• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.400-404
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• 2001

A new human endogenous retroviral family (HERV-S) has recently been identified from human X chromosome. It is 6.7 kb in length and has a typical retroviral structure with LTR-gag-pol-env-LTR. Using the PCR and sequencing approach, we investigated LTR elements of the HERV-S family from a human genomic DNA. Four LTR elements (HSL-1, HSL-5, HSL-10, HSL-11) were identified and have a high degree of sequence similarity(96-99%) with that of the HERV-S. Phylogenetic analysis from the HERV-S family indicated that the LTR elements were mainly divided into 2- groups through evolutionary divergence in the primate evolution. Further investigation of the HERV-S LTR elements in primates may cast light on the integration timing into the primate genome and understanding of human evolution.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.133-141
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• 2005

Most of the endogenous retroviral genes integrated into the primate genome after the split of New World monkeys in the Oligocene era, approximately 33 million years ago. Because they can change the structure of adjacent genes and move between and within chromosomes they may play important roles in evolutionas well as in many kinds of disease and the creation of genetic polymorphism. Comparative analysis of HERVs (human endogenous retroviruses) and their LTR (long terminal repeat) elements in the primate genomes will help us to understand the possible impact of HERV elements in the evolution and phylogeny of primates. For example, HERV-K LTR and SINE-R elements have been identified that have been subject to recent change in the course of primate evolution. They are specific elements to the human genome and could be related to biological function. The HERV-M element is related to the superfamily of HERV-K and is integrated into the periphilin gene as the truncated form, 5'LTR-gag-pol-3'LTR. PCR and RT-PCR approaches indicated that the insertion of various retrotransposable elements in a common ancestor genome may make different transcript variants in different primate species. Examination of the HERV-W elementrevealed that env fragments were detected on human chromosomes 1, 3-7, 12, 14, 17, 20, and X, whilst the pol fragments were detected on human chromosomes 2-8, 10-15, 20, 21, X, and Y. Bioinformatic blast search showed that almost full-length of the HERV-W family was identified on human chromosomes 1-8, 11-15, 17, 18, 21, and X. Expression analysis of HERV-W genes (gag, pol, and env) in human tissues by RT-PCR indicated that gag and pol were expressed in specific tissues, whilst env was constituitively expressed in all tissues examined. DNA sequence based phylogenetic analysis indicated that the gag, pol and env genes have evolved independently during primate evolution. It will thus be of considerable interest to expand the current HERV gene information of various primates and disease tissues.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.83-94
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• 2017

Caregiving for the children seems to be one of the most challenging tasks for the parents who should devote themselves totally despite endangering them. From the evolutionary perspective, this human behavior must have been the advantage in the survival of the species and rooted in ethological origin. John Bowlby, a child psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and great developmental researcher, had formulated the attachment theory linking psychoanalysis and ethology through evolutionary biology. His and later following researchers' outcomes have provided enormous influence on viewing parental caregiving and the insight of human relationships and interventions. This article overviews the attachment theory in terms of the goal oriented cybernetic system to gain the survival advantage of the offspring and investigates the evolutionary origin of the caregiving and attachment from the retiles of the Mesozoic era to the mammalian revolution and finally to the human being. Deeper understanding of the nurturance and adult relationships from the standpoint of evolution can provide clinical utility of awareness of clients' lives.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.373-379
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• 2015

Humans have acquired many distinct evolutionary traits after the human-chimpanzee divergence. These phenotypes have resulted from genetic changes that occurred in the human genome and were retained by natural selection. Comparative primate genome analyses reveal that loss-of-function mutations are common in the human genome. Some of these gene inactivation events were revealed to be associated with the emergence of advantageous phenotypes and were therefore positively selected and fixed in modern humans (the "less-ismore" hypothesis). Representative cases of human gene inactivation and their functional implications are presented in this review. Functional studies of additional inactive genes will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying acquisition of various human-specific traits. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 373-379]

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.470-483
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• 2003

This study analyzed the evolutionary content in 13 textbooks developed from the first to the 6th high school biology curriculum, The content analysis of textbooks, which were delineated nine component, was performed on the 80 evolutionary categories, According to the result, the proportion of the total evolutionary content in textbook increased from the textbooks developed by the Ist curriculum to the textbooks developed by the 6th curriculum, but the proportion of 'main narrative' in total evolutionary content was gradually decreased. It also showed that biology curriculum and points of view of textbook writers influenced on the proportion of evolutionary contents. On the whole, the topics of analysed textbooks exhibit insufficient diversity, Any categories- 'group selection', 'gene selection', 'gaps in fossil record', 'co-evolution', 'punctuated equilibrium', 'mosaic evolution', 'place of labor in human evolution', 'human race differentiation', 'criticism of "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny", and 'human activities affecting evolution' - were not treated and others - 'theory of neutralism', 'theories of major episodes(excepting extinctions) found in the geologic time scale', 'sympatric speciation', 'clinal and area-effect speciation', 'polyploidy and evolution', 'gradualism' and 'evolution and origin of mammals' - were treated very lightly, the most emphasized topic was 'phylogeny in general' and 'formation of precells', 'miscellaneous' in the order of emphasis. 'Theory of natural selection' was lightly treated as just one of evolutionary theory though it should be emphasized as major theme of evolution. Also, the law of recapitulation, of which biologists doubt the validity, was discussed as an evidence of evolution in some textbooks. And the agents of genetic equilibrium disruption like genetic drift and migration were treated as of little importance. On the basis of above result, it was suggested that the textbook writers introduced the more meaningful evolutionary topics focused the theory of natural selection in explanation of evolution and evolution theory.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.655-678
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• 2012

