• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1428-1433
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• 2012

Longevity is an exciting but difficult subject to study because it is determined by complex processes that require the coordinated action of several genetic factors as well as physiological and environmental influences. Genetic approaches have been applied to animal models to identify the molecular mechanism responsible for longevity. Several experimental model organisms obtained over the last decades suggest that the complete deletion of a single gene by gene targeting has proven to be an invaluable tool for the discovery of the mechanisms underlying longevity. The first discovery of long-lived mutants came from Caenorhabditis elegans research, which identified the insulin/IGF-1 pathway as responsible for longevity in this worm. IGF-1 is a multifunctional polypeptide that has sequence similarity to insulin and is involved in normal growth and development of cells. Several factors in the IGF-1 system have since been studied by gene targeting in the control of longevity in lower species, including nematode and fruit fly. In addition, significant progress has been made using mice models to extend the lifespan by targeted mutations that interfere with growth hormone/IGF-1 and IGF-1 signaling cascades. A recent finding that IGF-1 is involved in aging in mice was achieved by using liver-specific knockout mutant mice, and this clearly demonstrated that the IGF-1 signal pathway can extend the lifespan in both invertebrates and vertebrate models. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms for the control of longevity are not fully understood, it is widely accepted that reduced IGF-1 signaling plays an important role in the control of aging and longevity. Several genes involved in the IGF-1 signaling system are reviewed in relation to longevity in genetically modified mice models.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.565-572
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• 2006

This study examined the decomposition of blades and culms of aquatic emergent plant species, Zizania latifolia, Phragmites communis and Typha angustata, which were the most frequent in Lake Paldang. The experiment was carried out from July to December, 2005 in fresh water of lake Paldang using litter bag method. The litter bags had 1.2 mm mesh size and were suspended at 1 m depth of water surface. Remaining mass of blades and culms of each species after 97 days was 21.2% and 22.6% of initial mass in Z. latifolia, 32.5% and 56.4% in P. communis and 44.7% and 38.1 % in T. angustata, respectively. The plant tissue having high N concentration and low C/N exhibited the faster decay rate than the others. However, the tissue of high content of lignin, cellulose, lignin:N, and cullulose:N showed a slow decomposition rate. Water temperature was the most effective environmental factor on the emergent macrophyte litter decomposition in aquatic ecosystems. According to the water temperature, DO, $NO_3^-$-N, and total phosphate concentration were changed in the linear way. The mass loss of plant tissue of emergent macrophytes showed positive relationship with P concentration in water. The experiments on the decomposition of the litter using different mesh sized litter bag did not show significant differences between them. The results suggest that the decomposition of emergent macrophytes in fresh water of lake Paldang, which showed features of lentic and lower part of a stream, was affected by microbial activities better than the micro-invertebrates such as shredders.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.478-485
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• 2013

Fish field survey, especially fish distribution and their ecological characteristics, was performed in the downstream region of Gyeongan stream during the period of before (June) and after (October) the summer monsoon in 2010. Depending on the characteristics of each site, fyke net or casting net was used for fish sampling. Feeding classification was determined by the analysis of stomach contents. Total number of family and species sampled were 5 and 17, respectively. The dominant family was Cyprinidae (12 species), and relative abundance (RA) of the most dominant species, Lepomis macrochirus and Zacco platypus, was 38% and 24%, respectively. Exotic species and Korean endemic species observed were 3 (423 individuals, RA 44%) and 4 (98 individuals, RA 10%), respectively. Tolerance guild analysis as characteristics of ecological indicators revealed an undoubtedly high percentage (97%), compared to others as reflected by the identification of just one sensitive species. Analysis of trophic guilds showed that L. macrochirus dominated among insectivores (44% RA). The food of L. macrochirus composed of, aquatic insects, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, Chironomidae, and waterweed. Thus, we determined that L. macrochirus could be classified as insectivores (partially carnivores) in this study. Conversely, Z. platypus consumed Cladocera exclusively, greater than 90% of their feed. We presume that stable isotope analysis would identify the exact position of these species in the food web.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.304-310
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• 2003

