• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to examine the genetic variations and intraspecific relationships between 9 individuals of Panax ginseng C.A Meyer by using RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) analysis. The 34 primers out of 40 random primers were amplified for all tested plants. The 48 (40%) among 244 bands derived from 34 primers shown polymorphism, and the 72 (64%) rest of bands showed similar forms. By regional groups Sangju and Andong samples located in Kyungsang buk-do showed a high similarity. However, Punggi located in Kyungsang buk-do showed higher similarity with Jinan's of Junla buk-do. In this way, it did not show that Panax ginseng from the same area has similarities. In future study we need to more specific molecular phylogenetic analysis such as AFLP technology and gene sequencing with nuclear chloroplast DNA in all samples.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.131-137
• /
• 2000

The release of hazardous waste materials into the environment poses serious risks in humans and ecosystems. The risk assessment of environmental pollutants including hazardous chemicals requires a comprehensive measurement of hazard and exposure of the chemicals that can be achieved by toxicity evaluation using a biological system such as biomarkers. In this report we have tried to develop a biomarker used to elucidate a molecular basis of, and to monitor abnormal behaviors caused by diazinon in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model organism. First, an attempt was made to clone tyrosine hydroxylase gene from Japanese medaka that would be a candidate for a biomarker for neuronal modulations and behaviors. For monitoring experiments at behavioral and molecular biological levels, the fish were treated under different sublethal conditions of diazinon and their behavioral responses were observed . In this study we have successfully cloned a partial TH gene from the medaka fish through PCR screening of an ovary cDNA library. DNA sequencing analysis revealed that the amplified fragment was 327 bp encoding 109 amino acids. Comparing the DNA sequence of medaka TH with other species, TH gene revealed the DNA sequence was completely identical to that of rat TH. In the RT-PCR, 330 Up of mRNA was consistently amplified in all the treated samples including control There were no significant differences in the TH expression level regardless of treating concentrations (1∼5,000 ppb) and time (0∼48 hr) The reason appeared to be that RT-PCR was not performed using through a quantitative analysis normalized against an actin gene expression. Organ or tissue - specific detection of TH activity and mRNA as biomarkers will be a useful monitoring tool for neurobehavioral changes in fish influenced by toxic chemicals. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of locomotive patterns and its correlation with the neurochemical and molecular data would be highly useful in measuring toxicity and hazard ofvarious environmental pollutants.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2006

To enhance our understanding of toxicity mediated through the pathway by which TCDD stimulates gene expression, we have investigated genes whose expressions are changed after treatment with TCDD and/or MNNG in human Chang liver cell. First, we treated with MNNG and TCDD for two weeks to transform human Chang liver cell. We obtained cell looks like to be transformed and compared the differential gene expression by using cDNA chip (Macrogen) which carrys genes related with signal transduction pathways, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, etc. We found that TCDD up- or down-regulated 203 and 111 genes including oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in human Chang liver cell two fold or more, respectively. Second, we compared the differential gene expression after treatment with TCDD only by using cDNA chip (Superarray) which carrys genes related with cell cycle regulations, and found that TCDD up regulated genes related with cell proliferation as well as cell growth inhibition in human Chang liver cell two fold or more, respectively. These results suggest that toxicity induced by TCDD may reflect sustained alterations in the expression of many genes and that the changes reflect both direct and indirect effects of TCDD.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.406-413
• /
• 2009

The enzyme invertase contributes to sugar unloading, pathogen defense, differentiation and development in plants. We cloned the complete cDNA of a soluble acid invertase from pea seedlings (Pisum sativum) via RT-PCR and the rapid amplification of the cDNA end (RACE) technique. The full-length cDNA of the soluble pea invertase comprised 2237 bp and contained a complete open reading frame encoding 647 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high homology to soluble acid invertases from various plants. Northern blot analysis demonstrated the soluble acid invertase gene of P. sativum was strongly expressed in sink organs such as shoot tips and root tips, and induced by abscisic acid, gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid in shoots. Especially, gibberellic acid enhanced the gene expression of the soluble acid invertase in a time-dependent manner. This study presents that the gene expression patterns of a soluble acid invertase from pea are strongly consistent with the suggestion that individual invertase gene product has different functions in the growing plant.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 1990

The effects of aphidicolin (APC), 2`,3`-dideoxythymidine 5`-triphosphate (ddTTP), and novobiocin (NOV) on the frequencies of chromosome aberrations induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) or bleomycin (BLM) were examined in synchronized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K$_1$ cells. The cells were synchronized by the thymidine double block method. APC, ddTTP and NOV alone did not affect the frequencies of chromosome aberrations. The cells in late G$_1$ and early S phases were sensitive to the induction of chromosome aberrations by EMS, wherase cells in G$_2$ phase were most sensitive to chromosme aberration by BLM.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.15-21
• /
• 2004

