• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.511-515
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• 2006

Alanine aminotransferase (AAT) is mainly synthesized in the liver, and its level in mammalian serum is elevated after acute phase induction. Here we demonstrated that sheep anti-human AAT antibody cross-reacted with amphioxus humoral fluids as well as human serum; and the concentration of AAT in the humoral fluids in amphioxus increased after the acute challenge with lipopolysaccharide, while the level of total proteins remains unchanged. These suggest the presence of the same acute phase response pattern in amphioxus, as observed in some mammalian species. Immunohistochemically, AAT was localized in the hepatic diverticulum, ovary and testis. It appears that the hepatic diverticulum in amphioxus is functionally homologous to the vertebrate liver in respect of AAT synthesis, supporting the hypothesis that the vertebrate liver evolved from the hepatic diverticulum of an amphioxus-like ancestor during early chordate evolution.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.225-229
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• 2001

Nek2 is a mammalian protein kinase that is structurally homologous to NIMA, a mitotic regulator in Aspergillus nidulans. To understand cellular processes in which Nek2 participates during mammalian development, we investigated the expression and subcellular localization of Nek2 in vivo. The Nek2 protein was detected in spermatocytes and in a fraction of actively dividing ovarian follicle cells and of embryonic tissues. We also observed that Nek2 was localized in both the nucleus and centrosome in embryonic cells. Such localization pattern supports the proposal that Nek2 is a mitotic regulator that is involved in multiple cell cycle events during mammalian development.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.39-42
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• 2001

A reference range data base containing organ weight values on animals used in 4 week and 13 week toxicity tests is described. Data listed include the values of minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation for each of the following organ weights. Organs: Brain, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, adrenal gland, testis, ovary. This study was undertaken to determine organ weight reference values of Ktc: SD rats

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2017

Adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) is a rare cause of adrenal insufficiency during neonatal period. Mutations in the gene coding for DAX1 cause X-linked adrenal hypoplasia. Most affected patients are shown to have salt wasting and hyperpigmentation on the skin during the neonatal period and require intensive medical care. In addition, it is usually associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in adolescence. The DAX1 gene is expressed in the adrenal cortex, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, testis, and ovary. We report on a patient with genetically confirmed AHC whose initial clinical presentations were consistent with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. A point mutation in the DAX1 gene identified in this report resulted in a truncated DAX1 protein. Our patient was diagnosed with AHC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.99-100
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• 2001

Although cultured sweet smelt production recently have been rapidly increased from 89 metric tons (M/T) in 1997 to 500M/T In 1999 in Korea, wild fish have been still used as broodstock for cultured fish seed. This is considered due to having higher sperm and e99 qualify in wild fish broodstock than cultured fish. However, capturing a number of wild sweet smelt broodstock might lead to decreasing of the production of wild fish, In truth, of which production has been greatly decreased so that a number of artificial juvenile have been stocked some rivers in Korea. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.125-134
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• 1980

The dovelopment of the gonads, gametogenesis and the reproductive cycle of the topshell, Turbo cornutus Solander, which is one of valuable food animals fom Korean waters were studied by photomicroscophy. The materials were monthly collected from Bangeojin, Jeongjari and Dangweol, all these places being located in the south-eastern part of Korea, for one year from March 1979 to February 1980. Topshell is dioecious and oviparous. Gonad is situated on the surface of liver, which lies posteriorly. The surface of ovary and testis is covered with a fibrous membrane, membrane of connective and muscular fibers and then an outermost layer of simple-columnar epithelial cells which are composed of cuboidal and columnar mucous gland cells. Primordial germ cells develop on the germinal epithelium of ovarian and testicular lobuli which are originated from the fibrous membrane and extend toward hepatic gland. Undifferentiated mesenchymal tissue and pigment granular cells are abundantly distributed between the growing oocytes and spermatocytes in the early development stages. With the further development of the ovary and testis these tissue and cells gradually disappear. Then the undifferentiated mesenchymal tissue and pigment granular cells are considered to be related to the growing of the oocytes and spermatocytes. Early multiplicating oogonium is ca. $10\mu$ in diameter and nucleushaving a central nucleolus is ra. $8\mu$. As the oocytea grow to ca. $50-60\mu$ by the increase of cytoplasm, the oocytes become look like bunches of grapes which are attached to ovarian lobuli. Mature eggs are ca. $180-210\mu$ in diameter and it is surrounded by a gelatinous membrane of ca. $10\mu$ in thickness. After spawning, undischarged ripe eggs and spermatozoa remain in the ovary and testis respectively for some time. Then they finally degenerate, and proliferation of new oogonia and spermatogonia occur along the germinal epithelia of newly developed ovarian and testicular lobuli. Reprocuctive cycle of Turbo cornutus could be classified into five successive stages: multiplicative, growing, maturer spent and recovery stages. Spawning occurs from August to November with Peak spawning from early September to late October.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.423-435
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• 1984

