• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1551-1556
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• 2014

Background: Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8), a principle membrane receptor involved in calcium ion influx and cell signal transduction, has been found to be up-regulated in some cancer types, including melanomas. Efficiency of menthol, an agonist of TRPM8, in killing melanoma cancer cells has been reported previously, but the mechanisms remain unclear. We here determined whether in vitro cytotoxic effects of menthol on A-375 human malignant melanoma cells might be related to TRPM8 transcript expression. Materials and Methods: The $PrestoBlue^{(R)}$ cell viability assay was used to assess the in vitro cytotoxic effect of menthol after 24h of treatment. RT-PCR was used to quantify TRPM8 transcript expression levels in normal and menthol-treated cells. Cell morphology was observed under inverted phase contrast light microscopy. Results: TRPM8 transcript expression was found at low levels in A-375 cells and down-regulated in a potentially dose-dependent manner by menthol. Menthol exerted in vitro cytotoxic effects on A-375 cells with an $IC_{50}$ value of 11.8 ${\mu}M$, which was at least as effective as 5-fluorouracil ($IC_{50}=120{\mu}M$), a commonly applied chemotherapeutic drug. Menthol showed no dose-dependent cytotoxicity on HeLa cells, a TRPM8 non-expressing cell line. Conclusions: The cytotoxic effects on A-375 cells caused by menthol might be related to reduction of the TRPM8 transcript level. This suggests that menthol might activate TRPM8 to increase cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ levels, which leads to cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ imbalance and triggers cell death.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.495-500
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• 1998

D-type G1 cyclins are known to be crucial for the progression of mitotic cell cycle in mammals. Although many studies have been performed to elucidate the roles of D-type cyclins, it is largely unknown whether D-type cyclins are directly involved in the regulation of meiotic germ cell development. In the present study, we examined the expression patterns of D-type cyclins (cyclin D1 and D3) during male germ cell development by northern blot and in situ Hybridization analyses. In the adult testes, we detected a 4.2 kb cyclin D1 mRNA and two different sizes (2.3 kb and 1.8 kb) of cyclinD3 mRNAs. The short form of the cyclin D3 transcript was testis-specific. Along with the testicular development, expression of cyclin D3 mRNA was increased whereas cyclin D1 mRNA was gradually decreased. in situ hybridization study also revealed that the expression of cyclin D3 was restricted to the postmeiotic germ cells. Furthermore, the 2.3 kb transcript was highly expressed in the round spermatids and decreased in the elongated spermatids/residual bodies, while the 1.8 kb transcript was expressed in elongated spermatids/residual bodies more abundantly. Sucrose-gradient separation of polysomal RNA fractions demonstrated that some portions of the 2.3 kb transcript are translationally active, while the 1.8 kb transcript is likely to be inactive. Taken together, the present data suggest a functional importance of cyclin D3 expression in the differentiated postmeiotic male germ cells.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2001

The developmental profiles of rpr, grim, dcp-1, diapl, diap2 transcripts, which were involved in programmed cell death, were analyzed using competitive RT-PCR in whole animals during Drosophila development. The fluctuation patterns of transcript levels of the apoptotic initiators(rpr and grim) were similar to those of the ecdysone titer in Drosophila life cycle. The transcript of dcp-1, which is considered as effector caspase, was expressed strong1y at early embryo and female adult stages. However, the transcript levels of anti-apoptotic factors diap1 and diap2, showed the reverse pattern comparing with those of apoptotic factors(rpr and grim). Also, the transcript levels of rpr, diap2 and dcp-1 were quantified in the salivary glands and wing discs dissected from the wandering late third instar larva. The transcript levels of rpr and diap2 were changed reversely each other in both tissues from wandering stage to puparium formation. These results suggest that the expressions of cell death related genes are regulated by the ecdysone signals during normal development.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2011

The present study compared the developmental potential, telomerase activity and transcript levels of X-linked genes (ANT3, HPRT, MeCP2, RPS4X, XIAP, XIST and ZFX) in the bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos derived from different age and cell cycle of female donor nucleus. In experiment 1, the fusion rate, cleavage rate to 2-cell stage, developmental rate to blastocyst stage, and the mean number of total and ICM cells was slightly increased in embryos cloned with fetal fibroblasts compared to those with adult fibroblasts, but there was no significantly (p<0.05) differences. Telomerase activity was also similar in blastocysts cloned with fetal and adult fibroblasts. Up-regulated RPS4X and down-regulated MeCP2, XIAP, and XIST transcript level were observed in blastocysts cloned with adult fibroblasts, compared to those with fetal fibroblasts. In experiment 2, the fusion rate, cleavage rate to 2-cell stage, developmental rate to blastocyst stage, and the mean number of total and ICM cells was significantly (p<0.05) increased in embryos cloned with fetal fibroblasts at early G1 phase of the cell cycle, compared to those of fetal fibroblasts at late G1 phase. DNMT1 transcript was observed to significantly (p<0.05) increased in the fetal fibroblasts at 3 hrs after trypsin treatment of confluent culture. Further, level of telomerase activity and transcribed X-linked genes was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in the early G1 SCNT blastocysts than those of late G1. The results imply that fetal fibroblasts at early G1 phase induces the enhanced developmental potential and up-regulated telomerase activity and X-linked gene, but aberrant transcript pattern of X-linked genes may be displayed in the SCNT embryos.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.79.1-79
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• 2003

