• BMB Reports
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.108-113
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• 2023

Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex that comprises the SMC1, SMC3, and α-kleisin proteins, STAG1/2/3 subunits, and auxiliary factors. Cohesin participates in chromatin remodeling, chromosome segregation, DNA replication, and gene expression regulation during the cell cycle. Mitosis-specific α-kleisin factor RAD21 and meiosis-specific α-kleisin factor REC8 are expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to maintain pluripotency. Here, we demonstrated that RAD21 and REC8 were involved in maintaining genomic stability and modulating chromatin modification in murine ESCs. When the kleisin subunits were depleted, DNA repair genes were downregulated, thereby reducing cell viability and causing replication protein A (RPA) accumulation. This finding suggested that the repair of exposed single-stranded DNA was inefficient. Furthermore, the depletion of kleisin subunits induced DNA hypermethylation by upregulating DNA methylation proteins. Thus, we proposed that the cohesin complex plays two distinct roles in chromatin remodeling and genomic integrity to ensure the maintenance of pluripotency in ESCs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제19권11호
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• pp.1561-1565
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-oxidative effects of taurine on sperm characteristics for in vitro storage of boar semen. Semen was randomly divided into 10 groups in conical tubes and treated with different concentrations of taurine (25-100 mM) with or without $250{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$. The percentage of motile spermatozoa in taurine groups after 6 and 9 h were significantly higher at >94% and 87%, respectively, compared to the control group ($85.1{\pm}0.5$ and $72.4{\pm}0.3$, p<0.05). The sperm motility in taurine with $H_2O_2$ after 6 h incubation was slightly decreased compared to the taurine alone treatment, but after 9 and 12 h incubation % sperm motility dropped sharply in taurine with $H_2O_2$ ($75.3{\pm}0.3$ and $69.6{\pm}2.9$, p<0.05). For 3, 9 and 12 h incubation, sperm viability in the control was lower than in taurine groups, irrespective of taurine concentration. In eosin Y and nigrosin staining (ENS), the sperm survival rates (%) for 6 h incubation were significantly higher in 25 mM ($76.0{\pm}0.6$) and 50 mM taurine groups ($78.0{\pm}0.7$), respectively. Sperm survival rates for 9 and 12 h incubation were higher in taurine groups (${\geq}48%$ in 9 h and ${\geq}42%$ in 12 h) compared to controls ($43.0{\pm}2.1$ and $31.0{\pm}0.6$, respectively). In the hyoosmotic swelling test (HOST), sperm membrane integrity was similar to the results of sperm survival. These experiments indicate that supplementation of taurine to the semen extender can increase the sperm characteristics(motility, viability, survival and membrane integrity).

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.303-309
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• 2005

The end of eukaryotic genomic DNA is capped by a specialized structure called as "telomere" which consists of the repetitive array of nucleotide sequence, TTAGGG, in humans and mice, and a variety of binding proteins. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex responsible for the elongation of telomeres to maintain the genomic integrity, and is composed of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), telomerase RNA component (TERC), and their associated factors regulating the catalytic activity of telomerase. Although it is now apparent that telomerase protects cells from apoptosis via the maintenance of genomic integrity by stabilizing telomeres, our understanding for the physiological role of telomerase is yet far from completion, and emerging evidence suggests that telomerase has additional extratelomeric roles in mediating cell survival and anti-apoptotic functions against various cytotoxic stresses. Here we summarize and discuss how telomerase and telomeres are involved in mediating cellular protection against apoptosis.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2016

Although some mutations are beneficial and are the driving force behind evolution, it is important to maintain DNA integrity and stability because it contains genetic information. However, in the oxygen-rich environment we live in, the DNA molecule is under constant threat from endogenous or exogenous insults. DNA damage could trigger the DNA damage response (DDR), which involves DNA repair, the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints, and the induction of programmed cell death or senescence. Dysregulation of these physiological responses to DNA damage causes developmental defects, neurological defects, premature aging, infertility, immune system defects, and tumors in humans. Some human syndromes are characterized by unique neurological phenotypes including microcephaly, mental retardation, ataxia, neurodegeneration, and neuropathy, suggesting a direct link between genomic instability resulting from defective DDR and neuropathology. In this review, rare human genetic disorders related to abnormal DDR and damage repair with neural defects will be discussed.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2022

