• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.501-506
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• 2015

Based on the potential beneficial effects of growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP)-6 on muscle functions, a newly synthesized GHRP-6-biotin conjugate was tested on cultured myoblast cells. Increased expression of myogenic marker proteins was observed in GHRP-6-biotin conjugate-treated cells. Additionally, increased expression levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and collagen type I were observed. Furthermore, GHRP-6-biotin conjugate-treated cells showed increased metabolic activity, as indicated by increased concentrations of energy metabolites, such as ATP and lactate, and increased enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. Finally, binding protein analysis suggested few candidate proteins, including desmin, actin, and zinc finger protein 691 as potential targets for GHRP6-biotin conjugate action. These results suggest that the newly synthesized GHRP-6-biotin conjugate has myogenic stimulating activity through, at least in part, by stimulating collagen type I synthesis and several key proteins. Practical applications of the GHRP-6-biotin conjugate could include improving muscle condition. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 501-506]

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2009

All living things have been developed efficient strategies to cope with external and internal environmental changes via a process termed 'homeostasis'. However, chronic prenatal maternal stress may significantly contributes to pregnancy complications by disturbing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the automatic nervous system (ANS), and results in unfavorable development of the fetus. Dysregulation of these two major stress response systems lead to the increased secretion of the glucocorticoids (GCs) which are known to be essential for normal development and the maturation of the central nervous system. As Hox genes are master key regulators of the embryonic morphogenesis and cell differentiation, we aimed to determine the effects of dexamethasone, a potent synthetic glucocorticoid, on gene expression in mesenchymal stem cell C3H10T1/2. Analysis of 39 Hox genes based on reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) method revealed that the expression patterns of Hox genes were overall upregulated by long dexametasone treatment. These results indicate that maternal stress may have a deleterious effect on early developing embryo through the stress hormone, glucocorticoid.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.168-179
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• 2015

We previously identified the rice gene, OsSAP, as an encoder of a highly conserved putative senescence-associated protein that was shown to have anti-apoptotic activity. To confirm the role of OsSAP in inducing abiotic stress tolerance in rice, we introduced OsSAP and AtBI-1, a plant homologue of Bax inhibitor-1, under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter into the rice genome through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The OsSAP transformants showed a similar chlorophyll index after salinity treatments with AtBI-1. Furthermore, we compared the effects of salinity stress on leaves and roots by examining the hormone levels of abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), gibberellic acid (GA3), and zeatin in transformants compared to the control. With the exception of phytohormones, stress-induced changes in hormone levels putatively related to stress tolerance have not been investigated previously. Hormonal level analysis confirmed the lower rate of stress in the transformants compared to the control. The levels of ABA and JA in OsSAP and AtBI-1 transformants were similar, where stress rates increased after one week and decreased after a two week period of drought; there was a slightly higher accumulation compared to the control. However, a similar trend was not observed for the level of zeatin, as the decrease in the level of zeatin accumulation differed in both OsSAP and AtBI-1 transformants for all genotypes during the early period of salinity stress. The GA3 level was detected under normal conditions, but not under salinity stress.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2020

Objective: Glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 1 (GRIA1) is a subunit of a ligand-gated ion channel that regulates the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) by controlling the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Few studies have investigated the association between the GRIA1 gene and human infertility. This study evaluated the association of the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A polymorphisms with the ovarian response to human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) in Iranian women. Methods: One hundred women with histories of at least 1 year of infertility were included. On the second day of menstruation, patients were injected with HMG; on the third day, blood samples were collected. After hormonal analysis, the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A genotypes of samples were identified via the restriction fragment length polymorphism method, and on day 9, the number of follicles was assessed via ultrasound. Results: For the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A single nucleotide polymorphisms, the subjects with CT and GG genotypes, respectively, displayed the highest mean FSH level, LH level, and number of follicles on day 9 of the menstrual cycle (p< 0.05). Significant positive correlations were observed between LH and FSH (p< 0.01), LH and follicle count (p< 0.01), FSH and age (p< 0.05), follicle count and age (p= 0.048), and FSH and follicle count (p< 0.01). Conclusion: This study showed a significant relationship between GRIA1 polymorphisms and ovarian response to the induction of ovulation. Therefore, determining patients' GRIA1 genotype may be useful for improving treatment and prescribing suitable doses of ovulation-stimulating drugs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.315-318
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• 2006

