• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.33.1-33.7
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• 2016

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) lower the freezing point but not the melting point of aqueous solutions by inhibiting the growth of ice crystals via an adsorption-inhibition mechanism. However, the function of type IV AFP (AFP IV) is questionable, as its antifreeze activity is on the verge of detectable limits, its physiological concentration in adult fish blood is too low to function as a biological antifreeze, and its homologues are present even in fish from tropic oceans as well as freshwater. Therefore, we speculated that AFP IV may have gained antifreeze activity not by selective pressure but by chance. To test this hypothesis, we cloned, expressed, and assayed AFP IV from cultured subtropical olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), which do not require antifreeze protein for survival. Among the identified expressed sequence tags of the flounder liver sample, a 5'-deleted complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence similar to the afp4 gene of the longhorn sculpin was identified, and its full-length cDNA and genome structure were examined. The deduced amino acid sequence of flounder AFP IV shared 55, 53, 52, and 49 % identity with those of Pleuragramma antarcticum, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus, Myoxocephalus scorpius, and Notothenia coriiceps, respectively. Furthermore, the genomic structure of this gene was conserved with those of other known AFP IVs. Notably, the recombinant AFP IV showed a weak but distinct thermal hysteresis of $0.07{\pm}0.01^{\circ}C$ at the concentration of 0.5 mg/mL, and ice crystals in an AFP IV solution grew star-shaped, which are very similar to those obtained from other polar AFP IVs. Taken together, our results do not support the hypothesis of evolution of AFP IV by selective pressure, suggesting that the antifreeze activity of AFP IV may have been gained by chance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.147-150
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• 2005

Proper PCR primer design determines the success or failure of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) reactions. In this project, we develop GENE-PRIMER, a genomes specific PCR primer design program that is amenable to a genome-wide scale. To achieve this, we incorporated various parameters with biological significance into our program, namely, primer length, melting temperature of primers Tm, guanine/cytosine (GC) content of primer, homopolymeric runs in primer and self-hybridization tendency of primer. In addition, BLAST algorithm is utilized for the purpose of primer specificity check. In summary, selected primers adhered to both physico-chemical criteria and also display specificity to intended binding site in the genome.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.879-881
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• 2008

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.96-107
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• 2004

We prepared two oligonucleotides containing same base pairing, but different base sequence in the middle region, d(CGAATTCG) and d(CGTATACG). NMR and UV absorbance data represented that such variation in base sequence could cause a significant difference in melting temperature and dynamics between d(CGAATTCG)$_2$ and d(CGTATACG)$_2$ duplexes, which are regarded to be associated with the stacked structure and the width of the minor groove of them. The latter showed poor stability compared to the former, because of poor stacking of bases. And berenil could bind to the minor groove of d(CGAATTCG)$_2$ which is relatively narrow, more strongly than d(CGTATACG)$_2$ and this gave rise to large improvement in thermal stability of the d(CGAATTCG)$_2$ duplex, compared to d(CGTATACG)$_2$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.528-534
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• 1997

The conformation and stabilization effects of acridine derivatives 9-aminoacridine, an acridine with an aminoalkyl side chain, bis acridine (two acridines linked by an aminoalkyl side chain), and proflavin in the triplex helical poly(dA)·[poly(dT)]2 were investigated by optical spectroscopies. Based on the negative LD and weak positive CD in the acridine absorption wavelength region, we concluded that the acridine moiety of all derivatives are intercalated. We also examined the melting temperatures. Of all the compounds examined, the acridine with an amino alkyl side chain had the strongest effect on the stabilization of the third strand of a poly (dA)·[poly(dT)]2 triplex. The role of the side chain, based on this observation, is discussed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2015

A real-time PCR assay using hybridization probe (HybProbe) has been developed to detect Brucella (B.) melitensis strains. The primer and HybProbe sets were designed based on the gap gene of chromosome I with a specific single nucleotide polymorphism of B. melitensis. Specificity of the assay was confirmed by comparison to reference Brucella species and other related strains. In the melting curve analysis, B. melitensis generated a peak at $67^{\circ}C$ unlike those for other Brucella species observed at $61^{\circ}C$. Sensitivity of the assay for B. melitensis ranged from 20 ng to 200 fg of genomic DNA. The ability to identify 94 Mongolian B. melitensis isolates using the real-time PCR assay was identical to that of classical biotyping methods and differential multiplex PCR. These data showed that this new molecular technique is a simple and quick method for detecting B. melitensis, which will be important for the control and prevention of brucellosis.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

