• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1235-1242
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• 2006

Sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate derived from hydrolysis of glucoraphanin in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, was shown to induce phase II detoxification enzymes and inhibit chemically induced mammary tumors in rodents. Recently, sulforaphane is known to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human canter cells, however its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In tile present study, we demonstrated that sulforaphane acted to inhibit proliferation and induce morphological changes of human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. Treatment of HepG2 cells with $10{\mu}M\;or\;15{\mu}M$ sulforaphane resulted in significant G2/M cell cycle arrest as determined by DNA flow cytometry. Moreover, $20{\mu}M$ sulforaphane significantly induced the population of sub-G1 cells suggesting that sulforaphane induced apoptosis. This anti-proliferative effect of sulforaphane was accompanied by a marked inhibition of ryclin A, cyclin 31 and Cdc2 protein. However, the levels of tumor suppressor p53 and Cdk inhibitor p21 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased by sulforaphane treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Although further studies are needed, the present work suggests that sulforaphane may be a potential rhemoprevetiveichemotherapeucc agent for the treatment of human cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.983-990
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• 2010

Genus Spiraea is a woody species primarily distributed throughout Asia. Many species of this genus are important plants medicinally and ecologically. I evaluated a representative sample of the sixteen taxa with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to estimate genetic relationships within genus Spiraea. In addition, RAPD analysis was also conducted to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of these species. As the typical populations of Spiraea were small, isolated, and patchily distributed for natural populations, they maintained a low level of genetic diversity for polymorphic primers. The mean H was 0.117 across species. The Korean endemic species (S. chartacea) and patchily distributed species (S. betulifolia) showed fewer alleles per locus (mean 1.240 vs. 1.297), lower percent polymorphic locus (24.0 vs. 29.7), and lower diversity (0.092 vs. 0.121) than a relatively widely spread species. An assessment of the proportion of diversity present within species, $H_{POP}/H_{SP}$, indicated that about 87.8% the total genetic diversity was among species. Thus, the majority of genetic variation (87.8%) resided within species. The phylogenic tree showed three distinct groups. One clade includes S. prunifolia for. simpliciflora, S. thunbergii, S. chamaedryfolia var. ulmifolia, S. media, and S. cantoniensis. Another clade includes S. blumei, S. pubescens, S. chartacea, and S. chinensis. The other clade is the remaining seven species.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.626-632
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• 2014

The genetic structure and phylogenetic relationship were investigated in Korean red spotted grouper populations using the nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The COI gene was sequenced showed 99.1-99.8% identity with the EF607565 sequence previously reported. A total of twenty haplotypes were found, and the Korean population showed nineteen haplotypes. Among those, Hap_03 and Hap_08 showed Jeju-do and China-specific COI sequences, respectively. However, Hap_07 had twelve COI sequences from South Korea and records from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Neighbor-joining (NJ) trees constructed from the phylogenetic analyses based on the polymorphisms of the COI haplotypes showed a monophyletic branching pattern within the genus Epinephelus. This indicated that the red spotted grouper populations had evolved from common maternal ancestors. In addition, the Hap_08, which had the COI sequence recorded only from China Sea, was found in the middle of the NJ tree nearby Hap_07 and showed a close relationship with Hap_07. This indicates that Chinese red spotted grouper is also maternally related to other populations in East Asia. Consequently, East Asian red spotted grouper populations are maternally related, as well as sharing the same evolutionary history, and are still affected by the East Asian ocean current (Kuroshio). These findings help to explain the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationship of red spotted grouper and also contribute to research on artificial breeding and industrialization.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.253-261
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• 2007

