• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.132-136
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• 2021

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is caused by autosomal dominant pathogenic variants in one of 14 currently known monogenic genes. Characteristics of patients with MODY include early-onset clinical disease with a family history of diabetes and negative autoantibodies and may present with heterogeneous phenotypes according to the different subtypes. Here, we report a patient with early-onset diabetes who presented asymptomatic mild fasting hyperglycemia with the absence of autoantibodies. She was diagnosed with glucokinase (GCK)-MODY caused by a GCK variant, c.1289T>C (p.L430P), identified by targeted gene-panel testing, and the affected father had the same variant. We interpreted this rare missense variant as a likely pathogenic variant and then she stopped taking oral medication. This case highlights the usefulness of gene-panel testing for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of MODY. We also note the importance of familial genetic testing and genetic counseling for the proper interpretation of MODY variants.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.308-316
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify the variant of Platanus occidentalis, whose bark looks white, also can be classified as P. occidentalis and to examine its genetic difference from the general P. occidentalis. For the variant identification of P. occidentalis, SNP and ISSR analysis were used in this study. Thirteen samples of P. occidentalis white variant were collected in Cheongju and 24 samples of normal P. occidentalis obtained in Cheongju, Pyongtaek, Ansan, Suwon, Osan and Jincheon area. ITS 1 and ITS 2 sequences of white variants were identical with those of P. occidentalis. We could not find any sequence difference between normal and white P. occidentalis. So we concluded that the white variant belongs to normal P. occidentalis even their bark is white and peeled easily. By ISSR test, 98 amplicons were acquired using 10 primers. P. occidentalis and white P. occidentalis showed different band patterns from the UBC #834. According to the result of Nei (1979)'s genetic distance analysis, the members of white P. occidentalis were grouped more tightly than the members of normal P. occidentalis. The UPGMA dendrogram shows that the variant and P. occidentalis divided widely into two groups. These results show that the phenotype of P. occidentalis white variant is caused by genetic factors rather than by environmental factors.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2005

Kalopanax pictus is a long-lived woody species mostly distributed in East Asia. K. pictus has been regarded as medically and ecologically important species in Korea. Thornless castor aralia variant, local name 'Cheongsong' is an endemic to Cheongsong province in Korea. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to investigate the genetic variation and structure of Korean populations of two species. A high level of genetic variation was found in six K. pictus populations. Twelve primers revealed 49 loci, of which 29 were polymorphic (59.2%). Nei's gene diversity for K.pictus and K. pictus variant were 0.119 and 0.098, respectively. Mean of genetic diversity in K. pictus was higher than average values for species with similar life history traits. The asexual and sexual reproduction, perennial habitat, and longevity are proposed as possible factors contributing to high genetic diversity. An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm=0.857) indicated that gene flow was not extensive among Korean populations of K.pictus. It is suggested that the isolation of geographical distance and reproductive isolation between K.pictus and K.pictus variant populations may have played roles in shaping the population structure of this species.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.40-53
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• 2023

Differential bitterness perception associated with genetic polymorphism in the bitter taste receptor gene taste 2 receptor member 38 (TAS2R38) may influence an individual's food preferences, nutrition consumption, and eventually chronic nutrition-related disorders including cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the effect of genetic variations on nutritional intake and clinical markers needs to be elaborated for health and disease prevention. In this study, we conducted sex-stratified analysis to examine the association between genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 A > G with daily nutritional intake, blood pressure, and lipid parameters in Korean adults (males = 1,311 and females = 2,191). We used the data from the Multi Rural Communities Cohort, Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Findings suggested that the genetic variant TAS2R38 rs10246939 was associated with dietary intake of micronutrients including calcium (adjusted p = 0.007), phosphorous (adjusted p = 0.016), potassium (adjusted p = 0.022), vitamin C (adjusted p = 0.009), and vitamin E (adjusted p = 0.005) in females. However, this genetic variant did not influence blood glucose, lipid profile parameters, and other blood pressure markers. These may suggest that this genetic variation is associated with nutritional intake, but its clinical effect was not found. More studies are needed to explore whether TAS2R38 genotype may be a potential predictive marker for the risk of metabolic diseases via modulation of dietary intake.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5361-5365
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of a genetic variant in the multidrug resistance 1 gene (MDR1) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. This case-control study was conducted in a Chinese population of 645 HCC cases and 658 cancer-free controls. The genotype of the c.3751G>A genetic variant in the MDR1 gene was investigated by created restriction site-polymerase chain reaction (CRS-PCR) and DNA sequencing methods. Our data demonstrated significantly differences detected in the allelic and genotypic frequencies between HCC cases and those of cancer-free controls. Association analyses indicated that there were statistically increased risk of HCC in the homozygote comparison (AA versus (vs.) GG: OR=2.22, 95% CI 1.51-3.27, ${\chi}^2$=16.90, P<0.001), dominant model (AA/GA vs. GG: OR=1.25, 95% CI 1.00-1.55, ${\chi}^2$=3.98, P=0.046), recessive model (AA vs. GA/GG: OR=2.14, 95% CI 1.47-3.09, ${\chi}^2$=16.68, P<0.001) and allele comparison (A vs. G: OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.13-1.57, ${\chi}^2$=11.66, P=0.001). The allele-A and genotype-AA may contribute to HCC susceptibility. These preliminary findings suggest that the c.3751G>A genetic variant in the MDR1 gene is potentially related to HCC susceptibility in a Chinese Han population, and might be used as a molecular marker for evaluating HCC susceptibility.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2021

