• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.70-75
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• 2023

Dent disease is a rare inherited kidney tubulopathy caused by mutations in either the CLCN5 (Dent disease 1) or OCRL1 (Dent disease 2) genes, and which is often underdiagnosed in practice. A diagnosis is clinically suspected in patients with low-molecular-weight proteinuria, hypercalciuria, and one of the following: hematuria, nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, hypophosphatemia, or chronic kidney disease. Inheritance is X-linked recessive, meaning, these symptoms are generally only found in males; female carriers may have mild phenotypes. Genetic testing is only a method to confirm the diagnosis, approximately 25% to 35% of patients have neither the CLCN5 nor OCRL1 pathogenic variants (Dent disease 3), making diagnosis more challenging. The genotype-phenotype correlations are not evident with the limited clinical data available. As with many other genetic diseases, the management of patients with Dent disease concentrates on symptom relief rather than any causative process. The current treatments are mainly supportive to reduce hypercalciuria and prevent nephrolithiasis. Chronic kidney disease progresses to end-stage between the ages of the third to fifth decades in 30% to 80% of affected males. In this review, we aimed to summarize the literature on Dent disease and reveal the clinical characteristics and molecular basis of Korean patients with Dent disease.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2024

The development of in vitro models is essential in modern science due to the need for experiments using human material and the reduction in the number of laboratory animals. The complexity of the interactions that occur in living organisms requires improvements in the monolayer cultures. In the work presented here, neuroepithelial stem (NES) cells were differentiated into peripheral-like neurons (PLN) and the phenotype of the cells was confirmed at the genetic and protein levels. Then RNA-seq method was used to investigate how stimulation with pro-inflammatory factors such as LPS and IFN𝛾 affects the expression of genes involved in the immune response in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS). HFLS were then cultured on semi-permeable membrane inserts, and after 24 hours of pro-inflammatory stimulation, the levels of cytokines secretion into the medium were checked. Inserts with stimulated HFLS were introduced into the PLN culture, and by measuring secreted ATP, an increase in cell activity was found in the system. The method used mimics the condition that occurs in the joint during inflammation, as observed in the development of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA). In addition, the system used can be easily modified to simulate the interaction of peripheral neurons with other cell types.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.224-231
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• 2003

The null pigmentation mutant (npgA1) of Aspergillus nidulans was previously characterized by its production of no pigment at any stage of its life cycle, its reduction in hyphal branching, and its delay in the asexual spore development. The chemical composition of the cell wall was also altered in npgA1 mutants that became more sensitive to Novozyme 234$\^$TM/, which is possibly due to a structural defect in the cell wall. To investigate the effects of the cell wall structure on these pleiomorphic phenomena, we examined the ultrastructure of the cell wall in the npgA1 mutant (WX17). Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) showed that after being cultured for six days, the outermost layer of the conidial wall of WX17 peeled off. Although this phenotype suggested that the cell wall structure in WX17 may be modified, examination using TEM of the fine structure of cross-sectioned hyphal wall of WX17 did not show any differences from that of FGSC4. However, staining for carbohydrates of wall layers showed that the electron-translucent layer of the cell wall was missing in WX17. In addition, the outermost layer H1 of the hyphal wall was also absent in WX17. The ultrastructural observation and cytochemical analysis of cell walls suggested that the pigmentation defect in WX17 may be attributed to the lack of a layer in the cell wall.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.143-148
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• 2007

The introduced exotic species has often caused severe problems to the native ecosystem. One of such species is the freshwater fish gengorobuna (Carassius cuvieri) introduced from Japan. The first step to assess harmful effects of this species on the Korean freshwater ecosystem is to discriminate it from the most similar native crucian carp (Carassius auratus). Because traditional morphological identification often gives unreliable results due to their highly similar phenotype, a new more efficient method is needed. For this purpose, molecular markers produced by the efficient one-step PCR method using three primers (DDF, DDR and DDR1) were developed and tested in the present study. This molecular marker will play an important role in monitoring fish community of Korean freshwater ecosystem.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 2008

