• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2005

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein transduction domain (PTD) is responsible for highly efficient protein transduction across plasma membranes. In a previous study, we showed that Tat-Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Tat-SOD) can be directly transduced into mammalian cells across the lipid membrane barrier. In this study, we fused the human SOD gene with a Tat PTD transduction vector at its N- and/or C-terminus. The fusion proteins (Tat-SOD, SOD-Tat, Tat-SOD-Tat) were purified from Escherichia coli and their ability to enter cells in vitro and in vivo compared by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The transduction efficiencies and biological activities of the SOD fusion protein with the Tat PTD at either terminus were equivalent and lower than the fusion protein with the Tat PTD at both termini. The availability of a more efficient SOD fusion protein provides a powerful vehicle for therapy in human diseases related to this anti-oxidant enzyme and to reactive oxygen species.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2005

Myo-inositol monophosphate phosphatase (IMPP) is a key enzyme in the phosphoinositide cell-signaling system. This study found that incubating the IMPP from a porcine brain with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) resulted in a time-dependent enzymatic inactivation. Spectral evidence showed that the inactivation proceeds via the formation of a Schiff's base with the amino groups of the enzyme. After the sodium borohydride reduction of the inactivated enzyme, it was observed that 1.8 mol phosphopyridoxyl residues per mole of the enzyme dimer were incorporated. The substrate, myo-inositol-1-phosphate, protected the enzyme against inactivation by PLP. After tryptic digestion of the enzyme modified with PLP, a radioactive peptide absorbing at 210 nm was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC. Amino acid sequencing of the peptide identified a portion of the PLP-binding site as being the region containing the sequence L-Q-V-S-Q-Q-E-D-I-T-X, where X indicates that phenylthiohydantoin amino acid could not be assigned. However, the result of amino acid composition of the peptide indicated that the missing residue could be designated as a phosphopyridoxyl lysine. This suggests that the catalytic function of IMPP is modulated by the binding of PLP to a specific lysyl residue at or near its substrate-binding site of the protein.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.91-94
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• 2002

An efficient molecular breeding technique for coffee plants was developed. In order to produce transgenic coffee plants, we established a model transformation procedure via Agrobacterium method. We isolated a gene encoding a protein possessing 7-methylxanthine methyltransferase (theobromine synthase) activity, and it was designated as Coffea arabica 7-methylxanthine methyl transferase; CaMXMT. Using this clone, we produced transgenic coffee plants, in which the expression of CaMXMT is suppressed by double-stranded RNA interference (RNAi) andlor anti-sense methods. The expression pattern of CaMXMT was analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR method and we found that, in the transformed cell lines, the level of transcripts were obviously suppressed by RNAi. The endogenous level of caffeine in the transformed cells was dramatically reduced in comparison with non-transformed cells.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.2
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• pp.187-195
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• 2008

Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere is one of the major and widespread components of the cold-temperate and boreal forests in Russian Far East, northeast China, Korea, and Japan. However, it is restricted to a highly fragmented range in South Korea with small populations. Mean expected heterozygosity $(H_e)$ based on 22 loci in 11 isozyme systems was 0.077 for four sampled populations that covered the whole distribution range of P. jezoensis in South Korea. This value is within the range reported for conifers, but it is very low compared to that of other spruce species as well as that of P. jezoensis populations in Russian Far East. Most populations had a slight excess of heterozygotes and the Wright's $F_{IS}$ (-0.019) was comparable to that previously reported for other spruce species. In all of the four populations, the Wilcoxon sign-rank test indicated no greater heterozygosity than that expected for populations at mutation-drift equilibrium, suggesting that the populations have not been bottlenecked recently. Despite a fragmented range and isolated populations, population differentiation was not high $(F_{ST}=0.047)$ and the number of migrants per generation was 5.09. Nei's genetic distances were also small $({\bar{D}}=0.005)$ but strongly related to geographic distances between populations, suggesting an Isolation by Distance. The northernmost isolate, Mt. Gyebang population was genetically distinct from the other three populations. Implications for the conservation of genetic variation of P. jezoensis in South Korea were discussed.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.471-481
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• 2021

