• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.179-184
• /
• 2009

Hemibarbus mylodon (Cypriniformes) is an endemic freshwater fish species in the Korean peninsula, for which urgent conservation efforts are needed. To understand their stress responses in relation to metal toxicity and thermal elevation, we performed a real-time RT-PCR-based expression assay of hepatic copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), a key antioxidant enzyme, in response to experimental heavy metal exposure or heat treatment. The transcription of hepatic Cu/Zn-SOD was differentially modulated by acute exposure to Cu, cadmium (Cd), or Zn. Exposure to each metal at $5{\mu}M$ for 24 h revealed that Cu stimulated the mRNA expression of Cu/Zn-SOD to a greater extent than the other two heavy metals. The elevation in Cu/Zn-SOD transcripts in response to Cu exposure was dose-dependent (0.5 to $5{\mu}M$). Time course analysis of Cu/Zn-SOD expression in response to Cd exposure ($5{\mu}M$) revealed a transient pattern up to day 7. Exposure to thermal stress (an increase from 22 to $30^{\circ}C$ at a rate of $1^{\circ}C/h$ followed by $30^{\circ}C$ for 18 h) did not significantly alter SOD transcription, although heat shock protein 90 kDa (HSP90) transcription was positively correlated with an increase in temperature.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.157-163
• /
• 2012

The male reproduction is precisely controlled by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors usually involve in expressional regulation of various molecules influencing on sperm production in the testis. A number of ways are employed to control the transcription of specific genes, including epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone molecules. DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides is a commonly used regulatory mechanism for testicular genes associated with the fertility. Previous studies have demonstrated the infertility induced by improper DNA methylation of these genes. In the present research, we attempted to determine transcriptional expression of some of these genes in the rat testis at different postnatal ages using real-time PCR analysis. These genes include neurotrophin 3 (Ntf3), insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2), JmjC-domain-containing histone demethylase 2A 1 (Jhm2da), paired box 8 transcription factor (Pax8), small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (Snrpn), and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (Mthfr). The expression levels of Ntf3, Igf2, and Snrpn genes were the highest at the neonatal age, followed by transient decreases at the prepubertal age. Expression of Jhm2da and Mthfr genes were continuously increased from the neonate to 1 year of age. The levels of Pax8 mRNA at the early ages were higher than those at the later ages of postnatal development. These findings suggest that expression of some fertility-associated testicular genes in the rat during postnatal period could be differentially regulated by the control of the degree of DNA methylation.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 1996.07a
• /
• pp.26-38
• /
• 1996

To investigate the regulation of plant histone H2A gene expression, we isolated two H2A genes (TH254 and TH274) from wheat, which encode different types of variants. Both genes had an intron in the coding region. In the promoters, some characteristics sequences, such as Oct and Nona motifs, which are conserved among plant histone genes were also found, and they were located in a short region (about 120 bp) upstream from the putative TATA box. Analyses of promoter activity with H2A-GUS fusion genes in the transient system using tobacco protoplasts revealed novel types of positive cis-acting sequences in the TH254 promoter: a direct repeat of a 13-bp sequence (AGTTACATTATTG) and a stretch composed of an AT-rich sequence (ATATAGAAAATTAAAA) and a G-box (CACGTG). A quantitative S1 assay of the mRNA amounts from the TH254/GUS and TH274/GUG chimeric genes in stably transformed and cell cycle-synchronized tobacco cell lines showed that the promoters of both genes contained at least one cis-acting element responsible for S phase-specific expression. Histochemical analysis of transgenic tobacco plants carrying the chimeric genes showed that the promoters of the two H2A genes were both active in developing seedlings and flower organs but regulated in different manner.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.581-589
• /
• 1993

A plasmid vector, $RSVLTR/{\beta}G2$, containing lacZ gene under the control of the RSVLTR promoter were transfected into chicken embryo fibroblasts by three different transfection methods. Calcium phosphate, lipsome and DEAE-dextran techniques were applied for transfection of chicken cells. A histochemical assay with X-gal was used as a simple method for screening transfected cells. Plasmid $RSVLTR/{\beta}G2$ was expressed proficiently in the chicken embryo fibroblast. Calcium phosphate-DNA precipitate transfection resulted in the highest efficiency for transient expression of $RSVLTR/{\beta}G2$. Transfected cells formed colonies on the 9th day of incubation indicating stable transformation of the inserted plasmid.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.430-433
• /
• 2004

Lilium cv. Casablanca pollen grains stored at $-70^{\circ}C$ were grown in pollen germination medium with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 cells harboring pBI121 for 18 hr at $27^{\circ}C$. Following this, cefotaxime (250 mg/L) was treated for 6 hr to eradicate the bacterial cells. Histochemical GUS analysis revealed that the transgenic pollen displayed deep blue color mostly from 12 hr after the co-cultivation. Presence of $200\;{\mu}M$ acetosyringone was determined not to be more effective for GUS transformation than its absence. GUS DNA integration in the transgenic pollen genomic DNA was clearly demonstrated by Southern blot analysis.