Two pathogen-induced hot pepper transcription factors (CaNACl and CapIfl) were introduced into‘MicroTom’tomato by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. We used to nptII containing kanamycin resistance gene as a selection marker. Both transformed and non-transformed plants were transferred to pot after rooting test in vitro. To approximate the levels of caNACl transcript in leaves of wild-type and transgenic plants, RNA blots were hybridized with double-stranded full-length CaNACl probe at moderate stringency, Although the relative signal strength for hybridization fluctuated among the samples on different blots, transgenic plant lines N-1, N-2 and N-3 consistently displayed increased levels of CaNACl transcript relative to other transgenic lines and wild-type plants. Of all the transgenic lines examined, line N-7 had the least amount of CaNACl transcript. Role of these transcription factors in pathogen defense will be examined by overexpression in tomato.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.474-479
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• 2010

In this paper, we analyzed the microsatellites in the transcript sequences of the whole Laccaria bicolor genome. Our results revealed that, apart from the triplet repeats, length diversification and richness of the detected microsatellites positively correlated with their repeat motif lengths, which were distinct from the variation trends observed for the transcriptional microsatellites in the genome of higher plants. We also compared the microsatellites detected in the genic regions and in the nongenic regions of the L. bicolor genome. Subsequently, SSR primers were designed for the transcriptional microsatellites in the L. bicolor genome. These SSR primers provide desirable genetic resources to the ectomycorrhizae community, and this study provides deep insight into the characteristics of the micro satellite sequences in the L. bicolor genome.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2018

The warming of water as a result of climate change affects fish habitat. Variations in water temperature affect fish physiology almost totally. The rise in water temperature due to climate change leads to hypoxia following decreased oxygen solubility and decreased binding capacity of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. This study was conducted to evaluate the health status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry at elevated water temperatures($20^{\circ}C$) compared with optimum water temperature ($15^{\circ}C$). The method facilitated the detection of biomarker genes using NGS RNAseq analysis and evaluation of their expression pattern using RT-qPCR analysis. The biomarker genes included interferon alpha-inducible protein 27-like protein 2A transcript variant X3, protein L-Myc-1b-like, placenta growth factor-like transcript variant X1, fibroblast growth factor receptor-like 1 transcript variant X1, transferrin, intelectin, thioredoxin-like, c-type lectin lectoxin-Thr1-like, ladderlectin-like and calponin-1. The selected biomarker genes were sensitive to changes in water temperature based on NGS RNAseq analysis. The expression patterns of these genes based on RT-qPCR were similar to those of NGS RNAseq analysis.

• KOGO NEWS
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.11-14
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• 2008

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2016

Adipose tissue is one of the major endocrine gland. More recently, local production of steroids in adipocytes differentiated from mouse 3T3-L1 cell-line was reported. We hypothesized that rat adipocytes have steroidogenic machinery and the expression patterns of the components might be differentially regulated, depending on the distribution and sex. To verify this hypothesis, we collected the adipose tissues depot-and sex-specifically at postnatal day (PND) 30, and performed quantitative RT-PCRs. In overall aspects, the abundances of the transcripts were lower in the brown adipose of both sexes. $3{\beta}-HSD$ transcript levels in female abdominal and reproductive adipose, CYP17 transcript levels in female reproductive adipose, $17{\beta}-HSD$ transcript levels in female abdominal and reproductive adipose, and CYP19 transcript levels in female abdominal adipose were significantly lower than those of male counterparts. Similar to steroidogenic factors, the abundance of the $ER-{\alpha}$ transcripts were generally lower in the brown adipose of both sexes. $ER-{\beta}$ transcripts were more abundant in male white adipose depots than their female counterparts. The levels of LHR transcripts in female reproductive adipose were significantly higher than those of male counterpart. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the expressions of steroidogenesis-related genes were depot- and sex-specifically occurred in the immature male and female rat adipose tissues. Our study suggested that the adipose tissues are not only targets but de novo synthesizing sites of sex steroid(s), though the synthesizing activities could be much less than in gonads. Further researches in this field will be helpful for understanding the adipose physiology and for medical application such as sex-specific steroid supplement therapies for older populations.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 2017

Direct communication between neighboring cells through connexin (Cx)-based gap junction is a crucial biological manner to regulate functions of a tissue consisting of multi-cell types. The present research evaluated expressional changes of Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis of adult rat exposed to estradiol benzoate (EB) or flutamide (Flu) at the early postnatal age. A single subcutaneous administration of EB at a low-dose [$0.015{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (BW)] or a high-dose ($1.5{\mu}g/kg\;BW$) or Flu at a low-dose ($500{\mu}g/kg\;BW$) or a high-dose (5 mg/kg BW) was performed to an animal at 1 week of age. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was employed to determine expressional changes of Cx isoforms. The transcript levels of Cxs30.3 and 37 were decreased by a low-dose EB treatment, while decreases of Cxs31, 31.1, 32, 40, and 45 transcript levels were observed with a low-dose EB treatment. The treatment of a high-dose EB resulted in expressional reduction of Cxs30.3, 31, 31.1, 37, 40, 43, and 45. The Flu treatment at a low dose caused increases of Cxs26, 37, and 40 transcript levels but decreases of Cxs31.1, 43, and 45 transcript levels. Increases of Cxs30.3, 31, 37, and 40 mRNA amounts were induced by a high-dose Flu treatment. However, exposure to a high-dose Flu produced expressional decreases of Cxs31.1, 32, and 43 in the adult caput epididymis. These observations suggest that exposure to EB or Flu at the neonatal period could lead to aberrant expression of Cx isoforms in the adult caput epididymis.