• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2004

Rbm is a male infertility gene located in the AZFb region of the Y chromosome. Expression pattern of Rbm indicates that Rbm is critical for early phase of male germ cell development. It shares strong structural homology with hnRNP G, suggesting a function as an RNA processing factor. In order to gain a clue on the molecular mechanisms of Rbm on male germ cell development, we examined interactions of Rbm with selected proteins in yeast. The results revealed specific interactions between Rbm, hnRNP K and Tra2${\alpha}$. These results suggest that hnRNP K and Tra2${\alpha}$ may be functional partners of Rbm in male germ cells. We propose a model in which hnRNP K may playa role as a platform for Rbm and Tra2${\alpha}$.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 1992

Many transgenic mice expressing human growth hormone gene were infertile. To investigate the infertility of these transfenic mice, it was looked into the estrus cycle and sexual behaviour and also tested through in vitro fertilization whether the germ cells of these mice normal or not. The infertile female transgenic mice were mated to the fertile males of ICR strain, but in almost all of them the vaginal plugs were not detected and their estrus cycles by vaginal smear were almost irregular which kept up estrus or diestrus stage. Many male transgenic mice did not have the ability of sexual behaviour. Therefore the viability of germ cells in infertile male transgenic mice was investigated by in vitro fertilization, but the sperm were normally fertilized with the eggs and the transgene of parent was passed on to the progeny. These results consequently suggest that the infertility of transgenic mice experssing human growth hormone gene may be due to the physiological activity of human growth hormone, not germ cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.302-309
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• 2001

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) pectin, which binds to human melanoma cell line, was conjugated with Praecoxin A using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide as a cross-linking agent. Physical mixture (PM) of WGA and Praecoxin A was also prepared by using a non-specific binding property of Praecoxin A to WGA. The WGA:Praecoxin A ratio in the conjugate and PM was approximately 1:18 and 1:20, respectively. The results of hemagglutination assay and enzyme-linked lectin assay indicated that the conjugate and PM maintained the lectin-like properties of the WGA. The binding ratio of conjugate was about 70% during 4-24 hr, but the most of Praecoxin A was released within 24 hr in the case of PM. These results lead to the conclusion that the conjugate is potentially useful for the formulation of injection that requires targeting for melanoma as well as sustained release at the site.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.406-413
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• 2021

Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is an extragonadal germ cell tumor (GCT) that develops in the fetal and neonatal periods. SCT is a type I GCT in which only teratoma and yolk sac tumors arise from extragonadal sites. SCT is the most common type I GCT and is believed to originate through epigenetic reprogramming of early primordial germ cells migrating from the yolk sac to the gonadal ridges. Fetal SCT diagnosed in utero presents many obstetrical problems. For high-risk fetuses, fetal interventions (devascularization and debulking) are under development. Most patients with SCT are operated on after birth. Complete surgical resection is the key for tumor control, and the anatomical location of the tumor determines the surgical approaches. Incomplete resection and malignant histology are risk factors for recurrence. Approximately 10-15% of patients have a tumor recurrence, which is frequently of malignant histology. Long-term surveillance with monitoring of serum alpha fetoprotein and magnetic resonance imaging is required. Survivors of SCT may suffer anorectal, urological, and sexual sequelae later in their life, and comprehensive evaluation and care are required.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2001

