• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.177-186
• /
• 2005

Xenotransplantation may help to overcome the critical shortage of human tissues and organs for human transplantation, Swine represents an ideal source of such organs owing to their anatomical and physiological similarities to human besides their plentiful supply, However, the use of organs across the species barrier may be associated with the risk of transmission of pathogens, specially porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs).• Although most of these potential pathogens could be eliminated by pathogen-free breeding, PERVs are not eliminated by this treatment. PERVs are integrated into the genome of all pigs and produced by normal pig cells and infect human cells. They belong to gamma retroviruses and are of three classes viruses: A, B and C. In the present study, PCR based cloning was performed with chromosomal DNA extracted from pigs from domestic pigs in Korea. Amplified PCR fragments of about 1.5 Kb, covering the partial env gene, were cloned into pCR2.l-TOPO vectors and sequenced. A total of 91 env clones were obtained from domestic pigs, Berkshire, Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire in Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed the presence of only PERV class A and B in the proportion of 58 % and 42 %, respectively. Among these, 28 clones had the correct open reading frame: 18 clones in class A and 10 clones in class B. Since both these PERV classes are polytropic and have the capacity to infect human cells, our data suggest that proviral PERVs have the potential to generate infectious viruses during or after xenotransplantation in human.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyse of association between growth traits and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) polymorphism of phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK 2) gene in pigs. The birth weight of piglet influences on weaning weight and survival rate that are import economic traits in pig industry. Also, these growth traits are representative factor to decrease a period getting to marketing weight as well as growth rate in pig. The PGK 2 is an isozyme that catalyzes the first ATP-generating step in the glycolytic pathwayand important enzyme related with energy metabolism. Twenty of SNPs were discoveredby genome structure analysis that compares the sequence on promoter and transcription region of PGK 2 gene in porcine chromosome 7. An association between PGK 2 SNPs and growth traits was analyzed in $F_2$ reciprocal-crossbred population between korean native pig (KNP) and Landrace. Association analysis indicated that polymorphism of the PGK 2 gene promoter region has significant effects on weight at birth (p<0.01) and weight at 3 weeks of age (p<0.0001). These results suggest that PGK 2 gene polymorphism was associated with energy metabolism and physiological function of growth in pig.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2002

A VP6 fragments was subcloned with BamHI in the binary pMBP-1 vector under Califlower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) 355 promoter and neomycin phosphotransferase II (npt II) gene. The recombinant binary vector was mobilized into Agrobacterium-tumefaciens LBA4404 by the freeze-thaw method and potato (Solanum tubensum L. cv Desiree) was transformed by modified leaf-disc cocultivation. Shoots were induced on MS medium with 0.01 mg/L NAA, 0.1 mg/L GA$_3$, 2.0 mg/L Zeatin, 100.0 mg/L kanamycin, 500.0 mg/L carbenicillin. In order to identify the copy number of VP6 into potato plant, total genomic DNA was isolated from transgenic potato and analysed by Southern blotting. Genomic DNA and total mRNA analysis demonstrated the incorporation of the foreign gene into the potato genome, as well as their transcription.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.181-187
• /
• 2013

Identification of main ingredients in starches has been investigated using physicochemical analysis method mainly. However, physicochemical properties such as particle size have limitations in determining the differences among mixed starches. Therefore, we developed a molecular biological method to identify materials used in starch, as a sample, 11 kinds of starches including sweet potato starch, potato starch, corn starch, and tapioca starch. DNeasy plant mini kit, magnetic DNA purification system, and CTAB methods were used to extract DNA from samples. After gene extraction, whole genome amplification (WGA) was performed to amplify the extracted DNA. Species-specific primers were used as followings: ib-286-F/ib-286-R (105 bp), Pss 01n-5'/Pss 01n-3' (216 bp), SS11b 3-5'/SS11b 3-3' (114 bp), and SSRY26-F/SSRY26-R (121 bp) gene for sweet potato, potato, corn, and tapioca, respectively. In this study, we could confirm the main ingredients using WGA and PCR method.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.153-157
• /
• 2004