Associations were analysed between polymorphisms localized in intron 3 of the growth hormone gene (GH-MspI) and milk production traits of 543 China Holstein cows. A PCR-RFLP method was used for identification of genotypes. The following frequencies of genotypes and alleles were found: 0.77, 0.21 and 0.02 for +/+, +/- and -/-, respectively, and 0.87 and 0.13 for $GH^+$ and $GH^-$, respectively. Significant differences between herds were observed in the frequencies of both genotypes and alleles. The results of least squares analysis showed that in all three lactation phases the GH +/+ cows yielded most milk (p<0.01 for lactation I and p<0.05 for lactations II and III), whereas +/- cows showed higher milk fat content than +/+ individuals (p<0.05 for lactation I and II, and p<0.01 for lactation III). The +/+ cows yielded more fat than +/- individuals (p<0.01 only in lactation I). The +/+ cows yielded more milk protein than +/- individuals (p<0.01 for lactation I, II, and III). The +/+ cows produced milk of higher protein content than that of +/- individuals (p<0.05 only in lactation II). Based on these results, we conclude that the +/+ of GH locus should be the favored genotype in China Holstein cow breeds for use in marker-assisted selection programmes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1999-2009
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• 2017

The secretion efficiency of a protein in a Sec-type secretion system is mainly determined by an N-terminal signal peptide and its combination with its cognate protein. Five signal peptides, namely, two synthetic Sec-type and three Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase-derived signal peptides, were compared for periplasmic expression of the human growth hormone (hGH) in E. coli. Based on in silico predictions on the signal peptides' cleavage efficiencies and their corresponding mRNA secondary structures, a number of amino acid substitutions and silent mutations were considered in the modified signal sequences. The two synthetic signal peptides, specifically designed for hGH secretion in E. coli, differ in their N-terminal positively charged residues and hydrophobic region lengths. According to the mRNA secondary structure predictions, combinations of the protein and each of the five signal sequences could lead to different outcomes, especially when accessibility of the initiator ATG and ribosome binding sites were considered. In the experimental stage, the two synthetic signal peptides displayed complete processing and resulted in efficient secretion of the mature hGH in periplasmic regions, as was demonstrated by protein analysis. The three alpha-amylase-derived signal peptides, however, were processed partially from their precursors. Therefore, to achieve efficient secretion of a protein in a heterologous system, designing a specific signal peptide by using a combined approach of optimizations of the mRNA secondary structure and the signal peptide H-domain and cleavage site is recommended.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.305-314
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• 2016

The marine medaka, Oryzias dancena is a suitable sample as a laboratory animal because it has a small size and clearly distinguishes between female and male. Data on the growth and maturity of the diploid and triploid sea cucurbit species suitable for laboratory animals are very useful for studying other species. Triploidy was induced in the marine medaka by cold shock treatment ($0^{\circ}C$) of fertilized eggs for 45 min, applied two minutes after fertilization. The diploid and triploid male fish were larger than their female counterparts (P<0.05), and the concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) were higher in the induced triploids over 1 year (P<0.05). In both the diploid and tri-ploid groups the concentrations of TSH and T4 were higher in the male fish than in the females (P<0.05), while the testo-sterone and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ concentrations in the induced triploids were lower than in the diploids (P<0.05). The gonadosomatic index (GSI) of the triploid fish was lower than that for the diploids, and the GSI for females in each ploidy group were higher than that for the males. For both groups the GSI was highest at 4 months of age, and decreased thereafter to 12 months. Analysis of the gonads of one-year-old triploid fish suggested that the induction of triploidy probably causes sterility in this species; this effect was more apparent in females than in males.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2018

