• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2014

Telomeres are the ends of the eukaryotic chromosomes and consist of a tandem repetitive DNA sequence and shelterin protein complex. The function of telomere is to protect chromosome. Telomere length in somatic cells tends to decrease with organismal age due to the end replication problem. However, several factors at the genetic, epigenetic and environmental level affect telomere length. In this study, we estimated heritability of telomere length and investigated inheritance of telomeres in a chicken. Telomere length of lymphocytes was analyzed by semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction using telomere primer and quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization using telomeric DNA probe. In results, heritability of telomere length was estimated 0.9 at birth by offspring-parent regression analysis and was estimated 0.03 and 0.04 at 10 and 30 weeks old, respectively, by parental variance analysis. There was a significant positive correlation in telomere length between father and their offspring (r=0.348), and mother and their offspring (r=0.380). In inheritance patterns of telomere length, the influence of paternal and maternal effect on their offspring was similar. The influence of inherited telomeres on male and female progeny was also roughly alike. These results implicated that imprinting of parental telomere length was regulated by autosomal genes, not sex linked genes. In addition, telomere length of offspring at birth did not differ along with their maternal age. Thus, maternal age does not affects telomere length in their offspring at birth owing to cellular reprogramming at early embryonic stage.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.24-39
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• 2012

The palynological study of 31 taxa of Korean Artemisia L. was carried out to evaluate their taxonomic characteristics and to determine the relationships among the taxa. The size and shape of the pollen are not used as characteristics to classify the taxa of Korean Artemisia L., but the granule distribution ands pinule connection on the exine were useful for an interspecific classification and for reflecting the relationship between some taxa. It is considered that Artemisia pollen has evolved from a connected spinule and a nearly psilate surface into 1) a connected spinule and a granule surface, 2) a disconnected spinule and a granule surface, 3) a disconnected spinule and a dense granule surface. These pollen characteristics with external morphological characteristics, a geographical distribution and a somatic chromosome number are considered to be good characteristics for distinguishing the relationship of some taxa, such as the A. japonica group (A. hallaisanensis, A. angustissima, A. littoricola) and the A. sacrorum group (A. sacrorum var. sacrorum, A. sacrorum var. incana, A. sacrorum var. iwayomogi).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2010

Objective: X inactivation is the silencing one of the two X chromosomes in female mammals for gene dosage on the X-chromosome between female and male. X inactivation is controlled by X inactive-specific transcript (XIST) gene, untranslated RNA. XIST is expressed only from the inactive X (Xi), not expressed from the active X (Xa). The Xist promoter is methylated on the silent Xist allele on the Xa in somatic cells, and less methylated on the Xist-expressing Xi. We investigated the difference of XIST methylation pattern of the promoter and 5'-region of XIST from male (XY) and female (XX) subjects. Methods: The direct quantification of XIST methylation is required for clinical application of normal XX and XY blood. Methylation percentage of eight CpG sites (-1696, -1679, -1475, -1473, -1469, +947, +956, +971) of XIST gene were diagnosed by pyrosequencing. Results: We directly quantitated the methylation percentage of the promoter and 5'-end of XIST by pyrosequencing. The average methylation percentages at CpG6-8 sites (+947, +956, +971) were 45.2% at CpG6, 49.9% at CpG7, and 44.2% at CpG8 from normal female and normal male were 90.6%, 96.7%, 87.8%, respectively. Nether CpG 1-5sites (-1696, -1679, -1475, -1473, -1469) had any effect on XX and XY. Conclusion: This method is sensitive for quantifying the small percentage change in the methylation status of XIST, and may be used for diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 1973

In an effort to improve the major tree species in Korea, the seed of Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus rigida, Pinus densiflora, Pinus thunbergii and Larix leptolepis were treated with X-ray and thermal neutron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and germination rate of the seed and some characteristics of the seedlings from irradiated seed were investigated and the results were summarized as follows. 1. The germination rate of the irradiated seed of Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus densiflora, Pinus thunbergii and Pinus rigida was decreased, when the irradiation time of thermal neutron increased from 3 hours to 9 hours. The seed of Larix leptolepis was completely died out in all range of irradiation time. 2. The seed of Pinus densiflora, Robinia pseudoacacia and Pinus rigida showed low germination rate, when the dosage of radiation increased in the range of 10,000r-30,000r X-ray. This dosage of radiation was almost lethal to the seed of Pinus thunbergii and Larix leptolepis. 3. The growth rate of radiated Robinia pseudoacacia has been decreased when the dosage of X-ray and thermal neutron increased. However, the trees treated with thermal neutron for 3 hours showed 14.9 percent-increase in seedling height and some thornless individuals appeared in this treatment. 4. Individuals with variegated leaf, rugose leaf and albino were appeared in X-ray and thermal neutron treatment. 5. Abnormal mitosis of somatic cell, cell with two nucleoli, cell with two nuclei and chromosome clump in mitosis of somatic cell were observed in Robinia pseudoacacia irradiated with thermal neutron. 6. Resistanty against pawdery mildew was decreased in Robinia pseudoacacia radiated with X-ray and thermal neutron. 7. Length of stomata did not show any difference however number of stomata per unit area decreased in Robinia pseudoacacia radiated with thermal neutron. The leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia radiated with thermal neutron were thicker than those of non-treated one, but width of palisade tissue was decreased. The most sensitive one among those species to the thermal neutron treatment was Larix leptolepis, followed by Pinus densiflora, Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus thunbergii and Pinus rigida in the order. In X-ray treatment, the most sensitive one was Larix leptolepis, followed by Pinus densiflora, Pinus thunbergii, Pinus rigida and Robinia pseudoacacia in the order. Morphological, cytological variation of the radiated Robinia pseudoacacia seemed to indicate some possibility to be used for tree improvement.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.18-34
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• 2008

