• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.141-148
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• 2006

The effects of adenosine triphosphate(ATP) on salivary glands have been recognized since 1982. The presence of purinergic recepetors(P2Rs) that mediate the effects of ATP in various tissues, including parotid and submandibular salivary gland, has been supported by the cloning of receptor cDNAs and the expression of the receptor proteins. P2Rs have many subtypes, and the activation of these receptor subtypes increase intracellular $Ca^{2+}$, a key ion in the regulation of the secretion in the salivary gland. The apical pores of taste buds in circumvallate and foliate papillae are surrounded by the saliva from von Ebner salivary gland(vEG). Thus, it is important how the secretion of vEG is controlled. This study was designed to elucidate the roles of P2Rs on salivary secretion of vEG. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (about 200 g) were used for this experiment. vEG-rich tissues were obtained from dissecting $500-1,000\;{\mu}m$ thick posterior tongue slices under stereomicroscope view. P2Rs mRNA in vEG acinar cells were identified with RT-PCR. To observe the change in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ activity, we employed $Ca^{2+}-ion$ specific fluorescence analysis with fura-2. Single acinar cells and cell clusters were isolated by a sequential trypsin/collagenase treatment and were loaded with $10\;{\mu}M$ fura -2 AM for 60 minutes at room temperature. Several agonists and antagonists were used to test a receptor specificity. RT-PCR revealed that the mRNAs of $P2X_4$, $P2Y_1$, $P2Y_2$ and $P2Y_3$ are expressed in vEG acinar cells. The intracellular calcium activity was increased in response to $10\;{\mu}M$ ATP, a P2Rs agonist, and 2-MeSATP, a $P2Y_1$ and $P2Y_2R$ agonist. However, $300\;{\mu}M\;{\alpha}{\beta}-MeATP$, a $P2X_1$ and $P2X_3R$ agonist, did not elicit the response. The responses elicited by $10\;{\mu}M$ ATP and UTP, a $P2Y_2R$ agonists, were maintained when extracellular calcium was removed. $10\;{\mu}M$ suramin, a P2XR antagonist, and reactive blue 2, a P2YR antagonist, partially blocked ATP-induced response. However, when extracellular calciums were removed, suramin did not abolish the responses elicited by ATP. These results suggest that P2Rs play an important role in salivary secretion of vEG acinar cells and the effects of ATP on vEG salivary secretion may be mediated by $P2X_4$, $P2Y_1$, $P2Y_2$, and/or $P2Y_3$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.3 s.83
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• pp.402-406
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• 2007

This study was performed to develop the molecular marker for sex determination of hare (Lepus coreanus) distributed in Korea which focused on sexual dimorphism between X and Y chromosomal homologous genes, zinc finger-X (ZFX) and -Y (ZFY). The intron 7 regions of ZFX and ZFY genes exhibited differential amplification patterns between male and female hares. The lengths of intron 7 region of ZFX and ZFY genes were 538 and 233-bp, respectively. Especially, the ZFX intron 7 contained a repetitive sequence identified as member of RNA-mediated transposable elements which was similar to CSINE2 commonly found in the rabbit genome. However, it was not present in intron 7 of ZFY gene. The molecular sex typing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also carried out to determine the sex of hare based on difference in lengths between the intron 7 regions of ZFX and ZFY genes. All DNA samples tested had common band amplified from ZFX. However, the male hare DNAs had two distinct bands which amplified from ZFX and ZFY genes, respectively. The results from ZFX-ZFY PCR sex typing were identical to those from phenotypic investigation and from amplification patterns using male-specific sex determining region Y (SRY) gene as well. Finally, this study suggested that the sexual dimorphism between intron 7 regions of ZFX and ZFY could be useful genetic marker to determine sex of hare.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2001

Colletotrichum species are important fungal pathogens that cause great damages on various host plant species worldwide. In Korea, Colletotrichum species cause massive economic losses on apple, peach, grape, and especially, sweet persimon productions. In the past, identification of the pathogen and the studies on the genetic relationships among the pathogenic isolates were mainly based on morphology, cultural characteristics, and the difference in pathogenicity. However, in recent years, these traditional methods have been replaced with molecular methods including AFLP. AFLP method with the merits of both RAPD and RFLP has been widely used for the genetic relationship studies of various organisms. Therefore, in this study, AFLP method was employed for the studies of genetic relationships among the different isolates of Colletotrichum species collected from various parts of sothern Korea. As a result, two specific band pattern groups were observed among different isolates of Colletotrichum species.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2016

