• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2014

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) is a molecular marker technique based on DNA and is extremely useful in detection of high polymorphism between closely related genotypes like Korean wheat cultivars. Six sequence characterized amplified regions (SCARs) have been developed from inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis which enabled the identification and differentiation of 13 Korean wheat cultivars from the other cultivars. We used six combinations of primer sets in our AFLP analysis for developing additional cultivar-specific markers in Korean wheat. Fifty-eight of the AFLP bands were isolated from EA-ACG/MA-CAC, EA-AGC/MA-CTG and EA-AGG/MA-CTA primer combinations. Of which 40 bands were selected to design SCAR primer pairs for Korean wheat cultivar identification. Three of 58 amplified primer pairs, KWSM006, KWSM007 and JkSP, enabled wheat cultivar identification. Consequently, 23 of 32 Korean wheat cultivars were classified by eight SCAR marker sets.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

Objectives : Paeng-hwal is described as an insect herbal medicine used for digestive diseases in the Dong-ui-bo-gam. The origin of this herbal medicine is limited to several small crabs, such as Helice tridens. These crab species cohabitat in the same environment and share similar morphological characteristics, making it very difficult to distinguish and collect the individual species for use in dietary supplements or herbal medicines. This study was conducted to develop a genetic identification tool for discriminating among these closely related small crab species. Methods : CO1 DNA barcode regions of 15 samples from 6 species of small crabs were analyzed to obtain the individual sequences. To identify the correct species, comparative analyses were carried out using the database of the NCBI GenBank and the NIBR. SCAR primers were designed to develop simple and rapid assay methods using inter-species specific sequences. Optimal SCAR assay conditions were established through gradient PCR, and the limit of detection (LOD) was determined. Results : Six species of small crabs (Helicana tridens, Macrophthalmus abbreviatus, Helicana tientsinensis, Helicana wuana, Chiromantes dehaani, and Hemigrapsus penicillatus), which are distributed as Paeng-hwal, were identified through CO1 sequences analysis. We also developed SCAR markers to distinguish between six small crabs at the species level. Furthermore, we established the optimal PCR assay methods and the LOD of each individual species. Conclusions : The rapid and simple SCAR-PCR assay methods were developed to identify the species and control the quality of herbal medicines for Paeng-hwal based on the genetic analyses of CO1 DNA barcodes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.603-609
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• 2011

Telomeres are special structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Vertebrate telomeres consist of tandem repeats of conserved TTAGGG sequence and associated proteins. Birds are interesting models for molecular studies on aging and cellular senescence because of their slow aging rates and longer life spans for their body size. In this longitudinal study, we explored the possibility of using telomeres as an age-marker to predict age in Single Comb White Leghorn layer chickens. We quantified the relative amount of telomeric DNA in isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes by the Quantitative Fluorescence in situ Hybridization technique on interphase nuclei (IQ FISH) using telomere-specific DNA probes. We found that the amount of telomeric DNA (ATD) reduced significantly with an increase in chronological age of the chicken. Especially, the telomere shortening rates are greatly increased in growing individuals compared to laying and old-aged individuals. Therefore, using the ATD values obtained by IQ FISH we established the possibility of age prediction in chickens based on the telomere theory of aging. By regression analysis of the ATD values at each age interval, we formulated an equation to predict the age of chickens. In conclusion, the telomeric DNA values by IQ FISH analyses can be used as an effective age-marker in predicting the chronological age of chickens. The study has implications in the breeding and population genetics of poultry, especially the reproductive potential.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

It is known that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous blood cancer, which is enormously propagated by self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs). The persistence of LSCs after chemotherapy can contribute to minimal residual disease and relapse by LSCs can be evoked promptly. Elucidating special molecules and cellular activity of LSCs is an extremely important to eliminate AML. Despite an increasing understanding of the origin of LSCs by incessant study, AML still remains a notorious disease with high mortality. An exact identification of the LSCs that sustain the proliferation of neoplastic clone is a fundamental issue in AML treatment. CD34+CD38- conventional phenotype is overall regarded as LSCs, but it has a limitation that is still hard to demarcate exactly due to similarity with normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Not all primary blasts and progenitors have equal function, thus a bona fide marker for identifying LSCs from HSCs is needed in hematologic malignancy, especially in AML. These findings have direct important implications in both in mechanistic study of LSCs as well as in the strategies of more effective therapies. In this review, I briefly summarized current advances in LSCs biology, focusing on membrane markers and a functional behavior of LSCs in AML treatment with monoclonal antibodies. Ultimately, it may be helpful in overviewing the status of LSC research, while expecting the clinic benefits of target therapy by specific inhibition.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.456-460
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• 2008

