• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1998

Human uniparental gestations such as gynogenetic ovarian teratomas provide a model to evaluate the integrity of parent-specific gene expression - i.e. imprinting - in the absence of a complementary parental genetic contribution. The few imprinted genes characterized so far include the insulin-like growth factor-2 gene (IGF2) coding for a fetal growth factor and H19 gene whose normal function is unknown but it is likely to act as an mRNA. IGF2 is expressed by the paternal allele and H19 by the maternal allele. This reciprocal expression is quite interesting because both H19 and IGF2 genes are located close to each other on chromosome 11p15.5. In situ RNA hybridization analysis has shown variable expression of the H19 and IGF2 alleles according to the tissue origin in 11 teratomas. Especially, Skin, derivative of ectoderm, is expressed conspicuously. We examined imprinting of H19 and IGF2 in teratomas using PCR and RT-PCR of exonic polymorphism. H19 and IGF2 transcript could be expressed either biallelically or monoallelically in the teratomas. Biallelic expression (i.e., loss of imprinting) of IGF2 occurred in 5 out of 6 mature teratomas and 1 out of 1 immature teratoma. Biallelic expression of H19 occurred in 4 out of 10 mature teratomas and 1 out of 1 immature teratoma. Expression levels of H19 and IGF2 transcript using the semi-quantitative RT-PCR had no relation between monoallelic and biallelic expression. Moreover, IGF2 biallelic expression did not affect allele-specificity or levels of H19 expression. These results demonstrate that both genes, H19 and IGF2, can be imprinted, expressed and regulated independently and individually of each other in ovarian teratoma.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 1997

Metallothionein is an important and essential protein to control the intracellular concentration of heavy metals, which exist in all organisms from bacteria to vertebrates. Although the detailed functions and induction mechanisms of metallothionein gene have not been clearly characterized until yet, the structure of several metallothionein genes has been revealed. Especially, piscine metallothionein is regarded as an important protein because it is induced by several heavy metal pollutants and environmental stress and it could be determined the comparative amount of heavy metals and the extent of environmental stress by assaying the RNA transcript of metallothionein gene in the method of the quantitative RT-PCR(Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction). In this study I have characterized the 450 bp PCR fragment of metallothionein gene amplified by using the mixture of internal specific primers and universal 3' end primer. The nucleotide sequence analysis of 450 bp PCR fragment amplified in cDNA library of channel catfish did not show strong homology to other piscine metallothionein genes.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2009

We report here a first evaluation of chilling-responsive gene regulation in the sweetpotato. The growth of sweetpotato plants was severely retarded at $12^{\circ}C$; the lengths of the leaf, petiole, and root were markedly reduced and microscopic observation revealed that the elongation growth of the epidermal cells in each of these organs was significantly reduced. We examined the transcriptional regulation of three sweetpotato expansin genes (IbEXP1, IbEXP2 and IbEXPL1) in response to various chilling temperatures (12, 16, 22, and $28^{\circ}C$). In the leaf and petiole, the highest transcript levels were those of IbEXP1 at $28^{\circ}C$, whereas IbEXPL1 transcript levels were highest in the root. IbEXP1 mRNA levels in the $12^{\circ}C-treated$ petiole showed a fluctuating pattern (transient decrease-recovery-stable decrease) for 48 h. In the leaf and petiole, IbEXP1 and IbEXPL1 exhibited a similar response to chilling in that their mRNA levels decreased at $22^{\circ}C$, increased at $16^{\circ}C$, and decreased dramatically at $12^{\circ}C$. In contrast, mRNA levels of IbEXP2 in the leaf fell gradually as the temperature fell from 28 to $12^{\circ}C$, while they remained unaltered in the petiole. In the root, mRNA levels of IbEXPL1 and IbEXP1 reached maximum levels at $16^{\circ}C$, and decreased significantly at $12^{\circ}C$. These data demonstrated that expression of these three expansin genes was ultimately down-regulated at $12^{\circ}C$; however, transcriptional regulation of each expansin gene exhibited its own distinctive pattern in response to various chilling temperatures.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1399-1404
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• 2010

