• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.197-207
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• 2015

This study investigated structure and function of the reproductive system in Aplysia kurodai by means of anatomical, histological, and histochemical observation. Reproductive system of this species is consisted of ovotestis, small hermaphroditic duct, ampulla, accessory genital mass and large hermaphroditic duct. The ovotestis is composed of a large number of follicles, and both oocytes and spermatocytes matured in the same follicle. The small hermaphroditic duct is a single tube and contains a swelling, the ampulla, which functions as a storage organ for endogenous sperm and an oviduct. The accessory genital mass is connected to both the small and large hermaphroditic duct, and consisted of three glands: albumen, membrane (winding) and mucus gland. The albumen gland is consisted of granular cells producing basophilic and neutral mucopolysaccharides. The membrane and mucus gland are consisted of granular cells producing acidophilc and sulfated mucopolysaccharides. The large hermaphroditic duct is a single tubular gonoduct linking the accessory genital mass to the common genital aperture but is consisted of two parallel compartments. Internally, these two compartments are incompletely divided by internal septum or fold, which are called as the red hemiduct and white hemiduct, respectively. The red hemiduct functions as an oviduct and the white hemiduct functions as a copulatory duct. The reproductive system of A. kurodai is externally comprised a single tube, i.e., monaulic type. However, internal structure of duct is incompletely divided into oviduct and copulatory duct, i.e., the oodiaulic type.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.293-300
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• 2014

Direct cell-cell communication through connexin (Cx) complexes is a way to achieve functional accordance of cells within a tissue or an organ. The initial segment (IS), a part of the epididymis, plays important roles in sperm maturation. Steroid hormones influence on expression of a number of genes in the IS of adult animals. However, developmental effect of sex hormones on the gene expression in the IS has not been examined. In this study, estradiol benzoate (EB, an estrogen agonist) or flutamide (Flu, an androgen antagonist) was exogenously administrated at 1 week of postnatal age, and expressional changes of Cx genes in the IS were determined at 4 months of age by a quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Treatment of EB at $0.015{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (BW) increased expression of Cx30.3, 31.1, and 43 genes. However, treatment of 1.5 mg EB/kg BW resulted in expressional decreases of Cx31, 32, and 45 genes and caused increases of Cx30.3 and 43 gene expression. Significant decreases of Cx31, 31.1, 32, 37, and 45 gene expression were detected with a treatment of $500{\mu}g\;Flu/kg$ BW, while expression of Cx43 gene was significantly increased with a treatment of $500{\mu}g\;Flu/kg$ BW. A treatment of $50{\mu}g\;Flu/kg$ BW led to significant increases of Cx30.3, 32, 37, 40, and 43 gene expression. These findings imply that exogenous exposure of steroidal hormones during the early developmental period would result in aberrant expression of Cx genes in the adult IS.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.107-111
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• 1999

우리나라에서 진주양식의 대상패류인 진주조개 (Pinctada fucata martensii) 담륜자를 냉동보존하기 위하여 4가지 동해방지제를 사용하여 냉동실험을 실시하고, 적합한 동해방지제를 찾고자 하였다. 동해방지제인 dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol, glycerol과 1, 2-propanediol을 희석액인 0.2 M sucrose에 각각 0.01, 0.1, 1.0과 2.0 M이 되도록 혼합한 다음, 10분간 평형상태를 유지한 후 냉동하였다. 냉동후 해동시킨 담륜자는 모든 동해방지제에서 농도가 증가할수록 생존율이 높아졌으나, 일부 세포내 함유물이 세포외로 유출되어 손상을 입은 개체도 보였다. 진주조개의 담륜자 냉동보존에 적합한 동해방지제는 1.0∼2.0 M의 DMSO와 ethylene gly-col로서 해동후 생존율이 82.8∼97.4%로 가장 높았다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.253-257
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• 2005

