• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.20.1-20.8
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• 2019

Background: Despite the favorable geo-climatic potential of Cameroon, the national production of tilapia remains low due to poor tilapia growth reported by fish farmers. One of the underlying reasons is the early female maturation at a very small size and precocious breeding in earthen ponds, resulting in overpopulation which leads to stunted growth and therefore to the production of unmarketable fish size. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation of G. kola enhanced growth in young Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus. It was also reported that G. kola inhibited spawning in Tilapia adult females. Therefore, this study sought to assess the effects of Garcinia kola as growth promoter and inhibitor of gonadal development in young Oreochromis niloticus. Methods: A total of 108 juveniles weighing $13.32{\pm}0.62g$ were randomly distributed in 9 hapas of 12 fishes each (9 females and 3 males) and fed for 70 days with three isonitrogenous diets, 40% crude protein with increasing Garcinia kola supplementation levels of 0 (normal diet), 6% and 10% (experimental diets). Physico-chemical parameters of the water (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and transparency) were measured twice a week. Every 14 days, fish were harvested, counted, and weighed. At the end of the experiment, three fish of each sex per replicate were sacrificed and their gonad and liver collected and weighed. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance repeated measure followed by Newman-Keuls multiple tests. Results: The results showed that all physico-chemical parameters of the water were within the recommended values for Tilapia culture. Tilapia fed 6% Garcinia kola supplemented diet displayed higher final body weight in males ($38.60{\pm}3.50g$) and females ($36.77{\pm}3.62g$) compared to those receiving normal diet ($36.23{\pm}1.36g$ and $25.87{\pm}3.32g$; respectively to the final body weight in males and females). The gonadosomatic index and hepatosomatic index indicated no significant variation in males while in females, these were significantly low in the experimental fish compared to control fish. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that supplementation of G. kola seeds in diets of young Tilapia improved growth performance and impaired gonadal development in females.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.164-171
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• 2019

Radiation therapy has many side effects, such as digestive mucosal ulcers, without regard to its efficacy. The purpose of this study is to address an alternative method to replace the limitation of radiation therapy using radiomimetic microbial ribotoxins. In the evaluation of cancer therapy, we analyzed the formation of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell spheroids, which can take into account the heterogeneous cellular constitution, tumor stem cells, and the surrounding microenvironment. Ribotoxic stress interfered with the spheroid structure composed of relatively small clusters. Spheroids under ribotoxic stress were structurally sparse and their shrinkage was very slow. In the control group, the clusters of strongly aggregated cells were resistant to physical stress, but the ribotoxic stress-exposed spheroids were easily broken up by the physical stress. Moreover, the ribosome-insulted CRC cells slowly migrated to form clusters and the cell-cell junctional points in the ribosome-insulted spheroids were rarer than those in the control CRC spheroid. Moreover, levels of the cell-to-cell junctional protein E-cadherin were suppressed by ribotoxic stress in both allograft and xenograft spheroids. In conclusion, the radiomimetic microbial ribotoxins induced structural defects in CRC cell spheroids via retardation of migration and cell-cell junction in the formation of three-dimensional structures, and provides a basis for the mechanism of pharmacological radiomimetic anticancer actions as an alternate to radiotherapy against cancer.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.275-283
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• 2020

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of the addition of enzymes and microorganisms to broiler feed on productivity, carcass characteristics, intestinal microflora, and feces odor. A total of one-hundred eighty 180 chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 3 replications each having 12 birds per pen. The experimental group was divided into 0.1% EZ group (0.1% metallo-protease added to the feed), 0.2% EZ group (0.2% metallo-protease added to the feed), M group (2.0% Bacillus veleznesis CE 100 added to the feed), and MW group (2.0% Bacillus veleznesis CE 100 added to the feed and drinking water). In the results, final body weight, body weight gain, the feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency, and energy efficiency were not significantly different among all treatments in across all periods. Carcass weight, proventriculus, gizzard, heart, small intestine, cecum, and rectum weight were not significantly different among all of the treatments. However the liver weight was significantly higher in the 0.1% EZ group than in the control, M and MW groups (P< 0.05). E. coli was significantly lower in MW than in the control and M (P<0.05), and it was significantly higher in the M than 0.2% EZ and MW (P<0.05). H2S emissions in feces was not significantly different among all treatments, but NH3 emissions was were significantly higher in 0.1% EZ than in MW (P<0.05). In conclusion, the addition of 0.1% of metallo-protease was effective in the development of the liver of broilers.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.243-251
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• 2017