• Plant Resources
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.87-90
• /
• 2005

In tobacco, in vitro pollination has been successfully applied to overcome interspecific incompatibility. The use of this technique will make it possible to introduce DNA into pollen tubes just before fertilization. In this study, we showed improvement of the efficiency of in vitro self-pollination and introduction of foreign genes into pollen tubes by the method of polycation. A plasmid harbouring the GUS gene was introduced into pollen grains and pollen tubes, which had incubated on pollen germination medium(PGM), by polyornithine method. Transient expression of the GUS in pollen grains and pollen tubes that were treated with 0, 2, 5 and $10{\mu}g/m\ell$ DNA was observed. In results, combination of the techniques of polyornithine and in vitro pollination was efficient new technique for genetic transformation through fertilization processes.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.13-19
• /
• 1998

We have reported previously that intact embryogenic cells can be used instead of protoplasts for electroporation-mediated transformation of zoysiagrass and rice. In this study, conditions of the tissue electroporation were examined to optimize the procedures. Embryogenic cell suspensions were established in liquid MS medium containing 2 mg/L of 2,4-D with embryogenic calluses induced from mature embryos of Z. japonica. The suspension-cultured cell clumps were electroporated with 35S-gusA expression vector DNA, and degrees of DNA introduction into the cells were determined by histological expression rates of the gusA marker gene. DNA transfer into the cell clumps occurred in wide range of voltage (100-400 V) and capacitance (10-1980 $\mu\textrm{F}$), but more in the ranges of 200-300 V and 330-800 $\mu\textrm{F}$ DNA concentrations higher than 6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL were adequate for GUS expression of the electroporated cells. DNA transfers were confirmed in all three embryogenic cell lines but only in one out of eleven non-embryogenic lines. Positive GUS expressions occurred with DNAs added even 20-40 h after pulse treatments. As a promoter of gusA, Act1 and Ubi1 were effective 7 and 5 times than 35S respectively in number of GUS expression units on electroporated cell clumps. Embryogenic cell clumps survived and regenerated into plantlets after pulse treatments of wide range of conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1395-1399
• /
• 2008

We have recently reported the PRC1 promoter as a promoter candidate to control expression of transcriptionally targeted genes for breast cancer gene therapy. We tested whether the PRC1 promoter could be also applied for the lung cancer gene therapy. In the transient transfection assay with naked plasmids containing the luciferase fused to the PRC1 promoter, the promoter showed little activity in the normal lung cell line, MRC5. However, in the lung cancer A549 cells, PRC1 showed approximately 30-fold activation which was similar to the survivin promoter, the gene whose promoter has been already reportedas a candidate for the gene therapy of lung cancer. In viral systems, the PRC1 promoter showed approximately 75% and 66% of transcriptional activity compared to the CMV promoter in the adeno-associated virus (AAV) and the adenovirus (AV) systems, respectively. However, the PRC1 promoter in either AAV or AV showed approximately 20% activity compared to the CMV promoter in the normal lung cells. In addition, human lung tumor xenograft mice showed that the PRC1 promoter activity was as strong as the CMV activity in vivo. Taken together, these results suggested that PRC1 might be a potential promoter candidate for transcriptionally targeted lung cancer gene therapy.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.475-480
• /
• 2009

The transcription of soybean (Glycine max) calmodulin isoform-4 (GmCaM-4) is dramatically induced within 0.5 h of exposure to pathogen or NaCl. Core cis-acting elements that regulate the expression of the GmCaM-4 gene in response to pathogen and salt stress were previously identified, between -1,207 and -1,128 bp, and between -858 and -728 bp, in the GmCaM-4 promoter. Here, we characterized the properties of the DNA-binding complexes that form at the two core cis-acting elements of the GmCaM-4 promoter in pathogen-treated nuclear extracts. We generated GUS reporter constructs harboring various deletions of approximately 1.3-kb GmCaM-4 promoter, and analyzed GUS expression in tobacco plants transformed with these constructs. The GUS expression analysis suggested that the two previously identified core regions are involved in inducing GmCaM-4 expression in the heterologous system. Finally, a transient expression assay of Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that the GmCaM-4 promoter produced greater levels of GUS activity than did the CaMV35S promoter after pathogen or NaCl treatments, suggesting that the GmCaM-4 promoter may be useful in the production of conditional gene expression systems.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.9
• /
• pp.1257-1261
• /
• 2006

Pleiomorphic adenoma gene-like1 (PLAGL1) encodes a zinc-finger (ZF) protein with seven ZFs of the C2H2-type which is a regulator of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and also regulates the secretion of insulin. In both human and mouse, PLAGL1 is a candidate gene for tumor suppressor and transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM). In this study, a 2,238 bp fragment covering the complete coding region was obtained and deposited to GenBank (accession number: DQ288899). The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) indicated that PLAGL1 was expressed almost equally in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, skeletal muscle, fat, uterus and ovary. Comparing the sequences of Large White and Meishan pigs, a C-T transition in exon 6 was found. The polymorphism could be detected by TaqI and was genotyped in five purebreds (Large White, Landrace, Meishan, Tongcheng and Bamei). Association analysis was performed between the polymorphism and carcass traits in 276 pigs of a "Large White${\times}$Meishan" F2 resource population. As a consequence, significant associations of the genotypes with shoulder backfat thickness (SFT) and internal fat rate (IFR) were observed. Pigs with TT genotype had low SFT and high IFR compared with TC or CC genotypes.