A novel sterategy has been established to determine the origin of the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) in avian embryos directly and the developmental fate of the PGCs for the application to Poultry biotechnology. Cells were removed from 1) the centre of area pellucida, 2) the outer of area pellucida and 3) the area opaca of the stage X blastoderm (Eyal-Giladi & Kochav, 1976). When the cells were removed from the centre of area pellucida, the mean number of circulating PGCs in blood was significantly decreased in the embryo at stage 15 (Hamburger & Hamilton, 1951) as compared to intact embryos. When the cells were replenished with donor cells, no reduction in the PGCs number was observed. The removal of cells at the outer of area pellucida or at the area opaca had no effect on the number of PGCs. In case, another set of the manipulated embryos were cultured ex vivo to the hatching and reared to the sexual maturity, the absence of germ cells and degeneration of seminiferous tubules was observed in resulting chickens derived from the blastoderm in which the cells were removed from the centre of the area pellucida. It was concluded that the avian Primordial Germ cells are originated at the center of area pellucida. Developmental ability of the cells to differentiate into somatic cells and germ cells in chimeras were analyzed. Somatic chimerism was detected as black feather attributed from donor cells. Molecular identification by use of female - specific DNA was performed. It was confirmed that the donor cells could be differentiated into chimeric body and erythrocytes. Donor cells retained the ability to differentiate into germline in chimeric gonads. More than 70% of the generated chimeras transmitted donor derived gametes to their offspring indicating that the cells at the center of area pellucida had the high ability to differentiate into germ cells. A molecular technique to identify germline chimerism has been developed by use of gene scan analysis. Strain specific DNA fragments were amplified by the method. It would be greatly contributed for the detection of germline chimerism. Mixed- sex chimeras which contained both male and female cells were produced to investigate the developmental fate of male and female cells in ovary and testes. The sex combinations of donor and recipient of the resulting chimeras were following 4 pairs; (1) chimeras (ZZ/ZZ) produced by a male donor (ZZ) and a male recipient (ZZ), (2) chimeras (ZW/ZW) produced by a female donor (ZW) and a female recipient (ZW), (3) chimeras (ZZ/ZW) Produce by a male donor (ZZ) and a female recipient (ZW), (4) chimeras (ZW/ZZ) produced by a female donor (ZW) and a male recipient (ZZ). It was found that genetically male avian germ cells could differentiate into functional ova and that genetically female germ cells can differentiate into functional spermatozoa in the gonad of the mixed- sex chimeras. An ability for introduction of exogenous DNA into the PGCs from stage X blastoderms were analyzed. Two reporter genes, SV-$\beta$gal and RSV-GFP, were introduced into the PGCs. Expression of bacterial/gal was improved by complexing DNA with liposome detectedcc in 75% of embryos at 3 days embryos. At the embryos incubated for 1 day, expression of the GFP was observed all the embryos. At day 3 of incubation, GFP was detected in about 70% of the manipulated embryos. In case of GFP, expression of the transgene was detected in 30 %e of the manipulated embryos. These results suggested that the cells is one of the most promising vectors for transgenesis. The established strategy should be very powerfull for application to poultry biotechnology.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.546-552
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• 2009

Enzymatic ethanolysis of wheat germ oil with immobilized lipase was investigated for enhancing the function of wheat germ oil. Ethanolysis reactions were carried out in two different systems; non-pressurized and pressurized system. In non-pressurized system, the enzymatic ethanolysis was carried out in an erlenmeyer flask(25 ml) containing a mixture of wheat germ oil and 99.90% ethanol using 1~5 wt% immobilized lipase as Lipozyme TL-IM and Lipozyme RM-IM and the reaction mixtures were incubated at $40{\sim}70^{\circ}C$ with 120 rpm shaking. In pressurized system, the enzymatic ethanolysis was carried out at various condition; immobilized lipase concentration(2 wt%), reaction time(24 h), reaction temperature($40{\sim}60^{\circ}C$) and reaction pressure(75, 100, 150, 200 bars). The samples obtained from each fraction were analyzed by HPLC for analysing contents of monoglyceride, diglyceride, and triglyceride. The conversion of wheat germ oil relied on the reaction temperature and the concentration of immobilized lipase. The optimum condition of enzymatic ethanolysis in non-pressurized and pressurized systems was at $50^{\circ}C$ and 100 bar.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2004

To investigate the mechanism of germ cell death in postnatal stage of mouse, the involvement of apoptotic executioners, caspase-3 and caspase-activated DNase(CAD), and apoptotic initiators, Bax Fas and Fas ligand, in the germ cell death has been studied. Immune-labels of active caspase-3 and CAD were located in TUNEL-positive, apoptotic, oocytes as well as normal oocytes of primary or secondary follicles. CAD immune-labels were also detected in the nucleus of TUNEL-positive oocytes. Most of oocytes showing positive immune-labeling of active caspase-3 or CAD had vacuoles in their cytoplasm, which is the morphological characteristic of oocyte during folliclar atresia. Bax immune-stains were detected in the atretic oocytes which showed the vacuole in their cytoplasm. Positive immune-labels for Fas ligand was localized in TUNEL-positive or atretic oocytes. Presence of immunoreactivity of active caspase-3 and CAD in TUNEL-positive germ cells implicate that active raspase-3 and CAD might play a role in germ cell apoptosis during early development of mouse ovarian follicle. Immunohistochemical localization of Bax and Fas ligand in TUNEL-positive oocytes suggests that these might be the most plausible modulator of oocyte apoptosis.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.142-150
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• 2015