Purpose: Demand for genetic counseling on cancer predisposition syndrome is increasing. We evaluated the psychological effect on counselees after genetic counseling at a clinic in a single center. Materials and Methods: We surveyed a total of 72 enrolled participants who visited a genetic counseling clinic at the Samsung Medical Center (SMC). The initial survey was conducted before the first genetic counseling session, and the second survey was conducted after the second genetic counseling session. A total of 43 participants completed both the initial and second surveys. Results: The initial survey of 72 participants indicated higher feelings of guilt in the group with religion, higher depression and anxiety in the group with a diagnosis of self, and higher anxiety in the group on self-referral to the genetic counseling clinic. In the completed survey of 43 participants, overall decreased depression was observed after the second genetic counseling session (P=0.013). Risk perception and anxiety decreased in the group diagnosed with benign variant/variant of uncertain significance (BV/VUS, 25/3) and increased in the group diagnosed with pathogenic variant (PV, 15). Risk perception and anxiety differed between the BV/VUS and PV groups (P<0.001 and P=0.03, respectively). Conclusion: The genetic counseling clinic at the SMC was effective in ameliorating the depression score. Assessment of survey results revealed different depression scores, feelings of guilt and anxiety, and different effects of the genetic counseling clinic, depending on the subgroups. Understanding the needs and psychological characteristics of different groups is necessary for improving genetic counseling services.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.60-63
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• 2021

Gabriel-de Vries syndrome, caused by the mutation of YY1, is a newly defined genetic syndrome characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, and intrauterine growth retardation. A 7-month-old girl presented developmental delay and subtle facial dysmorphism including facial asymmetry, micrognathia, and low-set ears. Whole exome sequencing identified a de novo heterozygous missense variant in the YY1 (c.1220A>G; p.His407Arg) gene. Here, we examined the clinical and genetic characteristics of an infant with a novel likely pathogenic variant of YY1. This case expands the phenotypic spectrum of Gabriel-de Vries syndrome.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

Rare diseases, even though defined as fewer than 20,000 in South Korea, with over 8,000 rare Mendelian disorders having been identified, they collectively impact 6-8% of the global population. Many of the rare diseases pose significant challenges to patients, patients' families, and the healthcare system. The diagnostic journey for rare disease patients is often lengthy and arduous, hampered by the genetic diversity and phenotypic complexity of these conditions. With the advent of next-generation sequencing technology and clinical implementation of exome sequencing (ES) and genome sequencing (GS), the diagnostic rate for rare diseases is 25-50% depending on the disease category. It is also allowing more rapid new gene-disease association discovery and equipping us to practice precision medicine by offering tailored medical management plans, early intervention, family planning options. However, a substantial number of patients remain undiagnosed, and it could be due to several factors. Some may not have genetic disorders. Some may have disease-causing variants that are not detectable or interpretable by ES and GS. It's also possible that some patient might have a disease-causing variant in a gene that hasn't yet been linked to a disease. For patients who remain undiagnosed, reanalysis of existing data has shown promises in providing new molecular diagnoses achieved by new gene-disease associations, new variant discovery, and variant reclassification, leading to a 5-10% increase in the diagnostic rate. More advanced approach such as long-read sequencing, transcriptome sequencing and integration of multi-omics data may provide potential values in uncovering elusive genetic causes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.187-194
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• 1995

Genetic variants of ${\alpha}s_1$-casein, ${\beta}$-casein, ${\kappa}$-casein and ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin were investigated by starch urea gel electrophoresis in milk samples of 280 Korean native cattle. A new ${\beta}$-casein variant, designated ${\beta}$-casein $A^4$, was found in milk samples of Korean native cattle. It has a much slower electrophoretic mobility than the ${\beta}$-casein $A^3$ variant in acid gel. This new variant appeared together with either ${\beta}$-casein $A^1$, $A^2$ or B variant. Gene frequencies and genotypic frequencies were estimated. Gene frequencies of four milk protein loci in Korean native cattle were compared with those of imported cattle breeds raised in Korea and Japanese brown cattle. Gene frequencies were ${\alpha}s_1$-casein B .846, ${\alpha}s_1$-casein C .154; ${\beta}$-casein $A^1$ .216, ${\beta}$-casein $A^2$ .666, ${\beta}$-casein $A^4$ .048, ${\beta}$-casein B .070; ${\kappa}$-casein A .648, ${\kappa}$-casein B .352; ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin A .148, ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin B .852. The population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at all milk protein loci. Gene frequencies of Korean native cattle were very similar to those of Japanese brown cattle. Interestingly, a new variant, ${\beta}$-casein $A^4$, was found only in Korean native cattle and Japanese brown cattle. These results support the hypothesis that Korean native cattle were used in the development of the Japanese brown cattle.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.535-546
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• 2020

In genetic association studies, pleiotropy is a phenomenon where a variant or a genetic region affects multiple traits or diseases. There have been many studies identifying cross-phenotype genetic associations. But, most of statistical approaches for detection of pleiotropy are based on individual tests where a single variant association with multiple traits is tested one at a time. These approaches fail to account for relations among correlated variants. Recently, multivariate regularization methods have been proposed to detect pleiotropy in analysis of high-dimensional genomic data. However, they suffer a problem of tuning parameter selection, which often results in either too many false positives or too small true positives. In this article, we applied selection probability to multivariate regularization methods in order to identify pleiotropic variants associated with multiple phenotypes. Selection probability was applied to individual elastic-net, unified elastic-net and multi-response elastic-net regularization methods. In simulation studies, selection performance of three multivariate regularization methods was evaluated when the total number of phenotypes, the number of phenotypes associated with a variant, and correlations among phenotypes are different. We also applied the regularization methods to a wild bean dataset consisting of 169,028 variants and 17 phenotypes.