• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2016

Calcineurin governs stress survival, sexual differentiation, and virulence of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Herein, we identified and characterized calcineurin substrates in C. neoformans by employing phosphoproteomic $TiO_2$ enrichment and quantitative mass spectrometry. The identified targets include the zinc finger transcription factor Crz1 and proteins whose functions are linked to P-bodies/stress granules (PBs/SGs) and mRNA translation and decay, such as Pbp1 and Puf4. We show that Crz1 is a bona fide calcineurin substrate, and localization and transcriptional activity of Crz1 are controlled by calcineurin. Several of the calcineurin targets localized to PBs/SGs, including Puf4 and Pbp1, and are required for survival at high temperature and for virulence. Genetic epistasis analysis revealed that Crz1 and the novel targets Lhp1, Puf4, and Pbp1 function in a branched calcineurin pathway that orchestrates stress survival and virulence. These findings propose that calcineurin controls thermal stress and virulence at the transcriptional level via Crz1 and post-transcriptionally by regulating target factors involved in mRNA metabolism.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

A new dragonfly species, Nannophya koreana sp. nov., is described from Korea on the basis of morphology and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Nannophya materials from Korea and other areas in Southeast Asia were compared. The new species was previously recognized in Korea as the endangered pygmy dragonfly Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842, which is widely distributed in insular and peninsular Southeast Asia. However, male adults of the Nannophya population in Korea could be distinguished from other N. pygmaea populations by the presence of a thick, incomplete black stripe on the lateral synthorax that terminated at half-length (vs. continuous to wing base), light orange (vs. red) anal appendages, and 4-5 (vs. 2-3) black teeth on the ventral superior appendages. In addition, the body length of N. koreana was generally larger (1.2-1.4 times) than that of N. pygmaea, regardless of life stage. COI gene sequences from the two groups exhibited substantial genetic differences (>12%), thereby sufficiently substantiating their differentiation. The taxonomic status, distribution, and habitat of the new species are discussed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.484-494
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• 2016

Plant cells have a remarkable ability to induce pluripotent cell masses and regenerate whole plant organs under the appropriate culture conditions. Although the in vitro regeneration system is widely applied to manipulate agronomic traits, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying callus formation is starting to emerge. Here, we performed genome-wide transcriptome profiling of wild-type leaves and leaf explant-derived calli for comparison and identified 10,405 differentially expressed genes (> two-fold change). In addition to the well-defined signaling pathways involved in callus formation, we uncovered additional biological processes that may contribute to robust cellular dedifferentiation. Particular emphasis is placed on molecular components involved in leaf development, circadian clock, stress and hormone signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, and chromatin organization. Genetic and pharmacological analyses further supported that homeostasis of clock activity and stress signaling is crucial for proper callus induction. In addition, gibberellic acid (GA) and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling also participates in intricate cellular reprogramming. Collectively, our findings indicate that multiple signaling pathways are intertwined to allow reversible transition of cellular differentiation and dedifferentiation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.598-605
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• 2017

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being evaluated as a cell-based therapy for tissue injury and degenerative diseases. Recently, several methods have been suggested to further enhance the therapeutic functions of MSCs, including genetic modifications with tissue- and/or diseasespecific genes. The objective of this study was to examine the efficiency and stability of transduction using an adenoviral vector in human MSCs. Additionally, we aimed to assess the effects of transduction on the proliferation and multipotency of MSCs. The results indicate that MSCs can be transduced by adenoviruses in vitro, but high viral titers are necessary to achieve high efficiency. In addition, transduction at a higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) was associated with attenuated proliferation and senescence-like morphology. Furthermore, transduced MSCs showed a diminished capacity for adipogenic differentiation while retaining their potential to differentiate into osteocytes and chondrocytes. This work could contribute significantly to clinical trials of MSCs modified with therapeutic genes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.625-634
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• 2019

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of inherited disorders characterized by compromised T lymphocyte differentiation related to abnormal development of other lymphocytes [i.e., B and/or natural killer (NK) cells], leading to death early in life unless treated immediately with hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Functional NK cells may impact engraftment success of life-saving procedures such as bone marrow transplantation in human SCID patients. Therefore, in animal models, a T cell-/B cell-/NK cell＋ environment provides a valuable tool for understanding the function of the innate immune system and for developing targeted NK therapies against human immune diseases. In this review, we focus on underlying mechanisms of human SCID, recent progress in the development of SCID animal models, and utilization of SCID pig model in biomedical sciences. Numerous physiologies in pig are comparable to those in human such as immune system, X-linked heritability, typical T-B＋NK- cellular phenotype, and anatomy. Due to analogous features of pig to those of human, studies have found that immunodeficient pig is the most appropriate model for human SCID.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2021