Indole glucosinolates (IG) play important roles in plant defense, plant-insect interactions, and stress responses in plants. In an attempt to metabolically engineer the IG pathway flux in Chinese cabbage, three important Arabidopsis cDNAs, CYP79B2, CYP79B3, and CYP83B1, were introduced into Chinese cabbage by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Overexpression of CYP79B3 or CYP83B1 did not affect IG accumulation levels, and overexpression of CYP79B2 or CYP79B3 prevented the transformed callus from being regenerated, displaying the phenotype of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) overproduction. However, when CYP83B1 was overexpressed together with CYP79B2 and/or CYP79B3, the transformed calli were regenerated into whole plants that accumulated higher levels of glucobrassicin, 4-hydroxy glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxy glucobrassicin than wild-type controls. This result suggests that the flux in Chinese cabbage is predominantly channeled into IAA biosynthesis so that coordinate expression of the two consecutive enzymes is needed to divert the flux into IG biosynthesis. With regard to IG accumulation, overexpression of all three cDNAs was no better than overexpression of the two cDNAs. The content of neoglucobrassicin remained unchanged in all transgenic plants. Although glucobrassicin was most directly affected by overexpression of the transgenes, elevated levels of the parent IG, glucobrassicin, were not always accompanied by increases in 4-hydroxy and 4-methoxy glucobrassicin. However, one transgenic line producing about 8-fold increased glucobrassicin also accumulated at least 2.5 fold more 4-hydroxy and 4-methoxy glucobrassicin. This implies that a large glucobrassicin pool exceeding some threshold level drives the flux into the side chain modification pathway. Aliphatic glucosinolate content was not affected in any of the transgenic plants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.362-369
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• 2017

We assessed the regulation of cryparin, a class II hydrophobin, using three representative mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in Cryphonectria parasitica. Mutation of the CpSlt2 gene, an ortholog of yeast SLT2 in the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway, resulted in a dramatic decrease in cryparin production. Similarly, a mutant of the CpBck1 gene, a MAP kinase kinase kinase gene in the CWI pathway, showed decreased cryparin production. Additionally, mutation of the cpmk1 gene, an ortholog of yeast HOG1, showed decreased cryparin production. However, mutation of the cpmk2 gene, an ortholog of yeast Kss1/Fus3, showed increased cryparin production. The easy-wet phenotype and accumulation of the cryparin transcript in corresponding mutants were consistent with the cryparin production results. In silico analysis of the promoter region of the cryparin gene revealed the presence of binding motifs related to downstream transcription factors of CWI, HOG1, and pheromone responsive pathways including MADS-box- and Ste12-binding domains. Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR analyses indicated that both CpRlm1, an ortholog of yeast RLM1 in the CWI pathway, and cpst12, an ortholog of yeast STE12 in the mating pathway, showed significantly reduced transcription levels in the mutant strains showing lower cryparin production in C. prasitica. However, the transcription of CpMcm1, an ortholog of yeast MCM1, did not correlate with that of the mutant strains showing downregulation of cryparin. These results indicate that three representative MAPK pathways played a role in regulating cryparin production. However, regulation varied depending on the MAPK pathways: the CWI and HOG1 pathways were stimulatory, whereas the pheromone-responsive MAPK was repressive.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.340-344
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• 2003