Effects of different amounts of fertilizer and manure application on changes of chemical and biological properties of soil were studied in plastic film house. Application amount of fertilizer was determined on the basis of soil test, standard application rate, and conventional rate of farmers. Lettuce in the first and second seasons and spinach in the third season were cultivated. Crop yields were highest in the plot fertilized on the basis of soil test during the three crop seasons. In the third crop season, spinach yield was lower in conventional plot applied with larger amount of pig manure compost than any other treatment. Organic matter, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium were accumulated in soil of the conventional plot with successive cropping. There was no difference in the abundance of soil invertebrates among the treatments, but soil enzyme activity was highest in the conventional plot.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.171-179
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• 2013

Arginine kinase (ArK) is known to play an important role in most invertebrates the level of ATP by phosphorylation of phosphagens in cell and immuninty in living organisms. ArK has been identified in many kinds of organisms ranging from invertebrate to vertebrate. However, no ArK gene has been cloned and investigated from N. samarangae. This leads us to identify ArK cDNA (NsArK) from the expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing of N. samarangae. Sequence analysis indicated that the coding region of 1,065 bp contains 355 amino acid residues. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows that NsArK had very high similarities with mollusca and arthropoda. In an attempt to investigate a potential role of NsArK in the digestive gland of N. samarangae, expression patterns were analyzed. RT-PCR analsysis shows that NsArK mRNA is induced in the rane of 1.2 fold at 6 hr by laminarin when compared with the control. The immunnologial and physiological role of NsArK remains to be further investigated in N. samarangae.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.232-237
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• 2018

The feeding habits of Beringraja pulchra were studied using 203 specimens collected from February 2017 to March 2018 in the coastal waters of Incheon, Korea. The size of B. pulchra ranged from 31.1 to 77.7 cm in disc width (DW) and the stomachs of 16 specimens were empty. B. pulchra was a carnivore that mainly consumed fishes and shrimps, but also ate various benthic crustaceans and other invertebrates with small amounts. The main prey items in the diets of shrimps and fishes were Crangon hakodatei and Ammodytes personatus, respectively. The proportion of fishes in prey items increased with size-related while that of shrimps decreased. With increasing disc width of B. pulchra, the mean number of preys per stomach (mN/ST) and the mean weight of preys per stomach (mW/ST) were increased.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.381-388
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• 2020

Bioluminescence refers to the production and emission of light in living organisms. This phenomenon arises from luciferase-catalyzed oxidation reaction of luciferin. Bioluminescence is widely observed in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some microorganisms and fungi. To date, approximately 80 species of fungi have been reported to be luminous. One such example is Omphalotus japonicus, which is a luminous fungus found in Korea. In this study, we examined the bioluminescence of Omphalotus japonicus mycelia. Light emission was detected at the edges of mycelia grown on solid agar medium. Notably, the intensity of bioluminescence was found to be significantly enhanced following wound induction. The increase in light intensity peaked at 3 h after mechanical damage. We also investigated the effects of extreme temperatures on bioluminescence. Unlike mechanical damage, high and low temperatures repressed the light emission from mycelia. Further investigations are required to reveal the physiological and ecological properties of fungal bioluminescent responses to environmental stresses.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.626-636
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• 2022

