• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2018

Two isolates of Strawberry mild yellow edge virus were newly isolated in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cultivar Selhyang and Kamhong from Korea. The complete nucleotide sequence of the coat protein (CP) of two Korean isolates were determined and analyzed. Sequence identity of nucleotide and amino acid between SH and KH isolates was 90.4% and 95.5%, respectively. The comparison of three Korean isolates including previously reported KNS1 with 45 SMYEV sequences from other countries deposited in GenBank database revealed an identity ranging from 81.2% to 100%. The phylogenetic analysis of CP of all SMYEV isolates showed the five subgroups (I-V), with Korean isolates being divided into two different subgroups. The isolates KH and KNS1 were included in subgroup I, whereas SH was included in subgroup IV which is new phylogenetic subgroup. Genetic diversity analysis indicated that new subgroup had greater variability and nucleotide diversity between subgroups resulted in values ranging from 0.0863 to 0.18004. This report represents the first molecular characterization of SMYEV isolates from Korea.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1095-1103
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• 2019

Objective: Among stress responses, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is a well-known mechanism related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress is induced by a variety of external and environmental factors such as starvation, ischemia, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and heat stress. Inositol requiring enzyme $1{\alpha}$ ($IRE1{\alpha}$)-X-box protein 1 (XBP1) is the most conserved pathway involved in the UPR and is the main component that mediates $IRE1{\alpha}$ signalling to downstream ER-associated degradation (ERAD)- or UPR-related genes. XBP1 is a transcription factor synthesised via a novel mechanism called 'frame switch splicing', and this process has not yet been studied in the horse XBP1 gene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and characterise its dynamics using Thoroughbred muscle cells exposed to heat stress. Methods: Primary horse muscle cells were used to investigate heat stress-induced frame switch splicing of horse XBP1. Frame switch splicing was confirmed by sequencing analysis. XBP1 amino acid sequences and promoter sequences of various species were aligned to confirm the sequence homology and to find conserved cis-acting elements, respectively. The expression of the potential XBP1 downstream genes were analysed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: We confirmed that splicing of horse XBP1 mRNA was affected by the duration of thermal stress. Twenty-six nucleotides in the mRNA of XBP1 were deleted after heat stress. The protein sequence and the cis-regulatory elements on the promoter of horse XBP1 are highly conserved among the mammals. Induction of putative downstream genes of horse XBP1 was dependent on the duration of heat stress. We confirmed that both the mechanisms of XBP1 frame switch splicing and various binding elements found in downstream gene promoters are highly evolutionarily conserved. Conclusion: The frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and its dynamics were highly conserved among species. These results facilitate studies of ER-stress in horse.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.354-362
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• 2020

A common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina inhabiting North America is internationally protected as an endangered species. It is known that the individuals of common snapping turtles were imported to South Korea as pets, and after being abandoned, some inhabit the natural ecosystem of South Korea like wild animals. No genetic survey has yet been performed for the common snapping turtles imported to South Korea. Hereby, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) information, which is 594 bp long, was determined for a total of 16 C. serpentina individuals, of which one was found in nature, twelve legally imported and their descendants, and the other three were provided from the Kansas Herpetological Society, USA. The obtained data were combined with thirteen COI sequences of C. serpentina retrieved from NCBI GenBank for the subsequent population genetic analyses. The results showed that there exist five haplotypes with high sequence similarity (only three parsimoniously informative sites). In the TCS and phylogenetic analyses, all the examined C. serpentina samples coincidently formed a strong monoclade with those collected mostly from Kansas State, USA, indicating that the imported ones to South Korea are from the central North America. In addition, there found the amino acid changes and the high degree of nucleotide sequence differences between C. serpentina and C. rossignoni with some important morphological characters. It is expected that the present results could provide an important framework for systematic management and control of exotic snapping turtles imported and released to nature of South Korea.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.641-649
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• 2022