Objectives: This study examined the relative efficacies of a derivative of betulinic acid (dBA) and its poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nano-encapsulated form in A549 lung cancer cells in vivo and in co-mutagen [sodium arsenite (SA) + benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)]-induced lung cancer in mice in vivo. Methods: dBA was loaded with PLGA nanoparticles by using the standard solvent displacement method. The sizes and morphologies of nano-dBA (NdBA) were determined by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their intracellular localization was verified by using confocal microscopy. The binding and interaction of NdBA with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (CT-DNA) as a target were analyzed by using conventional circular dichroism (CD) and melting temperature (Tm) profile data. Apoptotic signalling cascades in vitro and in vivo were studied by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the ability of NdBA to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was also examined. The stage of cell cycle arrest was confirmed by using a fluorescence-activated cell-sorting (FACS) data analysis. Results: The average size of the nanoparticles was ~ 110 nm. Confocal microscopy images confirmed the presence of NdBA in the cellular cytoplasm. The bio-physical properties of dBA and NdBA ascertained from the CD and the Tm profiles revealed that NdBA had greater interaction with the target DNA than dBA did. Both dBA and NdBA arrested cell proliferation at G0/G1, NdBA showing the greater effect. NdBA also induced a greater degree of cytotoxicity in A549 cells, but it had an insignificant cytotoxic effect in normal L6 cells. The results of flow cytometric, cytogenetial and histopathological studies in mice revealed that NdBA caused less nuclear condensation and DNA damage than dBA did. TEM images showed the presence of NdBA in brain samples of NdBA fed mice, indicating its ability to cross the BBB. Conclusion: Thus, compared to dBA, NdBA appears to have greater chemoprotective potential against lung cancer.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2007

For the detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), multiple and ultra-rapid real-time PCR methods were developed. The target DNA sequences were deduced from HIV-1 specific 495bp partial env gene (gi_1184090) and from HIV-2 specific 294 bp partial env gene (gi_1332355), and were synthesized by using PCR-based gene synthesis on the reason of safety. Ultra-rapid real-time PCR was performed by $Genspector^{TM}$ using microchip-based, $1\;{\mu}l$ of reaction volume with extremely short time in each 3 step in PCR. The detection including DNA-amplification and melting temperature analysis was completed inner 15 minutes. The HIV-1 specific 117 bp-long and HIV-2 specific 119 bp-long PCR products were successfully amplified from minimum of template,2.3 molecules of each env gene. This kind of real-time PCR was designated as ultra-rapid real-time PCR in this study and it could be applied not only an alternative detection method against HIV, but also other pathogens using PCR-based detection.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.372-378
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• 2017

For comparison of the transcription profiles in apple (Malus domestica L.) cultivars differing in flesh color expression, two cDNA libraries were constructed. Differences in gene expression between red flesh apple cultivar, 'Redfield' and white flesh apple cultivar, 'Granny Smith' were investigated by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Expressed sequence tag (EST) of clones from the red flesh apple cultivar and white flesh apple cultivar were selected for nucleotide sequence determination and homology searches. High resolution melting (HRM) technique measures temperature induced strand separation of short PCR amplicons, and is able to detect variation as small as one base difference between red flesh apple cultivars and white flesh apple cultivars. We applied high resolution melting (HRM) analysis to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) based on the predicted SNP information derived from the apple EST database. All 103 pairs of SNPs were discriminated, and the HRM profiles of amplicons were established. Putative SNPs were screened from the apple EST contigs by HRM analysis displayed specific difference between 10 red flesh apple cultivars and 11 white flesh apple cultivars. In this study, we report an efficient method to develop SNP markers from an EST database with HRM analysis in apple. These SNP markers could be useful for apple marker assisted breeding and provide a good reference for relevant research on molecular mechanisms of color variation in apple cultivars.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2019

Melting temperature shift ($T_m-shift$) is a new detection method that analyze the melting curve on real-time PCR thermocycler using SYBR Green I fluorescent dye. To establish a $T_m-shift$ method for the detection of Ancylostoma ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme in cats, specific primers, with GC tail of unequal length attached to their 5' end, were designed based on 2 SNP loci (ITS101 and ITS296) of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences. The standard curve of $T_m-shift$ was established using the standard plasmids of A. ceylanicum (AceP) and A. tubaeforme (AtuP). The $T_m-shift$ method stability, sensitivity, and accuracy were tested with reference to the standard curve, and clinical fecal samples were also examined. The results demonstrated that the 2 sets of primers based on the 2 SNPs could accurately distinguish between A. ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme. The coefficient of variation (CV) of $T_m$- values of AceP and AtuP was 0.07% and 0.06% in ITS101 and was 0.06% and 0.08% in ITS296, respectively. The minimum detectable DNA concentration was $5.22{\times}10^{-6}$ and $5.28{\times}10^{-6}ng/{\mu}l$ samples of AceP and AtuP, respectively. The accuracy of $T_m-shift$ method reached 100% based on examination of 10 hookworm DNA samples with known species. In the clinical detection of hookworm in 69 stray cat fecal sample, the $T_m-shift$ detection results were consistent with the microscopic examination and successfully differentiated between the 2-hookworm species. In conclusion, the developed method is a rapid, sensitive and accurate technique and can provide a promising tool for clinical detection and epidemiological investigation of cat-derived hookworms.