• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.691-694
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey of Dirofilaria immitis infection among stray cats in Korea using nested PCR. We included 235 stray cats (121 females and 114 males) and evaluated each for the presence of feline heartworm infection. Blood samples were collected from 135 cats in Daejeon, 50 cats in Seoul, and 50 cats from Gyeonggi-do (Province). Of the 235 DNA samples, 14 (6.0%) were positive for D. immitis. The prevalence of infection in male cats (8/114, 7.0%) tended to be higher than that in female cats (6/121, 5.0%), but the difference was not statistically significant. In each location, 8, 2, and 4 cats were positive for infection, respectively, based on DNA testing. No significant differences in the prevalence were observed among the geographic regions, although the rate of infection was higher in Gyeonggi-do (8.0%) than Daejeon (5.9%) and Seoul (4.0%). We submitted 7 of the 14 D. immitis DNA-positive samples for sequencing analysis. All samples corresponded to partial D. immitis cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences with 99% homology to the D. immitis sequence deposited in GenBank (accession no. FN391553). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey using nested PCR to analyze the prevalence of D. immitis in stray cats in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2017

A gene encoding squalene synthase from grain amaranth was cloned and characterized. The full-length cDNA was 1805-bp long and contained a 1248-bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 416 amino acids with a molecular mass of 47.6 kDa. Southern blot analysis revealed that the A. cruentus genome contained a single copy of the gene. Comparison of the cDNA and genomic sequences indicated that the amaranth SQS gene had 12 introns and 13 exons. All of the exons contributed to the coding sequence. The predicted amino acid sequence of the SQS cDNA shared high homology with those of SQSs from several other plants. It contained conserved six domains that are believed to represent crucial regions of the active site. We conducted qRT-PCR analyses to examine the expression pattern of the SQS gene in seeds at different developmental stages and in several tissues. The amaranth SQS gene was low levels of SQS transcripts at the initial stage of seed development, but the levels increased rapidly at the mid-late developmental stages before declining at the late developmental stage. These findings showed that the amaranth SQS is a late-expressed gene that is rapidly expressed at the mid-late stage of seed development. In addition, we observed that the SQS mRNA levels in stems and roots increased rapidly during the four- to six-leaf stage of development. Therefore, our results showed that the expression levels of SQS in stem and root tissues are significantly higher than those in leaf tissues. In present study provides useful information about the molecular characterization of the SQS clone isolated from grain amaranth. Finally, a basic understanding of these characteristics will contribute to further studies on the amaranth SQS.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.257-263
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• 1999

Identification of the genes responsible for the recovery of virulence in brain-passaged Acanthamoeba culbertsoni was attempted via mRNA differential display polymerase chain reaction (mRNA DD-PCR) analysis. In order to identify the regulatory changes in transcription of the virulence related genes by the brain passages, mRNA DD-PCR was performed which enabled the display of differentially transcribed mRNAs after the brain passages. Through mRNA DD-PCR analysis. 96 brain-passaged amoeba specific amplicons were observed and were screened to identify the amplicons that failed to amplify in the non-brain-passaged amoeba mRNAs. Out of the 96 brain-passaged amoeba specific amplicons, 12 turned out to be amplified only from the brain-passaged amoeba mRNAs by DNA slot blot hybridization. The clone, A289C, amplified with an arbitrary primer of UBC ＃289 and the oligo dT$_{11}$-C primer, revealed the highest homology (49.8％) to the amino acid sequences of UPD-galactose lipid transferase of Erwinia amylovora, which is known to act as an important virulence factor. The deduced amino acid sequences of an insert DNA in clone A289C were also revealed to be similar to cpsD, which is the essential gene for the expression of type III capsule in group B streptococcus. Upregulated expression of clone A289C was verified by RNA slot blot hybridization. Similar hydrophobicity values were also observed between A289C (at residues 47-66) and the AmsG gene of E. amylovora (at residues 286-305: transmembrane domains). This result suggested that the insert of clone A289C might play the same function as galactosyl transferase controlled by the AmsG gene in E. amylovora.a.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.272-280
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• 2007

