• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.311-317
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the geographical distribution and habitat for Rana catesbeiana and Trachemys scripta elegans in order to obtain the current basic data on biota needed for establishing a database on non-indigenous species(NIS) in Jeju-do and to develop management plans applicable to Jeju, starting from March 2005 until May 2006. As a result of an inspection, it was found that the habitat for R. catesbeiana in Jeju includes Hankyeong-myeon, Daejeong-eup, and Ahndeok-myeon. These areas are all located on the western side of Jeju-do, and considered to have favorable conditions for R. catesbeiana to inhabit. Thus, it is unlikely that the population of R. catesbeiana will possibly decrease; what's worse, there exists even a risk that it could not only expand to other regions but also do damage to the population of native insecta, fishes, amphibians and reptiles, so this terrible species ought to be exterminated. More than 92 individuals of T. scripta elegans species were found to inhabit in 15 ponds around Jeju Island. T. scripta elegans. as the topmost predator, could destruct the pond ecosystem, and also cause a problem of water pollution due to its excrement. Counter-measures against T. scripta elegans could include publicity activities encouraging self-control of the release of captive T. scripta elegans, extermination plans using its ecological habits, and sign-posting publicizing its hazard to healthy ecosystem at the areas with high population density of T. scripta elegans or at its habitats with high foot traffic, together with the continuous management of NIS(none-indigenous species).

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.310-315
• /
• 1997

In oreder to know the effect of the oocyte maturation with several heavy metal ions(Cd$^{2+}$, Hg$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$, Pb$^{2+}$) on frog(Rana dybowskii) by FPH(Frog pituitary homogenate: 0.1 p.e./ml) in vitro, oocytes were cultured for 20 hours and exanimed the maturation rates with exposure of various comcentrations of those ions. The results showed that Cd$^{2+}$ at concentration of 0.1 ppm suppressed the maturation of the oocytes, while Hg$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$ and Pb$^{2+}$ suppressed them significantly at 1 and 5 ppm respectively. To examine the reversibility of the inhibitory effects, the oocutes were exposed to the metal ions only for 3 hours and transferred to plain medium and cultured further for 17 hours. The oocytes were recovered from the toxic effect of the ions when they were exposed to 1 ppm of Cd$^{2+}$ for 3 hours and not available to 2.5 ppm. The effect of 2.5 ppm of Hg$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$, Pb$^{2+}$ were also reversible and not available to 5 ppm for 3 hours exposure. From the abave results, it reveal that heavy metal ions in this study suppressed the maturation of oocytes at relatively low concentration. Therefore the oocyte culture system can be used as a useful tool to evaluate the toxicity of the pollutants in envirment.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.107-115
• /
• 2009

The programed cell death of the cutaneous epithelial tissue during tail regression stages in anuran tadpoles of the blackspotted frog, Rana nigromaculata were visualized by the histochemical and transmission electron microscopic techniques. Metamorphotic changes in the tail regression during the period of the Shumway stage number 31 to 33 are characterized by the disappearance of mucous layer and formation of compound epithelium through cutaneous thickening. Following the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated d-uridine triphosphate nick end labeling) staining technique, the apoptotic cells were detected at the distal region of the tail skin initially, but they can be seen at the proximal region according to their following development. It has been also revealed that the number of the TUNEL-positive cells gradually increased from apical to basal direction of the epithelial layers during the tail regressing stages. Following the TEM observation, the early apoptotic cells shown in the epithelium demonstrated condensation and margination of the chromatin material at the nuclear periphery. Another epithelial apoptotic cells were shown nuclear fragmentation, membrane blebbing and cytoplasmic condensation. Following the process of the apoptotic degradation, well preserved organelles and nuclear fragments can be identified in the cytoplasm of lysosome-rich cells, however they soon reduced to lysosomal residual bodies through the progressive degradation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 2009

