• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.259-265
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• 2005

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) encoded by the coat color extension gene (E) plays a key role in the signaling pathway of melanin synthesis. The primers for the amplification of bovine MC1R gene were designed based on a bovine MC1R gene sequence (GenBank accession no. Y19103). A size of 483bp (482bp for Hanwoo) was amplified by PCR, digested with Hpa II restriction enzyme and electrophoresed in $1.5\%$ agarose gel. When the amplified DNA product (483 bp) was digested with Hpa II restriction enzyme, Hanwoo meat showed a single band of 482bp, whereas two fragments of 325bp and 158bp were detected in Holstein, Angus and meat of Hanwoo / Holstein cross cow having back coat color phenotype, respectively. The results of this experiment Indicate that new designed primers of bovine MCIR gene may be useful for identification of Hanwoo meat from Holstein, Black Angus and Hanwoo / Holstein cross cow meat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.625-629
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• 2013

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene is related to the plumage color variations in chicken. Initially, the MC1R gene from 30 individuals was sequenced and nine polymorphisms were obtained. Of these, three and six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were confirmed as synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations, respectively. Among these, three selected SNPs were genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method in 150 individuals from five chicken breeds, which identified the plumage color responding alleles. The neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree using MC1R gene sequences indicated three well-differentiated different plumage pigmentations (eumelanin, pheomelanin and albino). Also, the genotype analyses indicated that the TT, AA and GG genotypes corresponded to the eumelanin, pheomelanin and albino plumage pigmentations at nucleotide positions 69, 376 and 427, respectively. In contrast, high allele frequencies with T, A and G alleles corresponded to black, red/yellow and white plumage color in 69, 376 and 427 nucleotide positions, respectively. Also, amino acids changes at position Asn23Asn, Val126Ile and Thr143Ala were observed in melanin synthesis with identified possible alleles, respectively. In addition, high haplotype frequencies in TGA, CGG and CAA haplotypes were well discriminated based on the plumage pigmentation in chicken breeds. The results obtained in this study can be used for designing proper breeding and conservation strategies for the Korean native chicken breeds, as well as for the developing breed identification markers in chicken.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.668-672
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• 2009

This paper describes the differentiation between native Korean cattle (Hanwoo) and Holsteins or imported cattle using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by targeting the sequence of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. A rapid and accurate method was developed to identify Hanwoo by genotyping the DNA extracted from 295 commercial beef samples (obtained from 5 provinces in South Korea) labeled as Hanwoo beef. The results of real-time PCR assays for the proportions of Hanwoo were 84, 85.7, 95, 91.4, and 90% in the areas of Seoul, Joongbu, Youngnam, Honam, and Chungcheong, respectively. Thus, the beef samples from 295 butcher shops, which asserted to only sell Hanwoo, showed that 259 of 295 samples were of the Hanwoo beef gene type (T-type) and 36 of 295 samples were Holsteins of imported dairy cattle gene types (C-type or C/T type). In conclusion, the proportion of Hanwoo beef was 87.8% and the proportion of Holstein or imported dairy cattle meat was 12.2% (C-type: 9.8%, C/T-type: 2.4%). Generally, most consumers can not differentiate imported meat from Hanwoo beef. Therefore, Hanwoo beef and imported dairy cattle meat that is sold in butcher shops should have mandatory identification by using MC1R genotyping based on real-time PCR.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 2013

There are several loci controlling the feather color of birds, of which one of the most studied is Extended black (E) encoding the melanocortin 1-receptor (MC1R). Mutations in this gene affect the relative distribution of eumelanin, phaeomelanin. The association of feather color and sequence polymorphism in the melanocortin 1-receptor (MC1R) gene was investigated using Korean native chicken H breed (H_PL) and 'Woorimatdag' commercial chickens (Woorimatdag_CC). In order to correlate gene mutation to Korean native chicken feather color, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from MC1R gene sequence were investigated. A total of 307 birds from H_PL and Woorimatdag_CC were used. H_PL have black, black-brown feather color and Woorimatdag_CC have black with brown spots or brown with black spots. There are 6 SNPs in MC1R gene, locus T69C, C212T, A274G, G376A, G636A, T637C. 3 SNPs are nonsynonymous that change amino acid. But it is difficult to find correlation of feather color and polymorphisms. It will be needed to increase the population of Korean native chicken H breed and correlation analysis of genetic variation with feather colors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1229-1238
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• 2016

