• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2004

Against environmental stress, ceruloplasmin which is a plasma protein, are believed to play central roles in antioxidant- or peroxidase-activity in blood stream to remove free radicals, which may be caused by exposing of $\gamma$-irradiation. In human U-937 cells exposed to $\gamma$-irradiation, the levels of mRNA in ceruloplasmin gene were measured on 0, 4, 12, 24 hr after exposing by using comparative RT-PCR (Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) which was achieved to compare with house keeping genes such as $\beta$-actin and hprt. After $\gamma$-irradiation of 100 rads or 200 rads, the total quantities of RNA were increased as dose and time dependent manner. On the contrary, the variation of mRNA expression in ceruloplasmin was not found until 4 hr after irradiation. After 12 hr and 24 hr of irradiation, the levels of mRNA in ceruloplasmin were significantly increased as dose and time dependent manner than un-exposed cells.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.247-253
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• 2010

Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) is one of the smallest viral pathogens infecting fruits, especially apple, and causes a significant damage to fruit trees. ASSVd usually induced the skin-dapple ring symptoms, but in 'Fuji' varieties, corked spot were occurred on the fruit skin in 2009. This new symptom will be of great helpful to diagnosis ASSVd in sight. ASSVd was surveyed in apple and pear from 2009 to 2010 in Korea, and ASSVd was identified in 20 out of 1,193 trees. The infection rate was 1.7%. To screen the infectivity of ASSVd among apple cultivars, real-time RT-PCR was applied followed by designing of ASSVd specific primers based on highly conserved regions of several ASSVd isolates including Korean isolate. NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad 5) gene, which is mRNA of the mitochondrial gene, was used for internal control. In this study, ASSVd infected apples were classified into 12 groups depending on different symptoms and symptom severity (scaring, rusting or malformation). Taken together, this study suggested that real-time PCR analysis was more sensitive to detect the low copy of ASSVd on early viroid infected apple skins than regular RT-PCR method.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2005

The effect of melatonin on in vitro embryo development and the expression of antioxidant enzyme gene in preimplantation porcine embryos was determined by modified semi-quantitative single cell RT-PCR. Porcine embryos derived from in vitro maturation /in vitro fertilization were cultured in 5% $CO_2$ and 20% $O_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$ in NCSU23 medium. Melatonin was added to medium at concentration of 1nM, 5 nM, and 10 nM. When treated with 1nM (39.0%) of melatonin, the developmental rate of embryos beyond the morula stage were higher than that of control group (31.0%) (p<0.05). Number of inner cell mass and tropectoderm cell in control (23.0${\pm}$0.5 and 17.3${\pm}$0.8), 1 nM (23.6${\pm}$0.6 and 19.0${\pm}$0.5), and 5 nM (23.3${\pm}$1.1 and 16.3${\pm}$0.8) treated with melatonin were higher than in 10 nM (20.0${\pm}$0.5 and 13.3${\pm}$0.8) treated with melatonin (p<0.05). To develop an mRNA phenotypic map for the expression of catalase, bax and caspase-3, single cell RT-PCR analysis were carried out in porcine IVM/IVF embryo. Catalase was detected in 0, 1 and 5 nM supplemented with melatonin, but bax and caspase-3 were detected in 10 nM treated with melatonin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5219-5223
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• 2012

Osteopontin (OPN) is an integrin-binding protein, believed to be involved in a variety of physiological cellular functions. The physiology of OPN is best documented in the bone where this secreted adhesive glycoprotein appears to be involved in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. In our study, we used semi-quantitative RT-PCR of osteopontin in calcification tissue of breast to detect breast cancer metastasis. The obtained data indicate that the expression of osteopontin is related to calcification tissue of breast, and possibly with the incidence of breast cancer. The expression strength of OPN by RT-PCR detection was related to the degree of malignancy of breast lesions, suggesting a close relationship between OPN and breast calcification tissue. The results revealed that expression of OPN mRNA is related to calcification of breast cancer tissue and to the development of breast cancer. Determination of OPN mRNA expression can be expected to be a guide to clinical therapy and prediction of the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 1999

Hantavirus is a genus of the Bunyaviridae family causing two serious diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Puumala virus is a member of hantavirus originally found in Europe, and its natural reservoir is Clethrionomys glareolus. It is also associated with the human disease nephropathia epidemica, a milder form of HFRS. To identify the hantaviruses in bats, bats were collected from Jeong-Sun, Won-Joo, Chung-Ju and Hwa-Cheon area in Korea, and nested RT-PCR was performed with serotype specific primer from M segment. Interestingly, Puumala virus was detected in bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) only from Won-Joo. The 327 bp nested RT-PCR product, was sequenced. The sequence database search indicates that the sequence is homologous to the published sequence of Puumala viruses. The sequence similarities were ranged from 71% to 97%. The highest sequence similarity was 97% with Puumala virus Vranicam strain, and the lowest was 71% with Puumala virus K27 isolate. Puumala virus Vranicam strain was isolated from a bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Puumala virus K27 was isolated from human in Russia. This analysis confirms that bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) in Korea are natural reservoir of Puumala virus.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.184-193
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• 2007