Digilog Book lets users feel analog book and digital contents by combining each advantage of analog sensibility and digital sensation. This paper mentions about technical details for implementing an example of Digilog book: a temple bell experience system. Our system includes providing multisensory feedback to users, substituting fiducial marker with figure marker, presenting visual effect when a temple bell appearing on a 2D plane, pushing augmented buttons using bare fingers for observation of the bell, and lastly pointing a specific part of the bell for obtaining description on that part. The implemented temple bell experience system can motivate users to experience cultural heritages of our country as educational contents.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as a key regulator of diverse cellular functions. To find out novel miRNAs that promote the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we compared the miRNAs expression profiles of mESCs under self-renewal vs. differentiation states. We noticed that miR-222 was highly expressed during the differentiation of mESCs. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of miR-222 was up-regulated during the embryonic bodies formation and retinoic acid -dependent differentiation. When miR-222 was suppressed by antogomiR-222, the differentiation of mESCs was delayed compared to control. Self-renewal marker expression or cell proliferation was not affected but the expression of lineage specific marker was suppressed by the treatment of miR-222 inhibitor during the differentiation of mESCs. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-222 functions to promote the differentiation of mESCs by regulating expression of differentiation related genes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2973-2978
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• 2012

Background: Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been described in a variety of malignancies, including breast carcinomas. Among several markers, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) has been identified as reliable for breast cancer stem cells. Knockdown of BRCA1 in primary breast epithelial cells leads to an increase in cells expressing ALDH1. Methods: We examined 127 breast carcinomas for expression of ALDH1, using immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters as well as the BRAC1 status. Results: Comparing the results for both ALDH1 and BRCA1 expression showed a significant inverse association between the two, indicating that reduced BRCA1 was more often seen in breast cancer cells expressing ALDH1 (p-value = 0.044). A total of 24/110 (22%) of tumours displayed the ALDH1 + / BRCA1 -/low phenotype, which showed a trend for a relation with a high grade (p-value= 0.056). Cytoplasmic expression of ALDH1 was not correlated with tumour characteristics. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that increased ALDH1 is inversely correlated with decreased BRCA1 in a series of unselected breast carcinomas. Therefore, ALDH1 positive (cancer stem) cells with reduced BRCA1 phenotype may indicate a subset of patients for whom specific targeting of the CSC marker ALDH1 and more aggressive adjuvant treatment is appropriate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2018

Objective: Recapitulation of the spermatogenesis process in vitro is a tool for studying the biology of germ cells, and may lead to promising therapeutic strategies in the future. In this study, we attempted to transdifferentiate Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into male germ cells using all-trans retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium. Methods: Human WJ-MSCs were propagated by the explant culture method, and cells at the second passage were induced with differentiation medium containing all-trans retinoic acid for 2 weeks. Putative germ cells were cultured with Sertoli cell-conditioned medium at $36^{\circ}C$ for 3 more weeks. Results: The gene expression profile was consistent with the stage-specific development of germ cells. The expression of Oct4 and Plzf (early germ cell markers) was diminished, while Stra8 (a premeiotic marker), Scp3 (a meiotic marker), and Acr and Prm1 (postmeiotic markers) were upregulated during the induction period. In morphological studies, approximately 5% of the cells were secondary spermatocytes that had completed two stages of acrosome formation (the Golgi phase and the cap phase). A few spermatid-like cells that had undergone the initial stage of tail formation were also noted. Conclusion: Human WJ-MSCs can be transdifferentiated into more advanced stages of germ cells by a simple two-step induction protocol using retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2007

Microsatellites, also called simple sequence repeats (SSR), are very useful molecular genetic markers commonly used in crop breeding, species identification and linkage analysis. In the present study, we constructed a microsatellite-enriched genomic library of Panax ginseng, and identified 251 novel microsatellite sequences. Tri-nt repeat units were the most abundant (46.6%), followed by di-nt repeats (35.5%). The $(AG)_n$ motif was most common (23.1%), followed by the $(AAC)_n$ motif (22.3%). From the genotyping of 94 microsatellites using marker-specific primer sets, we identified 11 intraspecific polymorphic markers as well as 14 possible interspecific polymorphic markers differing between P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. The exact allele structures of the polymorphic markers were determined and the alleles were named. This study represents the first report of the bulk isolation of microsatellites by screening a microsatellite-enriched genomic library in P. ginseng. The microsatellite markers could be useful for linkage analysis, genetic breeding and authentication of Panax species.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2013

The fruits of Schisandra chinensis have been used as an edible ingredient and traditional medicine in Korea. Due to morphological similarities of dried mature fruits, the correct identification of S. chinensis from other closely related Schisandrae species is very difficult. Therefore, molecular biological tools based on genetic analysis are required to identify authentic Schisandrae Fructus. Random amplifed polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) were used to develop an easy, reliable and reproducible method for the authentication of these four species. In this paper, we developed several RAPD-derived species specific SCAR markers and established a multiplex-PCR condition suitable to discriminate each species. These genetic markers will be useful to distinguish and authenticate Schisandrae Fructus and four medicinal plants, S. chinensis, S. sphenanthera, S. repanda and K. japonica, in species level.