This study was conducted to determine the relationships of five intragenic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers (protein kinase adenosine monophosphate-activated ${\gamma}3$ subunit [PRKAG3], fatty acid synthase [FASN], calpastatin [CAST], high mobility group AT-hook 1 [HMGA1], and melanocortin-4 receptor [MC4R]) and meat quality traits of Duroc breeding stocks in Korea. A total of 200 purebred Duroc gilts from 8 sires and 40 dams at 4 pig breeding farms from 2010 to 2011 reaching market weight (110 kg) were slaughtered and their carcasses were chilled overnight. Longissimus dorsi muscles were removed from the carcass after 24 h of slaughter and used to determine pork properties including carcass weight, backfat thickness, moisture, intramuscular fat, $pH_{24h}$, shear force, redness, texture, and fatty acid composition. The PRKAG3, FASN, CAST, and MC4R gene SNPs were significantly associated with the meat quality traits (p<0.003). The meats of PRKAG3 (A 0.024/G 0.976) AA genotype had higher pH, redness and texture than those from PRKAG3 GG genotype. Meats of FASN (C 0.301/A 0.699) AA genotype had higher backfat thickness, texture, stearic acid, oleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid than FASN CC genotype. While the carcasses of CAST (A 0.373/G 0.627) AA genotype had thicker backfat, and lower shear force, palmitoleic acid and oleic acid content, they had higher stearic acid content than those from the CAST GG genotype. The MC4R (G 0.208/A 0.792) AA genotype were involved in increasing backfat thickness, carcass weight, moisture and saturated fatty acid content, and decreasing unsaturated fatty acid content in Duroc meat. These results indicated that the five SNP markers tested can be a help to select Duroc breed to improve carcass and meat quality properties in crossbred pigs.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2011

Obesity provokes many serious human diseases, including various cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Body mass index (BMI) is a highly heritable trait that is broadly used to diagnose obesity. To identify genetic loci associated with obesity in Asians, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a population of Korean adults (n=6,742, age 40~60 years) and detected six BMI risk loci (TNR, FAM124B, RGS12, NFE2L3, MC4R and FTO) having p< $1{\times}10^{-5}$. However, in the replication study, only melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) (rs9946888, p=$4.58{\times}10^{-7}$) was replicated with marginal significance (p<0.05) in the second cohort (n=5,102, age 40~60 years). This study indicates that each locus associated with BMI has very weak genetic effect.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2009

The pork from black-coated pigs is famous among-consumers for better eating quality. The loci affecting black coat color was identified in pig chromosome 6 in which several genetic effects on pork quality have been reported. The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene is a major gene which plays a key role in regulation of eumelanin (black/brown) and phaeomelanin (red/yellow). In this study, the MC1R gene polymorphism was analyzed for pig breed determination and genetic association with pork quality traits. MC1R Ala243Thr variation was analyzed to determine a specific genotype for four commercial pig breeds (Landrace, Yorkshire, Berkshire and, Duroc) and a Korean native pigs (KNP). Then we developed original KNP-specific DNA markers to determine the pork from black-coated pigs using MC1R DNA sequences. The total length of the MC1R coding sequence ranged 1451bp in KNP. KNP had the 0201 allele pertaining to $E^{D1}$ but some of the KNP had the $E^P$ allele, probably reflecting the geneticintrogression of $E^P$ allele into KNP. Furthermore, a relationship between Leu102Pro single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype and pork quality phenotype were analyzed in F2 reciprocal-crossbred population between KNP and Yorkshire. Association analysis indicated that the allele of the MC1R gene has no effect on pork quality. These results suggest that black coat-color is not directly associated with preferred pork quality, but the black-coat color pig breed may have other genetic components for superior pork quality.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.453-458
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• 2011