Background: In order to evaluate the effect of pH, known as a critical factor for shaping the biogeographical microbial patterns in the studies by others, on the bacterial diversity, we selected two sites in a similar geographical location (site 1; north latitude 35.3, longitude 127.8, site 2; north latitude 35.2, longitude 129.2) and compared their soil bacterial diversity between them. The mountain soil at site 1 (Jiri National Park) represented naturally acidic but almost pollution free (pH 5.2) and that at site 2 was neutral but exposed to the pollutants due to the suburban location of a big city (pH 7.7). Methods: Metagenomic DNAs from soil bacteria were extracted and amplified by PCR with 27F/518R primers and pyrosequenced using Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium. Results: Bacterial phyla retrieved from the soil at site 1 were more diverse than those at site 2, and their bacterial compositions were quite different: Almost half of the phyla at site 1 were Proteobacteria (49 %), and the remaining phyla were attributed to 10 other phyla. By contrast, in the soil at site 2, four main phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria) composed 94 %; the remainder was attributed to two other phyla. Furthermore, when bacterial composition was examined on the order level, only two Burkholderiales and Rhizobiales were found at both sites. So depending on pH, the bacterial community in soil at site 1 differed from that at site 2, and although the acidic soil of site 1 represented a non-optimal pH for bacterial growth, the bacterial diversity, evenness, and richness at this site were higher than those found in the neutral pH soil at site 2. Conclusions: These results and the indices regarding diversity, richness, and evenness examined in this study indicate that pH alone might not play a main role for bacterial diversity in soil.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.270-281
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• 2012

The bacteria B1-9 that was isolated from the rhizosphere of the green onion could promote growth of pepper, cucumber, tomato, and melon plants. In particular, pepper yield after B1-9 treatment on the seedling was increased about 3 times higher than that of control plants in a field experiment. Partial 16S rDNA sequences revealed that B1-9 belongs to the genus Pantoea ananatis. Pathogenecity tests showed non-pathogenic on kimchi cabbage, carrot, and onion. The functional characterization study demonstrated B1-9's ability to function in phosphate solubilization, sulfur oxidation, nitrogen fixation, and indole-3-acetic acid production. To trace colonization patterns of B1-9 in pepper plant tissues, we used $DRAQ5^{TM}$ fluorescent dye, which stains the DNAs of bacteria and plant cells. A large number of B1-9 cells were found on the surfaces of roots and stems as well as in guard cells. Furthermore, several colonized B1-9 cells resided in inner cortical plant cells. Treatment of rhizosphere regions with strain B1-9 can result in efficient colonization of plants and promote plant growth from the seedling to mature plant stage. In summary, strain B1-9 can be successfully applied in the pepper plantation because of its high colonization capacity in plant tissues, as well as properties that promote efficient plant growth.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.531-537
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• 2017

Objective: This experiment was conducted to explore the impact of diet on the ruminal microbial community in goats. Methods: Twelve goats were divided into two groups and fed complete feed (CF) or all forage (AF) diet. The total microbial DNAs in the rumen liquid were extracted. The V4 region of microbial 16S rRNA genes was amplified and sequenced using high-throughput. Information of sequences was mainly analyzed by QIIME 1.8.0. Results: The results showed that Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the most predominant microbial phyla in the rumen of all goats. At genus level, the abundance of fiber-digesting bacteria such as Ruminococcus and Lachnospiracea incertae sedis was significantly higher in AF than that in CF, while the levels of fat-degrading bacterium Anaerovibrio and protein-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas were opposite. The core shared genera, Prevotella and Butyrivibrio were widespread in the rumen of goats and no significant difference was observed in relative abundance between groups. Conclusion: We concluded that the richness of fiber-, protein-, and fat-digesting bacteria was affected by diet and tended to increase with the rise of their corresponding substrate contents in the ration; some bacteria shared by all goats maintained stable despite the difference in the ration, and they might be essential in maintaining the normal function of rumen.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.429-433
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• 2004

