• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.224-231
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• 2012

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex multisystem genetic disorder characterized by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. The main clinical features include neonatal hypotonia, distinctive facial features, overall developmental delay, and poor growth in infancy, followed by overeating with severe obesity, short stature, and hypogonadism later in development. This paper reviews recent updates regarding the genetic aspects of this disorder. Three mechanisms (paternal deletion, maternal disomy, and deficient imprinting) are recognized. Maternal disomy can arise because of 4 possible mechanisms: trisomy rescue (TR), gamete complementation (GC), monosomy rescue (MR), and postfertilization mitotic nondisjunction (Mit). Recently, TR/GC caused by nondisjunction at maternal meiosis 1 has been identified increasingly, as a result of advanced maternal childbearing age in Korea. We verified that the d3 allele increases the responsiveness of the growth hormone (GH) receptor to endogenous GH. This paper also provides an overview of endocrine dysfunctions in children with PWS, including GH deficiency, obesity, sexual development, hypothyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency, as well as the effects of GH treatment. GH treatment coupled with a strictly controlled diet during early childhood may help to reduce obesity, improve neurodevelopment, and increase muscle mass. A more active approach to correct these hormone deficiencies would benefit patients with PWS.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.171-175
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• 1999

Morphological alteration of floral organ development in rice affected by chilling stress was examined. Three varieties of rice were grown under natural conditions and subjected to 12$^{\circ}C$ for 3 or 6 days starting from the ineffective tillering stage, before heading stage and returned to natural condition. Headings were delayed by a 6 day chilling treatment. After heading the panicles were collected and examined for any possible alteration in floral organ development. It appears that there were some differences in sensitivity to chilling stress and degree of injury depending on treatment stages and variety. Chuchungbyeo was the most frequent in producing abnormal flowers among the three varieties examined. Meiosis stage was shown to be the most vulnerable to chilling stress in both Chuchungbyeo and Ilpumbyeo and young panicle differentiation stage was the frequent stage to alter flower development in response to chilling stress only in Chuchungbyeo. It was confirmed that abnormalities occurred in pollen due to chilling stress is a major factor leading to low yield, but to some extent the alterations in carpel development may playa certain role in determining a total yield in response to chilling stress at the reproduction stage in rice. There were abnormalities like extra stigmata, extra lemma, double ovary as well as abnormal anther formation in response to chilling stress. Further studies of the phenocopy observed in rice floral development may be useful for an understanding of the resistance against chilling injury during reproductive stages in rice.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

Centrobin/Nip2 was initially identified as a centrosome protein that is critical for centrosome duplication and spindle assembly. In the present study, we determined the expression and subcellular localization of centrobin in selected mouse tissues. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the centrobin-specific band of 100 kDa was detected in all tissues tested but most abundantly in the thymus, spleen and testis. In the testis, centrobin was localized at the centrosomes of spermatocytes and early round spermatids, but no specific signal was detected in late round spermatids and elongated spermatids. Our results also revealed that the centrosome duplication occurs at interphase of the second meiotic division of the mouse male germ cells. The centrobin protein was more abundant in the mitotically active ovarian follicular cells and thymic cortex cells than in non-proliferating corpus luteal cells and thymic medullary cells. The expression pattern of centrobin suggests that the biological functions of centrobin are related to cell proliferation. Consistent with the proposal, we observed reduction of the centrobin levels when NIH3T3 became quiescent in the serum-starved culture conditions. However, a residual amount of centrobin was also detected at the centrosomes of the resting cells, suggesting its role for maintaining integrity of the centrosome, especially of the daughter centriole in the cells.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1994.07a
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• pp.165-167
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• 1994

This paper presents a new method for multiobjective optimization using Genetic Algorithm-Sexual Reproduction Model(SR model). In SR model, each individual consists of chromosome pairs. Sex cells(gametes) are produced through artificial meiosis in which crossover and mutation occur, The proposed method has two selection operators, one, individual selection which selects the individual to fertilize, and the other, gamete selection which makes zygote for offspring production, The two selection schemes are repectively conducted according to different fitness(or objective) function and consequently give a solution which is unbiased to any objectives. We apply the proposed method to optimization of the design parameters of Linear Induction Motor(LIM) and show its effectiveness.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 1974

In the present studies, effect of progesterone on the germinal vesicle break-down of the mouse oocytes cultured in the micro tube was investigated. The results obtained are as follows: As dose of progesterone in the medium rose, accordingly the break-down of the germinal vesicle was suppressed. It was found that $ED_{50}$ was 15.7 ${\mu}g$/ml, and $ED_{90}$ 60.7 ${\mu}g$/ml of progesterone. The dose suppressing the oocyte maturation was apparently higher than that on the rabbit or on the mouse embryonal development. The inhibiting effect of progesterone on the GVBD was reversible. The germinal vesicle of the oocytes were broken down immediately in the medium upon removal of the hormone. Progesterone stops meiosis at any stage upon administration, while dbe AMP or theophylline supresses only the break-down of the nuclear membrane. Recovering of the meiotic division of the oocytes once exposed to progesterone was delayed a little. The inhibiting action of progesterone was not altered by adding more pyruvate or in the presence of higher concentration of the mineral ions in the culture medium.

