• Title/Summary/Keyword: small organisms

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Bio-toxicity of Titanium Dioxide Nano Particles (P-25) in Zebrafish Development Stage (Zebrafish 발생기에서 $TiO_2(P-25)$ 나노 입자의 생물 독성)

  • Yeo, Min-Kyeong;Jo, Yoon-Hee
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.189-196
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    • 2007
  • [ $TiO_2$ ] is widely used because it is non-toxic. Recently, however, nanometer size $TiO_2$ particles (P-25) have been produced and used to increase the photo catalysis efficiency. Nanometer-sized $TiO_2$ is efficient, but due to its small size ($20{\sim}30\;nm$), it can flow into ecosystems and into cells. Thus, it may affect human health. Additionally, $TiO_2$ can produce a second contaminant, OH-radical, which is a health risk for all living organisms during photo degradation reaction. Hence, when nanometer-sized $TiO_2$ flows into natural streams and attaches to living organisms, it will create health risks. We investigated the biological toxicity of this condition in zebrafish embryos. We observed abnormal morphology, hatching rate, and measured the catalase activity to determine anti-oxidation at 100 post fertilization hours. Zebrafish were somewhat affected by $TiO_2$ nanometer sized particles under UV-A (a condition similar to sunlight). Powdered $TiO_2$ is toxic to the zebrafish fly. Even without light, $TiO_2$ particles attached to embryos and flies, having an effect on both.

Effects of Herbicide on the Environmental Ecosystem in Subtropics

  • Wang, Yei-Shung
    • Korean Journal of Weed Science
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.85-94
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    • 1998
  • Herbicides play a very important role in modern agriculture. However, the herbicide applied to the agricultural field may accumulate in the field, converting the advantages to environment pollution. Many small animals in the ecosystem such as alderfly, earthworm, butterfly, loach, frog, firefly, some birds and aquatic organisms have been known to disappear gradually. In addition, several behavior of herbicides including adsorption by soil, movement by water, photodecomposition, volatilization to air, absorption by plant, metabolism by soil microorganisms and so on, are proceeded while the herbicide remained in the environment. In this review, fate and behavior of herbicides in the environment and their effect on ecosystem after their application are focused on four aspects : the first is the absorption and metabolism of herbicides by plant; the second is the residues of herbicides in soil and water environments: the third is the accumulation and release of herbicides in aquatic organisms and the fourth is the translocation of herbicides in model agricultural ecosystem. Many factors may affect the behavior and fate of herbicides after their application, climatic conditions and soil properties seem to be the most important. Therefore, the fate and behavior of herbicide in Taiwan, located on subtropical region, may differ from those in Korea.

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Feeding habits of Acanthogobius flavimanus in the eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed in Kwangyang Bay (광양만 잘피밭에 서식하는 문절망둑 (Acanthogobius flavimanus)의 식성)

  • HUH Sung-Hoi;KWAK Seok Nam
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.32 no.1
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    • pp.10-17
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    • 1999
  • Feeding Habits of Acanthogobius flavimanus collected from the eelgrass bed in Kwangyang Bay from January to December 1994 were studied. A. flavimanus was a carnivore which consumed mainly polychaetes, crabs, shrimps, gammarid amphipods and fishes. Its diets included small quantities of ophiuroids, gastropods, bivalves, caprellid amphipods, isopods and tanaids. It showed ontogenetic changes in feeding habits. Small individuals fed mainly on polychaetes and amphipods. While the consumption of polychaetes and amphipods decreased with increasing fish sin, the consumption of shrimps, crabs and fishes increased. A. flavimanus fed diverse prey organisms in adult stage. The relative proportion of the major prey items changed with season. Although the consumption of polychaetes, shrimps and gammarid amphipods was relatively high in spring and autumn, A. flavimanus fed various prey organisms in nearly equal proportions in the other seasons.

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Feeding Habits of an Introduced Large Mouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides (Perciformes; Centrachidae), and Its Influence on Ichthyofauna in the Lake Okjeong, Korea (옥정호에 도입된 배스 Micropterus salmoides의 식성 및 어류상에 미치는 영향)

  • Ko, Myeong-Hun;Park, Jong-Young;Lee, Yong-Joo
    • Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.36-44
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    • 2008
  • Feeding habits of Micropterus salmoides were investigated from the stomach contents of specimens ranging from 13 to 511 mm in standard length (n = 419), which are collected in the Lake Okjeong, Korea, 2006 to 2007. M. salmoides is a very strong carnivorous fish eating living organisms such as lots of fishes, small amount of aquatic insects and shrimps. As they grow, the feeding habits changed : they fed mainly on Branchioda in 10 to 20 mm in SL., aquatic insects and small fishes in 30 to 50 mm in SL., fishes including Zacco platypus, Hemiculter eigenmanni and Rhinogobius brunneus over 50 mm. However, among the prey organisms, M. salmoides most preferred living fishes. Analysing ichthyofauna of the Lake Okjeong from 1981 to the present investigation, after and before introduction of M. salmoides, it was showed that there was a certain reduction in fish diversity. Consequently, it is likely to let the strongly fish-eating habit to reduce a diversity of native fishes in the lake.

