• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1331-1339
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• 2017

DNA barcoding is the identification of a species based on the DNA sequence of a fragment of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the mitochondrial genome. It is widely applied to assist with the sustainable development of fishery-product resources and the protection of fish biodiversity. This study attempted to verify horse-head fish (Branchiostegus japonicus) and fake horse-head fish (Branchiostegus albus) species, which are commonly consumed in Korea. For the validation of the two species, a real-time PCR method was developed based on the species' mitochondrial DNA genome. Inter-species variations in mitochondrial DNA were observed in a bioinformatics analysis of the mitochondrial genomic DNA sequences of the two species. Some highly conserved regions and a few other regions were identified in the mitochondrial COI of the species. In order to test whether variations in the sequences were definitive, primers that targeted the varied regions of COI were designed and applied to amplify the DNA using the real-time PCR system. Threshold-cycle (Ct) range results confirmed that the Ct ranges of the real-time PCR were identical to the expected species of origin. Efficiency, specificity and cross-reactivity assays showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($21.85{\pm}3.599$) and the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($33.49{\pm}1.183$) for confirming B. japonicus. The assays also showed statistically significant differences between the average Ct of B. albus DNA ($22.49{\pm}0.908$) and the average Ct of B. japonicus DNA ($33.93{\pm}0.479$) for confirming B. albus. The methodology was validated by using ten commercial samples. The genomic DNA-based molecular technique that used the real-time PCR was a reliable method for the taxonomic classification of animal tissues.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.9-9
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• 2001

Several micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are required as co-factors in DNA synthesis, DNA repair, DNA methylation and apoptosis. Some notable examples include (a) folic acid and vitamin B12 required for maintenance methylation of DNA and the synthesis of dTTP from dUTP, thus prevent the misincorporation of uracil into DNA, a highly mutagenic and chromosome-breaking event, (b) niacin, is essential in the form of the coenzymes NAD and NADP which act as a substrate for polyADPribose polymerase (PARP), an enzyme thought to facilitate efficient DNA repair and telomere length regulation and (c) zinc, apart from its antioxidant role as a co-factor in Cu/Zn SOD, it is required in its stabilizing role of the DNA-binding domain of p53 (residues 102-292) and thus is essential for apoptotic response to DNA damage. (omitted)

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.123-126
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• 2004

The actin-binding protein profilin cDNA was firstly isolated from the lepidopteran insect, silkworm Bombyx mori. The B. mori profilin cDNA contains an open reading frame of 378 bp encoding 126 amino acid residues and possesses three cysteine residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the B. mori profilin cDNA showed 80% identity to Apis mellifera profilin and 72% to Drosophila melanogaster profilin. Northern blot analysis showed that B. mori profilin is highly expressed in epidermis and less strongly in silk gland. In addition, Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of B. mori profilin transcripts in all tissues examined, suggesting that B. mori profilin gene is expressed in most, if not all, body tissues.

• Journal of Science Criminal Investigation
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.210-217
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• 2017

In the forensic microbiology laboratories, microorganism analyses from food are requested. There have been several cases of Bacillus cereus isolated from the samples requested to the National Forensic Service. B. cereus is an important pathogenic bacterium which can cause food-borne outbreaks. Therefore, we isolated B. cereus from anchovy aekjeot recently requested for microbial examination and identified using MSId based on the 16S rDNA sequence and real-time PCR method. We also conducted PCR for detection of diarrheal toxin genes and an emetic toxin gene and found the presence of nheABC, bceT and entFM diarrheal toxin genes in the B. cereus isolate. There are several clinically important food-poisoning bacteria that should be noted during inspection. In particular, B. cereus can cause food poisoning even when cooked foods are ingested, because B. cereus forms endo-spore which confers strong environmental resistance and heat resistance to the bacteria, and the bacterial emetic toxin also has heat resistance. Here we highlight the importance to distinguish clinically important bacteria such as B. cereus from food specimens, and we expect this study will provide procedures for identification of B. cereus and detection of the bacterial toxin genes for future cases in the forensic microbiology laboratories.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2005