Purpose : Ttransfusion transmitted virus(TTV) is a circular DNA and consists of diverse genotypes and variants. The pathogenecity of TTV is still unclear. Recently another circular single stranded DNA virus, distantly related to TTV was isolated from the sera of blood donors, designated as Transfusion transmitted virus like minivirus(TLMV). TTV and TLMV show greater sequence divergence from each other than between genotypes of TTV. We planned to know the prevalence of TLMV in children. Methods : TLMV DNA was detected by PCR primers from noncoding region of the genome in 88 children without hepatitis, aged 0~15 years. PCR products derived from 10 children were directly sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was undertaken. Results : TLMV DNA was detected in 49% of 88 children without hepatitis. The prevalence of TLMV varied with age : <1 y, 16%(4/25); 1~3 y, 62%(18/29); 4~6 y, 43%(7/16); 7~9 y. 16%(1/6); 10~15 y, 66%(8/12). Mixed infection with TTV was confirmed in 22% of 88 children. Pyhlogenetic analysis of 10 TLMV sequences showed much heterogeneity compared to sequences of GenBank. Conclusion : TLMV prevalence in children was 49% in Korean children. Our TLMV sequence did not cluster in any sequence of TLMV in the GenBank.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.31-41
• /
• 2013

The presence of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) has previously been reported in citrus growing regions of Turkey. All serologically and biologically characterized isolates including I$\breve{g}$d${\i}$r, which was the first identified CTV isolates from Turkey, were considered mild isolates. In this study, molecular characteristics of the I d r isolate were determined by different methods. Analysis of the I$\breve{g}$d${\i}$r isolate by western blot and BD-RT-PCR assays showed the presence of MCA13 epitope, predominantly found in severe isolates, in the I$\breve{g}$d${\i}$r isolate revealing that it contains a severe component. For further characterization, the coat protein (CP) and the RNA-depen-dent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes representing the 3' and 5' half of CTV genome, respectively, were amplified from dsRNA by RT-PCR. Both genes were cloned separately and two clones for each gene were sequenced. Comparisons of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences showed that while two CP gene sequences were identical, two RdRp clones showed only 90% and 91% sequence identity in their nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively, suggesting a mixed infection with different strains. Phylogenetic analyses of the CP and RdRp genes of I$\breve{g}$d${\i}$r isolate with previously characterized CTV isolates from different citrus growing regions showed that the CP gene was clustered with NZRB-TH30, a resistance breaking isolate from New Zealand, clearly showing the presence of severe component. Furthermore, two different clones of the RdRp gene were clustered separately with different CTV isolates with a diverse biological activity. While the RdRp-1 was clustered with T30 and T385, two well-characterized mild isolates from Florida and Spain, respectively, the RdRp-2 was most closely related to NZRB-G90 and NZRB-TH30, two well-characterized resistance breaking and stem pitting (SP) isolates from New Zealand confirming the mixed infection. These results clearly demonstrated that the I$\breve{g}$d${\i}$r isolate, which was previously described as biologically a mild isolate, actually contains a mixture of mild and severe strains.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.341-346
• /
• 1998

In this paper we describe the cloning and expression of the genes encoding the flavonoid-biosynthetic enzyme dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) in Matthiola incana R. Br. A heterologous cDNA probe from Zea mays was used to isolate full-size DFR cDNA clone from a corolla-specific cDNA library. Comparison of the coding region of this DFR cDNA sequence including the sequences of Zea mays, Anthirrinum majus, Petunia hybrida, Callistephus chinensis, Dianthus caryophyllus and Rosa hybrida reveals a identity higher than 61% at the nucleotide level. The DFR transcript is G/C rich in monocotyledonous plants show a strong codon bias preferring codons with a G or C in the third position. The function of this nucleotide sequences were verified by comparison with amino acid sequences of the amino-terminus and tryptic peptides from purified plant enzyme, by northern blotting with mRNA from wild type and mutant plants and by in vitro expression yielding an enzymatically active reductase. Genomic southern blot analysis showed the presence of one gene for DFR in Matthiola incana. Northern blot analysis of the DFR wild type and mutant lines showed that the lack of DFR activity in the stable acyanic mutant k17b is clearly by a transcriptional block of the DFR gene.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.147-155
• /
• 2009

