• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.207-212
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the genotypes and frequencies of Melanocortin 1 Receptor(MC1R) genes in pigs which plays a central role in regulation of eumelanin (black/brown) and phaeomelanin(red/yellow) pigment synthesis within the mammalian melanocytes. Four different breeds of pigs(20 Landrace, 20 Yorkshire, 20 Duroc, and 93 Jeju native black pigs) were used and PCR-RFLP analysis of MC1R gene was also carried out. Two regions of MC1R genes (428bp and 405bp) were amplified using two specific primers (MERL1-EPIG2, EPIG1-EPIG3), respectively and MC1R allele were determined using 2 restriction enzymes (BspHⅠ, AccⅡ). The results of this experiment indicated that MC1R allelic type in Landrace, Large Yorkshire and Duroc were MC1R *2 (Ep), MC1R *2 (Ep), MC1R *4 (e), respectively. However, various allelic types of MC1R genes were detected in Jeju native black pigs. MC1R allelic type of Jeju black pigs was MC1R*2 type as in Meishan and Large black breeds or MC1R*3 type as in Hampshire and Berkshire breeds and the gene frequencies of ED1 and ED2 were 0.554 and 0.446 in average.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.557-562
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• 2007

This study was carried out to discriminate Hanwoo from the milking and hybrid cattle by detection of MC1R gene related to bovine hair color. One hundred sixty six samples were collected from the abattoir (n = 106) and local market (n = 60). The beef from abattoir were originated from Hanwoo (n=27), Holstein (n=29), Hybrid (n=45) and imported cattle (n=5), respectively. The beef from market consisted of Hanwoo (n=36), Holstein (n=7) and imported ones (n=17). Commercialized screening kit (Kogenebiotec, Korea) was used for MC1R gene analysis. As a result, Hanwoo was discriminated from Holstein. However, 9 of 45 hybrid and 11 of 22 imported beef samples were indistinguishable from Hanwoo. It could be explained by second generation of crossing of Hanwoo with Holstein or the cattle with silver or yellow hair. This results suggest that additional tests as well as MC1R gene detection be needed to confirm Hanwoo beef among cattle beef.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.494-501
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• 2011

To understand the relationship between coat color inheritance patterns and genotypes of Extension (E) and Agouti (A) loci in cattle, the genotypes for melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) and agouti signaling protein (ASIP) were analyzed in Hanwoo, Jeju black cattle (JBC), and their crossbred progeny. Three MC1R alleles ($E^D$, $E^+$, and e) were found in the black-colored JBC population. JBC had no recessive homozygotes (e/e), but this genotype was predominant in the Hanwoo breed. However, MC1R $E^+$/e Hanwoo did not produce a black coat color as they appeared either as brown or solid red. For ASIP, three genotypes (A/A, A/$A^{Br}$, and $A^{Br}/A^{Br}$) were determined by insertion/deletion of an L1-BT element in Hanwoo. The ASIP $A^{Br}$ allele was rarely observed, and no ASIP $A^{Br}/A^{Br}$ homozygotes were detected in the JBC population. Cattle carrying ASIP $A^{Br}$ did not show any agouti-like brindle pigmentation patterns in either breed or their progeny. The coat colors of the crossbred progeny were discriminated by two colors, yellowish-brown versus dark-brown or black, and their coat colors were directly related to the genotypes of the Extension locus, yellowish-brown (e/e) and dark-brown or black ($E^+$/e), but not to the Agouti locus. ASIP genotypes probably did not affect coat color development in the Hanwoo or crossbred progeny. Our results suggest that the ASIP genotypes do not play key roles in coat color variation, but the MC1R genotypes do direct the phenotypes of Hanwoo, JBC, and their progeny.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.3004-3008
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• 2012

Small molecule conjugated peptides were prepared by solid-phase synthesis as potential novel whitening agents, and their melanogenesis inhibitory activities were investigated. The conjugated small molecules were well-known materials as tyrosinase inhibitors, and peptides were selected from the sequences that are known to antagonize melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R). Most of small molecules-peptide conjugates showed superior melanin inhibition activity to kojic acid and arbutin. Among these, almost all compounds have -AR- sequence. From this study, we concluded that the small molecule conjugated peptides containing -AR- sequence have melanogenesis inhibitory activities and have potential to be used as novel whitening agents.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.259-265
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• 2005

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) encoded by the coat color extension gene (E) plays a key role in the signaling pathway of melanin synthesis. The primers for the amplification of bovine MC1R gene were designed based on a bovine MC1R gene sequence (GenBank accession no. Y19103). A size of 483bp (482bp for Hanwoo) was amplified by PCR, digested with Hpa II restriction enzyme and electrophoresed in $1.5\%$ agarose gel. When the amplified DNA product (483 bp) was digested with Hpa II restriction enzyme, Hanwoo meat showed a single band of 482bp, whereas two fragments of 325bp and 158bp were detected in Holstein, Angus and meat of Hanwoo / Holstein cross cow having back coat color phenotype, respectively. The results of this experiment Indicate that new designed primers of bovine MCIR gene may be useful for identification of Hanwoo meat from Holstein, Black Angus and Hanwoo / Holstein cross cow meat.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.201-204
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• 2002