Based on external morphology, each of five species can be classified into three groups: 1) B. falcatum group (B. falcatum, B. scorzonerifolium), 2) B. euphorbioides group (B. euphorbioides) and 3) B. longiradiatum group (B. longiradiatum, B. latissimum). B. falcatum group has cauline leaves linear or lanceolate in shape and attenuate at base and not surrounding the stem. In contrast, B. longiradiatum group and B. euphorbioides group have cauline leaves ovate, lanceolate or panduriform in shape and auriculate or cordate at base and completely surrounding the stem. The inflorescence is basically compound umbels terminated at the apex of stem. But B. euphorbioides group is small in size and pedicels are rather short and the number of the pedicel is ca. 20. On the other hand, B. longiradiatum and B. falcatum groups are large in size and their pedicels are long and the number of the pedicel is around 10. The pore of pollen aperture of B. longiradiatum and B. latissimum is partially projected or not while those of B. falcatum group and B. euphorbioides is usually remarkably projected. The number of somatic chromosomes was counted as 2n=20 in B. falcatum, 2n=12 in B. scorzonerifolium and B. longiradiatum, and 2n=16 in B. euphorbioides and B. latissimum. Although chromosome numbers of B. euphorbioides and B. latissimum are the same, the two species are not likely to relate because the karyotypes of the two species are different from each other. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that B. latissimum is most closely related to B. longiradiatum. However, molecular data indicated that the species is probably related to B. bicaule distributed in central Siberia. In terms of conservation of B. latissimum, overexploitation by human and grazing by goat are most threatened factors.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2005

This study was conducted to examine the effects of demecolcine-assisted enucleation and recipient cell cycle stage on the development of bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. In vitro cultured oocytes for $16\~20$ h were classified by first polar body (1st PB) extrusion and cell cycle stage (MI and MII) and treated $0.4\;{\mu}L/mL$ demecolcine for 40 min before enucleation. Enucleated oocytes were fused electrically with bovine ear skin cells, activated by Ca-ionophore+DMAP, and cultured in vitro. Most of eggs ($86.2\%$) treated with demecolcine protruded a chromosome mass and enucleated efficiently ($98.8\%$, (P<0.05). Demecolcine did not have a deteriorative effect on the development of NT embryos. Developmental rate of NT embryos reconstituted with oocytes extruded 1st PB significantly higher than that of NT embryos produced by oocytes without 1st PB ($18.2\%\;vs.\;4.6\%\cdot$, P<0.05). Cleavage and blastocyst formation rate of embryos reconstituted with MI oocytes ($69.4\%\;and\;5.9\%$, respectively) were significantly lower than those of embryos reconstituted with MII oocytes ($96.7\%\;and\;23.9\%$, respectively, P<0.05). From the present result, it is suggested that domecolcine is useful for the enucleation of recipient oocytes in bovine NT procedures, and MII oocytes rather than MI oocytes are more appropriate for recipient cytoplasm. Although, the potential to develop into blastocysts of NT embryos produced by 1st PB-nonextruded and MI oocytes was very low, these oorytes could be used for NT.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 1976

Two individuals ($sp_1$, $sp_2$) of purple and one individual ($sd_1$) of red hearted flower were selected from 18 years old Hibiscus syriacus trees obtained from the seeds treated with colchicine, and their morphological and physiological characteristics were investigated and following results were obtained. 1. The somatic chromosome number of the selected individuals, $sp_1$, $sp_2$, and $sd_1$ were 2n=160, while that of the check tree was 2n=80, indicating that the selected individuals, $sp_1$, $sp_2$ and $sd_1$ were tetraploid. 2. Peroxidase isoenzyme bands of high activity in selected individuals, $sp_1$, $sd_1$ and check tree were mostly in cathode, fixed band was f and v bands, and frequency of each band and their activity were not different between selected individuals, $sp_1$ and $sd_1$ and check tree. 3. The flowers of $sp_1$ individual were large in size and more dark purple than check tree's. The flowers of $sp_2$ individual were not increased in size, but they were dark purple and red heart at the base of the petal was expanded to 2/3 of the petal length. The flower of $sd_1$ individual was also large and some of the red lines from the petal base were extended to 2/3 of the petal length, which was much longer than those of the check tree. 4. Thickess of leaves, length of guard cells, diameter of pollens, wood fiber lengths and woody fiber widths were all increased in $sp_1$, $sp_2$ and $sd_1$ as compared to those of the check tree. 5. Survival percentage of cuttings was 80% with $sp_1$ and 36% with $sd_1$, and their growth performance were inferior to control in their second growing season.