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of washing medium, breed and washing temperature of fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm on mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity by flow cytometry. More than $80\%$ of fresh sperm washed with mTLP-PVA medium at $20^{\circ}C$ exhibited an intact membrane and a functional mitochondrion. With frozen-thawed samples, a large number of sperm showed both damaged membrane $(36.4\~46.9\%)$ and nonfunctional mitochondrion $(55.1\~71.1\%)$ in the mTLP-PVA and BTS washing media at $20^{\circ}C$. There were no breed effects of fresh and frozen-thawed sperm on mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity. The percentages of damaged membrane of fresh and frozen sperm, respectively, were higher at $4^{\circ}C$ washing temperature than at $20^{\circ}C$ washing temperature in the mTLP-PVA medium. We found that washing medium and washing temperature of fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm were important for the analyses of mitochondrial activity and membrane integrity by flow cytometry.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.71-77
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of thymidine treatment during $in$ $vitro$ maturation (IVM) of porcine follicular oocytes on blastocyst development. Porcine oocytes were treated with thymidine (10 mM, 20 mM and 30 mM) for 2 or 6 hr in the preiods of IVM I and/or II. The survival rates of the blastocysts in the 6 hr treatment groups of 10 mM and 20 mM during IVM I period were significantly higher than those of control group ($p$<0.05). However, the survival rate of the blastocysts in the 2 hr treatment group of 20 mM during IVM II period was significantly higher than control group ($p$<0.05). Furthermore, the survival rate of the blastocysts in the 6 hr treatment group of 30 mM during IVM II period was significantly lower than control group ($p$<0.05). Consistent with the previous result, blastocyst development of both IVM I and II treatment group was also showed as similar pattern. Total and apoptotic cell numbers of blastocysts derived from thymidine treated porcine oocytes were examined by using Tunel assay. The results showed that there was no significant differences in total cell number of blastocysts between thymidine treated and untreated groups. However, apoptosis-positive cells in the thymidine treated group (6 hr IVM I) were significantly lower than those of other groups ($p$<0.05). Taken together, these results indicate that high quality oocytes were selected by DNA synthesis mechanism according to high concentration thymidine treatment during porcine oocyte maturation. Therefore, we concluded that presumptive selected oocytes by thymidine treatment during maturation periods improved the further embryo development and embryonic quality of IVF embryos by decreasing the incidence of apoptosis in preimplantation porcine embryos.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.121-131
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• 2012

After spermatogenesis, spermatozoa come in contact with fluids in the epididymis where they mature. During ejaculation, spermatozoa are mixed with secretions from prostate gland, vesicular glands, and bulbourethral glands. During natural mating, seminal plasma is deposited in the female reproductive tract eliciting various physiological and immunological responses. With the advances in proteomics, the components of seminal plasma have been identified and the information may be valuable in identifying markers for fertility. Components of seminal plasma that affect fertility have been discovered and the mechanism of action of these factors has been determined. The objective of this study was to determine the specific seminal plasma proteins from Korean native cattle, Hanwoo, and Korean native brindle cattle (KNBC) with the long term goal of improving fertilization rate. After SDS-PAGE and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, proteins were identified by Q-ToF analysis. They include plasma serine protease inhibitor precursor and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase after SDS-PAGE. Number and density of the spots in 2-dimensional gels were higher in KNBC than Hanwoo. Proteins identified from the paired spots of both breeds include chain A, bull seminal plasma PDC-109 Fibronectin Type II module, BSP-30 kDa precursor, and Spermadhesin Z13 or its precursor. Interestingly, some proteins were identified from multiple spots. The functional differences of these diverse forms of the proteins may require further studies. With their previously reported roles in sperm capacitation by these proteins, the studies on the mechanism of action, ligand interaction and the variation in the genome may help improving fertility in cattle.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.57-64
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• 2013

Developmental potential of cloned embryos is related closely to epigenetic modification of somatic cell genome. The present study was to investigate the effects of applying histone deacetylation inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA) to activated porcine embryos on subsequent development of porcine parthenogenetic and nuclear transfer embryos. Electrically activated oocytes were treated with 5 nM TSA for different exposure times (0, 1, 2 and 4 hr) and then the activated embryos were cultured for 7 days. The reconstructed embryos were treated with different concentrations of 0, 5, 10 and 25 nM TSA for 1 hr. Also 5 nM TSA was tested with different exposure times of 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hr. And fetal fibroblast cells were treated with 50 nM TSA for 1, 2 or 4 hr and with 5 nM TSA for 1 hr. Cumulus-free oocytes were enucleated and reconstructed by TSA-treated donor cells and electrically fused and cultured for 6 days. In parthenogenetic activation experiments, 5 nM TSA treatment for 1 hr significantly improved the percentage of blastocyst developmental rates than the other groups. Total cell number of blastocysts in 1 hr group was significantly higher than other groups or control. Similarly, blastocyst developmental rates of porcine NT embryos following 5 nM TSA treatment for 1 hr were highest. And the reconstructed embryos from donor cells treated by 50 nM TSA for 1 hr improved the percentage of blastocyst developmental rates than the control group. In conclusion, TSA treatment could improve the subsequent blastocyst development of porcine parthenogenetic and nuclear transfer embryos.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.207-213
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• 2010