Molecular and cultivation techniques were used to characterize the bacterial communities of biobead reactor biofilms in a sewage treatment plant to which an Aerated Up-Flow Biobead process was applied. With this biobead process, the monthly average values of various chemical parameters in the effluent were generally kept under the regulation limits of the effluent quality of the sewage treatment plant during the operation period. Most probable number (MPN) analysis revealed that the population of denitrifying bacteria was abundant in the biobead #1 reactor, denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria coexisted in the biobead #2 reactor, and nitrifying bacteria prevailed over denitrifying bacteria in the biobead #3 reactor. The results of the MPN test suggested that the biobead #2 reactor was a transition zone leading to acclimated nitrifying biofilms in the biobead #3 reactor. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences cloned from biofilms showed that the biobead #1 reactor, which received a high organic loading rate, had much diverse microorganisms, whereas the biobead #2 and #3 reactors were dominated by the members of Proteobacteria. DGGE analysis with the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene supported the observation from the MPN test that the biofilms of September were fully developed and specialized for nitrification in the biobead reactor #3. All of the DNA sequences of the amoA DGGE bands were very similar to the sequence of the amoA gene of Nitrosomonas species, the presence of which is typical in the biological aerated filters. The results of this study showed that organic and inorganic nutrients were efficiently removed by both denitrifying microbial populations in the anaerobic tank and heterotrophic and nitrifying bacterial biofilms well-formed in the three functional biobead reactors in the Aerated Up-Flow Biobead process.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate PSS (Porcine Stress Syndrome) with the PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) in 319 different pigs(Yorkshire 150; Landrace 89 and Duroc 80). The PCR-RFLP method was adapted to detect the ryanodine receptor (RYR 1) gene mutation and to estimate the genotype frequency of the RYR1 gene in breeding pig population. The DNA samples were collected from hair follicles of pigs of Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc. After DNA amplification by PCR, the PCR products were digested by restriction enzyme, Cfo I. Primary PCR products of ryanodine receptor gene were length of 659 bp in hair follicle and their second PCR products were length of 522 bp in hair follicle. The exon region (522 bp) including point mutation ($C \arrow T; Arg \arrow Cys$) in the porcine ryanodine receptor gene, which is a causal mutation for PSS, was digested with Cfo I restriction enzyme. The RYR1 gene was classifed into three genotypes by agarose gel electrophoresis. The normal homozygous (NN) individuals showed two DNA fragments consisted of 439 and 83 bp. The mutant homozygous (nn) individuals showed only one DNA fragment 522 bp. In addition, all three fragments (522, 439 and 83 bp) were showed in heterozygous (Nn) carrier animals. The normal homozygous (NN), heterozygous (Nn) and mutant homozygous (nn) were 98.00, 2.00 and 0.00% in Yorkshire pigs, 87.64, 11.24 and 1.12% in Landrace, 100.00, 0.00 and 0.00% in Duroc, respectively. The gene frequencies of N and n were 0.990 and 0.010 in Yorkshire pigs, 0.933 and 0.067 in Landrace, 1.000 and 0.000 in Duroc, respectively.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.403-408
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• 1996

Total bacterial community DNA, which was extracted from microcosm soil and field soil after 2,4-D amendments, was analyzed on Southern blots, using the tfdA gene probe derived from plasmid pJP4 and the Spa probe from Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Southern blot analyses with total bacterial DNA extracted from soils Inoculated with Pseudomonas cepacia/pJP4 revealed that DNA probe method could detect the 2,4-D degrading bacteria down to $10^5\;cells/g$ dry soil. In the microcosm experiment, there was a good correlation between 2,4-D degradation and banding patterns in hybridization analyses performed after each 2,4-D treatment using the two probes. When bacterial DNA extracted from microcosm soil was hybridized with the Spa probe, a change in the position of hybrid bands was observed over time in a Southern blot, suggesting that population change or possibly genetic rearrangement in 2,4-D degrading microbial populations occurred in this soil. With the Spa probe, one hybrid DNA band was persistently observed throughout the five 2,4-D additions. When bacterial DNA isolated from the field soil was probed with the tfdA and Spa, strong hybridization signal was observed in the 100 ppm-treated subplot, weak signal In the 10 ppm-treated subplot, and no significant signal in the 1 ppm-treated and control subplots. The data show that DNA probe analyses were capable of detecting and discriminating the indigenous 2,4-D degrading microbial populations in soil amended with 2,4-D under laboratory and field conditions.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.323-330
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• 2007

