• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.225.2-225.2
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• 2000

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Starfish is one of major sea invertebrates that have become a serious economic threat to aquacultural farms in Korea. Much effort has sacrificed to reduce the economic losses of the farms by predatory starfish, including developing and searching biological resources for medicinal and agricultural purposes. In the present study, we investigated aphicidal activity of the extracts from the starfish Asterina pectinifera against green peach aphid. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fresh starfishes were cut into small pieces, homogenized and soaked in methanol. The methanol extracts were centrifuged and the resulting supernatant was subjected to aphicidal activity assays and a series of silica gel column chromatography. More than 70% mortality of aphids were observed by the extracts at a concentration of 1,000 mg/L, exhibiting dose-dependent mortality. TOF-MS analyses detected polyhydroxysteroid as a main aphicidal compound from the starfish extracts. Transmission electronic microscopy could demonstrate that the extracts with polyhydroxysteroid caused aphids death by affecting their epicuticular membrane. CONCLUSION(s): This is the first report of aphicidal activity of the starfish Asterina pectinifera extracts against green peach aphid. Starfish biological resources may be used as a potential candidate for developing a new type natural insecticide.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.41-41
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• 2005

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.421-432
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• 1997

A new lectin was partially purified from starfish,Asterina pectinifera by means of physiological saline extraction, salt fractionation, ion exchange chromatography and hy droxyapatite chromatography, and it was named APL. The biochemical properties of the APL were characterized. In addition, its effects on lymphocyte mitogenicity and cancer cell agglutinability were tested. The APL agglutinated nonspecifically human erythrocytes and rabbit blood cells. Agglutinability was decreased to 30% of control activity below pH 5 and above pH 9 and was relatively unstable at increasing temperatures above 60$^{\circ}C$. The activity was reduced by addition of two kinds of metal ions, $Ba^{2+},\;Mn^{2+}$ and chelating agent, EDTA. APL was proved to be glycoproteins containing 9% sugars. For carbohydrate specificity, it was found that the activity of APL was inhibited by D(+)-glucosamine, D(+)-galactosamine, stachyose, N-acetyl-galactosamine and methyl-${\alpha}$-D-galactopyranoside among 35 sugars tested. In amino acid composition, the contents of acidic amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid were relatively high. This result suggest that the isoelectric point would be in a lower range. APL was found that it promotes the division of human lymphocytes. APL was proved to be a potent agglutinin for cancer cells such as HeLa, L929 and L1210 cells. Significant changes on the HeLa cell surfaces affected by APL were observed under the electron microscope.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.781-792
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• 2012

Seasonal variation of species composition in marine organisms around Oryukdo of Busan was investigated using a gill net between 2009 and 2011. A total of 82 species, 52 families, and 6 taxa were collected during the sampling periods. Species were included two species in Cnidaria, one in Urochordata, 12 in Mollusca, 12 in Crustacea, seven in Echinodermata, and 48 in Pisces. The dominant species were Crepidula onyx, Asterina pectinifera, Ceratostoma burnetti, Asterias amurensis, Anthocidaris crassispina, and Trachurus japonicus. These six species accounted for 48.4% in the total number. Diversity indices were highest in spring 2009 (2.77) and lowest in spring 2011 (1.66). Seasonal variation of species composition and abundance in marine organisms corresponded with the water temperature.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.491-497
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• 2014

Nowadays, starfish is one of problems about interruption of marine ecosystem, so many researchers are focusing on application of the starfish (Asterias amurensis). In this study, we investigated the contractile and relaxant activity of the smooth muscles and the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of six different tissues (muscle, gut, liver, tube feet, gonads, and body) of A. amurensis. Frozen samples were extracted with distilled water containing 1% acetic acid. Extracts from all the tissues, except the body tissue, showed potent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli D31. The dorsal retractor muscles (DRM) of muscle and gut extracts showed strong contraction responses. On the other hand, contractile activity on esophagus of squid Todarodes pacificus could be detected in all tissues tested. The contractile activity of the liver extract was higher than that of the other tissues. The body, tube feet, and liver extracts showed the contractile activity on the intestine of the panther puffer fish (Takifugu pardalis). Relaxation response on the DRM of starfish (A. pectinifera) was observed in all tissues tested. Increased antioxidant activity was observed in the gut, liver, and body extracts. The results suggest that the starfish (A. amurensis) is a potential source of novel bioactive compounds.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.727-734
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• 2012