Shellfish are exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates that consume various organic and inorganic substances floating in seawater through filter feeding. Heavy metals are known as absorbed and accumulated in seawater. Some of the toxic heavy metals are highly accumulated in seawater, and exposure to them can cause a variety of risks to the human body. Since Koreans like to eat seafood, they are more likely to be exposed to contaminated seafood with heavy metals. In this study, nine types of heavy metals were analyzed on ten different shellfish species in the coastal area of South Korea. The risk assessment was also done on shellfish in which heavy metals were detected. Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were identified at an average of 56.7 mg/kg (6.70 to 466 mg/kg) and 13.2 mg/kg (0.064 to 143 mg/kg), respectively. Lead (Pb) average of 0.208 mg/kg (0.000750 to 1.02 mg/kg), cadmium (Cd) average of 0.454 mg/kg (0.0388 to 1.56 mg/kg) and mercury (Hg) average of 0.0266 mg/kg (0.00548 to 0.174 mg/kg) were identified. Additionally, arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and silver (Ag) were also identified as average concentrations of 4.02 (0.460 to 15.0 mg/kg), 0.167 (< limit of quantification [LOQ] to 0.820 mg/kg), 0.281 (< LOQ to 1.46 mg/kg), and 0.158 mg/kg (< LOQ to 1.15 mg/kg). The result indicates that the monitoring results of heavy metals in most shellfish satisfied the Korean standard. However, Pb and Cd have exceeded some foreign standards, such as the United States and the EU. The permissible human exposure calculated using the heavy metal intake and detection amount was lower than the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives human safety standard, and the risk of heavy metals from shellfish consumption was at an acceptable level.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2008

Marine ecotoxicological standard method was applicated using marine rotifer and benthic copepod as primary consumer of marine ecosystem. Marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis and benthic copepod, Tigriopus japonicus were designated as standard test species with the endpoints of 24hr neonate mortality (24hr $LC_{50}$) and 48hr population growth (48hr $EC_{50}$) for rotifer, and 48hr nauplius mortality (48hr $LC_{50}$) for benthic copepod. Tests method was referred to those of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) with the replacement of test species which are widely distributed in Korean waters. The two species showed a wide tolerance on salinity ($5{\sim}35\;psu$) and can be easily cultured in small space even they were not as sensitive as in the mortality test using the nauplius of marine invertebrates. However, these species revealed the significant "concentrationresponse relationship" tested with ocean disposal wastes, and reproducibility using cadmium as standard reference material between laboratories. Accordingly, these two species have good potential as test species for marine ecotoxicological test species. Also, we strongly recommend that at least one of these species be included in the test species of "battery test" in marine bioassay.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.272-281
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• 2023

Ecosystem observatories are burgeoning globally in an endeavour to detect national and global scale trends in the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change. In this paper we highlight the additional importance of regional scale outcomes of such infrastructure, through an introduction to the Great Western Woodlands TERN (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network) SuperSite, and key findings from three gradient plot networks that are part of this infrastructure. The SuperSite was established in 2012 in the 160,000 km² Great Western Woodlands region, in a collaboration involving 12 organisations. This region is globally significant for its largely intact, diverse landscapes, including the world's largest Mediterranean-climate woodlands and highly diverse sandplain shrublands. The dominant woodland eucalypts are fire-sensitive, requiring hundreds of years to regrow after fire. Old-growth woodlands are highly valued by Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and managing impacts of climate change and the increasing extent of intense fires are key regional management challenges. Like other TERN SuperSites, the Great Western Woodlands TERN SuperSite includes a core eddy-covariance flux tower measuring exchanges of carbon, water and energy between the vegetation and atmosphere, along with additional environmental and biodiversity monitoring around the tower. The broader SuperSite incorporates three gradient plot networks. Two of these represent aridity gradients, in sandplains and woodlands, informing regional climate adaptation and biodiversity management by characterising biodiversity turnover along spatial climate gradients and acting as sentinels for ecosystem change over time. For example, the sandplains transect has demonstrated extremely high spatial turnover rates in plant species, that challenge traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation. The third gradient plot network represents a 400-year fire-age gradient in Eucalyptus salubris woodlands. It has enabled characterisation of post-fire recovery of vegetation, birds and invertebrates over multi-century timeframes, and provided tools that are directly informing management to reduce stand-replacing fires in eucalypt woodlands. By building regional partnerships and applying globally or nationally consistent methodologies to regional scale questions, ecological observatories have the power not only to detect national and global scale trends in biodiversity and ecosystems, but to directly inform environmental decisions that are critical at regional scales.