The MC1R (Melanocortin 1 receptor) gene has been known as a causative gene of the coat colors in mammals and responsible for the E (Extension) locus which has three alleles ($E^D$, $E^+$, e) that determines coat colors. The dominant allele $E^D$ produces black or brown colors due to the missense mutation and the recessive e allele has frameshift mutation which shows red or yellow coat colors. Whereas the wild type $E^+$ produces variety of colors due to the interaction with A (Agouti) locus. In this study, PCR-RFLP was performed using two restriction enzymes (BsrF I and MspA1 I) in order to obtain MC1R genotypes in Korean brindle cattle and black cattle. The results showed that all of the animals have the $E^+$ alleles, indicating the $E^+$ allele might related with black coat colors. Later on, the experiments expanded to the 260 Korean candidate bulls whether these animals have the same $E^+$ allele. Among 260 samples investigated, 5% (13/260) of the animals had $E^+$e genotypes, indicating the $E^+$ allele is also present in the candidate bulls in a low frequency. Even though we expected that A locus also affect the black coat color in cattle, all the black coat color animals (brindle and black) have $E^+$ alleles in this study. Therefore, the genotyping of the MC1R gene in candidate bulls will recommended be applied for eliminating of black coat colors in Hanwoo population, if the farmers need to have the brown coat colors only.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate novel genetic variations of MCIR^*3 allele. In general, white spotting or white belt on a black backgroud in pigs is determined by the E$^p$ allele at the MCIR/Extention locus. E$^p$ shares a frameshift mutation with the E$^{D2}$ allele for dominant black color. An oligonucleotide primer set was designed to amplify complete coding sequence of the porcine MCIR gene. The MCIR coding sequences obtained from five breeds those were Landrace(white). Yorkshire(white), Hampshire(belt), Berkshire(spot) and Jeju native black pigs(black), were used for this study. A multiple sequence alignment of the MCIR coding region using Clustal W was performed. The total length of the MCIR coding sequence ranged from 963 to 966 base pairs(bp) among the selected breeds. The sequence analysis of the complete coding region of MCIR was revealed that Hampshire and Jeju native black pig have 3 cytosines deletion and Birkshire has 2 cytosines deletion at codon 23(nt68) in Extention loci. Besides the finding, there were three different missense mutations and a frameshift mutation in the MCIR coding region.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.714-725
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• 2023

Background: Our previous investigation indicated that the preparation of Panax ginseng Meyer (P. ginseng) inhibited melanogenesis. It comprised salicylic acid (SA), protocatechuic acid (PA), p-coumaric acid (p-CA), vanillic acid (VA), and caffeic acid (CA). In this investigation, the regulatory effects of P. ginseng phenolic acid monomers on melanin production were assessed. Methods: In vitro and in vivo impact of phenolic acid monomers were assessed. Results: SA, PA, p-CA and VA inhibited tyrosinase (TYR) to reduce melanin production, whereas CA had the opposite effects. SA, PA, p-CA and VA significantly downregulated the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), cycle AMP (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), cycle AMP-response element-binding protein (CREB), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) pathway, reducing mRNA and protein levels of TYR, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and TYRP2. Moreover, CA treatment enhanced the cAMP, PKA, and CREB pathways to promote MITF mRNA level and phosphorylation. It also alleviated MITF protein level in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells, comparable to untreated B16F10, increasing the expression of phosphorylation glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-GSK3β), β-catenin, p-ERK/ERK, and p-p38/p38. Furthermore, the GSK3β inhibitor promoted p-GSK3β and p-MITF expression, as observed in CA-treated cells. Moreover, p38 and ERK inhibitors inhibited CA-stimulated p-p38/p38, p-ERK/ERK, and p-MITF increase, which had negative binding energies with MC1R, as depicted by molecular docking. Conclusion: P. ginseng roots' phenolic acid monomers can safely inhibit melanin production by bidirectionally regulating melanin synthase transcription. Furthermore, they reduced MITF expression via MC1R/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway and enhanced MITF post-translational modification via Wnt/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.