For developing calcium supplement from the harmful marine organism starfish, the physiochemical property of the powdered starfish skeletal plate and the hydrolysis condition of the starfish digestive enzyme were studied. The optimal hydrolysis condition of the starfish digestive enzymes was at $55^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. The bulk densities of the powdered starfish skeletal plates of Asterias amurensis and Asterina pectinifera were $1.1{\pm}0.0$ and $1.2{\pm}0.0g/cm^3$, respectively. As for the median size, the values were 10.738 and $11.799{\mu}m$, respectively. According to the added concentration of sodium polyacrylate, the dispersibility rate of the powdered starfish skeletal plate was shown to be 6h at 0.0%, 3 days at 0.1%, 20 days at 0.2%, and until 30 days at 0.4%. The elementary composition of the powdered starfish skeletal plates from A. amurensis and A. pectinifera mainly consisted of calcium, and it formed 98.95 and 98.52% of the powdered starfish skeletal plates, respectively. The results of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that they were present in the form of $CaCO_3$. Based on these results, it is suggested that starfish skeletal plate can be utilized as a functional material for a calcium supplement.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2004

An ecological study on a sea urchin population, Strongylocentrotus nudus, a key role species in recovery of macroalgal bed, was conducted in Hosan, Samcheok area on the east coast of Korea. Three experimental plots, namely, AMB (artificially-restored macroalgal bed), BG (barren grounds) and NMB (natural macroalgal bed) were established after a pilot survey in June 2002. Distribution and abundance, grazing rates, predation pressure and predator guilds on S. nudus were estimated in three plots bimonthly from Aug. to Dec., 2002. Abundance of S. nudus was lowest, but median test diameter of the urchin was highest (Kruskal-Wallis test, p-value, p<0.001 in Aug. and p=0.003 in Oct.) in NMB In-situ grazing rate of S. nudus estimated by enclosure cage experiment in NMB was about 12 times higher in Aug. (160.0 mg seaweed/g sea urchin/day) than in Oct. (13.8). Predation intensity measured by tethering experiment was higher in NMB. Most of the predators on S. nudus were invertebrates and no fish predators were found. Predator guilds identified by the fish trap experiment using live or dead sea urchins included who]ks Neptunea arthritica, starfish Asterina pectinifera, hermit crabs Pagurus of. samuelis, Paguristes barbatus, brown shawl crabs Atergatis integerrimus and crabs Actaea subglobosa. High predation pressure on S. nudus in natural macroalgal beds was the likely cause of its low density. Elevated sea urchin density and the consequent lasting deforestation of macroalgae in barren grounds demonstrate the importance of predation pressure on sea urchins.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2012

A novel neuropeptide was isolated from the skin of the snakehead Channa argus using the dorsal retractor muscle (DRM) of a starfish Asterina pectinifera as a bioassay system. The amino acid sequence of the purified peptide was analyzed using automated sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrophotometry. The primary structure of the purified peptide was determined to be Pro-Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu. To investigate the complete primary structure of this peptide, Pro- Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-OH and Pro-Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-NH2 were synthesized. The chemical and pharmacological properties of the synthetic peptides were compared with those of the native peptide. Both the native peptide and synthetic Pro-Ala- Leu-Ala-Leu-OH had identical behaviors on the reverse-phase and cation-exchange HPLC chromatograms. Synthetic Pro-Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-OH showed contractile activity on the DRM, and the threshold concentration of this peptide was approximately $10^{-8}$ M. The maximal contractile effect ($E_{max}$) of this peptide was $294{\pm}45.4$% at $10^{-5}$ M.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.243-263
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• 1995

Twenty-nine species of asteroids are reported to be distributed in the East Sea of Korea. Five species are reported to be distributed in the East Sea of Korea. Five speices are reported for the first time in Korea ; Solaster endeca (Linn, 1771), Lethasterias fusca D'yakonov, 1931, Lethasterias nanimensis chelifera (verrill, 1914), Lysastrosoma anthostictha Fisher, 1992 and Evasterias troscheli alveolata Verrill, 1914. The faunal composition and distribution of the asteroids in the East Sea of Korea are discussed.