Leaf-rolling moths were collected from soybean fields and identified as Matsumuraeses falcana and Matsumuraeses phaseoli by comparison with laboratory-reared species based on the nucleotide sequence (658 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 subunit gene (COX1). Ten haplotypes with 0.15-0.46% genetic distance from each other in COX1 were found in 47 samples of M. falcana, in which haplotype A was dominant (approximately 70%). Only one type of COX1 was found in 30 samples of M. phaseoli, and its sequence showed 4.11-4.61% genetic distance from those of M. falcana. Amino acid sequences translated from COX1 were identical in all samples of both species, and they showed synonymous substitutions. Larvae of both species caused damage to soybean leaves and pods and co-occurred simultaneously in the field. The average density of M. falcana was 1.5 times higher than that of M. phaseoli. The results clearly indicate that soybean was the host plant for both species. In addition, Elodia flavipalpis (Diptera: Tachinidae) was found to be a larval parasitoid of Matsumuraeses sp. through identification of the COX1 gene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1085-1091
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• 2009

A phytase with high activity at low temperatures has great potential for feed applications, especially in aquaculture. Therefore, this study used a degenerate PCR and TAIL PCR to clone a phytase gene from Erwinia carotovora var. carotovota, the cause of soft rot of vegetables in the ground or during cold storage. The full-length 2.5-kb fragment included an open reading frame of 1,302 bp and encoded a putative phytase of 45.3 kDa with a 50% amino acid identity to the Klebsiella pneumoniae phytase. The phytase contained the active site RHGXRXP and HD sequence motifs that are typical of histidine acid phosphatases. The enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and displayed the following characteristics: a high catalytic activity at low temperatures (retaining over 24% activity at $5^{\circ}C$) and remarkably thermal lability (losing >96% activity after incubation at $60^{\circ}C$ for 2 min). The optimal phytase activity occurred at pH 5.5 and ${\sim}49^{\circ}C$, and the enzyme activity rapidly decreased above $40^{\circ}C$. When compared with mesophilic counterparts, the phytase not only exhibited a high activity at a low temperature, but also had a low $K_m$ and high $k_{cat}$. These temperature characteristics and kinetic parameters are consistent with low-temperature-active enzymes. To our knowledge, this would appear to be the first report of a low-temperature-active phytase and its heterogeneous expression.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.299-305
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• 2008

Gabapentin, 1-(aminomethyl) cyclohexaneacetic acid, is a amino acid derivative, and is clinically effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain and partial seizures of epilepsy as a complementary therapy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two gabapentin tablets, $Neurontin^{R}$ tablet 800 mg (Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.) and Gabapenin tablet 800 mg (Hanmi Pharm. Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The release of gabapentin from the two gabapentin formulations in vitro was tested using KP VIII Apparatus II method with 0.06 M HCI dissolution media. Twenty six healthy male subjects, $23.85{\pm}2.24$ years in age and $69.40{\pm}11.11$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2{\times}2$ crossover study was employed. After a single tablet containing 800 mg as gabapentin was orally administered, blood samples were taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of gabapentin in serum were determined using HPLC with fluorescence detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar in the tested dissolution media. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_{t}$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$ were calculated, and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_{t}$, $C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the reference drug, $Neurontin^{R}$, were 1.28%, 0.63% and 0.62% for $AUC_{t}$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$, respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log 0.8 to log 1.25 (e.g., $log0.9097{\sim}log1.1598$ and $log0.8919{\sim}log1.1262$ for $AUC_{t}$ and $C_{max}$, respectively). Thus, the criteria of the KFDA bioequivalence guideline were satisfied, indicating Gabapenin tablet 800 mg was bioequivalent to $Neurontin^{R}$ tablet 800 mg.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-27
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• 2000

