• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.853-860
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• 2011

We measured blood plasma parameters(cortisol, glucose, albumin) and glucocorticoid receptor(GCR) gene expression level of the Japanese eel(Anguilla japonica) exposed to an explosion noise for an hour in order to evaluate the effects of noise stress and to explore the possibility of these parameters as biomarkers on noise stress for one of this valuable aquaculture species. Plasma cortisol and glucose reached high levels with significant differences compared to the control group, whereas albumin showed a low value after 1 h of exposure. In addition, tissue distribution of GCR gene expression was studied by real-time RT-PCR of ten organs(brain, eye, gill, gonad, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, muscle and skin). Liver showed the highest level of expression in the control followed by gill, muscle and intestine. A time-course study revealed induction in liver, gill, muscle and intestine after 30 min or 1 h of noise exposure.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.239-246
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• 2009

To establish a database for artificial seed production of stone flounder Kareius bicoloratus, experiments were conducted to study the characteristics of spawning and fecundity of this species. Broodstocks were captured in the area of Gyeokryeolbiyeoldo, Chungnam, Korea in October 2003 and induced to natural spawning. The broodstock consisted of 12 females (34.5~51.0 cm total length and 540~2,200 g body weight) and 23 males (29.0~38.0 cm total length and 310~680 g body weight). Gonad development began in December and proceeded in the direction of the tail; measurements were made with the naked eye. The tank-held broodstock were reared for 3 months before spawning, which continued for 77 days from January 9 to March 27, 2004. Daylength during the spawning was recorded at the yearly shortest of 9.8~12.1 hours and the water temperature was maintained at $8.4{\sim}12.2^{\circ}C$. The total fecundity was 19,844,000 individuals, among which 15,433,000 individuals (77.8%) were produced during the mid-spawning period. The average bloating rate, egg-fertilization rate and hatching rate of the total number spawned reached 50.4%, 58.5% and 55.6%, respectively, and 93.8% of the hatched fry appeared normal. The number of total eggs in absolute fecundity per total length was proportional to both lengths, as was the number of total eggs in relative fecundity per total length. The number of total eggs in absolute fecundity per body weight was proportional to body weight as was the number in relative fecundity per body weight except that the number in relative fecundity per gram decreased after a peak in increased body weight at a certain point.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.284-292
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• 2018

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a cyclic hypothalamic peptide composed of 17 amino acids, was initially identified in chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) as a regulator of pigmentation. Mammalian MCHs are cyclic hypothalamic peptides composed of 19 amino acids that regulate food intake and energy homeostasis. The present study examined not only MCH expression of different tissues but also the melanohore aggregation and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ influx of fMCH and the other MCH. Real-time qPCR showed that MCH expressed specially in the brain, gonad, and ovary, and expression of MCH was observed during the developmental stages. In the application of synthetic fMCH and both types of synthetic fMCH, dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH, scale melanophore induced significant changes in aggregation activity with various concentrations of MCH. Also, compared to hMCH and sMCH, fMCH exhibited a 36~99.85% increase in relative potency (%), whereas aggregation of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH remained in a high concentration. However, dispersion was induced rapidly according to be low concentration of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH. We show that fMCH and its derivates were bound human MCHR1 and rat MCHR expressed in HEK293T cells with nano-molar affinity and are likely to be ligand-induced to mobilize intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. These results may provide new ligands for binding assay with MCHew ligands, as a structure similar to the mammalian MCH structure was discovered in fish. Once the fMCH receptor system is in place, it can be compared to the MCH system of mammals in terms of MCH function.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.273-277
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• 2015

This study was conducted to provide the reproductive biological information and basic data on the artificial sex control of Haliotis discus hannai. The morphological sex differentiation process of H. discus hannai could be classified into following five phases: 1) formation of gonad outer membrane (FGOM) (${\leq}SL\;10.0{\pm}1.0mm$), 2) primordial germ cells (PGCs) appearance in the connective tissue between intestine and hepatopancreas (PAC), and formation of gonadal cavity (FGC) (SL $15.0{\pm}2.0mm$), 3) PGCs appearance in the epithelial layer of gonadal cavity (PAG) (SL $18.0{\pm}2.0mm$), 4) formation of gametogenic follicle and appearance of early oocytes and spermatogonia (FGOC) (SL $21.0{\pm}2.0mm$), 5) morphological sex differentiation (MSD) (${\geq}SL\;23.0{\pm}2.0mm$). From histological analysis sex differentiation rate in SL 24.1-25.0 mm of H. discus hannai was 90.0% and sex ratio (female : male) was 1:0.8.