A single recessive gene, rxp, controls the bacterial leaf pustule (BLP) resistance in soybean and in our previous article, it has been mapped on linkage group (LG) D2 of molecular genetic map of soybean. A total of 130 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross between BLP-resistant SS2-2 and BLP-susceptible Jangyeobkong were used to identify molecular markers linked to rxp. Fifteen simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers on LG D2 were screened to construct a genetic map of rxp locus. Only four SSR markers, Satt135, Satt372, Satt448, and Satt486, showed parental polymorphisms. Using these markers, genetic scaffold map was constructed covering 26.2cM. Based on the single analysis of variance, Satt372 among these four SSR markers was the most significantly associated with the resistance to BLP. To develop new amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker linked to the resistance gene, bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was employed. Resistance and susceptible bulks were made by pooling equal amount of genomic DNAs from ten of each in the segregating population. A total of 192 primer combinations were used to identify specific bands to the resistance, selecting three putative AFLP markers. These AFLP markers produced the fragment present in SS2-2 and the resistant bulk, and not in Jangyeobkong and the susceptible bulk. Linkage analysis revealed that McctEact97 $(P=0.0004,\;R^2=14.67\%)$ was more significant than Satt372, previously reported as the most closely linked marker.

• ALGAE
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2002

The transition of plant life from aquatic algae to land to land plants was one of the major events in the history of life. However, in hypothesizing the exact evolutionary path of the transition, limited shared phenotypic characters in aquatic algae and land plants (embryophytes) have been a major hinderance. Chloroplast genomes contain characters useful in tracing evolutionary histories. Embryophyte chloroplast genomes are distinguished from algal cpDNAs by having over 20 group Ⅱ introns, some of which were gained during the transition from algae to embryophytes (Manhart and Palmer 1990; Lew and Manhart 1993;Lee and Manhart 2002). Here we examine a gene cluster that, in land plants, contains psbB, psbT, psbH, petB and petD with introns found in petB and petD (petB.i and petD.i). In addition the presence/absence of introns in trnA and trnI (trnA.i and trnI.i) were determined in all five major lineages of charophytes. We found that the psbB gene cluster occurs in most surveyed charophytes and embryophytes except Spirogyra (Zygnematales) which lacks it due to intra-genomic rearrangement. All four introns are absent in Chlorokybus but present in some or all of the other four charophyte lineages (Klebsormidiales, Zygnematales, Coleochaetales, and Charales). In addition, Chlorokybus is distinguished from other charophytes and embryophytes by having an unusually long spacer (over 2 kb) between psbH-petB. The results indicate that Chlorokybus diverged before the intron gains but after psbB gene cluster formation, placing the other charophyte lineages closer to embryophytes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1727-1735
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• 2012

Regardless of advances in treatment modalities with the invention of newer therapies, breast cancer remains a major health problem with respect to its diagnosis, treatment and management. This female malignancy with its tremendous heterogeneous nature is linked to high incidence and mortality rates, especially in developing region of the world. It is the malignancy composed of distinct biological subtypes with diverse clinical, pathological, molecular and genetic features as well as different therapeutic responsiveness and outcomes. This inconsistency can be partially overcome by finding novel molecular markers with biological significance. In recent years, newer technologies help us to indentify distinct biomarkers and increase our understanding of the molecular basis of breast cancer. However, certain issues need to be resolved that limit the application of gene expression profiling to current clinical practice. Despite the complex nature of gene expression patterns of cDNAs in microarrays, there are some innovative regulatory molecules and functional pathways that allow us to predict breast cancer behavior in the clinic and provide new targets for breast cancer treatment. This review describes the landscape of different molecular markers with particular spotlight on vitamin D signaling pathway and apoptotic specific protein of p53 (ASPP) family members in breast cancer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1086-1091
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• 2011

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of lerak extract on the dynamic of rumen microbes in the in vitro fermentation of diet with different ratios of forage and concentrate. In vitro fermentation was conducted according to the method of Tilley and Terry (1963). The design of experiment was a factorial block design with 2 factors. The first factor was the ratio of forage and concentrate (90:10, 80:20, and 70:30 w/w) and the second factor was the level of lerak extract (0, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/ml). Total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, proportional VFA and NH3 concentration were measured at 4 h incubation. Protozoal numbers in the buffered rumen fluid after 4 and 24 h of incubation were counted under a microscope. Bacterial DNAs of buffered rumen fluid were isolated from incubated samples after 24 h of incubation using a QiaAmp kit. Total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, and Prevotella ruminicola were quantified using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Lerak extract markedly reduced protozoal numbers in buffered rumen fluid of all diets after 24 h of incubation. Total bacteria did not change with lerak extract addition. While no difference in F. succinogenes was found, there was a slight increase in R. albus number and a significant enhancement in P. ruminicola number by increasing the level of lerak extract in all diets. Propionate concentration significantly increased in the presence of lerak extract at level 0.8 mg/ml. It was concluded that the addition of lerak extract could modify rumen fermentation and had positive effects on rumen microbes.