The group I intron from Tetrahymena thermophila has been demonstrated to employ splicing reactions with its substrate RNA in the trans configuration. Moreover, we have recently shown that the transsplicing group I ribozyme can replace HCV-specific transcripts with a new RNA that exerts anti-viral activity. In this study, we explored the potential use of RNA replacement for cancer treatment by developing trans-splicing group I ribozymes, which could replace tumor-associated RNAs with the RNA sequence attached to the 3' end of the ribozymes. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) RNA was chosen as a target RNA because it is known as a valid cancer prognostic factor. By performing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library, we first determined which regions of the TP RNA are accessible to ribozymes, and found that the leader sequences upstream of the AUG start codon appeared to be particularly accessible. Next, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing trans-splicing activities of several ribozymes that targeted different regions of the TP RNA. This assessment was performed to verify if the target site predicted to be accessible is truly the most accessible. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site, identified by mapping studies, was the most active with high fidelity in vitro. Moreover, the specific trans-splicing ribozyme reacted with and altered the TP transcripts by transferring an intended 3' exon tag sequence onto the targeted TP RNA in mammalian cells with high fidelity. These results suggest that the Tetrahymena ribozyme can be utilized to replace TP RNAs in tumors with a new RNA harboring anti-cancer activity, which would revert the malignant phenotype.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2019

The head gap gene buttonhead (btd) is required for the patterning of head segments in the early Drosophila embryo. Mutant phenotypes of btd display a gap-like phenotype in which antennal, intercalary, mandibular and the anterior portion of the maxillary segments are eliminated. In agreement with the phenotypes, btd is expressed in a stripe covering the head segments at the blastoderm stage. During the early phase of the germband extension, btd is expressed in stripes with single segmental periodicity, which is required for the formation of the peripheral nervous system. In contrast to the key role of btd in Drosophila embryonic development, it has been suggested that Tribolium ortholog of btd (Tc-btd) is dispensable for embryonic head development. In order for better understanding of the requirement of Tc-btd in the early Tribolium embryo, we re-analyzed the expression patterns and functions of Tc-btd during embryonic segmentation. Tc-btd is expressed in segmental stripes at the stages of blastoderm and germband elongation. Up to 28.3% of embryos in which Tc-btd is knocked down displays the loss of antennal, mandibular and the pregnathal regions in the head, with abdominal segments being disrupted in the trunk. Our findings suggest that Tc-btd is required for the head and trunk development in the early Tribolium embryo.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2019

Genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9, a third-generation gene scissor in molecular breeding at the genome level, is attracting much attention as one of the breeding techniques of the future. In this study, genetic and phenotypic analysis was used to examine the responsiveness of the Bakokjam variety of the silkworm Bombyx mori to molecular breeding using CRISPR/Cas9 in editing the white egg 2 (w-2) gene. The nucleotide sequence of the w-2 gene was analyzed and three different guide RNAs (gRNA) were prepared. The synthesized gRNA was combined with Cas9 protein and then analyzed by T7 endonuclease I after introduction into the Bm-N silkworm cell line. To edit the silkworm gene, W1N and W2P gRNA and Cas9 complexes were microinjected into silkworm embryos. Based on the results of microinjection, the hatching rate was 16-24% and the incidence of mutation was 33-37%. The gene mutation was verified in the heterozygous F1 generation, but no phenotypic change was observed. In F2 homozygotes generated by F1 self-crosses, a mutant phenotype was observed. These results suggest that silkworm molecular breeding using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is possible and will be a very effective way to shorten the time required than the traditional breeding process.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2024

Pre-harvest sprouting is a critical phenomenon involving germination of seeds in the mother plant before harvest under relative humid conditions and reduced dormancy. In this paper, we generated HDR mutant lines with one region SNP (C/T) and an insertion of 6 bp (GGT/GGTGGCGGC) in OsERF1 genes for pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance using CRISPR/Cas9 and a geminiviral replicon system. The incidence of HDR was 2.6% in transformed calli. T₁ seeds were harvested from 12 HDR-induced calli and named ERF1-hdr line. Molecular stability, key agronomic properties, physiological properties, and biochemical properties of target genes in the ERF1-hdr line were investigated for three years. The ERF1-hdr line showed significantly enhanced seed dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance. qRT-PCR analysis suggested that enhanced ABA signaling resulted in a stronger phenotype of PHS resistance. These results indicate that efficient HDR can be achieved through SNP/InDel replacement using a single and modular configuration applicable to different rice targets and other crops. This work demonstrates the potential to replace all genes with elite alleles within one generation and greatly expands our ability to improve agriculturally important traits.