Plants regenerated from in vitro cultures carry chromosomal variations, especially in long-term culture. Reducing the duration of plant tissue culture is one of the ways to reduce genetic and epigenetic changes. In this study, we reduced the duration of long-term culture and repeat subculture using small bulblets derived from bulb scales in two lily cultivars. The adventitious bulblets derived from bulb-scale tissue were cultured on three different media containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 1 g/L Charcoal, MS medium containing 0.3 mg/L IAA and 0.4 mg/L BA hormone with or without Charcoal, respectively. About seven weeks later, the number of newly propagated multiple shoots in the two media, A and B media, showed little differentiation. Compared to both media, the number of propagated multiple shoots increased 5-fold in MS medium containing 0.3 mg/L IAA and 0.4 mg/L BA hormone without Charcoal (C medium). The number of propagated multiple shoots ranged from 5 to 6 and 4 to 6 with an average of 5 in TropicalPink and GreenStar cultivars, respectively. The flow cytometric measurements indicated no variation in the ploidy level between control and in vitro propagated plants.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2022

Rice blast is the most destructive disease threatening stable rice production in rice-growing areas. Cultivation of disease-resistant rice cultivars is the most effective way to control rice blast disease. However, the rice blast resistance is easy to breakdown within years by blast fungus that continually changes to adapt to new cultivars. Therefore, it is important to continuously monitor the incidence of rice blast disease and race differentiation of rice blast fungus in fields. In 2020, a severe rice blast disease occurred nationwide in Korea. We evaluated the incidence of rice blast disease in Yeoju and compared the weather conditions at the periods of rice blast disease in 2019 and 2020. We investigated the races and avirulence genes of rice blast isolates in Yeoju to identify race diversity and genetic characteristics of the isolates. This study will provide empirical support for rice blast control and the breeding of blast-resistant rice cultivars.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.369-379
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• 2023

Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) is an appropriate framework for obtaining optimal designs by taking uncertainties into account. Large-scale problems with implicit limit state functions and problems with discrete design variables are two significant challenges to traditional RBDO methods. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid method to perform RBDO of structures that links Firefly Algorithm (FA) as an optimization tool to advanced (finite element) reliability methods. Furthermore, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and the FA are compared based on the design cost (objective function) they achieve. In the proposed method, Weighted Simulation Method (WSM) is utilized to assess reliability constraints in the RBDO problems with explicit limit state functions. WSM is selected to reduce computational costs. To performing RBDO of structures with finite element modeling and implicit limit state functions, a First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) based on the Direct Differentiation Method (DDM) is utilized. Four numerical examples are considered to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method. The findings illustrate that the proposed RBDO method is applicable and efficient for RBDO problems with discrete and continuous design variables and finite element modeling.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 2022

The 46,XX testicular disorder of sex development (DSD) is a rare condition in which 46,XX individuals develop testicular differentiation and virilization. Translocation of the sex-determining region Y (SRY) onto the X chromosome is the main cause of 46,XX testicular DSD, whereas dysregulation between pro-testis and pro-ovarian genes can induce SRY-negative 46,XX testicular DSD. Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1), a nuclear receptor transcription factor, plays an essential role in gonadal development in XY and XX embryos. Herein, we report the first Korean case of SRY-negative 46,XX testicular DSD with a heterozygous NR5A1 p.Arg92Trp variant. The patient presented with a small penis, bifid scrotum, and bilateral undescended testes. Whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous missense variant (c.274C>T) of NR5A1. Our case highlights that NR5A1 gene variants need to be considered important causative factors of SRY-negative non-syndromic 46,XX testicular DSD.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2015

Parameters of mating system and pollen flow of a Pinus densiflora population in Buan, South Korea, were estimated using seven nuclear microsatellite markers. The expected heterozygosity ($H_e$) was 0.614 in mother trees and 0.624 in seeds. Fixation index (F) was 0.018 and 0.087 in each generation. There was no significant genetic difference between the generations (P > 0.05). From MLTR, the outcrossing rate ($t_m$), the biparental inbreeding ($t_m-t_s$), and the correlation of paternity ($r_p$) were 0.967, 0.057, and 0.012, respectively. tm was larger but $t_m-t_s$ and $r_p$ were smaller than those of allozyme markers in Pinus densiflora. These values were similar to those of microsatellite markers in other pine species. The optimal pollen dispersal model from TwoGener was the normal dispersal model with the effective density of 220 trees/ha and its level of genetic differentiation in pollen pool structure (${\Phi}_{ft}$) was 0.021. The average radial distance of pollen flow (${\delta}$) was calculated as 11.42 m, but no correlation between the pairwise-${\Phi}_{ft}$ and the geographical distance among mother trees was at Mantel test (r = -0.141, P > 0.05). Although the effective pollen dispersal in the population seems to be restricted, the amount of genetic variation might be maintained in each generation without a loss of genetic diversity. It might be because the genetic diversity in pollen pool was high but the genetic difference between pollen donors was small under the complete random mating condition in the Pinus densiflora population in Buan.