• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2000

Objectives: The pleiotrophin (PTN) and midkine (MK) are secreted heparin-binding neurokines that share 50％ sequence homology. PTN and MK are expressed in the range of primary human tumors. The association of PTN and MK with carcinogenesis, enhancement of plasminogen activator activity and angiogenic factor are reported. Patients with endometriosis are characterized by the ability of the endometrium to implant; angiogenic and growth factors may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. To test the hypothesis that higher expression of PTN and MK in endometrium from women with endometriosis might be increase angiogenesis and growth ectopic endometriosis implants, we investigated PTN and MK expression by quantitative and competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC-PCR) in endometrium from women with and without endometriosis throughout the menstrual cycle. Design: MK and PTN mRNA expression in endomeoium from women with endometriosis and control patients without endometriosis were determined by QC-PCR throughout the menstrual cycle. Methods: Endometrial tissue was obtained from 25 patients with severe endometriosis and 30 patients without endometriosis undergoing hysterectomy or endometrial biopsy. Stage of endometrial cycle and a diagnosis of endometriosis were confirmed histologically. Total RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed into c-DNA. QC-PCR was performed to evaluate PTN and MK mRNA expression. Results were analysed by Post Hoc test. Results: MK and PTN were expressed throughout the menstrual cycle in both groups. MK expression was higher in follicular phase than luteal phase in endometrium from normal women. endometrium from endometriosis patients showed increased expression of PTN and MK compared to endometrium from normal women in the luteal phase (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that uterine endometrium from women with endometriosis expresses higher levels of MK and PTN than endometrium from normal women during luteal phase. Increased MK and PTN expression may be related to the initiation of ectopic endometrial implants and their subsequent peritoneal invasion.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.315-324
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• 2004

Cytochrome P450 aromatase is the enzyme responsible for biosynthesis of female sex hormone(estrogen) and 19-nortestosterone(nandrolone), a unique steroid hormone endogenously synthesized in the pig. By use of RT-PCR coupled with DHPLC technique (WAVE analysis), expression pattern of isoforms of porcine cytochrome P450 aromatase gene was investigated. Relatively higher expression of aromatase mRNA was observed in testis than in ovary and this result accounted for the previous findings of higher blood estrogen level in male compared with female in this species. The result from the DHPLC demonstrated that PCR amplified DNA fragments of ovary and testis tissues. using unique PCR primers for all three types of aromatase genes, were different from those of type II and ill genes. Further nucleotide sequence analyses of the plasmid clones containing the PCR products revealed that nucleotide sequences of all clones were identical to type I aromatase gene(ovary type). Thus, the result from the present study indicates that the ovary and testis express the same type of aromatase gene. Therefore, the efficacy of DHPLC techniques used for this study helped us to analyze tissue-specific expression of isoform of genes containing the nucleotide sequences with high homology.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.829-835
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• 2000

The ptsH and ptsI genes of Lactococus lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 7962 (L. lactis 7962), encoding the general proteins of phosphotransferase system (PTS) components, HPr and enzyme I, respectively, were cloned and characterized. A 1.3 kb PCR product was obtained using a primer set that was hybridized to the internal region of the L. lactis 7962 pts HI genes and then subcloned into a low-copy number vector, pACYC184. The 5' upstream and 3' downstream region from the 1.3 kb fragment were subsequently clone using the chromosome walking method. The complete ptsHI operon was constructed and the nucleotide sequences determined. Two ORFs corresponding to HPr (88 amino acids) and enzyme I (575 amino acids) were located. The ptsHI genes of L. lactis 7962 showed a very high homology (84-90%) with those genes from other Gram-positive bacteria. A primer extension analysis showed that the transcription started at either one of two adjacent bases upstream of the start codon. Using a Northern analysis, two transcripts were detected; the first, a 0.3 kb transcript corresponding to ptsH and the second, a 2 kb transcript corresponding to ptsH and ptsI. The transcription level of ptsH was higher than that of ptsI. The concentration of the ptsH transcript in cells grown on glucose was similar to that in cells grown on lactose, yet higher than that in cells grown on galactose. The ptsI transcript was scarcely detected in cell grown on lactose or galactose. The ptsI transcript was scarcely detected in cells grown on lactose or galactose. The results of a sequence analysis and Northern blot confirmed that the ptsH and ptsI genes of L. lactis 7962 were arranged in an operon like other known ptsHI genes and the expression of the ptsHI genes was regulated at the transcriptional level in response to the carbon source.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.179-182
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• 2020