In mammalian ovary, steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein mediates the true rate-limiting step of transport of cholesterol from outer to inner mitochondrial membrane. Appropriate expression of StAR gene represents an indispensable component of steroidogenesis and its regulation has been found to be species specific. However, limited information is available regarding StAR gene expression during estrous cycle in buffalo ovary. In the present study, expression, localization and hormonal regulation of StAR mRNA were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in buffalo ovary and partial cDNA was cloned. Total RNA was isolated from whole follicles of different sizes, granulosa cells from different size follicles and postovulatory structures like corpus luteum and Corpus albicans. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed StAR mRNA expression in the postovulatory structure, corpus luteum. No StAR mRNA was detected in total RNA isolated from whole follicles of different size including the preovulatory follicle (>9 mm in diameter). However, granulosa cells isolated from preovulatory follicles showed the moderate expression of StAR mRNA. To assess the hormonal regulation of StAR mRNA, primary culture of buffalo granulosa cells were treated with FSH (100 ng/ml) alone or along with IGF-I (100 ng/ml) for 12 to 18 h. The abundance of StAR mRNA increased in cells treated with FSH alone or FSH with IGF-I. However, effect of FSH with IGF-I on mRNA expression was found highly significant (p<0.01). In conclusion, differential expression of StAR messages was observed during estrous cycle in buffalo ovary. Also, there was a synergistic action of IGF-I on FSH stimulation of StAR gene.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.317-322
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• 2019

Gastroenteritis with diarrhea is one of the most infectious diseases in the world following respiratory infections. Notably, diarrhea-causing viruses (DVs) cause more than 70% of such cases. In this study, 3,065 stool specimens from patients with diarrhea (median age, 1.1 years; range, 0.0-91.1 years), who were admitted to the DanKook University Hospital, were examined using multiplex reverse transcription PCR (mRT-PCR). The target viruses were astrovirus (AstV), enteric adenovirus (EAdV), group A rotavirus (RotV), norovirus GI (NoV-GI), and norovirus GII (NoV-GII). The mRT-PCR results were analyzed based on various factors such as seasonality, age, presence of co-infection, and analyzed trends. The detection rate of the DVs during the study period was found to be 30.8% (n = 943/3,065). When the detection rate was analyzed monthly, the DV detection rate was found to be highest between December to January. Of the detected DVs, NoV-GII was the most common, accounting for 45.5% of the detected viruses (n = 446/980). Notably, 86.5% (n = 848/980) of the pathogens were detected in individuals who were less than 5 years of age. During the study period, NoV-GII and RotV showed alternating trends. In addition, both the number and rate of co-infections increased.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1173-1180
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• 2010

We investigated changes in photosynthesis and activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) that scavenges ROS as responses to oxidative stress induced by salinity in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Photosynthetic efficiency of rice leaves, monitored in terms of Fv/Fm, declined with the increase of salt concentration (100-300 mM NaCl). Salinity caused an increase of $H_2O_2$ in leaves of rice, with an increase of APX activity. Among total APX isoforms, an isoform of stromal-APX 1 in leaves of rice was completely inactivated by 300 mM NaCl, but was not affected by chilling or drought. The results suggest that salt stress acts in quite a different mechanism in relation to the activity of stromal-APX from that of other stresses such chilling and drought. We carried out RT-PCR for analysis of genes expression of APX isoforms as affected by salt stress. The expression of cytosolic APX/thylakoid-bound APX genes in leaves of rice exposed to salt stress was increased, while stromal APX gene expression rapidly declined.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 2008

To clarify the DNA damage from reactive oxygen species, we measured the DNA damage through Fpg/Endo III FLARE (Fragment Length Analysis with Repair Enzyme) assay and real time RT-PCR. The 80 SD rats assigned to 4 dose groups exposed to cumene vapor for 90 days. With Fpg/Endo III FLARE assay in hepatocytes, we found the OTM (Olive Tail Moment) and TL (Tail Length) significantly increased in no-enzyme treated and Fpg-treated control and 8 ppm groups with 28 days exposure. In Endo III-treated 8 ppm group, significantly increased the values with 90 days exposure. With lymphocytes, it was founded the values significantly increased in no-enzyme treated 800 ppm group in 28 and 90 days. It was significantly increased in Endo III-treated 80 ppm for 28 days and 800 ppm for 90 days. From the above findings, FLARE assay was suggested as being available as a biological marker for DNA damage induced by cumene exposure in SD rats. And we used real time RT-PCR for the OGG1 mRNA expression, it had dose-dependent biologic effects in 1 day exposure, but decrease the levels of rOGG1 mRNA. Our findings provide evidence that cumene exposure may cause suppression of rOGG1 in the rat hepatocytes or lymphocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.630-636
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• 2013

Recently, there has been a growing body of evidence showing that cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in virus-host interactions. Numerous studies have focused on analyses of the expression profiles of cellular miRNAs, but the expression patterns of Dicer, which is responsible for the generation of miRNAs, have only rarely been explored in Gallus gallus. We developed a duplex real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the relative quantification of the mRNAs of Dicer and ${\beta}$-actin in G. gallus. To apply this method, the expression of Dicer in avian cells after infection with avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) was detected using our established duplex real-time RT-PCR. The duplex real-time RT-PCR assay is sufficiently sensitive, specific, accurate, reproducible, and cost-effective for the detection of Dicer in G. gallus. Furthermore, this study, for the first time, demonstrated that ALV-J can induce differential expression of Dicer mRNA in the ALV-J-infected cells.