In an attempt to analyze the characteristics of domestic pathogenic strains of S. pneumoniae, the basic epidemiological charactristics of pathogenic strains such as their serotypes and frequency of penicillin resistance, and pattern of chromosomal DNA from PFGE(pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) were observed. For this study,56 strains of S. pneumoniae isolated from inpatients and outpatients in the four domestic university hospitals were collected from January to December in 1998. Among those strains, a total of 56 pathogenic strains from blood(39 isolates), cerebrospinal fluid(8 isolates) and other specimen(9 isolates) were selected and isolated. The penicillin resistance frequency of those 56 strains was identified with disk diffusion method with 66.1％. From the invasive strains, predominant serotypes were isolated in the order of 19F(12.5％), 23F(10.7%), 14(10.7%) and 9V(10.7％), totalling 45 percent. This experiment also used PFGE patterns to compare the correlations among genetic subtypes in several serotypes. The DNA fragments digested with Sma I and Apa I were resolved by PFGE. The PFGE patterns digested with Sma I were better than Apa I for analysis. In the DNA fragments digested with Sma 1, PFGE analysis of 56 S. pneumoniae isolates showed 25 different patterns. As a result, serotype was on the whole correlated to PFGE pattern on the ground that each different PFGE pattern by serotype was observed. This study can be utilized not only fur the study of incidence trend of domestic pneumococcal diseases but also as a useful basic data for the development of identification tool and treatment.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.274-278
• /
• 2002

Phthalates, suspected endocrine disruptor, are plasticizer and solvent used in industry, and some phthalates are known as potential carcinogen. Most common human exposure to this compounds may occur with contaminated food. It may migrate into food from plastic wrap or may enter food from general environmental contamination, and it has become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of phthalates that possibly threaten the public health. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) may playa part of cell proliferator, which mediates changes in gene expression and the metabolism of xenobiotics. An understanding of the role of DBP in modulating gene regulation should provide insight regarding mechanisms of DBP induced xenoestrogenic impact. To elucidate the type of genes that are associated with estrogenic activity induced by DBP at the dose (10$^{-8}$ M) appeared proliferating effects, the pattern of gene expression in MCF7 cells was compared between 17$\beta$-estradiol and DBP exposure in the cDNA microarray. From the results, it showed some differences of gene expression patterns between MCF7 cells treated with 17$\beta$-estradiol and DBP, and also DBP shows estrogenic potential with changes in estrogen-related gene expression levels.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.15-21
• /
• 1998

Transgenic animal and cell line models which are recently developed and used in toxicology fields combined with molecular biological technique, are powerful tools to study the mechanism of mutation in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Transgenic models, which have exogenous DNA incorporated into their genome, carry recoverable shuttle vector containing reporter genes to assess endogenous effects or alteration in specific genes related to disease processes. The lac I and lac Z gnee most widely used as a mutational target in transgenic systems. The assay is performed by treatment with putative mutagenic agents, isolation of genomic DNA from cells or tissues, exposure the isolated DNA to in vitro packaging extract, plating and sequencing. The results from these processes provide not only mutant frequency as quantitative evaluation but also mutational spectrum as qualitative evaluation of various agents. Therefore we introduce and review the principle, detailed procedure and application of transgenic mutagenesis assay system in toxicology fields especially in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.20-27
• /
• 1999

In order to know the inhibitory effect of magnesium carbonate(MgCO3) on cytotoxicity, DNA damage, mutagenicity, and cell transforming ability of nickel subsulfide, the inhibition of cell proliferation, DNA-protein crosslinks formation (DPC), HGPRT point mutation, and cell transformation were evaluated. Nickel subsulfide(Ni3S2) and magnesium carbonate as insoluble compounds were used for this study. BALB/3T3 cell, CHO-K1 cell, and C3H10T1/2 cell were used in this experiment. Exposure concentration of nickel subsulfide was 1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. The concentrations of magnesium carbonate in this study were 0.6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 1.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 2.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and the molar ratio of magnesium to nickel when exposed simultanously were 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 respectively. The results were as follows; 1. Magnesium carbonate reduced the inhibitory effect of nickel subsulfide on cell proliferation. 2. Magnesium carbonate also reduced the effect of nickel subsulfide on DNA-protein crosslinks formation. 3. HGPRT point mutagenicity of nickel subsulfide was reduced when magnesium carbonate treated simultaneously. 4. Magnesium carbonate reduced cell transforming ability of nickel subsulfide. Conclusively, nickel subsulfide showed cytotoxicity, cell transforming ability, and mutagenicity strongly and magnesium carbonate may have protective roles in these nickel effects.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.56-62
• /
• 1999

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) has been considered to be as one of major antioxidants present in grapes responsible for beneficial effects of red wine consumption on coronary heart disease. This triphenolic stilbene has been suggested as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent based on its striking inhiitory effects on diverse cellular events associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. The compound has strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities which amy contribute to its chemopreventive/chemoprotective properties. In the present work, we have found that resveratrol reduces viability and DNA synthesis capability of cultured human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells. Likewise, the viability of human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 was reduced by resveratrol treatment. The growth inhibitory and antiproliferative properties of resveratrol appear to be associated with its induction of apoptotic cell death as determined by morphological and ultrastructural changes, agarose gel electrphoretic analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and in situ terminal end-labeling of fragmented DNA (TUNEL). This compound also inhibited the phorbol ester-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in immortalized human mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells. These results suggest that resveratrol has the promising cancer therapeutic/chemopreventive potential.