In July 2018, a serious rust symptom was found throughout the fringe trees planted in Gangjin-gun, Korea. Yellow and brown spots were observed on the adaxial (topside) surface of the collected fringe tree leaves, and yellow color aecia were observed on the abaxial (underside) surface leaves. The size of aeciospore and urediniospores of JCK-KCFR1 strain were measured to 41.2 ㎛ (Φ) and 28.84 ㎛ (Φ) with a light microscope. Phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit rRNA, internal transcribed spacer, and large subunit rRNA region indicated that JCK-KCFR1 strain is novel species of the genus Puccinia and closely related to Puccinia kusanoi, which has been reported a rust pathogen on bamboo. In May 2019, rust symptoms were also discovered on the bamboo leaves planted around the fringe tree on Muwisa-ro, and their telia and teliospores were observed on the abaxial leaf surfaces of the bamboo with 100% sequence homology with the rust of the fringe tree. This is the first report that Puccinia sp. JCK-KCFR1 is a new species that requires both primary (fringe tree) and alternative (bamboo) host plants to complete its life cycle in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.307-313
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• 2016

Serosurveillance for zoonotic diseases in small mammals and detection of chiggers, the vector of Orientia tsutsugamushi, were conducted from September 2014 to August 2015 in Gwangju Metropolitan Area. Apodemus agrarius was the most commonly collected small mammals (158; 91.8%), followed by Myodes regulus (8; 4.6%), and Crocidura lasiura (6; 3.5%). The highest seroprevalence of small mammals for O. tsutsugamushi (41; 26.3%) was followed by hantaviruses (24; 15.4%), Rickettsia spp. (22; 14.1%), and Leptospira (2; 1.3%). A total of 3,194 chiggers were collected from small mammals, and 1,236 of 3,194 chiggers were identified with 7 species of 3 genera: Leptotrombidium scutellare was the most commonly collected species (585; 47.3%), followed by L. orientale (422; 34.1%), Euchoengastia koreaensis (99; 8.0%), L. palpale (58; 4.7%), L. pallidum (36; 2.9%), Neotrombicula gardellai (28; 2.3%), and L. zetum (8; 0.6%). L. scutellare was the predominant species. Three of 1,236 chigger mites were positive for O. tsutsugamushi by PCR. As a result of phylogenetic analysis, the O. tsutsugamushi strain of chigger mites had sequence homology of 90.1-98.2% with Boryong. This study provides baseline data on the distribution of zoonotic diseases and potential vectors for the development of prevention strategies of vector borne diseases in Gwangju metropolitan area.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.56-63
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• 2006

In order to evaluate the mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis, the complementary DNA encoding Glycoside Hydrolase Family (GHF)74 was cloned from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Depending on the presence of Cellulose Binding Module (CBM), it can be classified as GHF74A or GHF74B. The GHF74A gene from P. chrysosporium (PcGHF74A) consists of 2163 bp encoding a protein of 721 amino acid residues. The PcGHF74A showed homology of 70~77% compared with the GHF74 from other filamentous fungi. The PcGHF74B, which contains CBM and is a member of family 1, was transcribed to various transcripts depending on the nature of carbon sources and their concentration. To study the possible presence of splice variants in GHF74B transcripts in P. chrysospoium, we carried out RT-PCR analysis using primers that designed based on the annotation data and sequenced data. Our result indicated that PcGHF74B was transcribed to several splicing variants in various culture conditions. Especially in the culture of 2% cellulose, three transcript products were observed. First transcript was presumed to be a full length ORF that contained 11th intron with stop codon at position 2562 bp. The second one consisted of 12 exons and 11 introns with stop codon at position 1187 bp with 7th exon. The shortest transcript consisted of 10 exons and 9 introns with stop codon at 910 bp in the 7th exon. These premature stop codon might prevent the synthesis of fully active GHF74 or contribute for the production of protein with distinct function depending on the ambient carbon sources.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.90-94
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• 2013

