• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 2000

Laboratory studies have revealed that naturally transformable bacteria develop competence under in situ conditions. Thus, the occurrence of competent bacteria in the environment can be considered as a certainty The persistence of free DNA in natural habitats is influenced by nucleolytic degradation and protection from degradation by adsorption to minerals. Although DNA seeded into natural environment was hydrolysed at substantial rates, but was still detectable at low levels after even several weeks. Compared to the number of laboratory based studies, only a few data have been published dealing with transformation of bacteria in the field. Recently, the potential transfer of recombinant DNA (rDNA) from deliberately or accidentally released bacteria to indigenous microbes has raised biosafety issues, since the persistence of rDNA becomes independent of the survival of its original host and leads to unpredictable, long-term ecological effects. The aim of the present review is to summarise recent literature on horizontal gene transfer (HGT) by transformation among bacteria in both soil and aquatic habitat and special emphasis is placed on recent reports which have addressed HGT among bacteria in the field. [Transformation, Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), recombinant DNA (rDNA), Genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), Biosafety]

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1204-1213
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• 2015

A comprehensive analysis of the population structure of the sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicas), the most abundant fishery resource in the East Sea of Korea, has not been carried out, despite its importance in Korea. The present study examined the genetic diversity and differences between five populations (two Japanese and three Korean populations) of A. japonicas captured in the East Sea using both the 401 bp sequence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA, cytochrome b) and five microsatellite DNA (msDNA) markers. The results of the analysis using the Cyt b sequence revealed 27 haplotypes. Based on msDNA variations, the estimated expected heterozygosity (H_E) in each population ranged from 0.68 (Gampo, Korea) to 0.7765 (Erimo, Japan). Pairwise F_ST and AMOVA tests using both the Cyt b sequence and msDNA data pointed to significant differences between the Korean and Japanese populations (mtDNA; F_ST=0.2648, p<0.05, msDNA; F_ST=0.0814, p<0.05). These results were similar to the results of UPGMA, PCA, and structure analysis. In these analyses, the five populations were assigned to two groups (Korean populations and Japanese populations). These results shed light on the genetic diversity and relationships of A. japonicas and contribute to research on the evaluation, conservation, and utilization of Korean A. japonicas as genetic resources.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.687-695
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• 2010

Complexes of thiocyanato(L)cobaloximes where L is urea, acetamide, semicrabazide and formamide were synthesized and characterized. The reaction of thiocyanato (L) cobaloximes (SCNCo$(DH)_2$(L)) with benzyl (aquo) cobaloxime $PhCH_2Co(DH)_2(OH_2)$ was found to produce a series of thiocyanato bridged dicobaloximes of a general formula of $PhCH_2Co(DH)_2SCNCo(DH_2)(L)$. Evidence for formulation as dicobaloximes containing thiocyanato ligand bridges was obtained from infrared data which show $20-45cm^{-1}$ increase in vCN upon formation of the dicobaloxime from the corresponding terminal thiocyanocobaloxime (SCNCo$(DH)_2$(L)). Further characterization of these two series was done on the basis of ($^1H$,$^{13}C$)NMR, LCMS and elemental analysis. Anti-microbial activity of thiocyanato(L)cobaloximes and thiocyanato bridged dicobaloximes were screened against E. Coli. The DNA-binding behaviors of both monomers and dimers were investigated by spectroscopic methods and viscosity measurements. The results indicated that the dimer complexes bind with calf-thymus DNA in an intercalative mode via the terminal benzyl ring into the base pairs of DNA. It was observed that the monomer complexes did not interact with DNA. Fluorescence spectra for the interaction between thiocyanato bridged dicobaloximes and DNA were also studied.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 1998

Exposure to environmental toxicants can cause cellular problems including the interference of DNA repair processes which may lead to the development of cancer. The existence of toxicant-induced DNA repair abnormality was investigated using mice exposed in vivo to genotoxic chemicals and then challenging their exposed lymphocytes in vitro with bleomycin. The repair of bleomycin-induced DNA damage as estimated by the frequency of chromosome aberrations was determined. Our data indicates that the observed aberration frequencies after in vivo exposure to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitnsoguanidine (MNNG) and in vitro challenge with bleomycin are consistently higher than expected. The enhanced response is not due to the induction of chromosome damage by 25 or 50 mg/kg MNNG since the chemical did not cause chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of these mice. The observed response after the combined exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and bleomycin was significantly lower than expected with low in vivo doses of BP (50 mg/kg) and then significantly higher than expected with the high doses (200 mg/kg). We interpret our data to indicate that in vivo exposure to genotoxic agents can cause abnormal DNA repair activities. The response is, however, independent of the clastogenic activities of the inducing chemicals, but dependent upon the inducing agents and on the exposure doses.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.371-388
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• 2008

Phylogenetic studies were conducted for 35 populations of the subfamily Coryloideae (Betulaceae) based on waxy gene of nuclear DNA and atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer region of chloroplast DNA. Waxy data analysis suggest that Coryloideae is monophyletic; Corylus is monophyletic and basally branching within the subfamily Coryloideae; Ostryopsis is sister to the Carpinus and Ostrya clade, and the Ostrya is monophyletic (BS=86, PP=99). AtpB-rbcL intergenic spacer region analysis shows that Ostryopsis appeared as the most basal clade within the Coryloideae; Corylus is monophyletic(BS=98, PP=100) and placed between Carpinus-Ostrya and Ostryopsis clade; Carpinus and Ostrya formed a clade with a high support value(BS=100, PP=100). Carpinus sect. Carpinus is monophyletic, whereas sect. Distegocarpus is paraphyletic in the waxy tree. Corylus formed two subclades, but discordance at the infrageneric classification based on morphological characters. In the atpB-rbcL tree, Carpinus and Corylus taxa form a polytomy within the each clade. Results from the two data sets differ mainly in the relative position of Ostryopsis, the monophyly of Ostrya, and the relationships within the Carpinus-Ostrya clade. Further studies are needed for clarify the taxonomic position and the generic limitation.

