• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2000

In the present study we determined if NELL2, a neural tissue-specific protein containing 6 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeat domains, plays an important role in the regulation of puberty initiation in the rat hypothalamus. We origin811y found that NELL2 is a new estrogen-responsive gene in hypothalami derived from estrogen-sterilized and control rats using a PCR differential display. In the 40-day-old female rat hypothalamus, NELL2 was up-regulated by neonatal estrogen treatment. In situ hybridization histochemistry showed that NELL2 is very abundant in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus that is responsible for the control of sex behavior. NELL2 mRNA level in the medial basal hypothalamus showed a dramatic increase before female puberty onset, which suggests that NELL2 may be involved in the process regulating female puberty onset. We attemped to block NELL2 synthesis with intracerebroventricular injection of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) to the NELL2 mRNA, and examined its effect on the puberty onset of the female rat. The antisense ODN significantly delayed puberty initiation determined by vaginal opening. In summary, NELL2 may play an important role in the regulation of female puberty onset.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.360-377
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• 2018

The levels of 12 isoflavones were measured in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) sprouts of 68 genetic varieties from three countries (China, Japan, and Korea). The isoflavone profile differences were analyzed using data mining methods. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the CSRV021 variety was separated from the others by the first two principal components. This variety appears to be most suited for functional food production due to its high isoflavone levels. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) showed that there are meaningful isoflavone compositional differences in samples that have different countries of origin. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) of these phytochemicals resulted in clusters derived from closely related biochemical pathways. These results indicate the usefulness of metabolite profiling combined with chemometrics as a tool for assessing the quality of foods and identifying metabolic links in biological systems.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-110
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• 2022

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, decreased ability to concentrate urine, with production of large amounts of urine, is caused by the refractory response of renal tubules to the action of antidiuretic hormone. This rare disorder, known as X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, is caused by a mutation in the AVPR2 gene. Because it is hereditary, most patients are male. This report highlights a case of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a 3-year 5-month-old female; upon presentation to the hospital, her symptoms included frequent urinationand consumptionof a significant amount ofwater,which had begun2 years ago. The results of blood tests showed increased levels of serum antidiuretic hormone, and sellar magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormality. The results of the water restriction test and the desmopressin administration test confirmed the diagnosis of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus showing a partial response to desmopressin. The results of genetic testing indicated the presence of an AVPR2 mutation, a heterozygous missense mutation (p.Val88Met), suggesting inheritance of X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This report describes a significant case of symptomaticX-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a female patient who showed a partial response to desmopressin.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.216-216
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• 2022

The starch-branching enzymes (BEs) are responsible for synthesizing the amylopectin, which plays an important role in determining the structural and physical properties of starch granules. BE has two differently functioning isoforms (BEI and BEIIa/b) based on their difference in the chain-length pattern by the degree of polymerization (DP), which mainly contributes to the amylopectin chain length distribution in starch biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated functional haplotypes and evolutionary analyses of SBE1 in 374 rice accessions (320 Korean bred and 54 wild). The analyses were performed based on the classified subpopulations. Haplotype analysis generates a total of 8 haplotypes, of which only four haplotypes were functional carrying four functional SNPs in four different exons of SBE1 on chromosome 6. Nucleotide diversity analysis showed a highest pi-value in aromatic group (0.0029), while the lowest diversity value was in temperate japonica (0.0002), indicating the signal of this gene evolution origin. Different directional selections could be estimated by negative Tajima's D value of temperate japonica (-1.1285) and positive Tajima's D value of tropical japonica (0.9456), where the selective sweeps were undergone by both positive purifying and balancing selections. Phylogenetic analysis indicates a closer relationship of the wild with most of the cultivated subgroups indicating a common ancestor for SBE1 gene. FST-values indicate distant genetic relationships of temperate japonica from all other classified groups. PCA and population structure analysis show an admixed structure of wild and cultivated subpopulations in some proportions.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.641-651
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• 2022

The biodiversity research of barley, a functional food, is proceeding to conserve germplasms and develop new cultivar of barley to improve its functional effects. In this study, with 25,104 barley germplasms in the National Agrobiodiversity Center, South Korea, the biodiversity index of species was much lower (1.17) than the origins (24.73) because of the presence of a biased species, Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare, but the species and origin of germplasms were significantly different with regard to genetic traits. In the clustering analysis based on genetic traits, we found that 97% barley germplasms could mostly be distributed between 1~7 clusters out of a total of 15 clusters; 'normal and uzu type', 'lodging', and 'loose smut' were commonly represented in the 1~7 clusters and some clusters showed specific differences in five genetic traits including 'growth habit'. In correlation of each genetic trait, the infection of 'barley yellow mosaic virus' was highly correlated to 'number of grains per spike'. '1000 grain weight' was weakly correlated with seven genetic traits including 'number of grains per spike'. Our analysis for barley's biodiversity can provide a useful guide to the species' phenotypes that need to be collected to conserve biodiversity and to breed new barley varieties.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2020

