/ml$ Clostridium saccharobutylicum compared with control, with no differences observed for total gas production, $NH_3-N$ and propionate concentration. However, as the inclusion rate (CFU/ml) of C. saccharobutylicum was increased, reduction of rumen fermentation values was observed. Furthermore, butyrate-producing bacteria and Fibrobacter succinogenes population in the rumen increased in response with supplementation of C. saccharobutylicum, while no differences in the population in total bacteria, protozoa and fungi were observed among treatments. Overall, our study suggests that supplementation with $10^6CFU/ml$ C. saccharobutylicum has the potential to improve ruminal fermentation through increased concentrations of butyrate and total volatile fatty acid, and enhanced population of butyrate-producing bacteria and cellulolytic bacteria F. succinogenes.

• Journal of the Korean Data Analysis Society
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.2805-2812
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• 2018

본 연구는 생명정보학(bio-informatics) 분야 중, 특정 병에 관련된 유전자 위치를 찾고자 DNA 시퀀싱(DNA sequencing) 방법을 이용한 메틸화(methylation) 데이터의 분석에 관한 것이다. 반복적인 시퀀싱 과정을 통해 도출되는 메틸화 여부 자료를 비율로 표현한 메틸화 점수는 0과 1사이의 값을 가지게 된다. 이러한 데이터에 집단별 메틸화 점수의 차이를 검토하기 위해 t-검정을 단순히 적용하는 것은 정규분포의 가정에 위배된다. 또한 메틸화 점수 생성과정에서 시퀀싱의 반복수에 따라 결과가 달라 질 수 있으므로 이러한 오차를 고려해서 분석할 수 있는 방법도 필요하다. 이에 본 논문에서는 메틸화 데이터를 하나의 숫자 데이터가 아닌 불확실성을 포함하는 구간형(interval) 데이터로 변환하여 분석하는 심볼릭 데이터 분석(symbolic data analysis) 및 구간형 K-S 검정법을 적용하였다. 또한 구간형 데이터로 변환하는 과정에서 정규분포를 이용하지 않고 베타분포를 이용하여 메틸화 점수의 특성을 반영하여 분석할 수 있게 하였다. 자료분석을 위하여 174명의 실제 암환자 및 정상인들의 DNA 시퀀싱 데이터를 이용하여 제안한 방법의 성질을 살펴보았다. t-검정은 위치모수에 관한 검정만 가능한 반면, 구간형 K-S 통계량은 구간자료에 대해 위치모수뿐만 아니라 분포함수의 이질성에 검정할 수 있으므로 t-검정이 놓칠 수 있는 유의미한 유전자 위치를 찾아낼 수 있음을 확인하였다.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.78-85
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• 2019

막 단백질은 심장질환, 암과 같은 우리 주변에서 흔히 발생하는 질병에 관련되어 있다. 이러한 암과 같은 특정한 질환 상태에서, 막 단백질과 관련된 신호 전달의 비정상은 세포분열을 통제하지 못하고 증가시킬 수 있으며 막 단백질의 발현에 변화가 생긴다. 막 단백질은 지질 이중층으로 이루어진 소수성 환경을 가지고 있어 불안정하기 때문에 막 단백질을 추출해서 연구를 수행하는데 어려움이 있다. 이번 연구에서는 최적화된 막 단백질 추출법을 확인하고자 서로 다른 두 가지 추출법의 효율성을 평가하였다. 두 가지 방법으로, high-speed centrifuge법과 reagent법이 비교되었다. 비교 분석결과, 미토콘드리아 내막 단백질 분석에는 high-speed centrifuge법이 효율적이고, 소포체 막 단백질 분석에는 reagent법이 유용함을 확인하였다. 게다가 유전자 온톨로지 소프트웨어를 이용해서 추출된 막 단백질의 기능분석을 진행하였을 때, 유전자 온톨로지는 reagent법에서 소포체 막 단백질에 연관된 반응이 활성화 되는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 프로세스 네트워크 분석에서, high-speed centrifuge법에서는 하나의 클러스터를 형성화는 반면, reagent법에서는 네 개의 클러스터를 형성하는 것을 시각화하여 확인하였다. 결론적으로, 두 가지 분석법은 서로 다른 하위 막 단백질의 분석에 유용함을 확인할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과를 토대로, 막 단백질을 분석할 때, 표적의 세부 막 단백질을 고려하여 방법론을 선택하는데 도움을 줄 것으로 기대된다.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.457-461
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• 2018