Rhus chinensis is a shrub widely distributed in Asia. It has been used for traditional medicine and ecological restoration. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of two R. chinensis genotypes collected from China and Korea. The assembled chloroplast genome of Chinese R. chinensis is 149,094 bp long, consisting of a large single copy (97,246 bp), a small single copy (18,644 bp) and a pair of inverted repeats (16,602 bp). Gene annotation revealed 77 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. A phylogenomic analysis of the chloroplast genomes with 11 known complete chloroplast genomes clarified the relationship of R. chinensis with the other plant species in the Sapindales order. A comparative chloroplast genome analysis identified 170 SNPs and 85 InDels at intra-species level of R. chinensis between Chinese and Korean collections. Based on the sequence diversity between Korea and Chinese R. chinensis plants, we developed three DNA markers useful for genetic diversity and authentication system. The chloroplast genome information obtained in this study will contribute to enriching genetic resources and conservation of endemic Rhus species.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.334-343
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• 2017

Eclipta prostrata and E. alba are annual herbal medicinal plants and have been used as Chinese medicinal tonics. Both species are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Korea. Both species have similar morphological features but E. alba has smoother leaf blade margins compared with E. prostrata. Although both species are utilized as oriental medicines, E. prostrata is more widely used than E. alba. Morphological semblances have confounded identification of either species. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genomes of both species to provide an authentication system between the two species and understand their diversity. Both chloroplast genomes were 151,733-151,757 bp long and composed of a large single copy (83,285-83,300 bp), a small single copy (18,283-18,346 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (25,075-25,063 bp). Gene annotation revealed 80 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genus Eclipta is grouped with Heliantheae tribe species in the Asteraceae family. A comparative analysis verified 29 InDels and 58 SNPs between chloroplast genomes of E. prostrata and E. alba. The low chloroplast genome sequence diversity indicates that both species are really close to each other and are not completely diverged yet. We developed six DNA markers that distinguish E. prostrata and E. alba based on the polymorphisms of chloroplast genomes between E. prostrata and E. alba. The chloroplast genome sequences and the molecular markers generated in this study will be useful for further research of Eclipta species and accurate classification of medicinal herbs.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2021

Rye (Secale cereal L.) is the most tolerant to abiotic stress including low temperature, drought, and unfavorable soil conditions among the winter cereals. Rye is the rapid growth of early spring results from increasing areas for the use of the forage and green manure in the middle part of Korea. "Jungmo2509", a rye cultivar was developed by the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA in 2014. It was developed from a cross between "Olhomil", a self-compatible cultivar, and "Synthetic II", a self-incompatible line. "Jungmo2509" is an erect plant type and of a middle size, with a green leaf color, a yellowish-white colored culm, and a yellowish brown-colored, small-size grain. The heading date of "Jungmo2509" was April 23, which was 5 days later than that of "Gogu", respectively. But "Jungmo2509" showed greater resistance to lodging compared to that of the check cultivar, with similar to winter hardiness, wet injury, and disease resistance. "Jungmo2509" was a higher to than "Gogu" in terms of protein content (9.4% and 8.0%, respectively), total digestible nutrients (TDN) (55.7% and 55%, respectively). The seed productivity of "Jungmo2509" was approximately 2.08 ton 10a-1, which was 11% lower than that of the check. Almost all rye cultivars are out-crossing due to genes controlling incompatibility, but "Jungmo2509" is higher seed fertility (56%) than that of Gogu (0%). it has self-compatible genes. "Jungmo2509" is erect in plant type and resistance for lodging. Therefore, "Jungmo2509" can produce uniform seeds for processed grains of human consumption and utilize them as parents for breeding the rye hybrids with high forage yields.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.553-561
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• 2022

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a slowly progressing hematopoietic cell disorder. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) plays established roles in tumor initiation, progression, and chemotherapy resistance in a wide range of cancers, including leukemia. However, small-molecule inhibitors targeting SPHK1 in CML still need to be developed. This study revealed the role of SPHK1 in CML and investigated the potential anti-leukemic activity of hirsuteine (HST), an indole alkaloid obtained from the oriental plant Uncaria rhynchophylla, in CML cells. These results suggest that SPHK1 is highly expressed in CML cells and that overexpression of SPHK1 represents poor clinical outcomes in CML patients. HST exposure led to G2/M phase arrest, cellular apoptosis, and downregulation of Cyclin B1 and CDC2 and cleavage of Caspase 3 and PARP in CML cells. HST shifted sphingolipid rheostat from sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) towards the ceramide coupled with a marked inhibition of SPHK1. Mechanistically, HST significantly blocked SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways. In addition, HST can be docked with residues of SPHK1 and shifts the SPHK1 melting curve, indicating the potential protein-ligand interactions between SPHK1 and HST in both CML cells. SPHK1 overexpression impaired apoptosis and proliferation of CML cells induced by HST alone. These results suggest that HST, which may serve as a novel and specific SPHK1 inhibitor, exerts anti-leukemic activity by inhibiting the SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways in CML cells, thus conferring HST as a promising anti-leukemic drug for CML therapy in the future.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2023