Isolates of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) collected in Korea, were compared with their pathological features in tobacco and zucchini squash. Full-length cDNA clone of RNA3 was generated by using long-distance RT-PCR. Transcript RNA3 from the cDNA clone was inoculated onto host plants with transcripts RNA1 and RNA2 of Fny strain, generating RNA3-pseudorecombinant CMV. Timing and severity of systemic symptom was not significantly different among the pseudorecombinant CMVs in tobacco, compared with strains Fny-CMV and Pf-CMV. However, the pseudorecombinant CMVs induced two different systemic symptoms (mosaic vs. chlorotic spot) in zucchini squash. Based on symptom induction, the pseudorecombinant CMVs were categorized into two classes. The severity and timing of symptoms were correlated with viral RNA accumulations in systemic leaves of zucchini squash, suggesting that different kinetics of virus movement associated with CMV proteins are crucial for systemic infection and symptom development in zucchini squash. The analysis of movement proteins (MP) of CMV strains showed high sequence homology, but the differences of several amino acids were found in the C-terminal region between Class-I-CMV and Class-II-CMV. The analysis of coat proteins (CP) showed that the CMV isolates tested belonged to CMV subgroup I and the viruses shared overall 87-99% sequence identity in their genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of MP and CP suggested that biological properties of Korean CMV isolates have relationships associated with host species.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2002

In order to obtain the specific genes of snailfish a subtracted cDNA library was constructed, and analysed by sequencing and GenBank search. Among them C90-171 clone was turned out to be genes showing low homology and nonredundant genes. This novel clone was named Gomsin(C90-171). Gomsin was shown to be intensely expressed in the epithelial cells, some mesenchymal cells, and sheaths of muscle bundles in the result of immunohistochemistry. In the cross reaction assay of Gomsin antibody against various human tissues, the Gomsin was strongly expressed in the ductal and acinar cells of salivary glands, which was similar to the expression patterns of proline-rich proteins(PRPs) of human. The antibody raised against the Gomsin was clearly cross-reacted with human salivary PRPs and also recombinant proteins of human PRPs in the Western blot and immunoprecipitation analysis. Contrast to the salivary PRPs, the Gomsin was not easily degraded in the mixed saliva, but rapidly attacked on the cultured keratocytes in vitro. The simulated protein structure of Gomsin was similar to the whorled pattern of PRPs, even though the amino acid sequence of Gomsin was quite different from those of PRPs. These data suggest that the Gomsin is a characteristic matrix protein in the skin and body of snailfish, which is also utilized for the tissue protection in the similar way to the PRPs of human muco-secretory organs.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 1992

The gene coding for $\beta$-galactosidase of Neisseria lactamica 2118 was cloned into Escherichia coli MC 1061. The isolated 6.5 Kb EcoR I fragement and 7.2 Kb BamH I fragment of chromosomal DNA in Southern hybridization were ligated to a vector plasmid pBR322 and then transformed into Escherichia coli MC 1061 cells. Finally, I obtained three clones as $\beta$-galactosidase positive clone by colony hybridization and Southern hybridization($\beta$-galactosidase probe: lac Z gene of pMC1871). Three recombinant plasmids(pNL.13. 17 and 24) were found to contain the 7.2Kb BamH I fragment originated from Neisseria lactamica 2118 chromosomal DNA by Southern hybridization and pNL 24 was showed high homology to probe especially and also its physical map was constructed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2000

Pneumocystis carinii is a major opportunistic pathogen which has been found in the lungs of a wide variety of mammalian host species, and the fact suggests the possibility of intraspecific variation. Until now, P. carinii from different mammalian species are differentiated as subspecies, and the rats are known to be infected by two subspecies. The present study investigated genetic heterogeneity of P. carinii isolates from two strains of rats in Korea and China by molecular karyotyping, RFLP and sequencing analysis. Karyotypes of P. carinii were grouped into three, two from two strains of rats In Korea and one from rats in China. However RFLP of PCR product of ribosomal and MSG gene of the P. carinii isolates showed same pattern. The sequence homology rates of ${\alpha}-tubulin$ DNA of the P. carinii isolates were 96% in Seoul Wistar rats, 93% in Seoul Sprague-Dawley rats, and 85% in Chinese Sprague-Dawley rats. The present finding confirmed that P. carinii from rats in Korea are grouped into two karyotype strains which are different from that of P. carinii from rats in China. The Chinese isolate shows a little different sequences of ${\alpha}-tubulin$ DNA.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2009