The reproductive cycle of the small filefish, Rudarius ercodes was investigated based on the annual variations of gonadosomatic index(GSI) and hepatosomatic index(HSI) by electronic and photic microscophy. The specimens used were collected at the coastal area of Benden island, Sizuokagen, Japan, from September 1982 to August 1983. GSI began to increase from March, starting season of longer daylength and higher water temperature, and reached the maximum value between June and August. It began to decrease from September with the lowest value appearing between November and February without any evident variation. The annual variations of HSI were not distinct in male filefish and were negatively related to GSI in female : HSI decreased in the summer season when the ovary was getting mature and reached the maximum in the winter season when the ovary was getting retrogressive. The ovary consisted of a pair of saccular structure with numerous ovarian sacs branched toward the median cavity. Oogonia divided and proliferated along the germinal epithelium of the ovarian sac. Young oocytes with basophile cytoplasm showed several scattering nucleoli along the nuclear membrane. when the oocytes growing to about 300 ${\mu}m$, nuclear membrane to disappear with nucleus migrating toward the animal pole. The regions of protoplasm were extremely confined within the animal hemisphere in which most of cytoplasms were filled with yolk materials and oil drops. After ovulation, residual follicles and growing oocytes remaining in the ovarian sacs degenerated. But perinucleatic young oocytes without follicles formed were not degenerated, and growing continuously still in the next year. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula in the cytoplasm remarkably increased with oocytes maturing and yolk accumulating. Those were considered to be functionally related to the yolk accumulation. Five or six layers of possible vitellogenin, oval-shaped disc structures with high electron density, appeared in the apex of follicular processes stretching to the microvilli pits of mature oocytes. Testis consisting of a pair of lobular structures in the right and left were united in the posterior seminal vesicle, Cortex of testis was composed of several seminiferous tubules, and medulla consisting of many sperm ducts connected with tubules. Steroid hormone-secreting cells with numerous endoplasmic reticula and large mitochondria of well developed cristae were recognized in the interstitial cells of the growing testis. Axial filament of spermatozoon invaginated deeply in the central cavity of the nucleus and the head formed U-shape with acrosome severely lacking, mitochondria formed large globular paranuclei at the posterior head, and microtubular axoneme of the tail represented 9+9+2 type. The annual reproductive cycles could be divided into five successive stages : growth(March to July), maturation(May to September), Spawning(mid May to early October) and resting stages(October to February). The spawning peak occurred from June to August.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.333-342
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• 2016