Objective: Pigs, an ideal biomedical model for human diseases, suffer from about 50% early embryonic and fetal death, a major cause of fertility loss worldwide. However, identifying the causal variant remains a huge challenge. This study aimed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and candidate genes for the number of mummified (NM) piglets using the imputed whole-genome sequence (WGS) and validate the potential candidate genes. Methods: The imputed WGS was introduced from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) using a multi-breed reference population. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for NM piglets at birth from a Landrace pig populatiGWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase on. A total of 300 Landrace pigs were genotyped by GBS. The whole-genome variants were imputed, and 4,252,858 SNPs were obtained. Various molecular experiments were conducted to determine how the genes affected NM in pigs. Results: A strong GWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) gene, which plays a crucial role in embryonic retardation and lethality. Based on the molecular experiments, we found that Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) was a crucial transcription factor for CDK8, which mediated the effect of CDK8 in the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells via transforming growth factor beta/small mother against decapentaplegic signaling pathway, and, as a consequence, affected embryo quality, indicating that this pathway may be contributing to mummified fetal in pigs. Conclusion: A powerful imputation-based association study was performed to identify genes associated with NM in pigs. CDK8 was suggested as a functional gene for the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells, but further studies are required to determine causative mutations and the effect of loci on NM in pigs.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.33 no.s01
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• pp.86-97
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• 1988

Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.) is probably the most ancient oilseed crop known in the world. The seed of sesame is used in a variety of ways as food. The whole seed may be eaten raw, either roasted or parched, or fed to birds and stock. Sesame oil is used as a salad or cooking oil, in shortening, margarine and in the manufacture of soap. Minor uses are as a fixative in the perfume industry and formerly as a carrier for fatsoluble substances in pharmaceuticals such as penicillin. One of the minor constituents of sesame oil, sesamin, is used for its synergistic effect in pyrethrin insecticides, in addition of a small quantity of this substance markedly increases the effectiveness of fly sprays. The meal remaining after oil extraction can be used as and animal feed-stuff or as manure. In general sesame meal is considered to be equal to cottonseed or soybean meal as a protein supplement for livestock and poultry. It is especially high in certain amino-acids such as methionine, which is low in soybean meal, and thus can be combined with it or similar meal to form a more balanced ration. An attempt to summarize the literature review on quality improvement of sesame was made to discuss the accomplishments of the past and perspectives in the future. The reviews on quality improvement of sesame were mainly discussed in connection with the cultural practices and genetic informations in current status. The emphasis focussed on environmental variation of quality in cultural practices, such as harvest time, variety by location, climatic condition, fertilizer application, and growth regulator treatment. On the genetic variation of quality, it was discussed on variety background, mutation breeding, correlations, and inheritance of quality related characteristics. It also was discussed on relationship between quality and plant traits, storage condition or period, and seed coat color. Moreover, current research status were reviewed on some minor elements such as sesamin, oxalic acid, and trypsin inhibitor. As a results of the review, the lack of an effort to quality improvement in each utilization area was indicated as a problem area. More active efforts for the improvement of quality were also insufficient to incorporate the available genes for quality in breeding method or collection and analysis of breeding materials. Therefore, researches in the future would be recommended to emphasize on these problem areas.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1488-1498
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• 2023

Objective: α_S1-Casein is more closely associated with milk allergic reaction than other milk protein components. microRNA (miRNA) is a class of small non-coding RNAs that modulate multiple biological progresses by the target gene. However, the post-transcriptional regulation of α_S1-casein expression by miRNA in ruminants remains unclear. This study aims to explore the regulatory roles of miR-380-3p on α_S1-casein synthesis in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMEC). Methods: α_S1-Casein gene and miR-380-3p expression was measured in dairy goat mammary gland by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). miR-380-3p overexpression and knockdown were performed by miR-380-3p mimic or inhibitor in GMEC. The effect of miR-380-3p on α_S1-casein synthesis was detected by qRT-PCR, western blot, luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in GMEC. Results: Compared with middle-lactation period, α_S1-casein gene expression is increased, while miR-380-3p expression is decreased during peak-lactation of dairy goats. miR-380-3p reduces α_S1-casein abundance by targeting the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of α_S1-casein mRNA in GMEC. miR-380-3p enhances β-casein expression and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5a (STAT5a) activity. Moreover, miR-380-3p promotes β-casein abundance through target gene α_S1-casein, and activates β-casein transcription by enhancing the binding of STAT5 to β-casein gene promoter region. Conclusion: miR-380-3p decreases α_S1-casein expression and increases β-casein expression by targeting α_S1-casein in GMEC, which supplies a novel strategy for reducing milk allergic potential and building up milk quality in ruminants.