Objective: A comprehensive study was conducted to study the effects of partition of variance on accuracy of genetic parameters and genetic trends of economic traits in Vanaraja male line/project directorate-1 (PD-1) chicken. Methods: Variance component analysis utilizing restricted maximum likelihood animal model was carried out with five generations data to delineate the population status, direct additive, maternal genetic, permanent environmental effects, besides genetic trends and performance of economic traits in PD-1 chickens. Genetic trend was estimated by regression of the estimated average breeding values (BV) on generations. Results: The body weight (BW) and shank length (SL) varied significantly (p≤0.01) among the generations, hatches and sexes. The least squares mean of SL at six weeks, the primary trait was 77.44±0.05 mm. All the production traits, viz., BWs, age at sexual maturity, egg production (EP) and egg weight were significantly influenced by generation. Model four with additive, maternal permanent environmental and residual effects was the best model for juvenile growth traits, except for zero-day BW. The heritability estimates for BW and SL at six weeks (SL6) were 0.20±0.03 and 0.17±0.03, respectively. The BV of SL6 in the population increased linearly from 0.03 to 3.62 mm due to selection. Genetic trend was significant (p≤0.05) for SL6, BW6, and production traits. The average genetic gain of EP40 for each generation was significant (p≤0.05) with an average increase of 0.38 eggs per generation. The average inbreeding coefficient was 0.02 in PD-1 line. Conclusion: The population was in ideal condition with negligible inbreeding and the selection was quite effective with significant genetic gains in each generation for primary trait of selection. The animal model minimized the over-estimation of genetic parameters and improved the accuracy of the BV, thus enabling the breeder to select the suitable breeding strategy for genetic improvement.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.102-108
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• 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity and genetic taxonomic relationships between Korean native black goat (KNBG) populations and crossbred goats. The 45,658 common single nucleotide polymorphisms present in the KNBG strain and crossbred goat were used for the analysis. The expected and observed heterozygosity (which can be indicators of genetic diversity) were in the order of crossbred, Gyeongsang National University, Jangsu, then the Tongyeong strains. The variance component represents the degree of genetic diversity between groups. The highest variance (19.98 %) was between the Dangjin and Gyeongsang National University strains. The lowest variance (8.87 %) was between the Jangsu and Tongyeong strains. In addition, the genetic distance between the populations showed that Jangsu and Tongyeong formed one branch (they were very similar genetically). The Dangjin and the Gyeongsang National University strains appeared to form a second branch. Furthermore, the crossbred formed one branch with the Dangjin and the Gyeongsang National University strains. Therefore, the results of this study can be used as basic data to reduce unnecessary inbreeding and genetic resource flow between the KNBG populations. The basic data indicates the uniqueness of the genetic resources of the domestic lineage. These findings provide a basis for differentiating KNBG and Crossbred goats to use to improve the desirable characteristics of this species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.4 s.161
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• pp.209-213
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• 2005

In order to provide the molecular genetic information necessary for conservation of bog whortleberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L), one of the rare species in Korea, I-SSR analysis was performed on two populations on Mt. Halla and Mt. Seorak. A total of 68 I-SSR products were observed, and higher level of genetic diversity was observed in Mt. Halla population (S.I.=0.539) than in the Mt. Seorak population (S.I,=0.401). Level of genetic diversity in this species was relatively higher than those in other rare species analysed with I-SSR marker. From the results of AMOVA, exceptionally large proportion of genetic diversity (33.5%) was resulted from genetic difference between two populations, and only 66.5% of the genetic variation was allocated in common among individuals within each population, compared with the results in other long-lived woody species. This remarkably high degree of genetic heterogeneity existed between Mt. Halla and Mt. Seorak populations might suggest that they might be originated from the independent progenitors before the post glacier ages, respectively, and/or that they undergone random genetic drift respectively due to geographical isolation resulted from dramatic changes in environmental conditions after the post glacier ages.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2008

Germplasm characterization and evolutionary process in viable populations are important links between the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. Here, an investigation is made, based on molecular and biochemical techniques for assessing and exploiting the genetic variability in germplasm characterization of taro, which would be useful in plant breeding and ex situ conservation of taro plant genetic resources. Geographical differentiation and phylogenetic relationships of Indian taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, were analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and isozyme of seven enzyme systems with specific reference to the Muktakeshi accession, which has been to be proved resistant to taro leaf blight caused by P. colocasiae. The significant differentiations in Indian taro cultivars were clearly demonstrated by RAPD and isozyme analysis. RAPD markers showed higher values for genetic differentiation among taro cultivars and lower coefficient of variation than those obtained from isozymes. Genetic differentiation was evident in the taro accessions collected from different regions of India. It appears that when taro cultivation was introduced to a new area, only a small fraction of genetic variability in heterogeneous taro populations was transferred, possibly causing random differentiation among locally adapted taro populations. The selected primers will be useful for future genetic analysis and provide taro breeders with a genetic basis for selection of parents for crop improvement. Polymorphic markers identified in the DNA fingerprinting study will be useful for screening a segregating population, which is being generated in our laboratory aimed at developing a taro genetic linkage map.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2012

Pinus pumila, which occurs in the northeast Asia, is found limitedly in Daecheongbong area of Mt. Seorak in the South Korea. This population was chosen to study spatial pattern, genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure. There were 48 polymorphic and 30 monomorphic I-SSR markers. A total of 65 individuals which distributed in the study site (40 m ${\times}$ 70 m) showed weakly aggregate distribution (Aggregate Index = 0.871). A total of 40 genets were observed from 65 individuals through I-SSR genotype comparison. Proportion of distinguishable genotype (G/N), genotype diversity (D) and genotype evenness (E) were 61.5%, 0.977 and 0.909, respectively. In spite of the small number and the limited distribution, Shannon's diversity index (I = 0.567) was relatively high as compared with those of other plant species. Spatial autocorrelation using Tanimoto's distance showed that the genetic patch was established within 12 m. Based on Mantel tests, there was relatively low correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance. Therefore, it seems the P. pumila population was formed by many parent trees in early stage. For ex situ genetic conservation of P. pumila, the sampling strategy is efficient at least above 12 m between individual trees.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.129-129
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• 2003