A new Bacillus strain designated as MP56 producing antimicrobial substance has been isolated from the mud flat of Korea. The strain MP56 was found to exhibit broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive pathogenic microorganisms and MDR (multi drug resistant) strains. The 16S rRNA sequence revealed that the MP56 was closely related to Bacillus subtilis with 99.93% homology. The optimal medium composition for production of antimicrobial substance in the B. subtilis MP56 were 1% mannitol, 1% oat meal, 0.01% $CaCl_2$. Antimicrobial activity of the culture broth against different pathogenic strains was assessed using the antimicrobial spectrum. The result suggests that Bacillus strain MP56 produces high quality antimicrobial substance that might be very useful to control varieties of pathogenic microbial growth.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.262-269
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• 2013

The object of this study was to improve the quality of Cheonggukjang with new starter, Bacillus subtilis BC-P1. Twenty strains were isolated from the commercial cheonggukjang and 1 Bacillus strain (BC-P1) with protease activity was selected. The 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the BC-P1 was closely related to B. subtilis with 99% homology. The quality characteristics of chunggukjang fermented with B. subtilis BC-P1, Bacillus nato (PC) and commercial chunggukjang (NC) were investigated. The characteristics of fermentation were determined by protease, lipase, xylanase, chitinase, and fibrinolytic activities, reducing sugar, nutrient composition and amino acid contents of cheonggukjang sample. Cheonggukjang fermented with B. subtilis BC-P1 showed the strongest fibrinolytic, xylanase, and chitinase activities. Reducung sugar contents of Cheonggukjang samples were $30.16{\pm}2.11$ mg/g (NC), $28.56{\pm}1.52$ mg/g (PC), $32.39{\pm}1.87$ mg/g (BC-P1). And their total amino acid contents were 338.99 mg% (NC), 445.19 mg% (PC), 741.35 mg% (BC-P1). These results suggested that B. subtilis BC-P1 was suitable to be used as a starter to enhance the quality and effects of cheonggukjang.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2004

Laccase produced by Trametes hirsuta S1 isolated from Korea was partially purified and characterized using ultrafiltration, anion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography. The laccase was produced as the predominant extracellular enzyme during primary metabolism. Neither lignin peroxidase nor veratryl alcohol oxidase (VAO) were detected in the culture fluid. Addition of 2,5-xylidine enhanced 4-fold laccase production. Purified laccase was a single polypeptide having a molecular mass of approximately 66 kDa, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and carbohydrate content of 12%. $K_{m}\;and\;V_{max}$ values for laccase with ABTS [2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline 6-sulfonic acid)] as a substrate (Lineweaver-Burk plot) was determined to $51.2\;{\mu}M\;and\;56.8\;{\mu}mole$, respectively. The optimal pH for laccase activity was found to be 3.0. The enzyme was very stable for 1 hour at $50^{\circ}C$. Half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of the enzyme was about 20 min at $70^{\circ}C$. Spectroscopic analysis of purified enzyme indicated that the enzyme was typical of copper-containing protein. Substrate specificity and inhibitor studies for laccase also indicated to be a typical fungal laccase. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the T. hirsuta S1 laccase showed 100% of homology to those of laccase from C. hirsutus.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.27 no.1 s.88
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• pp.27-31
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• 1999

The internal transcribed spacer II regions (ITS II) of the ribosomal DNA gene repeat from Coprinus spp. were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Sequences from 11 species including Coprinus comatus, C. atramentarius, C. micaceus, C. lagopus, C. cinereus, C. rhizophorus, C. flocculosus, C. radians, and C. echinosporus were compared. The spacer regions of them were $253{\sim}275$ nucleotide in length and partially contained 5.8S and 25S. The reciprocal homologies of each ITS II sequence among these strains were in the range of $50.6{\sim}100%$. According to the analysis of ITS II sequences, Coprinus spp. were classified into three clusters. Cluster I consisted of Coprinus lagopus, C. cinereus, C. echinosporus, C. rhizophorus, C. niveus, and C. atramentarius. Cluster II comprised C. micaceus, C. flocculosus, C. radians, and C. disseminatus. On the other hand C. comatus is in Cluster III even though this species is belonging to the section Coprinus in morphological aspect. These results suggest that Coprinus comatus, which was considered as a type species of the genus Coprinus in morphological classification, gives a doubt of monophyletic evolution and is assumed to be paraphyletic or polyphyletic.