Several reports supported that continuous exposure to 60 Hz magnetic field (MF) induces testicular germ cell apoptosis in vivo. We recently evaluated duration- and dose-dependent effects of continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF on the testes in mice. BALB/c male mice were exposed to a 60 Hz MF at $100{\mu}T$ for 24 hours a day for 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks, and at 2, 20 or $200{\mu}T$ for 24 hours a day for 8 weeks. To induce the apoptosis of testicular germ cell in mice, the minimum dose is $20{\mu}T$ at continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF for 8 weeks, and the minimum duration is 6 weeks at continuous exposure of $100{\mu}T$. Continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF might affect duration- and dose-dependent biological processes including apoptotic cell death and spermatogenesis in the male reproductive system of mice. The safety guideline of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) indicates that the permissible maximum magnetic flux density for general public exposure is $200{\mu}T$ at 60 Hz EMF (ICNIRP Guidelines, 2010). In the present study, we aimed to examine the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes regulated by the continuous exposure to 60 Hz at $200{\mu}T$ in Sprague-Dawley rats for 20 weeks. The continuous exposure to 60 Hz at $200{\mu}T$ does not affect the body and testicular weight in rats. However, exposure to 60 Hz MF significantly affects testicular germ cell apoptosis and sperm count. Further, the apoptosis-related gene was scrutinized after exposure to 60 Hz at $200{\mu}T$ for 20 weeks. We found that the message level of endonuclease G (EndoG) was greatly increased following the exposure to 60 Hz at $200{\mu}T$ compared with sham control. These data suggested that 60 Hz magnetic field induced testicular germ cell apoptosis through mitochondrial protein Endo G.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.347-352
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• 2003

In order to compare quality characteristics and oxidative stabilities of rice germs prepared under different roasting conditions, sensory evaluation, color value, tocols (tocopherol+tocotrienol) contents, and peroxide value were investigated. Optimum roasting temperatures for the best acceptability were 20, 10, and 6 min at 170, 180 and 190, respectively. Hunter color a values of rice germ increased as roasting temperature and time increased, whereas L value decreased. Peroxide values of unroasted, and roasted rice germs at $170^{\circ}C$ for 20 min, $180^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, and $190^{\circ}C$ for 6 min were 2.0, and 145.6, 169.5, and 182.9 meq/kg, respectively, after 9 days storage at $60^{\circ}C$. Four tocopherol and three tocotrienol isomers were identified, whereas no ${\beta}$-tocotrienol was detected. The major tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers in rice germ were ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and ${\alpha}$-tocotrienol, respectively. ${\alpha}$-Tocopherol content in roasted rice germ decreased significantly during storage, whereas those of ${\beta}$- and ${\gamma}$-tocopherols slowly decreased. ${\delta}$-Tocopherol had the highest stability among tocopherol isomers in roasted rice germ. Similar trends were observed in tocotrienol isomers.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 1984

The fertilized eggs of Rana dybowskii were irradiated with UV (254 nm wave length) on the vegetal hemisphere to investigate the effects on the primordial germ cells (PGCs) and axis formation. The investigations were carried out in two ways; namely time course and UV dose. Up to 1,600 $ergs/mm^2$ of UV dose, irradiated at 60 min. after fertilization, there was no effect on the PGC number. However, the number of PGC comparing with that of unirradiated control was decreased more than 40%. As the amount of irradiation was increased, the number of PGC was inversely declined. The maximal dose of irradiation which eliminates PGC completely without inducing any axis abnormality was 4,800 $ergs/mm^2$. If the eggs were irradiated earlier with this amount the severer effect could be obtained. Thus the UV effect on the PGC number was most effective when irradiated by 60 min. post fertilization. Thereasfter stage. At UV doses over 9,600 $erge/mm^2$ other effects start to appear; namely abnormalities of nerual tube and axis formation. Therefore, comparative study on the UV sensitivity of PGC and axis formation was carried out. It was revealed that UV effect on the axis was drastically decreased at the time of $0.7\\sim0.8$ between fertilization and 1st cleavage, while the germ plasm was sensitive to UV until 4 cell stage.