• Mycobiology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 2009

Many aspergilli that belongs to ascomycetes have sexuality. In a homothallic or self-fertile fungus, a number of fruiting bodies or cleistothecia are formed in a thallus grown from a single haploid conidia or ascospores. Genome-sequencing project revealed that two mating genes (MAT) encoding the regulatory proteins that are necessary for controlling partner recognition in heterothallic fungi were conserved in most aspergilli. The MAT gene products in some self-fertile species were not required for recognition of mating partner at pheromone-signaling stage but required at later stages of sexual development. Various environmental factors such as nutritional status, culture conditions and several stresses, influence the decision or progression of sexual reproduction. A large number of genes are expected to be involved in sexual development of Emericella nidulans (anamorph: Aspergillus nidulans), a genetic and biological model organism in aspergilli. The sexual development process can be grouped into several development stages, including the decision of sexual reproductive cycle, mating process, growth of fruiting body, karyogamy followed by meiosis, and sporulation process. Complicated regulatory networks, such as signal transduction pathways and gene expression controls, may work in each stage and stage-to-stage linkages. In this review, the components joining in the regulatory pathways of sexual development, although they constitute only a small part of the whole regulatory networks, are briefly mentioned. Some of them control sexual development positively and some do negatively. Regarding the difficulties for studying sexual differentiation compare to asexual one, recent progresses in molecular genetics of E. nidulans enlarge the boundaries of understanding sexual development in the non-fertile species as well as in fertile fungi.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 1985

Cytological observations in the seven varieties of Juniperus chinensis L. showed three varieties (J. chinensis var. procumbens, J. chinensis var. kaizuka and J. chinensi.s var. aureo-variegata) were tetraploid with chromosome number, 2n=44, and rest of four varieties (J. chinensis var. horizontalis, J. chinensis var. sargentii, J. chinensis var. gtobosa and J. chinensis var. aureo-globosa) to be diploid, 2n=22. Chromosome configuration and behavior in the meiosis of P.M.C. of three tetraploids appeared to be slightly irregular. These results suggest that triploid tree can be artificially produced with these specific clones.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.112-126
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• 1970

This paper deals with cytogenetical and cytochemical studies of the carp (Cyprinus carpio), the funa (Carassius carassius) and their hybrids. When kept under a confined condition, the carp and the funa mate andcan produce hybrids. Reciprocal crosses are also possible with similar results. The hybrids grow regularly with no observed abnormalities in the course of their development. They rank intermediate between the parent species in several characters. The hybrid males are completely sterile, while a hybrid female laid eggs in backcrossing. The spermatogenetic activity in hybrid testes is greatly disturbed. The chromosomes as observed in spermatogonial devision of hybrids are 100 in number, being the total sum of the haploid numbers of the parents, 50 for the carp and 50 for the funa. Meiosis in the hybrid testes is highly disturbed being arrested at early stages of the meiotic prophase. Most of the germ-cells undergo pycnotic degeneration during the period from late leptotene, and no spermatozoa are produced. In some hybrid specimens, the gonads show mosaic structures composed of testicular and ovarian elements, anevidence suggesting that sterility is associated with intersexuality caused by genetic unbalance between the parent species. The DNA amount in spermatogonial nuclei of thehybrids is approximately the same as that of liver nuclei, showing the 2n value. The DNA amount in the pachytene nuclei of the hybrids is less than the 4n value, while the parent species have the reduced amount of DNA in their pachytene nuclei. A consideration was made that the reduced amount of DNA in the hybrid cells may cause the disturbance of cellular activity leading to the subsequent degeneration of cells. Some aspects of enzymatic pattern in the carp, funa and their hybrids are. going on.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.84-91
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• 1990

Experiments were disigned to define and optimize efficiency of a system whereby pig follicular oocytes could be matured and fertil ized in vitro. The pig oocytes removed from 1- 2 mm and 3-7 mm follicles were cultured in vitro in the mKRB(-BSA) solution containing estrous sow serum (ESS), FCS or dialyzed pig follicular fluid for 24 to 48 hr at 37$^{\circ}C$. The oocytes matured in vitro were evaluated after epididymal spermatozoa-oocyte incubation for 24 hr for pronucleus formation. 50-60% of the oocytes reached metaphase II during 36 to 48 hr of culture. There was no differernce in oocyte matura¬tion between two groups of follicular size but meiosis was slightly faster in the 3-7 mm follicular oocytes. The oocytes matured in mKRB (-BSA) plus 5% ESS, 15% FCS or dialyzed follicular fraction showed slightly higher maturation rates than the control mKRB. in vitro fertilization, pronucleus formation, tended to be increased when mKRBi-BSA) plus 5% ESS or 15% FCS was used for oocyte maturation and in vivo -capacitated spermatozoa were inseminated, respectively. It is concluded that ESS, FCS and dialyzed pig follicular fluid may be effective factors for in vitro maturation and fertilization of pig follicular oocytes.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.209-213
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• 2004

Ligusticum chuanxiong is receiving much attentions as one of the important medicinal crops with the increasement of the crude drug demands. This study was conducted to obtain the basic informations of breeding of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Embryological characteristics were examined to elucidate the process of male and female gametophytic development and fertilization. Meiosis and nucleus division of megaspore and microspore were proceeded normally. With regard to the formation of female gametophyte, only a half of female gametophyte developed to normal egg apparatus. While another 50% showed abnormal egg apparatus with poly-nuclei or non-nuclei ovule. The pollens developed from the micros pore were formed more than 90 % of normal pollen. It was difficult to observe fertilization because ovule tissue was very compact and cell was extremely tiny, but could be easely observed proembryo and embryo formation. Only 30 percent developed into proembryo and subsequently into embryo, and the others were degenerated.