• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2008

The Korean HapMap Project has been carried out for the last 5 years since it started in June, 2003. The project generated data for a sum of 1,764,000 Korean SNPs and formally registered the data to the dbSNP of NCBI (The dbSNP website. 2008). We have developed a series of software programs for association studies as well as for the comparison and analysis of Korean HapMap data with four other populations (CEPH, Yoruba, Han Chinese, and Japanese populations). The KHapmap Browser was developed and integrated to provide haplotype retrieval and comparative study tools of human ethnicities for comprehensive disease association studies (http://www.khapmap.org). On that basis, GBrowse was adopted in the KHapmap Browser for inherent Korean genetic data, and a provision of extended services was pledged with the distributed sequence annotation system (DAS). The dynamic linking service of the KHapmap Browser to other tools in our intranetwork environment provides many enhanced functions over GBrowse without DAS. KHapmap Browser is expected to be an invaluable tool for the study of Korean and international Hapmap data.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2020

Streptomyces griseus S4-7, a well-characterized keystone taxon among strawberry microbial communities, shows exceptional disease-preventing ability. The whole-genome sequence, functional genes, and bioactive secondary metabolites of the strain have been described in previous studies. However, proteomics studies of not only the S4-7 strain, but also the Streptomyces genus as a whole, remain limited to date. Therefore, in the present study, we created a proteomics reference map for S. griseus S4-7. Additionally, analysis of differentially expressed proteins was performed against a wblE2 mutant, which was deficient in spore chain development and did not express an antifungal activity-regulatory transcription factor. We believe that our data provide a foundation for further in-depth studies of functional keystone taxa of the phytobiome and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying plant-microbe interactions, especially those involving the Streptomyces genus.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.750-755
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• 2016

Although innate color preference of motile organisms may provide clues to behavioral biases, it has remained a longstanding question. In this study, we investigated innate color preference of zebrafish larvae. A cross maze with different color sleeves around each arm was used for the color preference test (R; red, G; green, B; blue, Y; yellow). The findings showed that 5 dpf zebrafish larvae preferred blue over other colors (B > R > G > Y). To study innate color recognition further, tyrosinase mutants were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 system. As a model for oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) and color vision impairment, tyrosinase mutants demonstrated diminished color sensation, indicated mainly by hypopigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Due to its relative simplicity and ease, color preference screening using zebrafish larvae is suitable for high-throughput screening applications. This system may potentially be applied to the analysis of drug effects on larval behavior or the detection of sensory deficits in neurological disorder models, such as autism-related disorders, using mutant larvae generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 technique.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.780-787
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• 2012

The maize pathogen Gibberella moniliformis produces fumonisins, a group of mycotoxins associated with several disorders in animals and humans, including cancer. The current focus of our research is to understand the regulatory mechanisms involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. In this study, we employed a proteomics approach to identify novel genes involved in the fumonisin biosynthesis under nitrogen stress. The combination of genome sequence, mutant strains, EST database, microarrays, and proteomics offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of this process. We investigated the response of the G. moniliformis proteome in limited nitrogen (N0, fumonisin-inducing) and excess nitrogen (N+, fumonisin-repressing) conditions by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis. We selected 11 differentially expressed proteins, six from limited nitrogen conditions and five from excess nitrogen conditions, and determined the sequences by peptide mass fingerprinting and MS/MS spectrophotometry. Subsequently, we identified the EST sequences corresponding to the proteins and studied their expression profiles in different culture conditions. Through the comparative analysis of gene and protein expression data, we identified three candidate genes for functional analysis and our results provided valuable clues regarding the regulatory mechanisms of fumonisin biosynthesis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.11
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• 2020

Maize seed pigmentation is one of the important issue to develop maize seed breeding. The differently gene expression was characterized and compared for three inbred lines, such as the pigment accumulated seed (CM22) and non-pigmented seed (CM5 and CM19) at 10 days after pollination. We obtained a total of 63,870, 82,496, and 54,555 contigs by de novo assembly to identify gene expression in the CM22, CM5, and CM19, respectably. In differentially expressed gene analysis, it was revealed that 7,044 genes were differentially expressed by at least two-fold, with 4,067 upregulated in colored maize inbred lines and 2,977 upregulated in colorless maize inbred lines. Of them,18 genes were included to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways, while 15 genes were upregulated in both CM22/5 and CM22/19. Additionally, 37 genes were detected in the metabolic pathway concern to the seed pigmentation by BINs analysis using MAPMAN software. Finally, these differently expressed genes may aid in the research on seed pigmentation in maize breeding programs.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.24.1-24.7
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• 2023

Assays of clinical diagnosis and species identification using molecular markers are performed according to a quantitative method in consideration of sensitivity, cost, speed, convenience, and specificity. However, typical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay is difficult to quantify and have various limitations. In addition, to perform quantitative analysis with the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) equipment, a standard curve or normalization using reference genes is essential. Within the last a decade, previous studies have reported that the digital PCR (dPCR) assay, a third-generation PCR, can be applied in various fields by overcoming the shortcomings of typical PCR and qRT-PCR assays. We selected Stilla Naica System (Stilla Technologies), Droplet Digital PCR Technology (Bio-Rad), and Lab on an Array Digital Real-Time PCR analyzer system (OPTOLANE) for comparative analysis among the various droplet digital PCR platforms currently in use commercially. Our previous study discovered a molecular marker that can distinguish Hanwoo species (Korean native cattle) using Hanwoo-specific genomic structural variation. Here, we report the pros and cons of the operation of each dPCR platform from various perspectives using this species identification marker. In conclusion, we hope that this study will help researchers to select suitable dPCR platforms according to their purpose and resources.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.452-460
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• 2016