• 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.11 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2007

Smad proteins mediate transforming growth $factor(TGF)-{\beta}$ signaling and play a pivotal role in embryonic development. The estrogen receptor-related receptors(ERRs), which are structurally similar to estrogen receptors, are members of orphan nuclear receptor in the nuclear receptor superfamily and their functions are known to be involved in the formation of extra-embryonic ectoderm. To investigate the involvement of Smad3 and $ERR{\beta}$ like 1 in reproductive activities and embryogenesis in marine invertebrate, we examined gene expression of Smad3 and $ERR{\beta}$ like 1 in Strongylocentrotus nudus during their seasonal changes and embryonic development using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The Smad3 mRNA levels in gonad showed an increasing pattern from February to June 2004 but decreased at August(spawning season) followed by an elevation of the levels at October and December 2004. The mRNA levels of the $ERR{\beta}$ like 1 significantly elevated during the spawning season. During embryonic development, Smad3 mRNA levels at $8{\sim}16$ cell stages were significantly higher than those of other stages, whereas the mRNA of the $ERR{\beta}$ like 1 was significantly high levels at late development stages, i.e., blastular, gastrula and plutei stages. These results suggest that the Smad3 could be involved at least in part in the early cleavage stages and the $ERR{\beta}$ like 1 may play an important role in the spawning season and late developmental stage in the sea urchin.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.210-221
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• 2000

The population habitat and density of Korean scallops, Chlamys farreri, were investigated to estimate population ecological characteristics from samples randomly collected around Wando from November, 1998 to October, 1999. Age and growth of the Korean scallops were determined from their ring radii. Maturation and spawning were studied using data of ovary maturity stage, gonadosomatic index, and fecundity. Seawater temperature and specific gravity ranged from 7.6 to $25.9^{\circ}C$ and from 1.0188 to 1.0260, respectively. Also dissolved oxygen and pH ranged from 6.48 to 9.50 ppm and from 8.17 to 8.80. Rocky and gravel bottom had a maximum habitat density of $$28.83 inds/100m^2$$ , which accounted for 82.4 % of the overall habitat area. The relationship between shell length (SL, mm) and shell height (SH, mm) of the Korean scallops was fitted : SH=1.021 SL+2.211 $(R^2=0.989)$. The shell length-total weight (TW, g) relationship was $TW=0.0003; SL^{2.837};(R^2=0.980)$. Then von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated from a nonlinear regression method, and the values were as follows : $SH_{\infty}=117.4 mm$K=0.61/year,; and; t_0=-0.017 year., The 50 % maturity at age was 0.21 year with the shell height of 18.3 mm, and spawning occurred twice a year, that is, June/July and October. The relationship between fecundity (Fc) and shell length was$Fc=697.03 SL^{2.683}(R^2=0.984)$, and the fecundity-gonad weight (GW, g) relationship was Fc=10,076,090 GW+15,608,781 $(R^2=0.990)$.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2005

The objective of the present study was to investigate changes of sex steroid(testosterone: T and $estradiol-17{\beta}:\;E_2$), cortisol levels and gonadal development following $T_3$ treatment to protandrous black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegeli. Exogenous $T_3$ was found to significantly stimulate the increase of T levels in plasma of black porgy after 60 days of treatment. However no effects of $T_3$ on $E_2$ levels and oocyte size were found. $T_3$ treatment resulted in stimulated spermatogenesis and testicular development in gonad and prolonged spermiation. Also, the levels of cortisol were significantly increased in the fish treated with $T_3$ as compared to control fish at 60 days. The results showed that exogenous $T_3$ had direct effect on the release of T and cortisol, thus $T_3$ seems to play, either directly or indirectly, an important role in the testis development of functional male black porgy.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2010

Gonadal development and reproductive cycles of red sea urchin Pseudocentrotus depressus were investigated based on the monthly variations of gonadosomatic index (GSI), gametogenesis and developmental phases of gonad. The specimens were sampled monthly in the north coastal waters of Ongpo and the south coastal waters Bubhwan of Jeju Island, Korea, from December 1994 to December 1995. Monthly changes of GSI values and reproductive cycles showed similar trends in Ongpo and Bubhwan. In females GSI values were reached the maximum in December ($17.8{\pm}4.04$ in Ongpo, $13.8{\pm}1.51$ in Bubhwan). In males GSI values were reached the maximum in December ($15.4{\pm}1.53$ in Ongpo, $13.6{\pm}1.32$ in Bubhwan). In both Ongpo and Bubhwan major spawning probably occurred between November and February when water temperatures and daylengths decrease. The histological observations of the gonads suggested that this species seemed to have a synchronous gametogenesis and one spawning season a year in Jeju Island costal waters.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2010

FOXL2 is a winged-helix/forkhead (FH) domain transcription factor, and mutations in FOXL2 gene are responsible for blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). BPES is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. BPES type I patients exhibit both premature ovarian failure (POF) and eyelid malformation, while only the eyelid defect is observed in BPES type II. FOXL2-null ovaries showed a blockage of granulosa cell differentiation, suggesting that FOXL2 plays an essential role for proper ovarian folliculogenesis. Previously, we screened for FOXL2-interacting proteins and identified steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) which is known to be required for gonad development and transactivates steroidogenic enzymes including CYP19. In the present study, we demonstrated that FOXL2 transactivates CYP19 and stimulated the transcriptional activation of CYP19 induced by SF-1. In contrast, FOXL2 mutants found in BPES type I and II exhibited compromised abilities to enhance CYP19 induction mediated by SF-1. Thus, this study provides a functional difference between wild-type FOXL2 and its mutants which may aid to understand pathophysiology of BPES elicited by FOXL2 mutations.