• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.2
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• pp.201-223
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• 2022

Currently, species extinctions are increasing due to climate change and continued anthropogenic impact. We selected 300 species for conservation with emphasis on plants co-occurring in the Baekdudaegan area, which is a large ecological axis of Korea. We aimed to investigate the vegetation community and environmental characteristics of Zabelia tyaihyonii in the limestone habitat among the target plant species in the Baekdudaegan region to derive effective conservation strategies. In Danyang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, and Jecheon-si, we selected 36 investigation sites where Z. tyaihyonii was present. We investigated the vegetation, flora, soil and physical environment. We also found notable plants such as Thalictrum petaloideum, Sillaphyton podagraria, and Neillia uekii at the investigation sites. We classified forest vegetation community types into 4 vegetation units and 7 species group types. With canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of the vegetation community and habitat factors, we determined the overall explanatory power to be 75.2%, and we classified the environmental characteristics of the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii into a grouping of three. Among these, we detected a relationship between the environmental factors elevation, slope, organic matter, rock ratio, pH, potassium, and sodium. We identified numerous rare and endemic plants, including Thalictrum petaloideum, in the investigation site, and determined that these groups needed to be preserved at the habitat level. In the classification of the vegetation units analyzed based on the emerging plants and the CCA, we reaffirmed the uniqueness and specificity of the vegetation community in the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii. We anticipate that our results will be used as scientific evidence for the empirical conservation of the native habitats of Z. tyaihyonii.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.212-220
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• 2008

A Pn10 DNA probe was introduced as a Prevotella nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$-specific DNA probe. In that study, the specificity of the Pn10 was tested with only type or reference strains of 5 oral bacterial species. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the specificity of the Pn10 using the wild type strains of P. nigrescens and is to develop the P. nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$-specific PCR primers based on the nucleotide sequence of the Pn10. The specificity of the Pn10 DNA probe was determined by Southern blot analysis. The nucleotide sequence of Pn10 DNA probes was determined by chain termination method. The PCR primers were designed based on the nucleotide sequence of cloned DNA fragment. The data showed that Pn10 DNA probe were hybridized with the genomic DNAs from P. nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$ and KB6. The Pn10 homologous region, KB6-Pn10, of P. nigrescens KB6 was cloned by PCR and sequenced. The Pn10 and KB6-Pn10 DNA fragments were consisted of 1,875 bp and 1,873 bp, respectively. The percent identity of the two was 98.8% and the divergence of them was 0.6%. The two primer sets (Pn10-F-AC/ Pn10-R-AC and Pn10-F-A/ Pn10-R-A), designed base on the nucleotide sequences of Pn10 DNA probe, were specific to the P. nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$. The two PCR primer sets could detect as little as 4 pg of genomic DNA of P. nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$. These results indicate that the two PCR primer sets have proven useful for the identification of P. nigrescens ATCC $33563^T$, especially with regard to the maintenance of the strain.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 1985