Epidermal cells produce a panel of antioxidants as well as cytokines after UVB irradiation, which counteract reactive oxygen species, however, how these antioxidants might regulate melanogenesis is unclear. An important constituent of the cellular antioxidant buffering system which controls the redox state of proteins is thioredoxin (TRX), a 13-kD protein that catalyzes thiol-disulfide exchange reactions, regulates activation of transcription factors, and possesses several other biological functions similar to cytokines. TRX suppressed the UVB-induced production and secretion of $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone ($\alpha$-MSH) and of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and also suppressed proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA expression by normal human keratinocyte (KC)s. Further, L-cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, $\alpha$-tocopheryl ferulate showed suppressive effect on UVB-induced POMC mRNA expression. However, TRX released from UVB-irradiated KCs stimulated melanogenesis by up-regulating MSH receptor expression and its binding activity in melanocyte (MC)s. UVB-induced KC derived cytokines such as IL1, IL6, and ET1 upregulated MSH-receptor binding ability as well as MCl-R mRNA expression in cultured normal human MCs. MCl-R has a tendency to be upregulated by UVB-induced KC-derived cytokines as well as by direct UVB irradiation. These results suggest that antioxidants such as TRX suppresses UVB induction of POMC, but in the case of MCl-R, this gene can be mainly in the trend of upregulation by UVB-induced KC-derived factors including TRX.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.625-629
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• 2013

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene is related to the plumage color variations in chicken. Initially, the MC1R gene from 30 individuals was sequenced and nine polymorphisms were obtained. Of these, three and six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were confirmed as synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations, respectively. Among these, three selected SNPs were genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method in 150 individuals from five chicken breeds, which identified the plumage color responding alleles. The neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree using MC1R gene sequences indicated three well-differentiated different plumage pigmentations (eumelanin, pheomelanin and albino). Also, the genotype analyses indicated that the TT, AA and GG genotypes corresponded to the eumelanin, pheomelanin and albino plumage pigmentations at nucleotide positions 69, 376 and 427, respectively. In contrast, high allele frequencies with T, A and G alleles corresponded to black, red/yellow and white plumage color in 69, 376 and 427 nucleotide positions, respectively. Also, amino acids changes at position Asn23Asn, Val126Ile and Thr143Ala were observed in melanin synthesis with identified possible alleles, respectively. In addition, high haplotype frequencies in TGA, CGG and CAA haplotypes were well discriminated based on the plumage pigmentation in chicken breeds. The results obtained in this study can be used for designing proper breeding and conservation strategies for the Korean native chicken breeds, as well as for the developing breed identification markers in chicken.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2009

The pork from black-coated pigs is famous among-consumers for better eating quality. The loci affecting black coat color was identified in pig chromosome 6 in which several genetic effects on pork quality have been reported. The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene is a major gene which plays a key role in regulation of eumelanin (black/brown) and phaeomelanin (red/yellow). In this study, the MC1R gene polymorphism was analyzed for pig breed determination and genetic association with pork quality traits. MC1R Ala243Thr variation was analyzed to determine a specific genotype for four commercial pig breeds (Landrace, Yorkshire, Berkshire and, Duroc) and a Korean native pigs (KNP). Then we developed original KNP-specific DNA markers to determine the pork from black-coated pigs using MC1R DNA sequences. The total length of the MC1R coding sequence ranged 1451bp in KNP. KNP had the 0201 allele pertaining to $E^{D1}$ but some of the KNP had the $E^P$ allele, probably reflecting the geneticintrogression of $E^P$ allele into KNP. Furthermore, a relationship between Leu102Pro single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype and pork quality phenotype were analyzed in F2 reciprocal-crossbred population between KNP and Yorkshire. Association analysis indicated that the allele of the MC1R gene has no effect on pork quality. These results suggest that black coat-color is not directly associated with preferred pork quality, but the black-coat color pig breed may have other genetic components for superior pork quality.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 2013

There are several loci controlling the feather color of birds, of which one of the most studied is Extended black (E) encoding the melanocortin 1-receptor (MC1R). Mutations in this gene affect the relative distribution of eumelanin, phaeomelanin. The association of feather color and sequence polymorphism in the melanocortin 1-receptor (MC1R) gene was investigated using Korean native chicken H breed (H_PL) and 'Woorimatdag' commercial chickens (Woorimatdag_CC). In order to correlate gene mutation to Korean native chicken feather color, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from MC1R gene sequence were investigated. A total of 307 birds from H_PL and Woorimatdag_CC were used. H_PL have black, black-brown feather color and Woorimatdag_CC have black with brown spots or brown with black spots. There are 6 SNPs in MC1R gene, locus T69C, C212T, A274G, G376A, G636A, T637C. 3 SNPs are nonsynonymous that change amino acid. But it is difficult to find correlation of feather color and polymorphisms. It will be needed to increase the population of Korean native chicken H breed and correlation analysis of genetic variation with feather colors.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.668-672
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• 2009

This paper describes the differentiation between native Korean cattle (Hanwoo) and Holsteins or imported cattle using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by targeting the sequence of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. A rapid and accurate method was developed to identify Hanwoo by genotyping the DNA extracted from 295 commercial beef samples (obtained from 5 provinces in South Korea) labeled as Hanwoo beef. The results of real-time PCR assays for the proportions of Hanwoo were 84, 85.7, 95, 91.4, and 90% in the areas of Seoul, Joongbu, Youngnam, Honam, and Chungcheong, respectively. Thus, the beef samples from 295 butcher shops, which asserted to only sell Hanwoo, showed that 259 of 295 samples were of the Hanwoo beef gene type (T-type) and 36 of 295 samples were Holsteins of imported dairy cattle gene types (C-type or C/T type). In conclusion, the proportion of Hanwoo beef was 87.8% and the proportion of Holstein or imported dairy cattle meat was 12.2% (C-type: 9.8%, C/T-type: 2.4%). Generally, most consumers can not differentiate imported meat from Hanwoo beef. Therefore, Hanwoo beef and imported dairy cattle meat that is sold in butcher shops should have mandatory identification by using MC1R genotyping based on real-time PCR.