Oryza grandiglumis Chitinase IVa (OgChitIVa) cDNA encoding a class IV chitinase was cloned from wild rice (Oryza grandiglumis). OgChitIVa cDNA contains an open reading frame of 867 nucleotides encoding 288 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 30.4 kDa and isoelectric point of 8.48. Deduced amino acid sequences of OgChitIVa include the signal peptide and chitin-binding domain in the N-terminal domain and conserved catalytic domain. OgChitIVa showed significant similarity at the amino acid level with related monocotyledonous rice and maize chitinase, but low similarity with dicotyledoneous chitinase. Southern blot analysis showed that OgChitIVa genes are present as two copies in the wild rice genome. It was shown that RNA expression of OgChitIVa was induced by defense/stress signaling chemicals, such as jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethephon or cantharidin and endothall or wounding, and yeast extract. It was demonstrated that overexpression of OgChitIVa in Arabidopsis resulted in mild resistance against the fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea, by lowering disease rate and necrosis size. RT-PCR analysis showed that PR-1 and PR-2 RNA expression was induced in the transgenic lines. Here, we suggest that a novel OgChitIVa gene may play a role in signal transduction process in defense response against B. cinerea in plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.105-116
• /
• 2011

Transgenic zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) expressing the bar gene inserted in the plant genome has been generated previously through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The GM zoysiagrass (event: JG21) permits efficient management of weed control of widely cultivated zoysiagrass fields, reducing the frequency and cost of using various herbicides for weed control. Now we have carried out the environmental risk assessment of JG21 prior to applying to the governmental regulatory agency for the commercial release of the GM turf grass outside of test plots. The morphological phenotypes, molecular analysis, weediness and gene flow from each test plot of JG21 and wild-type zoysiagrasses have been evaluated by selectively analyzing environmental effects. There were no marked differences in morphological phenotypes between JG21 and wild-type grasses. The JG21 retained its stable integration in the host plant in T1 generation, exhibiting a 3:1 segregation ratio according to the Mendelian genetics. We confirmed the copy number (1) of JG21 by using Southern blot analysis, as the transgenic plants were tolerant to ammonium glufosinate throughout the culture period. From cross-fertilization and gene flow studies, we found a 9% cross-pollination rate at the center of JG21 field and 0% at distances over 3 m from the field. The JG21 and wild-type zoysiagrass plants are not considered "weed" because zoysiagrasses generally are not dominant and do not spread into weedy areas easily. We assessed the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of the transgene DNA to soil microorganisms from JG21 and wild-type plants. The bar gene was not detected from the total genomic DNA extracted from each rhizosphere soil of GM and non-GM Zoysia grass fields. Through the monitoring of JG21 transgene's unintentional release into the environment, we found no evidence for either pollen mediated gene flow of zoysiagrass or seed dispersal from the test field within a 3 km radius of the natural habitat.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.161-169
• /
• 2007

We identified two alternatively spliced variants of the peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) receptor protein Pex5ps in monocot (rice, wheat, and barley) but not in dicot (Arabidopsis and tobacco) plants. We characterized the molecular and functional differences between the rice (Oryza sativa) Pex5 splicing variants OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS. There is only a single-copy of OsPEX5 in the rice genome and RT-PCR analysis points to alternative splicing of the transcripts. Putative light-responsive cis-elements were identified in the 5' region flanking OsPEX5L and Northern blot analysis demonstrated that this region affected light-dependent expression of OsPEX5 transcription. Using the pex5-deficient yeast mutant Scpex5, we showed that OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS are able to restore translocation of a model PTS1 protein (GFP-SKL) into peroxisomes. OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS formed homo-complexes via specific interaction domains, and interacted with each other and OsPex14p to form hetero-complexes. Although overexpression of OsPex5pL in the Arabidopsis pex5 mutant (Atpex5) rescued the mutant phenotype, overexpression of OsPex5pS only resulted in partial recovery.