Doris Lessing, who considers science and technology as instruments of capitalism, deals with the theme of 'biological evolution' in The Sirian Experiments, the third book in the Canopus in Argos: Archives series. One of her themes that repeats throughout is that of 'spiritual evolution,' and in The Four-Gated City she even used 'biological evolution' as its metaphor. This paper analyzes The Sirian Experiments using scientific knowledge such as the concept of 'biological evolution' from Charles Darwin's evolution theory and Edward O. Wilson's sociobiology. Lessing concludes that while 'biological evolution' not accompanied with 'spiritual evolution' puts humans in existential problems and mental breakdown, the one in equilibrium with the other can bring social and political revolution. Lessing's concept of 'spiritual evolution' is basically a product of her holistic view and her own philosophical view that human evolution is a necessary process following the Universal Order, which shows that she is influenced by Sufism. The basic tenet in Sufi philosophy is to achieve equilibrium between the rational and non-rational modes of consciousness. Lessing incorporates her rational and irrational ideas into The Sirian Experiments to make a field for confluence where the biological, the sociological, and the spiritual thinking converge.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.452-460
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• 2016

Acid stress can affect the viability of probiotics, especially Bifidobacterium. This study aimed to improve the acid tolerance of Bifidobacterium longum BBMN68 using adaptive evolution. The stress response, and genomic differences of the parental strain and the variant strain were compared by acid stress. The highest acid-resistant mutant strain (BBMN68m) was isolated from more than 100 asexual lines, which were adaptive to the acid stress for 10^th, 20^th, 30^th, 40^th, and 50^th repeats, respectively. The variant strain showed a significant increase in acid tolerance under conditions of pH 2.5 for 2 h (from 7.92 to 4.44 log CFU/ml) compared with the wild-type strain (WT, from 7.87 to 0 log CFU/ml). The surface of the variant strain was also smoother. Comparative whole-genome analysis showed that the galactosyl transferase D gene (cpsD, bbmn68_1012), a key gene involved in exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis, was altered by two nucleotides in the mutant, causing alteration in amino acids, pI (from 8.94 to 9.19), and predicted protein structure. Meanwhile, cpsD expression and EPS production were also reduced in the variant strain (p < 0.05) compared with WT, and the exogenous WT-EPS in the variant strain reduced its acid-resistant ability. These results suggested EPS was related to acid responses of BBMN68.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.63-87
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• 2010

Natural Medicine is a medical system that tries to find the cause and cure of the disease in the nature emphasizing on natural healing power of human body. The most important value of traditional medicine in east Asia lies on the fact that this medicine is a medical culture and natural medicine that was selected by instinct and human nature reflecting the best possible remedy by the wisdom of evolution, and views the living phenomenon based on relation and circulation. This medicine is a natural medicine that tries to recover and promote the natural healing power by vitality and is a system that cumulates various empirical information about unique and complicated life phenomenon as a legacy of evolution in the body and the disease. The understanding of variation and adaptation of human species should be based on thorough knowledge of origin, instinct and nature of human as well as knowledge of survival and adaptation of human and environment based on evolution. And through this insight, the prevention and treatment of modern diseases should be developed. In this regards, traditional medicine in east Asia should be highlighted again as a study on adaptation and harmony of penetrating the cultural history of mind which has led the history of biological body and change of society and culture, and the repository of practical wisdom and knowledge.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.142-148
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• 2005

The immune response-related genes have been suggested to be the most favorable genes for positive selection during evolution. Comparing the entire DNA sequence of chimpanzee chromosome 22 (PTR22) with human chromosome 21 (HSA21), we have identified 15 orthologs having indel in their coding sequences. Among them, interferon-${\alpha}$ receptor-1 gene (IFNAR1), an immuneresponse-related gene, is subjected to comparative genomic analysis. Chimpanzee IFNAR1 showed the same genomic structure as human IFNAR1 (11 exons and 10 introns) except the 3 bp insertion in exon 4. The sequence alignment of IFNAR1 coding sequence indicated that 'ISPP' amino acid sequence motif is highly conserved in chimpanzee and other animals including mouse and chicken. However, the human IFNAR1 shows that one proline residue is missing in the sequence motif. The homology modeling of the IFNAR1 structures suggests that the proline deletion in human IFNAR1 leads to the formation of the following ${\alpha}$-helix, whereas two sequential prolines in chimpanzee IFNAR1 inhibit it. As a result, human IFNAR1 may adopt a characteristic structure distinct from chimpanzee IFNAR1. This human specific trait could contribute to specific immune response in the most optimized manner for humans. Further molecular biological studies on the IFNAR1 will help us to gain insights into the molecular implication of species-specific host-pathogen interaction in primate evolution.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.98-104
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• 2014

Approximately 45% of the human genome is comprised of transposable elements (TEs). Results from the Human Genome Project have emphasized the biological importance of TEs. Many studies have revealed that TEs are not simply "junk" DNA, but rather, they play various roles in processes, including genome evolution, gene expression regulation, genetic instability, and cancer disposition. The effects of TE insertion in the genome varies from negligible to disease conditions. For the past two decades, many studies have shown that TEs are the causative factors of various genetic disorders and cancer. TEs are a subject of interest worldwide, not only in terms of their clinical aspects but also in basic research, such as evolutionary tracking. Although active TEs contribute to genetic instability and disease states, non-long terminal repeat transposons are well studied, and their roles in these processes have been confirmed. In this review, we will give an overview of the importance of TEs in studying genome evolution and genetic instability, and we suggest that further in-depth studies on the mechanisms related to these phenomena will be useful for both evolutionary tracking and clinical diagnostics.