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the causal agent of a bacterial canker disease in kiwifruit, is subdivided into five genetically distinct populations, namely biovars 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Of these, strains belonging to biovar 3 are responsible for a pandemic bacterial canker of kiwifruits since 2008. This study aimed to characterize the structure of the biovar 3 population and investigate the origin of biovar 3 strains isolated in Korea. The genetic variability of fifteen biovar 3 strains, thirteen Korean and two Chinese, were evaluated through random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. The RAPD results revealed the presence of eight lineages, designated as subgroups I-VIII, across the biovar 3 strains used in this study. As the strains in subgroups II and III from China were not found in the Korean examples, we concluded that six genetically different biovar 3 subgroups (I, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII) are present in Korea. In PCR analysis using primers specific to the strains of New Zealand and Europe, Korean strains in subgroups V and VI amplified the relevant DNA bands, suggesting that these were introduced from these two origins, respectively. PCR primers specific to subgroup VIII were developed to monitor the spread of the first biovar 3 strain in Korea, and investigations revealed that this strain was not found in Korea after its first occurrence.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.246-254
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• 1991

Genetic structure of a Pinus densiflora population consisting of two subpopulations on the north-and south-facing slopes of a mountain was studied by allozyme analysis. Allozyme variants in aspartate aminotransferase(AAT), glutmate dehydrogenase(GDH) and leucine aminopeptidase(LAP) systems are encoded, at least, by eight loci ; five for AAT, one for GDH and two for LAP. Average number of alleles examined over six loci was 3.33. Average heterozygosity and genetic diversity computed over six loci were, respectively, 0.19 and 2.76 for parental population, 0.17 and 2.22 for progeny population. Differences in allelic frequencies between maternal sources at many of the investigated loci were found and between subpopulations on the north- and south-facing slopes. Allele frequencies of maternal origin at some of the loci were significantly different from each other between the two subpopulations. Thus it appears that the matings within and between subpopulations were not random and the mountain ridge that divides the north-and south-facing slopes isolate the two suhpopulations reproductively to a great extent. Some of the genotypes both in parental and progeny(embryo) groups deviate significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium state. It appears from the result that the pine population is originated from a few limited ancestral trees and thus consanguineous matings are prevalent in this pine population.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2009

In order to determine the origin and genetic diversity among chicken breeds, mitochondrial (mt) DNA D-loop sequences have been widely used. In this study, 41 individuals from four breeds (Korean native chicken (Black and Brown) and two imported breeds, Rhode Island Red and Cornish) were used for identifying genetic relationships with other chicken breeds. We obtained ten haplotypes and the highest number of haplotype was represented by eight individuals each from haplotype 1 and haplotype 2. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree indicates that the black and brown Korean native chicken breeds were mixed in haplotype 2 and they were closely related with the red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). We also investigated whether the D-loop hypervariable region in chicken mtDNA can be used for the breed identification marker. The results indicated that the combination of the SNPs in the D-loop region can be possibly used for the breed discriminating markers. The results obtained in this study can be used for designing proper breeding and conservation strategies for Korean native chicken, as well as development of breed identification markers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1078-1084
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• 2009

The Jindo dog is a Korean natural monument and is recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. A prominent feature is the diverse coat color within the breed. To analyze the genetic basis of variation in the Jindo coat color, we sequenced the protein-coding regions of the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R). The MC1R coding sequence was determined from 154 dogs in five breeds (Jindo, Labrador Retriever, English Springer Spaniel, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherd). To confirm the genetic structure of sampled populations, we tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and computed $F_{st}$ The sample populations did not significantly deviate from HWE. $F_{st}$ was 0.02 between white and fawn Jindo dogs; this was lower than $F_{st}$ between breeds. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the MC1R coding region. Among the six SNPs, five were non-synonymous (S90G, T105A, Q159P, M264V, and R306ter) and one was synonymous SNP (Y298Y). From the SNPs, we predicted four haplotypes (H1, H2, H3, and H4) for Jindo MC1R. Jindo dogs had different haplotypes corresponding to different coat colors. H1 was frequently observed in white Jindo dogs with an odds ratio of 5.03 (95% CI: 2.27-11.18, p<0.0001), whereas H2 and H4 were observed only in fawn Jindo dogs. Our findings indicate that SNP haplotype can influence coat color. Knowledge of MC1R haplotypes can help discriminate white and fawn coats in Jindo dogs. We hope this report will trigger more research into the genetics of this traditional Korean dog and will be a reference for dogs of Asian origin. Also, our results will provide a useful genetic marker for Jindo dog breeders who have selected for specific colors.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.3
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• pp.250-255
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• 2006

Pinus densiflora is a dominant conifer species in Korea and also distributed in regions of Japan and eastern China. Success in the establishment and productivity of forest tree plantation is largely determined by selection of species and seed source. The provenance tests of Pinus densiflora in Korea are underway. However, the information of the growth performance of Japanese and Chinese provenances are insufficient. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of Pinus densiflora Japanese provenances. Data were collected from a provenance trial including established by Korea Forest Research Institude at Chungju in 1970. Six Japanese provenances ($31^{\circ}90^{\prime}{\sim}40^{\circ} 27^{\prime}$ in latitude and $128^{\circ}47^{\prime}{\sim}141^{\circ}80^{\prime}$ in longitude) were included in this trial. Pyeongchang provenance at Kangwon province in Korea was used for reference provenance. At nursery stage, the height and diameter at root collar of six Japanese provenances were smaller than those of Pyeongchang provenance. Among Japanese provenances, Kasahara provenance showed higher growth performance than those of others. The provenance rankings of growth performance were fluctuated until age 11. However, the growth performance of Japanese provenances showed higher than those of reference provenance after age 17. Kirishima-yama provenance showed best growth performance. Simple correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the geographic factors affecting growth performance. The height growth showed negative corelation with latitude of seed origin. Generally, Japanese provenences of Pinus densiflora were well adapted and grown in Chungju. However, it was suggested that further studies on other sites need to generalize the results of this study.