Components of extracellular matrix and the matrix-degrading enzymes are some of the key regulators of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a matrix glycosaminoglycan, is known to promote tumor adhesion and migration, and its small fragments are angiogenic. Until now, we have compared levels of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrade HA, in normal adult prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer tissues and in conditioned media from epithelial explant cultures, using a substrate (HA)-gel assay and ELISA-like assay (Kim et al., unpublished results). The present review described an overall characterization of hyaluronidases and its application to human diseases. The hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that have, until recently, deed thorough explication. The substrate for these enzymes, hyaluronan, is becoming increasingly important, recognized now as a major participant in basic processes such as cell motility, wound healing, embryogenesis, and implicated in cancer progression. And in those lower life forms that torment human beings, hyaluronidase is associated with mechanisms of entry and spread, e.g. as a virulence factor for bacteria, for tissue dissection in gas gangrene, as a means of treponema spread in syphilis, and for penetration of skin and gut by nematode parasites. Hyaluronidase also comprises a component of the venom of a wide variety of organisms, including bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, scorpions, sh, snakes and lizards. Of particular interest is the homology between some of these venom hyaluronidases and the enzyme found in the plasma membrane of mammalian spermatozoa, attesting to the ancient nature of the conserved sequence, a 36% identity in a 300 amino acid stretch of the enzyme protein. Clearly, hyaluronidase is of biological interest, being involved in the pathophysiology of so many important' human disorders. Greater effort should be made in studying this family of enzymes that have, until recently, been overlooked. Also, oriental medical application of the hyaluronidase will be discussed with respect to inhibition and suppression of inflammation and malignacy.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.952-959
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• 2011

A new bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which has been isolated from kimchi was identified as Pediococcus damnosus by use of API kit and 16S rDNA sequencing, and designated as P. damnosus JNU 534. The bacteriocin produced by P. damnosus JNU 534 markedly inhibited the growth of some of LAB and Listeria monocytogenes, whereas other pathogens including Gram negative bacteria were not susceptible. The production of bacteriocin started at the beginning of exponential phase and reached maximum activity at the early stationary phase. The bacteriocin was stable on the wide pH range of 2-9 and heat treatment up to $100^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The antimicrobial compound was inactivated by treatments of proteolytic enzymes indicating its proteinaceous in nature. The bacteriocin was purified by 30% ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by hydrophobic interaction column and $C_{18}$ column chromatography. The estimated molecular weight of the bacteriocin using tricine SDS-PAGE was approximately 3.4 kDa and the identified N-terminal amino acid sequence was $NH_2$-ILLEELNV.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2008

Numerous morphological studies on N. samarangae have been well conducted over the last ten years. In this context, we have attemtped to do molecular phylogenetic analysis by using metallothionein (MT) gene from N. samarangae. To this end, we cloned the full length cDNA of MT from cDNA library of N. samarangae. The complete cDNA sequences were obtained from the expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing project of N. samarangae, The coding region of 195 bp gives an amino acid sequence of 65 residues including methionine. There are 5' (61 bp) and 3' (48 bp) untranslated region at both ends of the Ns-MT cDNA sequence. The combined results from BLAST analyses, multiple sequence alignment and molecular phylogenetic study of Ns-MT cDNA indicate that N. samarangae has similarity to land snails such as Helix pomatia, Helix aspersa and Arianta arbustorum.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2009

Pisidium (Neopisidium) coreanum is a freshwater snail and lives in spring water near mountain areas. Interestingly, this snail has been traditionally regarded as medicinal food, and thus has been used as folk remedies for healing broken bones. Recently, alpha classification on Pisidium (Neopisidium) coreanum through redescription has been conducted. However, not much attention has been made in beta classification. In this study, we performed the beta classification based on metallothionein (MT) genes found from various organisms. To this end, the complete cDNA sequences were obtained from the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) sequencing project of Pisidium (Neopisidium) coreanum. The coding region (315 bp) encoded an amino acid sequence of 105 residues. The combined results from BLAST analyses, multiple sequence alignment and molecular phylogenetic study of Pc-MT gene indicate that Pisidium (Neopisidium) coreanum has similarity to freshwater bivalve such as Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel), Unio tumidus (swollen river mussel) and Crassostrea ariakensis (suminoe oyster).