The mature wheat embryo is arguably one of the best explants for genetic transformation because of its unlimited availability and lack of growth season restriction. However, an efficient regeneration system using mature wheat embryos (Triticum aestivum L.) is still not available. To identify genes related to the tissue culture response (TCR) of wheat, QTLs for callus induction from mature embryos and callus regeneration were mapped using an RIL population derived from the cross of 'Wangshuibai' with 'Nanda2419', which has a good TCR. By whole genome scanning we identified five, four and four chromosome regions conditioning, respectively, percent embryos forming a callus (PEFC), percent calli regenerating plantlets (PCRP), and number of plantlets per regenerating callus (NPRC). The major QTLs QPefc.nau-2A and QPcrp.nau-2A were mapped to the long arm of chromosome 2A, explaining up to 22.8% and 17.6% of the respective phenotypic variance. Moreover, two major QTLs for NPRC were detected on chromosomes 2D and 5D; these together explained 51.6% of the phenotypic variance. We found that chromosomes 2A, 2D, 5A, 5B and 5D were associated via different intervals with at least two of the three TCR indexes used. Based on this study and other reports, the TCRs of different explant types of wheat may be under the control of shared or tightly linked genes, while different genes or gene combinations may govern the stages from callus induction to plantlet regeneration. The importance of group 2 and 5 chromosomes in controlling the TCRs of Triticeae crops and the likely conservation of the corresponding genes in cereals are discussed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.423-430
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• 2009

In order to elucidate the precise phylogenetic relationships of Korean wild boar (Sus scrofa coreanus), a partial mtDNA D-loop region (1,274 bp, NC_000845 nucleotide positions 16576-1236) was sequenced among 56 Korean wild boars. In total, 25 haplotypes were identified and classified into four distinct subgroups (K1 to K4) based on Bayesian phylogenetic analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. An extended analysis, adding 139 wild boars sampled worldwide, confirmed that Korean wild boars clearly belong to the Asian wild boar cluster. Unexpectedly, the Myanmarese/Thai wild boar population was detected on the same branch as Korean wild boar subgroups K3 and K4. A parsimonious median-joining network analysis including all Asian wild boar haplotypes again revealed four maternal lineages of Korean wild boars, which corresponded to the four Korean wild boar subgroups identified previously. In an additional analysis, we supplemented the Asian wild boar network with 34 Korean and Chinese domestic pig haplotypes. We found only one haplotype, C31, that was shared by Chinese wild, Chinese domestic and Korean domestic pigs. In contrast to our expectation that Korean wild boars contributed to the gene pool of Korean native pigs, these data clearly suggest that Korean native pigs would be introduced from China after domestication from Chinese wild boars.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.98-103
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• 2008

Genetic diversity and population genetic structure within or among three stream populations (Gab, Baekgok and Ji streams) of Korean endangered natural monument fish, Iksookimia choii, were assessed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). AFLP analysis using three primer combinations generated 104 to 106 AFLP bands, and percent polymorphic bands were similar in those three populations ranging 21.5 to 24.5%. Heterozygosity and genetic diversity within or among populations were quite low for all of these populations with average values ranging from 0.067 to 0.084 and from 0.076 to 0.087, respectively. Analyses of pairwise distance and genetic similarity among three populations of I. choii also revealed the similar results with very low genetic differentiation one another. Although pairwise Fst values were very low, our data clearly indicated distinct genetic differentiation among the three populations. This is the first report concerning the genetic diversity and differentiation of this species, and provides basic genetic information that should facilitate attempts to conserve this species.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2006

Microorganisms involved in decaying Fuji apples during storage were investigated. Seven pathogens were isolated from the rotted fruits. Penicillium spp. was derived from 65-75% of decayed apples with P. expansum being dominant species. Effects of mild heat treatment on microbial reduction, respiration, and texture characteristics in Fuji apples were examined through hot water dipping at $40-65^{\circ}C$ for varied timε periods. Initial counts of total microorganisms and moulds in fresh fruits s showed 4.75 and 4.66 log CFU/g in a stem, as well as 5.35 and 4.32 log CFU/g in a calyx, respectively. The heat treatment at $40^{\circ}C$ for 180 min significantly reduced the population of total microorganisms and moulds in the fruits. Respiration rate of the apple fruits increased immediately after heat treatment and then returned to the normal level during storage. The rates of ethylene production in the fruits treated at $40-50^{\circ}C$ were maintained lower than that of the untreated control. The fruits treated at $40^{\circ}C$ showed slightly greater flesh firmness than the other apple samples during storage.