It is important to discriminate between tuberculosis and tuberculosis-like disease by Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis in the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis. But because common antigens share among Mycobacteria, their antigenicities to human are similar. Therefore degree of cross-reactivity of antibody in the sera of patients with tuberculosis between M. tuberculosis and Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis should be checked to increase the specificity in the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis. The activity levels of IgG antibody in the sera of 106 patients confirmed as active pulmonary tuberculosis and 30 normal healthy control person to the pressate extract antigen (TE, BE, AE, and FE antigen) from M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. avium, and M. fortuitum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the crossreactivity of IgG antibody with mycobacterial species was analysed. The results were as follows; 1. The activity level(O.D. at 492nm) of IgG to TE antigen in sera of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was $0.228{\pm}0.167$ in minimal tuberculosis; moderately advanced, $0.556{\pm}0.616$; far advanced, $1.116{\pm}0.651$ and $0.315{\pm}0.245$ in miliary tuberculosis. 2. The activity level (O.D. at 492nm) of IgG to BE antigen in sera of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was $0.190{\pm}0.162$ in minimal tuberculosis; moderately advanced, $0.337{\pm}0.361$; far advanced, $0.713[\pm}0.460$ and $0.204{\pm}0.162$ in miliary tuberculosis. 3. The activity level (O.D. at 492nm) of IgG to AE antigen in sera of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was $0.165{\pm}0.114$ in minimal tuberculosis; moderately advanced, $0.392{\pm}0.494$; far advenced, $0.751{\pm}0.512$ and $0.233{\pm}0.191$ in miliary tuberculosis. 4. The activity level (O.D. at 492nm) of IgG to FE antigen in sera of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was $0.280{\pm}0.227$ in minimal tuberculosis; moderately advanced, $0.460{\pm}0.564$ ; far advanced, $0.845{\pm}0.573$ and $0.257{\pm}0.103$ in miliary tuberculosis. 5. The activity level (O.D. at 492nm) of IgG in sera of healthy control person was $0.126{\pm}0.084$ to TE antigen. $0.105{\pm}0.041$ to BE antigen, $0.103{\pm}0.052$ to AE antigen, and $0.095{\pm}0.061$ to FE antigen. 6. Degree of correlation(r) in activity level of IgG between TE antigen and BE antigen was 0.905 ; between TE antigen and AE antigen, 0.760; between TE antigen and FE antigen, 0.790, and between AE antigen and FE antigen, 0.945. 7. As O.D. above 0.200 was determined positive for the serodiagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and specificity in ELISA using TE antigen were 80% and 87% respectively, whereas in the case of using BE antigen, 66% and 100%; in the case of using AE antigen, 62% and 100%, and in the case of using FE antigen, 72% and 93%, respecitively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.747-754
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• 2005

Nutritional regulation of gene expression associated with growth and feeding behavior in avian species can become an important technique to improve poultry production according to the supply of nutrients in the diet. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) found in chickens has been characterized to be a 70 amino acid polypeptide and plays an important role in growth and metabolism. Although it is been well known that IGF-I is highly associated with embryonic development and post-hatching growth, changes in the distribution of IGF-I gene expression throughout early- to late-embryogenesis have not been studied so far. We revealed that the developmental pattern of IGF-I gene expression during embryogenesis differed among various tissues. No bands of IGF-I mRNA were detected in embryonic liver at 7 days of incubation, and thereafter the amount of hepatic IGF-I mRNA was increased from 14 to 20 days of incubation. In eyes, a peak in IGF-I mRNA levels occurred at mid-embryogenesis, but by contrast, IGF-I mRNA was barely detectable in the heart throughout all incubation periods. In the muscle, no significant difference in IGF-I gene expression was observed during different stages of embryogenesis. After hatching, hepatic IGF-I gene expression as well as plasma IGF-I concentration increases rapidly with age, reaches a peak before sexual maturity, and then declines. The IGF-I gene expression is very sensitive to changes in nutritional conditions. Food-restriction and fasting decreased hepatic IGF-I gene expression and refeeding restored IGF-I gene expression to the level of fed chickens. Dietary protein is also a very strong factor in changing hepatic IGF-I gene expression. Refeeding with dietary protein alone successfully restored hepatic IGF-I gene expression of fasted chickens to the level of fed controls. In most circumstances, IGF-I makes a complex with specific high-affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). So far, four different IGFBPs have been identified in avian species and the major IGFBP in chicken plasma has been reported to be IGFBP-2. We studied the relationship between nutritional status and IGFBP-2 gene expression in various tissues of young chickens. In the liver of fed chickens, almost no IGFBP-2 mRNA was detected. However, fasting markedly increased hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression, and the level was reduced after refeeding. In the gizzard of well-fed young chickens, IGFBP-2 gene expression was detected and fasting significantly elevated gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels to about double that of fed controls. After refeeding, gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression decreased similar to hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression. In the brain, IGFBP-2 mRNA was observed in fed chickens and had significantly decreased by fasting. In the kidney, IGFBP-2 gene expression was observed but not influenced by fasting and refeeding. Recently, we have demonstrated in vivo that gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in fasted chickens was rapidly reduced by intravenous administration of insulin, as indicated that in young chickens the reduction in gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in vivo stimulated by malnutrition may be, in part, regulated by means of the increase in plasma insulin concentration via an insulin-response element. The influence of dietary protein source (isolated soybean protein vs. casein) and the supplementation of essential amino acids on gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression was examined. In both soybean protein and casein diet groups, the deficiency of essential amino acids stimulated chickens to increase gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression. Although amino acid supplementation of a soybean protein diet significantly decreased gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels, a similar reduction was not observed in chickens fed a casein diet supplemented with amino acids. This overview of nutritional regulation of IGF-I and IGFBP-2 gene expression in young chickens would serve for the establishment of the supply of nutrients to diets to improve poultry production.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.91-95
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• 2004