We have created a Bovine Genome Database, an integrated genomic resource for Bos taurus, by merging bovine data from various databases and our own data. We produced 55,213 Korean cattle (Hanwoo) ESTs from cDNA libraries from three tissues. We concentrated on genomic information based on Hanwoo transcripts and provided user-friendly search interfaces within the Bovine Genome Database. The genome browser supported alignment results for the various types of data: Hanwoo EST, consensus sequence, human gene, and predicted bovine genes. The database also provides transcript data information, gene annotation, genomic location, sequence and tissue distribution. Users can also explore bovine disease genes based on comparative mapping of homologous genes and can conduct searches centered on genes within user-selected quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions. The Bovine Genome Database can be accessed at http://bgd.nabc.go.kr.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.105-113
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• 2011

The present study investigated the nuclear remodeling, development potential with telomerase activity and transcription level of X-linked genes (ANT3, HPRT, MeCP2, RPS4X, XIAP, XIST and ZFX) in the bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos using two different fusion and activation methods. Female adult fibroblasts were injected into perivitelline space of in vitro matured oocytes. The oocyte-nucleus complexes were fused and followed by immediately either activated (Group 1), or activated at 1 h post-fusion (hpf) (Group 2), respectively. The incidence of normal premature chromosome condensation (PCC) at 1 hpf was slightly increased in the Group 2, compared to those of Group 1, but there was no significant (p<0.05) difference. The incidence of normal pronucleus (PN) and chromosome spread at 5 and 18 hpf were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the Group 2 than those of Group 1. The cleavage rate to 2-cell stage, developmental rate to blastocyst stage, and the mean number of total and ICM cell numbers were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the Group 2, compared to those of Group 1. Level of telomerase activity was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the SCNT blastocysts of Group 2, compared to those of Group 1. Transcript levels of HPRT, MeCP2 and XIST were not significantly (p<0.05) different between blastocysts of Group 1 and 2. However, transcript level of ANT3, RPS4X, XIAP and ZFX were significantly (p<0.05) up-regulated in the SCNT blastocysts of Group 2, compared to those of Group 1. Taken together, it is concluded that oocyte activation at 1 hpf induces the enhanced developmental potential by efficient nuclear remodeling and subsequent facilitation of the nuclear reprogramming of bovine SCNT embryos.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.749-755
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• 2005

The ccpA gene encoding catabolite control protein A (CcpA) of Leuconostoc mesenteroides SYl, a strain isolated from kimchi, was cloned, sequenced, analyzed for transcript, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The ccpA ORF (open reading frame) is 1,011 bp in size, which can encode a protein of 336 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 36,739 Da. The transcription start site was mapped at a position 49 nucleotides upstream of the start codon, and promoter sequences were also identified. The putative cre site overlapped with the -35 promoter sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of the CcpA contained the helix-turn-helix motif found in many DNA-binding regulatory proteins. CcpA from 1. mesenteroides SY1 had $54.6\%$ identity with CcpA from Lactobacillus casei. The Northern blot experiment showed that ccpA was transcribed as a single 1.1 kb transcript, and transcription was repressed when grown on media containing glucose. CcpA was overproduced in E. coli BL21(DE3) cells using the pET expression vector, and purified to an apparent homogeneity. Gel Mobility Shift Assay with purified CcpA and a DNA fragment containing the ere sequence of the $\alpha$-galactosidase gene (aga) from L. mesenteroides SY1 revealed that CcpA bound specifically to the cre site of aga.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.537-543
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• 2003