황체는 발정주기에 따라 형성과 퇴행이 반복되는 일시적인 내분비기관이다. 본 연구에서는 황체와 종양의 혈관신생과정이 기능적과 구조적 기전이 유사하다는 가정하에 실시하였다. 먼저, 우리는 혈관신생관련 수용체인 VEGFR2와 Tie 2 mRNA와 단백질 발현을 검토하였다. 또한, RLIP76와 H-ras의 발현도 측정하였다. 그 결과, 초기와 중기황체에서 VEGFR2와 Tie 2 mRNA와 단백질의 발현되었으나, 후기황체에서는 발현이 감소하였다. H-ras의 경우, mRMA와 단백질 모두 초기와 중기황체에서 발현되었으나, 후기황체에서는 발현되지 않았다. RLIP76 mRNA은 모든 황체주기에서 발현되었고, 단백질은 초기황체에서 강하게 발현되었다. 이상의 결과를 토대로, RLIP76와 H-ras는 황체의 기능에 관여하고, 황체의 혈관신생과정 메커니즘에 중요한 역할을 할 것이다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제61권5호
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• pp.260-271
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different stocker management programs on skeletal muscle development and growth characteristics, satellite cell (SC) activity in growing-finishing beef cattle as well as the effects of SC-conditioned media on preadipocyte gene expression and differentiation. Fall-weaned Angus steers (n = 76; $258{\pm}28kg$) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 stocker production systems: 1) grazing dormant native range (NR) supplemented with a 40% CP cottonseed meal-based supplement ($1.02kg{\cdot}steer^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) followed by long-season summer grazing (CON, 0.46 kg/d); 2) grazing dormant NR supplemented with a ground corn and soybean meal-based supplement fed at 1% of BW followed by short-season summer grazing (CORN, 0.61 kg/d); 3) grazing winter wheat pasture (WP) at high stocking density (3.21 steers/ha) to achieve a moderate rate of gain (LGWP, 0.83 kg/d); and 4) grazing winter WP at low stocking density (0.99 steers/ha) to achieve a high rate of gain (HGWP, 1.29 kg/d). At the end of the stocker (intermediate harvest, IH) and finishing (final harvest, FH) phases, 4 steers / treatment were harvested and longissimus muscles (LM) sampled for cryohistological immunofluorescence analysis and SC culture assays. At IH, WP steers had greater LM fiber cross-sectional area than NR steers; however, at FH, the opposite was observed (p < 0.0001). At IH, CORN steers had the lowest Myf-5+:Pax7+ SC density (p = 0.020), while LGWP steers had the most Pax7+ SC (p = 0.043). At FH, CON steers had the highest LM capillary density (p = 0.003) and their cultured SC differentiated more readily than all other treatments (p = 0.017). At FH, Pax7 mRNA was more abundant in 14 d-old SC cultures from HGWP cattle (p = 0.03). Preadipocytes exposed to culture media from proliferating SC cultures from WP cattle isolated at FH had more $PPAR{\gamma}$ (p = 0.037) and less FABP4 (p = 0.030) mRNA expression compared with NR cattle. These data suggest that different stocker management strategies can impact skeletal muscle growth, SC function, and potentially impact marbling development in growing-finishing beef cattle.

• BMB Reports
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.118-123
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• 2021

The bacterial effector protein RavZ from a pathogen can impair autophagy in the host by delipidating the mammalian autophagy-related gene 8 (mATG8)-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) on autophagic membranes. In RavZ, the membrane-targeting (MT) domain is an essential function. However, the molecular mechanism of this domain in regulating the intracellular localization of RavZ in cells is unclear. In this study, we found that the fusion of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the MT domain of RavZ (GFP-MT) resulted in localization primarily to the cytosol and nucleus, whereas the GFP-fused duplicated-MT domain (GFP-2xMT) localized to Rab5- or Rab7-positive endosomes. Similarly, GFP fusion to the catalytic domain (CA) of RavZ (GFP-CA) resulted in localization primarily to the cytosol and nucleus, even in autophagy-induced cells. However, by adding the MT domain to GFP-CA (GFP-CA-MT), the cooperation of MT and CA led to localization on the Rab5-positive endosomal membranes in a wortmannin-sensitive manner under nutrient-rich conditions, and to autophagic membranes in autophagy-induced cells. In autophagic membranes, GFP-CA-MT delipidated overexpressed or endogenous mATG8-PE. Furthermore, GFP-CA△α3-MT, an α3 helix deletion within the CA domain, failed to localize to the endosomal or autophagic membranes and could not delipidate overexpressed mATG8-PE. Thus, the CA or MT domain alone is insufficient for stable membrane localization in cells, but the cooperation of MT and CA leads to localization to the endosomal and autophagic membranes. In autophagic membranes, the CA domain can delipidate mATG8-PE without requiring substrate recognition mediated by LC3-interacting region (LIR) motifs.