Thousands of new chemicals have been introduced to environment during last decades. Many of them and common consumer products have been shown to be the endocrine disrupting chemicals. One such chemical group is the phthalates, used in soft poly vinyl chloride (PVC) material and in a huge number of consumer products. The prevalence of these modem chemicals have a remarkable increase. Approximately 3.5 million tons of the main phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), are produced annually worldwide and indeed, DEHP is considered a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. It has been demonstrated that high doses of phthalate can adversely affect adult and developing animals. In this review, we critically discuss the conclusions of recently original research papers and provide an overview of studies on reproductive disrupting effects of phthalates. In addition, we review the reproductive toxicity data of phthalates in some in vitro research and in both male and female reproductive systems in experimental and domestic animals. Finally, we point out some critical issues that should be addressed in order to clarify the implication of phthalates for human reproduction.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.77-84
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• 2012

The objective of the study was to investigate if reproductive characteristics of $Pandalus$ $eous$ affect the depth distribution in the East Sea of Korea. $P.$ $eous$ was found at depths of 500-900 m in the East Sea of Korea, with the highest percentage occurrence (34%) at 500 m. A negative correlation was observed between the number of individuals and the depth. The overall sex ratio also turned out to be significantly correlated with depth. On average, the larger individuals (bigger than 26.37 cm), which included transitional, female, and ovigerous females, were mostly distributed at 700 m depth. The percentage of males increased by depth and ovigerous females were mainly distributed in the shallow water (300 m) during winter. Ovigerous females were not found at 900 m, which is the deepest depth range in this study. The percentage of transitional individuals was greatest at 500 m and decreased gradually with depth. All ovigerous female individuals were of the spent ovarian stage in winter. Female numbers in the ripe ovarian stage increased with depth and immature females rarely appeared. The gonadosomatic indices of the nonovigerous females and ovigerous females were highest at 700 m in depth. The mean egg size of $P.$ $eous$ was $0.83{\pm}0.11mm^3$ in the non-eyed stage and $0.93{\pm}0.17mm^3$ in the eyed stage.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.602-608
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• 1999

Two-day old house fly adults were exposed to six insect growth regulators, flufenoxuron, teflubenzuron, triflumuron, diflubenzuron, methoxyfenozide, tebufenozide, as a feed additive (milk+5% sugar+chemical) in the laboratory for 6 days. The number of eggs deposited by the exposed-adults, viability of the eggs, and $F_1$ larval development were checked. All the IGRs tested were found to have no adverse effect on the reproduction of house fly, except methoxyfenozide (210ppm). The most effective inhibitor to egg hatch was flufenoxuron, followed by teflubenzuron, triflumuron, and diflubenzuron. Exposure to flufenoxuron (over 5ppm), teflubenzuron (over 25ppm), triflumuron (over 125ppm), and diflubenzuron (over 125ppm) reduced egg hatchability to 0 to 1.3%, but lower concentrations of these IGRs were less effective (6.3 to 46.3% egg hatchability). Almost all the larvae emerged from eggs deposited by the adults exposed to diflubenzuron (62.5ppm) and teflubenzuron (12.5ppm) failed to develop into pupae, causing total mortalities of 98% and 100%, respectively. However, two IGRs, methoxyfenozide and tebufenozide, did not inhibit egg hatch and $F_1$ larval development, except methoxyfenozide (210ppm) treatment These results suggest that these 4 IGRs may be used in the development of autosterilization system for house fly control. However, further work is required to develop delivery systems capable of transferring an effective dose to the fly under field conditions.