The black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii neutrophil cytosolic factor components p47 phox (phagocyte oxidase) cDNA was cloned. The sequence of the cDNA showed that rockfish p47 phox cDNA consisted of 1,952 bp contained open reading frame encoding predicted polypeptide of 420 amino acids. Additionally analysis of the p47 phox amino acid sequence showed two potential SH3 domains. The functional domains are highly conserved in many animals, though the sequence of the components of the black rockfish showed low homology with that of mammals. The deduced amino acid sequence of the black rockfish p47 phox was similar to those of the carp (60.4%), zebrafish (59,2%), rainbow trout (68.5%), xenopus (55.2%), mouse (54.2%), rabbit (54.5%), rat (53.7%), and chicken (50.9%). The expression of the rockfish p47 phox molecule was induced in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) from 1 to 12 h following LPS stimulation, with a peak at 6 h after the stimulation, and which increased at 1, 3, and 12 h after treated with Poly I:C compared with the control. The rockfish p47 phox gene was expressed in various tissues of healthy fish. The level of p47 phox expression was high in the PBLs, kidney and spleen.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.23-49
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• 1997

This is a progress report of rice biotechnology including development of gene transformation system, gene cloning and molecular mapping in rice. The scope of the research was focused on the connection between conventional breeding and biotech-researches. Plant transformation via Agrobacterium or particle bombardment was developed to introduce one or several genes to recommended rice cultivars. Two chimeric genes containing a maize ribosome inactivating protein gene (RIP) and a gerbicide resistant gene (bar) were introduced to Nipponbare, a Japonica cultivar, and transmitted to Korean cultivars. The homozygous progenies of herbicide resistant transgenic plant showed good fertility and agronomic characters. To explore the genetic resourses in rice, over 8,000 cDNA clones from immature rice seed have been isolated and sequenced. About 13% of clones were identified as enzymes related to metabolic pathway. Among them, twenty clones have high homology with genes encoding enzymes in the photorespiratory carbon cycle reaction. Up to now about 100 clones were fully sequenced and registered at EMBL and GenBank. For the mapping of quantitative tarits loci (QTL) and eternal recombinant inbred population with 164 F13 lines (MGRI) was developed from a cross between Milyang 23 and Gihobyeo, Korean rice cultivars. After construction of fully saturated RFLP and AFLP map, quantitative traits using MGRI population were analyzed and integrated into the molecular map. Eighty seven loci were determined with 27 QTL characters including yield and yield components on rice chromosomes. Map based cloning was also tried to isolate semi-dwarf (sd-1) gene in rice. A DNA probe, RG 109, the most tightly linked to sd-1 gene was used to screen from bacterial artifical chromosome (BAC) libraries and five over lapping clones presumably containing sd-1 gene were isolated. Rice genetic database including results of biotech reasearch and classical genetics is provided at Korea Rice Genome Server which is accessible with world wide web (www) browser. The server provides rice cDNA sequences and map informations linked with phenotypic images.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.671-678
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• 2023

Objective: Previous studies isolated the thermophilic ammonium-tolerant (TAT) bacterium Bacillus sp. TAT105 that grew in composting swine manure with the assimilation of ammonium nitrogen and reduced ammonia emissions during composting. Those studies also investigated the potential for applications of TAT105 to composting. It was observed that the concentration of TAT bacteria, phylogenetically close to TAT105, increased during composting. The objectives of this study were to identify the phylogenetic placement of these TAT bacteria and investigate their distribution in various composts. Methods: The phylogenetic placement of TAT105 was examined based on the sequence of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The genomic DNA homology between TAT105 and the type strains of bacterial species that were phylogenetically close to TAT105 were examined by DNA-DNA hybridization. Moreover, the tolerances of these strains to NH₄Cl and NaCl were analyzed using a cultivation method. Concentrations of TAT bacteria in various composts were evaluated using an agar medium specific to TAT bacteria and polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results: TAT105 was most closely related to Bacillus thermolactis and Bacillus kokeshiiformis. Many variants of these species have been detected in various environments, including composts. The type strains of these species displayed TAT characteristics that were similar to those of TAT105. Among the composts examined in this study, TAT bacteria were detected at high concentrations (10⁵ to 10⁹ colony forming units per gram of dry matter) in most of the composts made from cattle manure, swine manure, bark, and excess sludge. Conclusion: TAT bacteria comprised B. thermolactis, B. kokeshiiformis, and their phylogenetically close relatives. They were considered to be adaptable to composting of some certain materials, and a favorable target for searching for strains with some useful function that could be applied to composting of these materials.