To investigate the roadkill of amphibians in Korea National parks, we conducted a survey from 2006 to 2008. As a result, our count of road-killed amphibians included 1,748 individuals from 9 species over three years, and the ratio of road-killed amphibians decreased in 2007, 2008 as compared to 2006. Additionally, many amphibians, including Rana dybawskii, Bufo gargarizans, and Bufo stejnegeri were road-killed by vehicles in "Forest-Stream" or "Forest-Forest" environments, and between March and June. In the risk analysis by frequency, 4 lines including national line 37 (Deogyusan), provincial line 517 (Songnisan), national line 6 (Odaesan) and provincial line 597 (Woraksan) were classed as RISK V category. This designation involves species considered to be extremely important, such as Rana dybowskii and Bufo stejnegeri. Therefore, a conservation plan is needed to protect important species located near RISK V lines.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 1990

Progesterone production and oocyte maturation in ovarian follicles of Rana nigromaculata and Rana rugosa were investigated. Addition of frog pituitary homogenate (FPH) to the in utiro cultured follicles of R. nigromaculata stimulated a marked increase in the accumulation and secretion of progesterone (P$_4$) by the follicles and induced their oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) in a dose dependent manner. The FPH (0.1 pituitary equivalent/2 ml)-inducted P4 peak appeared in 3-6 hours and followed by the oocyte GVBD in 9-12 hours after the hormone stimulation. lncreae of intrafollicular cAMP levels with forskolin (an adenylatecyclase stimulator) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) mimic the FPH action in the stimulation of P$_4$ production but not in the induction of oocyte maturation. The in uitro cultured follicies of R. rugosa behaved very differently from other amphibian follicles. Addition of FPH-(0. 1 pit. equivl2 ml) to the culture medium neither stimulated P$_4$ production by the follicles nor induced the oocyte GVBD. However, treatment of the follicles with forskolin and IBMX drastically stimulated both the intrafollicular accumulation (800 pg/follicle) and secretion (1700 pg/follicle) of P$_4$ by the follicles during culture period. Thus, the data suggest that the follicles are ready to respond to cAMP increase but not to the FPH stimulation in terms of P$_4$ production.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.375-382
• /
• 2005

The American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana was imported from Japan for farming for the human consumption in 1970's and introduced populations were a great threat to native habitats in the pond and lake ecosystem. However, it is thought that the population of bullfrog has rapidly declined for past years in Korea. In this study, we investigated the intra-genetic diversity of R. catesbeiana habitated in Korea. The nucleotide sequences of 1,215bp mitochondrial ND1/tRNA region in bullfrogs sampled from 5 sites in Jeollanamdo were analyzed and compared to the original sequence of R. catesbeiara reported in Genbank. The nucleotide similarity between Korean and North American bullfrog was ranged from 98.7% to 100% based on kimura-2-parameter distance. In addition, bullfrogs analyzed in this study were clustered into two groups with one including Jangheung and the other including Gwangju populations in the neighbor-joining tree. North American R. catesbeiana was grouped in Jangheung cluster, indicating that there is the very low genetic difference between Korean and North American populations. The maximum parsimony tree in which North American R. catesbeiana was set as an outgroup suggests that Jangheung group represents the introduced population to Korea. Taken together, the results indicate that the population of R. catesbeiana in Korea has not segregated geographically yet, after the introduction.

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

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.25-32
• /
• 1976

To observe the changes of mucosubstances of the mucous secreting cells, stomach tissues in frog tadpoles at each stage of metamorphosis were fixed in 10% buffered formalin at $4^{\circ}C$, embedded in paraffin, sectioned to 4 $\mu$m thickness and stained with periodic acid-Schiff(PAS) and alcian blue (AB) of pH 2.5 and pH 1.0. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The reactivities of the surface mucous cells, which exhibited strong PAS-positivity and weak alcianophilia at both pH 2.5 and 1.0, were not changed in metamorphosis stages and the intracellular contents of neutral mucosubstances in the surface mucous cells increased significantly in XXIV and XXV stages of metamorphosis. 2. In the foveolar mucous cells, which appear after metamorphosis XXI, the staining reactivities to PAS, AB of pH 2.5 and 1.0 were the same as that of surface mucous cells during metamorphosis and the alcianophilia were stronger at pH 1.0 than at pH 2.5. 3. THe mucous neck cells, which appear after metamorphosis XXIV, exhibited a strong PAS-positive reaction and weak alcianophilia at metamorphosis XXIV but at metamorphosis XXV weak reactivity to PAS and strong alcianophilia at pH 1.0.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.137-138
• /
• 2015

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
• /
• 1998.10b
• /
• pp.311.2-311
• /
• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text