Preserving intact genetic material and delivering it to the next generation are the most significant tasks of living organisms. The integrity of DNA sequences is under constant threat from endogenous and exogenous factors. The accumulation of damaged or incompletely-repaired DNA can cause serious problems in cells, including cell death or cancer development. Various DNA damage detection systems and repair mechanisms have evolved at the cellular level. Although the mechanisms of these responses have been extensively studied, the global RNA expression profiles associated with genomic instability are not well-known. To detect global gene expression changes under different DNA damage and hypoxic conditions, we performed RNA-seq after treating human cervical cancer cells with ionizing radiation (IR), hydroxyurea, mitomycin C (MMC), or 1% O₂ (hypoxia). Results showed that the expression of 184-1037 genes was altered by each stimulus. We found that the expression of 51 genes changed under IR, MMC, and hypoxia. These findings revealed damage-specific genes that varied differently according to each stimulus and common genes that are universally altered in genetic instability.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.340-345
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• 2008

Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of failure of in vitro storage of boar semen. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one of the important mediators of oxidative stress during in vitro storage of boar semen. Our study examined the effects of taurine on sperm characteristic and on in vitro developmental embryos during in vitro storage of boar semen for 7 days. Semen was randomly aliquoted into 3 centrifuge tubes and treated with different concentrations of taurine (25-100 mM). The characteristics of boar sperm were analyzed for motility by light microscopy, viability by using a Makler counting chamber and membrane integrity by a hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST). The percentages of motile spermatozoa in taurine groups after 5 days were significantly higher compared to the control. Sperm viability in the control was lower than in taurine groups after 7 days irrespective of different taurine concentration. In the hyoosmotic swelling test (HOST), significantly higher results were obtained in taurine groups after 3 days. Also, the developmental rates of IVM/IVF porcine embryos from semen treated with pyruvate and taurine were significantly increased when compared with the control (p<0.05). These results indicate that supplementation of taurine as an antioxidant in boar semen extender can improve the semen quality.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.1-16
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• 2006

최근 진단분야에 있어서의 가장 획기적인 진보로는 향상된 진단 술식의 민감도와 특이도를 들 수 있으며 이는 다양한 면역 화학물질과 분자생물학적 시약의 활용도가 증가되고 이와 더불어 진단용 기구의 수준 향상으로 가능해진 미세 술식의 발달에 따른 결과이다. 이러한 기술의 발전은 임상검사용 검체 뿐만 아니라 DNA의 공급원으로서의 타액의 진단학적 가치를 고려하게 되었다. 본 연구는 인체의 타액에서 genomic DNA를 분리하고 이를 혈액 및 협점막 swab에서 분리한 genomic DNA와 비교 검토해 봄으로써 타액 검체의 진단학적 활용도를 살펴보고, 타액 검체의 다양한 보관 과정이 genomic DNA의 분리에 미치는 영향을 살펴보고자 시행되었으며, 또한 분리된 genomic DNA의 안정도를 살펴보고자 중합효소 연쇄반응 분석법을 이용하여 $\beta$-globin 유전자의 증폭을 시행하였다. 10명의 피검자(평균 나이: $29.9{\pm}9.8$ 세)를 대상으로 혈액, 비자극성, 자극성 전타액 및 협점막 swab을 채취한 후 이로부터 genomic DNA를 분리하였다. 여러 다양한 보관조건이 genomic DNA에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위하여 건강한 20명의 피검자(평균 나이: $32.3{\pm}6.6$ 세)를 대상으로 자극성 전타액을 채취하여 실온, $4^{\circ}C$, $-20^{\circ}C$, $-70^{\circ}C$, 자연 건조 및 동결 건조 상태에서 1, 3, 5 개월 동안 보관한 후 genomic DNA를 분리, 조사하였으며, 분리된 genomic DNA의 안정도를 살펴보고자 중합효소 연쇄반응 분석법을 이용하여 989-bp의 $\beta$-globin 유전자를 증폭한 후 전기영동 검사를 시행하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 타액으로부터 분리한 genomic DNA의 농도는 혈액의 경우에 비하여 유의하게 낮았으며(p<0.05), 타액군 간에는 유의한 차이가 없었다. 자극성 전타액과 이를 동결 건조한 검체에서 분리한 genomic DNA의 순도는 혈액의 경우에 비하여 유의하게 높았으며(p<0.05), 협점막 swab으로부터 분리한 genomic DNA 의 순도는 타액의 경우에 비하여 유의하게 낮게 나타났다(p<0.05). 2. 실온에서 보관한 타액 검체로부터 분리한 genomic DNA의 농도는 1 개월 후부터 점차적으로 감소되었으며, 3 개월과 5개월 동안 보관한 타액 검체에서는 유의하게 감소되었다(각각 p<0.05, p<0.01). DNA의 순도 또한 점차적으로 감소되어 3 개월과 5 개월 동안 보관한 타액 DNA의 순도는 신선한 타액과 1 개월 동안 보관된 타액 검체의 순도보다 낮게 나타났다(p<0.05). 3. 타액 검체를 $4^{\circ}C$와 $-20^{\circ}C$에서 보관한 후 분리한 genomic DNA의 농도는 3 개월의 보관 기간 동안 유의한 변화가 없었으나, 보관 기간 5 개월 후의 검체에서는 유의하게 감소되었다(p<0.05). 4. 타액을 $-70^{\circ}C$에서 보관한 검체와 동결 건조한 후 보관한 검체로부터 분리한 genomic DNA의 농도는 보관 기간에 따른 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았으나, 보관 후 5 개월 후의 검체에서는 DNA의 농도가 감소되는 경향을 보였다. 5. 타액을 자연 건조한 후 즉시 genomic DNA를 분리한 결과, 신선한 타액에 비하여 약 60%의 DNA를 얻을 수 있었다. 자연 건조한 후에 실온에서 보관한 타액 검체로부터 분리한 genomic DNA 농도는 보관 2 주 만에 급격하게 감소되었다(p<0.05). 6. 중합효소 연쇄반응 방법을 이용한 $\beta$-globin 유전자의 증폭은 동결 건조한 후 보관한 타액의 경우 보관 기간 5 개월까지의 모든 검체에서 가능하였으며, 보관 기간 1 개월을 기준으로 보았을 때 $-20^{\circ}C$와 $-70^{\circ}C$에서 보관한 타액의 경우 모든 검체에서, $4^{\circ}C$에서 보관한 타액의 경우 일부분의 검체에서만 증폭이 가능하였고, 실온에서 보관한 타액과 자연 건조 후 실온에서 보관한 타액의 경우는 증폭이 이루어지지 않았다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권8호
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• pp.569-574
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• 2014