Feeding Habits of Juvenile Liparis tanakai in the Eelgrass, Zostera marina Bed in Kwangyang Bay (광양만 잘피밭에 서식하는 꼼치 (Liparis tanakai) 유어의 식성)

  • KWAK Seok Nam;HUH Sung-Hoi
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.36 no.4
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    • pp.372-377
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    • 2003
  • Feeding habits of juvenile Liparis tanakai collected from the eelgrass bed in Kwangyang Bay were studied. L. tanakai (2.0-6.0 cm SL) was a carnivore which consumed mainly amphipods (caprellids and gammarids) and caridean shrimps. Its diets also included a large amount of copepods, polychaetes and small fishes. Three distinct ontogenetic feeding groups were noted: (1) the individuals of 2.0-2.5 cm SL preyed heavily on copepods, (2) individuals of 2.5-4.0 cm SL fed mainly on amphipods. (3) individuals over 4.0 cm SL preyed mainly on caridean shrimps and small fishes. The dietary breadth of each size class showed relatively low value, and this means that juvenile L. tanakai depends on only few kinds of food organisms.

G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Molecular Organization and Regulatory Mechanisms

  • Caron, Marc G.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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    • 1994.04a
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    • pp.82-87
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    • 1994
  • Signal transduction through G protein-coupled receptors comprises three functional components, a receptor, a G protcin and a effector protein. Work over the last sevcral ycars has led to the characterization or virtually all of the components or these systems. what has come out or those studies is that these mechanisms of signal transduction are pervasive in nature being found in mammalian and avian species, as well as lower organisms such as yeast and slime mold. It is known that G protein-coupled receptors mediate the action of such diverse molecules such as small hormones and neurotransmitters, small peptide molecules as well as glycoprotein hormones and various sensory perceptions such as light, olfaction and most likely taste.

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Interference of EGFP RNA in Human NT-2/D1 Cell Lines Using Human U6 Promoter-based siRNA PCR Products

  • Kwak, Young-Don;Sugaya, Kiminobu
    • Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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    • v.11 no.3
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    • pp.273-276
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    • 2006
  • RNA interference (RNAi), a process of sequence-specific gene suppression, has been known as a natural gene regulatory mechanism in a wide range of lower organisms. Recently, we have reported that a transfection of human U6 promoter (hU6) driven hairpin small-interference RNA (siRNA) plasmid specifically knocks down the target gene by post-transcriptional gene silencing in mammalian cells. Here we report that transfection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, containing human U6 promoter with hairpin siRNA, knocks down the target gene expression in human teratocarcinoma NT-2/D1 cells. Moreover, we showed 3' end termination sequence, 5 Ts, is not critical elements for knocking down in PCR-based siRNA system. Therefore, the PCR-based siRNA system is a promising tool not only for the screening but also to temporally regulate gene expression in the human progenitor cells.

Application of Animal Biomodel using Poultry: A Review (가금을 이용한 동물 바이오모델: 총설)

  • Seo, Dongwon;Lee, Jun Heon
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.243-251
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    • 2016
  • Chicken not only serves as a high-protein source to humans, but it is also used as a suitable biomodel for increasing livestock productivity and studying human diseases. Chickens have numerous advantages as model organisms mainly because of they are relatively convenient to manage due to their small body size and short generational interval. In addition, they have a small genome size and numerous genes have biologically similar functions to those of human and livestock animals. In this review, we investigated the chicken biomodel for human disease research and the use of this model for increasing livestock productivity. This summary could provide useful and basic information for further development of strategies for enhancing livestock production and human disease studies.

SUMO pathway is required for ribosome biogenesis

  • Hong-Yeoul, Ryu
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.55 no.11
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    • pp.535-540
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    • 2022
  • Ribosomes, acting as the cellular factories for protein production, are essential for all living organisms. Ribosomes are composed of both proteins and RNAs and are established through the coordination of several steps, including transcription, maturation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and assembly of ribosomal proteins. In particular, diverse factors required for ribosome biogenesis, such as transcription factors, small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA)-associated proteins, and assembly factors, are tightly regulated by various post-translational modifications. Among these modifications, small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) targets lots of proteins required for gene expression of ribosomal proteins, rRNA, and snoRNAs, rRNA processing, and ribosome assembly. The tight control of SUMOylation affects functions and locations of substrates. This review summarizes current studies and recent progress of SUMOylation-mediated regulation of ribosome biogenesis.

Lifespan and Fecundity of Three Types of Rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis by an Individual Culture (개체배양에 의한 3 Types 윤충(Brachionus plicatilis)의 수명 및 번식력)

  • CABRERA Tomas;HUR Sung Bum;KIM Hyun Jun
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.26 no.6
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    • pp.511-518
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    • 1993
  • The lifespan and fecundity of three types(ultra small, small and large) rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, were investigated. Generally, the lifespan and fecundity of three types rotifer were better at $25{\sim}27^{\circ}C$ than at $20{\sim}22^{\circ}C$, and this phenomenon was more distinct in the ultra small and the small type rotifers. With regard to salinity, while the ultra small and the large type rotifer prefer.ed low salinity(16ppt) to high salinity(32ppt), fecundity of the small type rotifer was higher at high salinity(32ppt) than at low salinity(16ppt). Suitable food organisms were Tetraselmis tetrathele and Chlorella ellipsoidea for the three types rotifer. Tetraselmis tetrathele was more adequate for the ultra small and large type rotifer as live food. However, Chlorella ellipsoidea showed better dietary value for the small type rotifer.

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