For the detection of the oil-degrading bacterium, Nocardia sp. Hl7-1, inoculated during the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil, a species-specific primer was constructed based on the 16S rDNA sequence of this strain. Two forward primers and two reverse primers were designed and tested against both closely and distantly related bacterial strains. All the primers designed were specific to the Nocardia sp. H17-1. Particularly, primer sets NH169F-NH972R and NH575F-NH972R could be used to detect 50 fg of template DNA and TEX>$1.2${\times}$10^4$ CFU/g of sandy soil. These two PCR primer sets successfully detected the H 17-1 strain in the oil-con-laminated soil samples containing heterogeneous DNA. We also conformed the primer specificity by restriction-enzyme cleavage of the PCR products and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 2008

Botrytis cinerea, gray mold pathogen, causes serious losses in greenhouse tomato crop. In this study, a primer set was developed for identification and specific PCR detection of B. cinerea from tomato plants. The primer pair (BTF1/BTR1) was designed from polymorphic sequence region in pyruvate carboxylase gene (pyc) of B. cinerea. A PCR product (112 bp) was amplified on genomic DNA of 13 B. cinerea isolates from 10 different host plants, but not on those from 6 other Botrytis spp., 4 Botryotinia spp., 5 Sclerotinia spp. and 16 other genus of phytopathogenic fungi. The sensitivity limit of the primer set was 2 pg of genomic DNA of B. cinerea, approximately. The PCR assay using species-specific primer set was specifically able to detect the pathogen on naturally infected tomato plants and artificially infected plants. These results suggest that the sensitivity and specificity of this primer set can be applied in a rapid and accurate diagnosis of tomato disease caused by B. cinerea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.852-858
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• 1998

We have isolated a bacterial strain that tends to kill P. micans from the mixed culture of p. minns plus seawater filtrate (poresize, 0.8 $\mu$m) collected at Masan bay in July 1996, in which the mixed culture grown in the f/2 medium. According to the experimental results of the isolated bacterium such as fatty acids analysis, morphological and biochemical characteristic tests, the strain was supposed to be a Pseudomonas and then it was named as Pseudomonas sp. LG-2. The killing effect of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2 against P. micans was proportionally increased with the concentrations of culture filtrate (pore size, 0.8 $\mu$m) is well as with the number of bacterium inoculated. In the mixed culture inoculated with $1.3\times10^6$ cells/ml of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2, the number of P. micans (2,000 cells/ml) was gradually decreased and then killed below 100 cells/ml within 7 days. In addition, the culture filtrate with $30\%$ of final concentration revealed a significant killing effect against P. micans around 3 days after culture. In the relationship between killing effects and growth stage of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2, the culture filtrate at lag phase has little effects on P. micans. In constant, the culture filtrate at mid-log phase showed the killing effect by decreasing P. micans to 112 in number within 5 days. In particular, the culture filtrate at stationary phase showed a significant killing effect against P. micans in which the majority of it was killed after 3 day culture. The species specificity of killing effects of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2 against 5 species of dinoflagellate was only found in P. micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 1993

Monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were produced against crude scolex extract of T solium metacestodes, and applied to ELISA-inhibition test for improving the specificity of serodiagnosis of human cysticercosis. Four hybridomas secreting species-specific anti- cysticercal Mabs (Cya-1, Cya-7, Cya-28 and Cya-31) were selected. Each Mab reacted on antigenic components of 25.5 kDa (Cya-1), 28 kDa (rcya-7), 87.5 kDa (Cya-281), and 12.5 kDa (Cya-31). IFA showed that Cya-1 was located at the calcium corpuscles, and Cya-7 at the loose connective tissue of T soLium metacestode scolex. Cya-28 and Cya-31 reacted on the tegument of the scolex. By conventional ELISA, 23 out of 28 (82.1%) cysticercosis patients were found serologically positive, but 1 out of 9 (11.1%) sparganosls cases and 6 out of 31 (19.4%) paragonlmiasis cases showed false positives. By ELISA-Inhibition test using species-specific anti-cysticercal Mab Cya-7, 19 out of 28 (67.9%) cystlcercosis cases were found serologically positive, but there were no false positives In other parasitic infections.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.321-331
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• 2011

Mycobacterium bovis, a member of the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC), is the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis. Detection of M. bovis and M. tuberculosis using conventional culture- and biochemical-based assays is time-consuming. Therefore, a simple and sensitive molecular assay for rapid detection would be of great help in specific situations such as faster diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) infection in the abattoirs. We developed a novel multiplex real-time PCR assay which was applied directly to biological samples with evidence of bTB and it was allowed to differentiate between M. bovis and M. tuberculosis. The primers and TaqMan probes were designed to target the IS1081 gene, the multi-copy insertion element in the MTC and the 12.7-kb fragment which presents in M. tuberculosis, not in the M. bovis genome. The assay was optimized and validated by testing 10 species of mycobacteria including M. bovis and M. tuberculosis, and 10 other bacterial species such as Escherichia coli, and cattle lymph nodes (n=113). The tests identified 96.4% (27/28) as M. bovis from the MTC-positive bTB samples using conventional PCR for specific insertion elements IS1081. And MTC-negative bTB samples (n=85) were tested using conventional PCR and the real-time PCR. When comparative analyses were conducted on all bovine samples, using conventional PCR as the gold standard, the relative accuracy of real-time PCR was 99.1%, the relative specificity was 100%, and the agreement quotient (kappa) was 0.976. The detection limits of the real-time PCR assays for M. bovis and M. tuberculosis genomic DNA were 10 fg and 0.1 pg per PCR reaction, respectively. Consequently, this multiplex real-time PCR assay is a useful diagnotic tool for the identification of MTC and differentiation of M. bovis and M. tuberculosis, as well as the epidemiologic surveillance of animals slaughtered in abattoir.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 1994

About 500 bacterial and fungal strains from a wide variety of natural habitats were screened for a new type II restriction endonuclease. Among the 500 species, we selected one species that produced a new restriction endonuclease. This strain has an optimum temperature of $30^{circ}C$ for growth. Morphological, cultural, and physiological characteristics were examined for identification of the isolated strain J-482. This strain was found to belong to the genus Alcaligenes. The restriction endonuclease was named as AspJI and partially purified from Alcaligenes sp. J-482 by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography and gel filtration. Most of other nucleases were removed by the purification steps. The AspJI has a substrate specificity to ${lambda}$ DNA, pBR322 and Adenovirus-2 DNA. For its maximal activity, the isolated enzyme requires $MgCl_2$, which should be at least 12.5 mM and it does not need any other cofactors. It is maximally active in the absence of NaCl and is completely inactivated at 100 mM NaCl. The pH and temperature optima for activity were pH 7.5 and $37^{circ}C$, respectively. The DNA fragments generated by digesting ${lambda}$ DNA, pBR322, and Adenovirus-2 DNA with AspJI were the same as that produced by AatII. This suggests that AspJI is an isoschizomer of AatII.