In order to examine the effects of four different light spectra (white, red, green, and blue) on the oocyte maturation, the change of reproductive parameters, via brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis in grass puffer, were investigated. After exposure four different light spectra for 7 weeks, the abundance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA which is a type of seabream (sbGnRH) and two different subunit of gonadotropin hormones mRNAs, follicle-stimulating hormone ($fsh{\beta}$) mRNA and luteinizing hormone ($lh{\beta}$) mRNA, were analyzed in the brain and pituitary. Histological analysis showed that the mature oocyte ratio in the green spectrum was higher than other light spectra-exposed groups. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and oocyte developmental stage were also investigated in the gonad based on histological observations. GSI value with the presence of yolk stage oocytes was significantly increased in the green spectrum-exposed group when compared to that of the other light-exposed groups (white, red, and blue) (p<0.05). The abundances of sbGnRH mRNA and $fsh{\beta}$ mRNA in the green spectrum-exposed group were also significant higher than those of the other light spectra-exposed groups (p<0.05). These results indicate that the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer can be accelerated by exposure to the spectrum of green. To better understand the molecular mechanism for the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer, further study examining the relationship between oocyte development and its related genes is required.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in Korean postmenopausal women. The data from 2008-2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used for data analysis. Subjects were 2,701 postmenopausal women aged ${\geq}50$ years. BMDs at whole body, total femur, femoral neck, and lumbar spine were measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Dietary data from 24-hour dietary recall and a food frequency questionnaire containing 63 food items were used. The proportions of osteopenia at total femur, femoral neck, and lumbar spine were 37.4%, 54.5%, and 45.4%, respectively. The proportions of osteoporosis at total femur, femoral neck, and lumbar spine were 6.2%, 25.6%, and 34.3%, respectively. Age, anthropometric index including height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI), parathyroid hormone, and physical activity were related to BMD, but the relationships were site specific. Total femur BMD was explained by age, weight, parathyroid hormone and intakes of carbohydrate and fruits. Femoral neck BMD was related to age, weight, parathyroid hormone and intakes of riboflavin and fruits. Lumbar spine BMD was associated with age, weight, milk and dairy products, calcium intake, and exercise. These results indicated that adequate intakes of milk and dairy products, fruits, carbohydrate, calcium, riboflavin and exercise as well as weight maintenance might play an important role in maintaining optimum bone health in Korean postmenopausal women.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2001

The present study examines the expression and regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its receptor (GnRH-R) mRNA levels during mouse ovarian development. A fully processed, mature GnRH mRNA together with intron-containing primary transcripts was expressed in the immature mouse ovary as determined by Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The size of ovarian GnRH mRNA was similar to that of hypothalamus, but its amount was much lower than that in the hypothalamus. Quantitative RT-PCR procedure also revealed the expression of GnRH-R mRNA in the ovary, but the estimated amount was a thousand-fold lower than that in the pituitary gland. We also examined the regulation of ovarian GnRH and GnRH-R mRNA levels during the follicular development induced by pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and/or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Ovarian luteinizing hormone receptor (LH-R) mRNA was abruptly increased st 48 h after the PMSG administration and rapidly decreased to the basal level thereafter. Ovarian GnRH mRNA level was slightly decreased at 48 h after the PMSG administration, and then returned to the basal value. GnRH-R mRNA level began to increase at 24 h after the PMSG treatment, decreased below the uninduced basal level at 48 h, and gradually increased thereafter. HCG administration did not alter ovarian GnRH mRNA level, while it blocked the PMSG-induced increase in GnRH mRNA level. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the expression of GnRH and GnRH-R mRNA are regulated by gonadotropin during follicular development, suggesting possible intragonadal paracrine roles of GnRH and GnRH-R in the mouse ovarian development.