Acid stress can affect the viability of probiotics, especially Bifidobacterium. This study aimed to improve the acid tolerance of Bifidobacterium longum BBMN68 using adaptive evolution. The stress response, and genomic differences of the parental strain and the variant strain were compared by acid stress. The highest acid-resistant mutant strain (BBMN68m) was isolated from more than 100 asexual lines, which were adaptive to the acid stress for 10^th, 20^th, 30^th, 40^th, and 50^th repeats, respectively. The variant strain showed a significant increase in acid tolerance under conditions of pH 2.5 for 2 h (from 7.92 to 4.44 log CFU/ml) compared with the wild-type strain (WT, from 7.87 to 0 log CFU/ml). The surface of the variant strain was also smoother. Comparative whole-genome analysis showed that the galactosyl transferase D gene (cpsD, bbmn68_1012), a key gene involved in exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis, was altered by two nucleotides in the mutant, causing alteration in amino acids, pI (from 8.94 to 9.19), and predicted protein structure. Meanwhile, cpsD expression and EPS production were also reduced in the variant strain (p < 0.05) compared with WT, and the exogenous WT-EPS in the variant strain reduced its acid-resistant ability. These results suggested EPS was related to acid responses of BBMN68.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.535-543
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• 2014

Backcross breeding is the method most commonly used to introgress new traits into elite lines. Conventional backcross breeding requires at least 4-5 generations to recover the genomic background of the recurrent parent. Marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) represents a new breeding approach that can substantially reduce breeding time and cost. For successful MABC, highly polymorphic markers with known positions in each chromosome are essential. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers have many advantages over other marker systems for MABC due to their high abundance and amenability to genotyping automation. To facilitate MABC in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum), we utilized expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to develop SNP markers in this study. For SNP identification, we used Bukang $F_1$-hybrid pepper ESTs to prepare a reference sequence through de novo assembly. We performed large-scale transcriptome sequencing of eight accessions using the Illumina Genome Analyzer (IGA) IIx platform by Solexa, which generated small sequence fragments of about 90-100 bp. By aligning each contig to the reference sequence, 58,151 SNPs were identified. After filtering for polymorphism, segregation ratio, and lack of proximity to other SNPS or exon/intron boundaries, a total of 1,910 putative SNPs were chosen and positioned to a pepper linkage map. We further selected 412 SNPs evenly distributed on each chromosome and primers were designed for high throughput SNP assays and tested using a genetic diversity panel of 27 Capsicum accessions. The SNP markers clearly distinguished each accession. These results suggest that the SNP marker set developed in this study will be valuable for MABC, genetic mapping, and comparative genome analysis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.39.1-39.8
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• 2021

Tamoxifen (TAM) is an anticancer drug used to treat estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. However, its ER-independent cytotoxic and antifungal activities have prompted debates on its mechanism of action. To achieve a better understanding of the ER-independent antifungal action mechanisms of TAM, we systematically identified TAM-sensitive genes through microarray screening of the heterozygous gene deletion library in fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). Secondary confirmation was followed by a spotting assay, finally yielding 13 TAM-sensitive genes under the drug-induced haploinsufficient condition. For these 13 TAM-sensitive genes, we conducted a comparative analysis of their Gene Ontology (GO) 'biological process' terms identified from other genome-wide screenings of the budding yeast deletion library and the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. Several TAM-sensitive genes overlapped between the yeast strains and MCF7 in GO terms including 'cell cycle' (cdc2, rik1, pas1, and leo1), 'signaling' (sck2, oga1, and cki3), and 'vesicle-mediated transport' (SPCC126.08c, vps54, sec72, and tvp15), suggesting their roles in the ER-independent cytotoxic effects of TAM. We recently reported that the cki3 gene with the 'signaling' GO term was related to the ER-independent antifungal action mechanisms of TAM in yeast. In this study, we report that haploinsufficiency of the essential vps54 gene, which encodes the GARP complex subunit, significantly aggravated TAM sensitivity and led to an enlarged vesicle structure in comparison with the SP286 control strain. These results strongly suggest that the vesicle-mediated transport process might be another action mechanism of the ER-independent antifungal or cytotoxic effects of TAM.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.844-854
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• 2005

We constructed a defined physical and genetic map of H. pylori strain 51, previously isolated from a Korean patient with a duodenal ulcer, by combining a restriction analysis by pulse-field gel electrophoresis with the construction of a BAC library. A Notl-digest of H. pylori strain 51 genome yielded seven fragments, from which the genomic size was estimated to be 1,698$\pm$24 kb. The BAC library was constructed from 50 to 200 kb fragments of HindIII-digested genomic DNA. From 700 BAC clones, an ordered overlapping maxi-set of 82 BAC clones was assembled that covered the entire genome. The positions of 15 genes were localized in the strain 51 genome with 4-22 kb of resolution and were compared with their orthologues in strain 26695 and strain J99. The arrangement of the 15 genes was identical in strain 51 and strain J99, except for flaA and hpaA. The plasticity zone of strain 51, like that of strain J99, was located in the single region, and was shorter than those of strain 26695 and strain J99. The strain 51 plasticity zone consisted of ORFs common only to strain 51 and J99 or to strain 51 and 26695, as well as strain 51-specific ORFs. Three genetic translocations and/or inversions were found between orthologue ORFs in strain 51 and strain J99. These results show that the chromosomal organization of strain 51 differs from Western strains such as strain 26695 and strain J99.