Lipins play dual function in lipid metabolism by serving as phosphatidate phosphatase and transcriptional co-regulators of gene expression. Mammalian lipin proteins consist of lipin1, lipin2, and lipin3 and are encoded by their respective genes Lpin1, Lpin2, and Lpin3. To date, most studies are concerned with Lpin1, only a few have addressed Lpin2 and Lpin3. Ontogenetic expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 and their associations with traits would help to explore their molecular and physiological functions in sheep. In this study, 48 animals with an equal number of males and females each for both breeds of fat-tailed sheep such as Guangling Large Tailed (GLT) and Small Tailed Han (STH) were chosen to evaluate the ontogenetic expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 from eight different tissues and months of age by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Associations between gene expression and slaughter and tail traits were also analyzed. The results showed that Lpin2 mRNA was highly expressed in perirenal and tail fats, and was also substantially expressed in liver, kidney, reproductive organs (testis and ovary), with the lowest levels in small intestine and femoral biceps. Lpin3 mRNA was prominently expressed in liver and small intestine, and was also expressed at high levels in kidney, perirenal and tail fats as well as reproductive organs (testis and ovary), with the lowest level in femoral biceps. Global expression of Lpin2 and Lpin3 in GLT both were significantly higher than those in STH. Spatiotemporal expression showed that the highest levels of Lpin2 expression occurred at 10 months of age in two breeds of sheep, with the lowest expression at 2 months of age in STH and at 8 months of age in GLT. The greatest levels of Lpin3 expression occurred at 4 months of age in STH and at 10 months of age in GLT, with the lowest expression at 12 months of age in STH and at 8 months of age in GLT. Breed and age significantly influenced the tissue expression patterns of Lpin2 and Lpin3, respectively, and sex significantly influenced the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Lpin3. Meanwhile, Lpin2 and Lpin3 mRNA expression both showed significant correlations with slaughter and tail traits, and the associations appear to be related with the ontogenetic expression as well as the potential functions of lipin2 and lipin3 in sheep.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

The toxicity of two species of puffer fish, Takifugu poecilonotus (Heuinjeombok) and T. vermicularis (Gukmaeribok) collected from the coastal regions of Korea was determined using a mouse bioassay. In the T. poecilonotus collected in Jeju and Tongyeong, the proportion of toxic specimens containing ${\ge}10$ mouse units (MU) per gram exceeded 95% for the skin, liver, ovary, and fin, and approximately 30% for the testis and muscles. In each of the organs, the highest toxin levels were 79 MU/g in the muscle, hundreds (158-365) of MU per gram in the fin, intestine, testis, and gallbladder, but thousands (1,147-2,406) of MU per gram in the skin, liver, and ovary. In T. vermicularis collected from Incheon and Gunsan, the proportions of toxic specimens were 100% for the gallbladder, and 56-68% for the skin, fin, liver, and intestine however, no toxic muscle specimens were noted. The highest toxin scores were below 10 mouse units (MU) per gram in the muscle, 20-94 MU/g in the skin and fin, 319 MU/g in the intestine, and thousands (1,548-4,624) of MU per gram in the liver, gonad, and gallbladder. The toxicity in the muscle of T. vermicularis was deemed acceptable for human consumption, whereas the toxicities in the muscle of T. poecilonotus and the skin of both species of puffer fish were significantly high, such that special attention may be required when the fish is intended for human consumption.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 2000

Recent studies have clearly shown that the expression of genes for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its receptor in the rat reproductive organs including ovary, testis, placenta uterus and mammary gland. Moreover, luteinizing hormone (LH) classically known to be a main target product of GnRH in anterior pituitary has been found in rat gonads. These findings suggested the presence of local circuit composed of GnRH and LH in the rat gonads. The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether the genes for LH and its receptor are expressed in rat mammary gland. Expression of LH and its receptor genes in the rat mammary gland was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and specific LH radioimmunoassay (RIA). The LH${\beta}$ transcripts in the mammary gland from cycling rats contained the pituitary type of LH${\beta}$ exons 1~3 encoding the entire LH${\beta}$ polypeptide but lacked the rat testis-specific LH${\beta}$ exon(s). Presence of ${\alpha}$ -subunit transcripts in the rat mammary gland were determined by RT-PCR. The cDNA fragments encoding exons 2~7 of rat LH receptor transcripts were amplified in both rat ovary and mammary gland samples. We could detect the GnRH expression in mammary gland from cycling virgin rats, and this result disagreed with previous report that mammary GnRH expression is occured in lactating rats only. Considerable amounts of immunoreactive LH molecules with good RIA parallelism in standard curve were detected in crude extracts from the rat mammary gland, indicating that the immunoreactive LH materials in the gland might be identical to authentic pituitary LH. To our knowledge, the present study demonstrated for the first time the expression of LH subunits and LH receptor in the rat mammary gland. Our findings suggested that the mammary gland might be the novel source and target of LH and the mammary LH could be act as a local regulator with auto-and/or paracrine manner under the regulation of local GnRH.