The mouse interferon gene (MuIFN-${\gamma}$) was cloned and then used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expressed MuIFN-$\{gamma}$ protein (MuIFN-${\gamma}$) was successfully secreted into culture medium due to the presence oi the signal peptide of rice amylase 1A. Two different promoters fused to MuIFN-${\gamma}$ were tested: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter and a yeast hybrid ADH2-GPD (AG) promoter consisting of alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) and GPD promoter. Using the hybrid promoter, the accumulation of MuIFN-${\gamma}$transcript was the highest after the 24 h cultivation, and then gradually decreased as the cultivation proceeded. However, both cell growth and recombinant MuIFN-${\gamma}$production reached their peaks after the 4-day cultivation. It was possible to produce 6.5 mg/l of MuIFN-${\gamma}$ without any changes in cell growth. Using GPD promoter, the MuIFN-${\gamma}$ transcript accumulation and the recombinant MuIFN-${\gamma}$ production followed the same pattern as the cell growth. However. compared to that of the hybrid promoter, the production of recombinant MuIFN-${\gamma}$ was 0.2 mg/l. The secreted MuIFN-${\gamma}$ had estimated molecular masses of 21 kDa and 23 kDa, which were larger than that of the encoded size due to glycosylation. The protection assay against the viral infection indicated that the recombinant MuIFN-${\gamma}$ was bioactive.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1070-1076
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• 2009

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), which prolongs the replicative life span of cells, is highly upregulated in 85-90% of human cancers, whereas most normal somatic tissues in humans express limited levels of the telomerase activity. Therefore, TERT has been a potential target for anticancer therapy. Recently, we described a new approach to human cancer gene therapy, which is based on the group I intron of Tetrahymena thermophila. This ribozyme can specifically mediate RNA replacement of human TERT (hTERT) transcript with a new transcript harboring anticancer activity through a trans-splicing reaction, resulting in selective regression of hTERT-positive cancer cells. However, to validate the therapeutic potential of the ribozyme in animal models, ribozymes targeting inherent transcripts of the animal should be developed. In this study, we developed a Tetrahymena-based trans-splicing ribozyme that can specifically target and replace the mouse TERT (mTERT) RNA. This ribozyme can trigger transgene activity not only also in mTERT-expressing cells but hTERT-positive cancer cells. Importantly, the ribozyme could selectively induce activity of the suicide gene, a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene, in cancer cells expressing the TERT RNA and thereby specifically hamper the survival of these cells when treated with ganciclovir. The mTERT-targeting ribozyme will be useful for evaluation of the RNA replacement approach as a cancer gene therapeutic tool in the mouse model with syngeneic tumors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4239-4243
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• 2014

Background: This study investigated the influence of curcumin on HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR)-mediated migration of cultured renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. Materials and Methods: Five RCC cell lines (769-P, 769-P-vector, 769-P-HOTAIR, 786-0, and Kert-3 ) were maintained in vitro. The expression of HOTAIR mRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and cell migration was measured by transwell migration assay. The effects of different concentrations of curcumin (0 to $80{\mu}mol/L$) on cell proliferation was determined by the CCK-8 assay and influence of non-toxic levels (0 to $10{\mu}M$) on the migration of RCC cells was also determined. Results: Comparison of the 5 cell lines indicated a correlation between HOTAIR mRNA expression and cell migration. In particular, the migration of 769-P-HOTAIR cells was significantly higher than that of 769-P-vector cells. Curcumin at $2.5-10{\mu}M$ had no evident toxicity against RCC cells, but inhibited cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions: HOTAIR expression is correlated with the migration of RCC cells, and HOTAIR may be involved in the curcumin-induced inhibition of RCC metastasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.525-530
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• 2013

The ascarids, Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina, are probably the most common gastrointestinal helminths encountered in dogs. In order to understand biological differences of 2 ascarids, we analyzed gene expression profiles of female adults of T. canis and T. leonina using CLC Genomics Workbench, and the results were compared with those of free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A total of 2,880 and 7,949 ESTs were collected from T. leonina and T. canis, respectively. The length of ESTs ranged from 106 to 4,637 bp with an average insert size of 820 bp. Overall, our results showed that most functional gene annotations of 2 ascarids were quite similar to each other in 3 major categories, i.e., cellular component, biological process, and molecular function. Although some different transcript expression categories were found, the distance was short and it was not enough to explain their different lifestyles. However, we found distinguished transcript differences between ascarid parasites and free-living nematodes. Understanding evolutionary genetic changes might be helpful for studies of the lifestyle and evolution of parasites.