• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.291-298
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• 2008

We separately cultured follicular oocytes collected from individual ovaries of slaughtered Korean native cows and examined both the embryonic development rate and pregnancy rate after embryo transplantation according to the meat yield and quality grades of the source beef carcass. Oocytes from meat yield grade B cows exhibited a higher fertilization rate and embryonic developmental rate to the eight-cell stage than oocytes from grade A or C animals (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in rate of development to the blastocyst stage among meat yield grades A, Band C. The oocyte cleavage rate and development rate to the eight-cell stage from meat quality grade 3 cattle was higher than grades 1++, 1+, 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Embryos derived from grade animals displayed a development rate to the blastocyst stage of 19.4%, which was also higher than all other meat quality grades (p<0.05). Transplantation of in vitro-cultured oocytes from meat yield grade A ovaries led to a higher pregnancy rate (64.2%) than in vitro-cultured oocytes from meat yield grade B ovaries (56.5%), but there was no significant difference between the two groups in pregnancy or abortion rates. In conclusion, embryonic development rate and pregnancy rate has a close relation to meat quality grades of the source beef carcass, this results is to give information for the Korean native cows improvement of breed.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.449-455
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• 2000

Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12 is a bacterial isolate capable of degrading 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CBP) as a carbon and energy source. The catabolic degradation of 4CBP by the strain DJ-12 was studied along with the genetic organization of the genes responsible for the crucial steps of the catabolic degradation. The catabolic pathway was characterized as being conducted by consecutive reactions of the meta-cleavage of 4CBP, hydrolytic dechlorination of 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA), hydroxylation of 4-hydroxybenzoate, and meta-cleavage of protocatechuate. The pcbC gene responsible for the meta-cleavage of 4CBP only showed a 30 to 40% homology in its deduced amino acid sequence compared to those of the corresponding genes from other strains. The amino acid sequence of 4CBA-CoA dechlorinase showed an 86% homology with that of Pseudomonas sp. CBS3, yet only a 50% homology with that of Arthrobacter spp. However, the fcb genes for the hydrolytic dechlorination of 4CBA in Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 showed an uniquely different organization from those of CBS3 and other reported strains. Accordingly, these results indicate that strain DJ-12 can degrade 4CBA completely via meta-cleavage and hydrolytic dechlorination using enzymes that are uniquely different in their amino acid sequences from those of other bacterial strains with the same degradation activities.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.303-314
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• 2013

Knowledge regarding lipid catabolism has been of great interest in the field of animal sciences. In the livestock industry, excess fat accretion in meat is costly to the producer and undesirable to the consumer. However, intramuscular fat (marbling) is desirable to enhance carcass and product quality. The manipulation of lipid content to meet the goals of animal production requires an understanding of the detailed mechanisms of lipid catabolism to help meticulously design nutritional, pharmacological, and physiological approaches to regulate fat accretion. The concept of a basic system of lipases and their co-regulators has been identified. The major lipases cleave triacylglycerol (TAG) stored in lipid droplets in a sequential manner. In adipose tissue, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) performs the first and rate-limiting step of TAG breakdown through hydrolysis at the sn-1 position of TAG to release a non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Subsequently, cleavage of DAG occurs via the rate-limiting enzyme hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) for DAG catabolism, which is followed by monoglyceride lipase (MGL) for monoacylglycerol (MAG) hydrolysis. Recent identification of the co-activator (Comparative Gene Identification-58) and inhibitor [G(0)/G(1) Switch Gene 2] of ATGL have helped elucidate this important initial step of TAG breakdown, while also generating more questions. Additionally, the roles of these lipolysis-related enzymes in muscle, liver and skin tissue have also been found to be of great importance for the investigation of systemic lipolytic regulation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2001

This study was designed to examine the factors affecting in fertilization and development of embryos in vitro, and to examine whether zone drilling by laser irradiation can improve the hatching rate of IVF embryos from DNA marker-proved Hanwoo. DNA markers related to marbling score were identified using DNA fingerprinting with Ml3 probe and restriction enzyme Hae III. Oocytes were aspirated from immature ovarian follicles using a combined method of rectal ovarian-palpation and transvaginal ultrasound-guidance(6.5MHz) under local anesthesia. The aspirated oocytes were washed twice with fresh D-PBS containing 5% FBS and were rewashed 4 to 5 times with TCM-199 containing 5% FBS. A morphological grade of I to IV was assigned to each oocyte. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS. Sperm separation methods did not have any significant effect on cleavage or developmental abilities of IVF embryos. Significantly(P<0.05) higher cleavage rate was observed in embryos from GI(60.0%, 3/5), GII(69.2%, 18/26) and GIII(62.1%, 59/95) compared to embryos from GIV oocytes(36.2%, 25/69). And the developmental rate to blastocyst stage was higher(P<0.05) in embryos from GI(33.3%, 1/3) and GII oocytes(38.9%, 7/18) than those from GIII(16.9%,10/59) and GIV oocytes(4.0%, 1/25). There was no significant difference in development of IVF embryos to blastocyst by media for in vitro culture. Proportion of hatched blastocyst was significantly(P<0.05) higher in embryos received zona drilling by laser than those of non-drilled.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1247-1264
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• 2021

Anabolic steroids are frequently used to increase the growth rate of meat-producing animals. Exposure to an anabolic-androgenic steroid, nandrolone decanoate (ND), is associated with expressional reduction of testicular steroidogenic enzymes. However, the effect of withdrawal of ND exposure on the expression of these testicular molecules has not been thoroughly explored. The current research investigated expression changes of testicular steroidogenic enzymes in rats at several recovery periods (2, 6, and 12 weeks) after the stop of ND treatment with different doses (2 and 10 mg/kg body weight) for 12 weeks. Body and testis weights were recorded, and transcript levels of molecules were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The immunohistochemistry was used to examine the changes of immuno-intensities of molecules. At 6 and 12 weeks of the recovery period, the 10 mg/kg ND-treated rats were lighter than other experimental groups. The interstitial compartment vanished by ND treatment filled up as the recovery period became longer. The expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein was returned to the control level at 12 weeks of the recovery period. Expression levels of cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage and 17a-hydroxylase were increased in 2 mg/kg ND-treated group at 6 weeks of the recovery period, and transcript levels of these molecules in 2 and 10 mg/kg ND-treated groups at 12 weeks of the recovery period were significantly lower than the control. Expression levels of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) type I and 17β-HSD type 3 in 2 mg/kg ND-treated group were comparable with those of control at 12 weeks of the recovery period, but not in 10 mg/kg ND-treated group. Expression of cytochrome P450 aromatase (Cyp19) was reverted to the control level at 2 weeks of the recovery period. Except for Cyp19, there was a visible increase of immuno-staining intensity of other testicular steroidogenic enzymes in the Leydig cells as the recovery period progressed. This research has demonstrated that the cease of ND administration could restore the expression of testicular steroidogenic enzymes close to the normal level. Nevertheless, a relatively long recovery period, compared to the ND-exposure period would be required to retrieve normal expression levels of testicular steroidogenic enzymes.