As a scaffold, SLX4/FANCP interacts with multiple proteins involved in genome integrity. Although not having recognizable catalytic domains, SLX4 participates in diverse genome maintenance pathways by delivering nucleases where they are needed, and promoting their cooperative execution to prevent genomic instabilities. Physiological importance of SLX4 is emphasized by the identification of causative mutations of SLX4 genes in patients diagnosed with Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare recessive genetic disorder characterized by genomic instability and predisposition to cancers. Recent progress in understanding functional roles of SLX4 has greatly expanded our knowledge in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), Holliday junction (HJ) resolution, telomere homeostasis and regulation of DNA damage response induced by replication stress. Here, these diverse functions of SLX4 are reviewed in detail.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.251-258
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• 2011

Ciliates are considered one of the most diverse protozoa and play significant roles in ecology. For successful taxonomic study of these microscopic eukaryotes, a staining procedure is necessary, due mainly to intrinsic difficulties in recognizing characteristics from living cells. Although molecular taxonomy has been used to resolve the ambiguities associated with traditional morphology-based taxonomy, extraction of genomic DNA from stained ciliate cells is not available yet. In the present study, we describe a method to extract genomic DNA from a single protargol-impregnated euplotid cell. By using $HgCl_2$ as a fixative and modulating the exposure time of bleach solution in the protargol impregnation, high-quality genomic DNA can successfully be extracted from a stained single cell with minimal loss of morphological integrity. This technique will contribute to the effectiveness of combined approaches of molecular and morphological taxonomy from single ciliate cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제38권9호
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• pp.789-795
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• 2015

A chromosome territory is composed of chromosomal subdomains. The internal structure of chromosomal subdomains provides a structural framework for many genomic activities such as replication and DNA repair, and thus is key to determining the basis of their mechanisms. However, the internal structure and regulating proteins of a chromosomal subdomain remains elusive. Previously, we showed that the chromosome territory expanded after BAF53 knockdown. Because the integrity of chromosomal subdomains is a deciding factor of the volume of a chromosome territory, we examined here the effect of BAF53 knockdown on chromosomal subdomains. We found that BAF53 knockdown led to the disintegration of histone H2B-GFP-visualized chromosomal subdomains and BrdU-labeled replication foci. In addition, the size of DNA loops measured by the maximum fluorescent halo technique increased and became irregular after BAF53 knockdown, indicating DNA loops were released from the residual nuclear structure. These data can be accounted for by the model that BAF53 is prerequisite for maintaining the structural integrity of chromosomal subdomains.