Background: Costimulation is a critical process in Ag-specific immune responses. Both B7.1 and CD28 molecules have been reported to stimulate T cell responses during antigen presentation. Therefore, we tested whether Ag-specific immune responses as well as protective immunity are influenced by coinjecting with B7.1 and CD28 cDNAs in a mouse HSV-2 challenge model system. Methods: ELISA was used to detect levels of antibodies, cytokines and chemokines while thymidine incorporation assay was used to evaluate T cell proliferation levels. Results: Ag-specific antibody responses were enhanced by CD28 coinjection but not by B7.1 coinjection. Furthermore, CD28 coinjection increased IgG1 production to a significant level, as compared to pgD+pcDNA3, suggesting that CD28 drives Th2 type responses. In contrast, B7.1 coinjection showed the opposite, suggesting a Th1 bias. B7.1 coinjection also enhanced Ag-specific Th cell proliferative responses as well as production of Th1 type cytokines and chemokines significantly higher than pgD+pcDNA3. However, CD28 coinjection decreased Ag-specific Th cell proliferative responses as well as production of Th1 types of cytokines and chemokine significantly lower than pgD+pcDNA3. Only MCP-1 production was enhanced by CD28. B7.1 coimmunized animals exhibited an enhanced survival rate as well as decreased herpetic lesion formation, as compared to pgD+pcDNA3. In contrast, CD28 vaccinated animals exhibited decreased survival from lethal challenge. Conclusion: This study shows that B7.1 enhances protective Th1 type cellular immunity against HSV-2 challenge while CD28 drives a more detrimental Th2 type immunity against HSV-2 challenge, supporting an opposite role of B7.1 and CD28 in Ag-specific immune responses to a Th1 vs Th2 type.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.414-421
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• 1998

In order to compare the suppressive effect of quercetin and its glycosides, such as quercitrin (quercetin-3-rhamnoside), isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-glucoside), hyperin (querceti n-3-galactoside)and rutin (quercetin-3-rhamnosyl glucoside), on the genotocicity by benzo(a)pyrene(B(a)P), in vitro sister chromatid exchange(SCE) test using mouse spleen lymphocytes and in vivo micronucleus test using mouse peripheral blood were performed. B(a)P-induced SCEs in vitro were slightly decreased by the simultaneous treatment of quercetin and its glycosides, although there was no significant decrease. On the other hand, MNU induced micronucleated reticulocytes(MNRL7s) in vivo were significantly decreased with a dose-dependent manner in all compounds tested. However, there were no differences between quercetin aglycone and glycosides in the suppressive effects under experimental condition of this study. To elucidate, the action mechanism of quercetin aglycone and its glycosides against B(a)P-induced genotoxicity, the assay of DNA binding with B(a)P was studied. Quercetin aglycone and its glycosides inhibited B(a)P metabolism in the presence of S-9 mix and decreased the B(a)P/DNA binding in the calf thymus DNA with S-9 mix. These results suggest that antigenotoxicity of quercetin antiglycosides on B(a)P-induced genotoxicity is due to decrease of DNA binding with B(a)P through the inhibition of metabolism with B(a)P in the calf thymus DNA. Therefore, quercetin and its glycosides may act as an antigenotoxicity agent and may be useful as a chemopreventive agent of polycyclic aromaic hydrocarbons like B(a)P.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.257-262
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• 2018

Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) causes severe economic losses in the poultry farms, due to systemic infections leading to lethal colisepticemia. It causes a variety of diseases from air sac infection to systemic spread leading to septicemia. Secondary infection contains opportunistic infections due to immunosuppression disease. Collibacillosis causes the great problems in the poultry industry in Korea. Thus, it is necessary to identify and classify the characteristics of E. coli isolate of chicken origin to confirm the diversity of symptoms and whether they are transmitted among the farms. Fragment analysis is identify the difference in the number of Variable-Number Tandem-Repeats (VNTRs) for genotyping. VNTRs have repeating structure (Microsatellite, Short tandem repeats; STR, Simple sequence repeats; SSR) in the chromosome. This region can be used as a genetic marker because of its high mutation rate. And various lengths of the amplified DNA fragment cause the difference in the number of repetition of the DNA specific site. The number of repetition sequences indicates the separated size of fragments, so the each fragments can be distinguished by specific samples. The results of the sample show that there is no difference in six microsatellite loci (yjiD, aidB, molR_1, ftsZ, b1668, yibA). There are differences among the farms in relation of the number of repetitions of other six microsatellite loci (ycgW, yaiN, yiaB, mhpR, b0829, caiF). Four (ycgW, yiaB, b0829, caiF) of these six microsatellite loci show statistically significant differences (P<0.05). It means that the analysis using four microsatellite loci including ycgW, yiaB, b0829, and caiF can confirm among the farms. Five E. coli samples in one farm have same SSR repetition at all markers. But, there are significant differences from other farms at Four (ycgW, yiaB, b0829, caiF) microsatellite loci. These results emphasize again that the four microsatellite loci makes a difference in the amplified DNA fragments, enabling it to be used for E. coli genotyping.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 1998

Human cytochrome P450 4F2 shows high regioselectivity in hydroxylation of stearic acid and leukotriene $ B_4.$ As a first step of its regulation study, human cytochrome P450 4F2 genomic DNA was isolated from liver of a person who was administered clofibrate for 10 years. From Southern hybridization, restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing experiments, isolated genomic DNA fragment was found to contain around 32 Kb DNA and more than 20 Kb of $5^I$ end regulatory region. Sequences of the structural gene region revealed exon 1 and exon 2. Further regulation studies would elucidate the feedback mechanisms of the oxidative degradation of fatty acids, inflammatory response and the clearance of leukotriene B4 in the liver. Furthermore, regulation study of this gene could explain the species difference in responses to peroxisome proliferator and help in the safety evaluation of peroxisome proliferating chemicals to human being.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.44 no.3 s.140
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• pp.169-175
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• 2005

The occurrence of tobacco whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci, in greenhouses was monitored in Korea in 2005. Bemisia tabaci occurred in the rose, sweet pepper, tomato, and cucumber greenhouses of Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gyongnam, and Jeonnam Provinces, but not in Jeonbuk and Gyongbuk Provinces. The biotypes and genetic differentiation of the whiteflies collected in each regions were analyzed by mitochondrial 16S DNA sequences. The 16S DNA sequences of Jincheon (Chungbuk Province) samples were similar to DNA data reported from Japan and Israel which were known as the B biotype. However, the DNA sequences of the Buyeo (Chungnam), Geoje (Gyongnam) and Boseong (Jeonnam) collections, which were 100% homologous showed over 99% similarity to the DNA of Q biotype from Spain and Egyrt. Here we report the first founding of the Q biotype in Korea. It is assumed that, unlike the B biotype reported from Jincheon since 1998, the Q biotype might have been introduced recently from the certain foreign region/country to the greenhouses in those provinces.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2018

Objective: To investigate sperm chromatin/DNA integrity, global DNA methylation, and DNMT mRNA transcription in men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) compared with normozoospermic men. Methods: Semen samples from 32 OAT patients who comprised the case group and 32 normozoospermic men who comprised the control group were isolated and purified using a standard gradient isolation procedure according to World Health Organization criteria. DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B transcripts were then compared between groups using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Global DNA methylation in sperm was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protamine deficiency and the proportion of apoptotic spermatozoa were evaluated using chromomycin A3 (CMA3), aniline blue (AB), and toluidine blue (TB) staining, as well as the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The p-values < 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Results: Significantly higher proportions of AB+, TB+, CMA3+, and TUNEL+ spermatozoa, as well as DNMT3A and DNMT3B transcription, were found in the OAT group. Positive correlations were detected between sperm parameters, DNA/chromatin damage, and DNMT3A and DNMT3B transcripts. Global DNA methylation was significantly higher in the OAT patients and had a significant correlation with abnormal results of all sperm chromatin integrity tests, but was not associated with DNMT1, DNMT3A, or DNMT3B expression. Conclusion: Oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men showed abnormal sperm parameters, abnormal chromatin/DNA integrity, and a higher global DNA methylation rate, as well as overexpression of DNMT mRNA.