• Mycobiology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.74-80
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• 2003

Isolates of Trichoderma spp. collected from Pleurotus ostreatus and P. eryngii beds, which included loosened substrate compactness and development of green colour, were grouped into three species. The occurrence of different species of Trichoderma was as T. cf. virens(70.8%), T. longibrachiatum(16.7%) and T. harzianum(12.5%). The conidia of Trichoderma spp. were ellipsoidal, obovoid and phialides were bowling pins, lageniform and the length of phialides was $3.5{\sim}10.0{\times}1.3{\sim}3.3{\mu}m$. Phialides of T. cf. virens and T. harzianum were tending clustered, but it was solitary disposition in T. longibrachiatum. T. cf. virens was characterized by predominantly effuse conidiation, sparingly branched, and fertile to the apex and it was penicillate type. RAPD analysis could detect variability amongst three different species of Trichoderma using two newly designed URP-primers. However, intra-specific variation could not be detected in all the isolates except for rDNA sequence data classified Trichoderma isolates into three distinct groups representing three species. The profiles of rDNA sequences of isolates representing a species showed high similarity in T. cf. virens and T. harzianum. However, there was a variation in rDNA sequences of isolates representing T. longibrachiatum. The results of present study reveals that molecular techniques of RAPD and rDNA sequencing can greatly aid in classification based on morphology and precise identification of fast evolving species of Trichoderma.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 1997

To study the regulation of porcine follicular cell apostosis by gonadotropin, steroid, and nitric oxide, we analyzed DNA fragmentation, the hallmark of apoptosis, and nitrite production of porcine granulosa cells. Dissected indiidual follicles from ovary were separated in size (small, 2-3 mm; medium, 5-6 mm; large, 7-8 mm) and isolated granulosa cells were classified morpholocally as atretic or nonatretic. Nitrite concentration was measured by mixing follicular fluids with an equal volume of Griess reagent. Follicular nitric oxide (NO) concentration of healthy follicles was higher than that of atretic follicles. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation was suppressed in non-apoptotic granulosa cells. Follicular apoptosis was induced by androgen but prevented by gonadotropin in vitro. Apoptosis was confined to the granulosa cells. But it was not clear whether apoptosis of granulosa cells were isolated, incubated with or without gonadotropin, androgen and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hrs. Cultured granulosa cells were used to extract genomic DNA and culture media was asssayed for nitrite concentration. Nitrite production of culture media was increased, while apoptotic DNA fragmentation was suppressed in PMSG, hCG, testosterone+SNP and SNP treated groups. Nitrite concentration in culture media was decreased, but apoptotic DNA fragmentation was induced in testosterone treated group. These data suggest that NO production and apoptosis may be involved of granulosa cell apoptosis induced by testosterone.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to develop PCR primers for the identification and detection of Streptococcus anginosus using species-specific forward and reverse primers. These primers targeted the variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA coding gene(rDNA). The primer specificity was tested against 12 S. anginosus strains and 6 different species(10 strains) of oral bacteria. The primer sensitivity was determined by testing serial dilutions of the purified genomic DNA of S. anginosus ATCC $33397^T$. The data showed that species-specific amplicons were obtained from all the S. anginosus strains tested, but not in the six other species. The PCR could detect as little as 0.4pg of the chromosomal DNA from S. anginosus. This suggests that the PCR primers are highly sensitive and applicable to the detection and identification of S. anginosus.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2013

Mitis group streptococci (MGS) were classified based on the nucleotide sequences 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) and comprised 13 Streptococcus species. However, 16S rDNA homogeneity among MGS was too high to discriminate between clinical strains at the species level, notably between Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae. The purpose of this study was to discriminate between 37 strains of MGS isolated from Korean oral cavities using phylogenetic analysis of the DNA-dependant RNA polymerase beta-subunit gene (rpoB). 16S rDNA and rpoB from clinical strains of MGS were sequenced using the dideoxy chain termination method and analyzed using MEGA version 5 software. The resulting phylogenetic data showed that the rpoB sequences could delineate clinical strains of MGS at the species level. Phylogenetic analysis of rpoB is therefore a useful approach for identifying MGS at the species level.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.186-190
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• 2007

We examined the genetic variability of Asian chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) populations using nuclear microsatellite (ms) DNA analysis with four polymorphic loci (OKM4, OKM5, OKM7, and OKM8) in 397 individuals from nine populations, including one in Korea, seven in Japan, and one in Russia. The msDNA gene diversity was highest in the Japanese populations, suggesting greater genetic variation in the populations in Japan than in populations in Korea and Russia. The pairwise $F_{ST}$ estimates based on our msDNA data showed that the Korean population was genetically different from the Japanese and Russian populations, and there were higher $F_{ST}$ estimates between Hokkaido and Honshu populations than between other population pairs. A neighbor-joining tree showed that the Korean population was distinct from two other clusters, representing the populations in Honshu and the populations in Hokkaido and Russia. These results suggest that the observed population genetic patterns of Asian chum salmon might be influenced by low or restricted gene flow.