Genetic Analysis of Kallikrein-Kinin System in the Korean Hypertensives

Kang, ByungYong,Bae, Joon Seol,Lee, Kang Oh The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2004 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.8 No.1

The kallikrein-kinin system affects regulation of blood pressure, and genes encoding for the components of this system have been considered as good candidates for hypertension. To evaluate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of candidate genes involved in this system and hypertension, we performed case-control studies using genetic markers in Korean normotensives and hypertensives, respectively. By association study, there was a marginal association with hypertension in AA genotype distribution of A1789G polymorphism in the hKLK1 gene (P=0.0754). Thus, this genetic polymorphism may weakly contribute to the susceptibility to hypertension in Koreans. We also observed that significant linkage disequilibrium exists among three polymorphic sites in the hKLK1 gene studied, suggesting that the three genetic polymorph isms can be useful as genetic markers in clinical association studies. Further studies using larger sample sizes and more genetic markers will be needed to clarify genetic influence of kallikrein-kinin system for hypertension.

Identification and Phylogeny of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus HERV-W LTR Family in Cancer Cells

Yi, Joo-Mi,Kim, Hwan-Mook,Kim, Heui-Soo The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2002 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.6 No.2

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) have been found to be coexpressed with sequences of closely located genes. It has been suggested that the LTR elements have contributed to the structural change or genetic variation of human genome connected to various diseases and evolution. We examined the HERV-W LTR elements in various cancer cells (2F7, A43l , A549, HepG2, MIA-PaCa-2, PC-3, RT4, SiHa, U-937, and UO-31). Using genomic DNA from the cancer cells, we performed PCR amplification and identified twelve new HERV-W LTR elements. Those LTR elements showed a high degree of sequence similarity (88-99%) with HERV-W LTR (AF072500). A phylogenetic tree obtained by the neighbor-joining method revealed that HERV-W LTR elements could be mainly divided into two groups through evolutionary divergence. Three HERV-W LTR elements (RT4-2, A43l-1, and UO3l-2) belonged to Group 1, whereas nine LTR elements (2F7-2, A549-1, A549-3, HepG2-3, MP2-2, PC3-1, SiHa-8, SiHa-10, and U937-1) belonged to Group 11. Taken together, our new sequence data of the HERV-W LTR elements may contribute to an understanding of tissue-specific cancer by genomic instability of LTR integration.

The Pst 1 Polymorphism of the Human Apolipoprotein AI Gene in Korean Elite Athletes

Kang, Byung-Yong,Kim, Hyun-Hee,Lee, Kang-Oh The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2003 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.7 No.1

Serum lipid and lipoprotein levels are influenced by genetic factors, and exorcise increases the concentrations of cardio-protective parameters such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and apolipoproteinAI (apoAI) in human serum. In the present study, we tested the effect of adaptation to endurance exercise on the association of a genetic polymorphism (Pst 1 RFLP) in the apoAI gene with these biochemical parameters. The genotype and allele frequencies for the Pst 1 RFLP were not significantly different between the elite athletes and sedentary controls (P>0.05). There were also no significant associations between the Pst 1 RFLP of the apoAI gene and the biochemical parameters in elite athletic group. Thus, our results suggest that the Pst 1 RFLP of the apoAI gene was not significantly associated with the serum apoAI and HDL-cholesterol concentrations as well as athletic performance in Koreans.

Redox Regulation of Apoptosis before and after Cytochrome C Release

Chen, Quan,Crosby, Meredith,Almasan, Alex The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2003 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.7 No.1

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is one of the most studied areas of modern biology. Apoptosis is a genetically regulated process, which plays an essential role in the development and homeostasis of higher organisms. Mitochondria, known to play a central role in regulating cellular metabolism, was found to be critical for regulating apoptosis induced under both physiological and pathological conditions. Mitochondria are a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) but they can also serve as its target during the apoptosis process. Release of apoptogenic factors from mitochondria, the best known of which is cytochrome c, leads to assembly of a large apoptosis-inducing complex called the apoptosome. Cysteine pretenses (called caspases) are recruited to this complex and, following their activation by proteolytic cleavage, activate other caspases, which in turn target for specific cleavage a large number of cellular proteins. The redox regulation of apoptosis during and after cytochrome c release is an area of intense investigation. This review summarizes what is known about the biological role of ROS and its targets in apoptosis with an emphasis on its intricate connections to mitochondria and the basic components of cell death.

Single-cell PCR on protargol-impregnated euplotid ciliates: a combined approach of morphological and molecular taxonomy

Kim, Se-Joo,Choi, Joong-Ki,Ryu, Seong-Ho,Min, Gi-Sik The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2011 Animal cells and systems Vol.15 No.3

Ciliates are considered one of the most diverse protozoa and play significant roles in ecology. For successful taxonomic study of these microscopic eukaryotes, a staining procedure is necessary, due mainly to intrinsic difficulties in recognizing characteristics from living cells. Although molecular taxonomy has been used to resolve the ambiguities associated with traditional morphology-based taxonomy, extraction of genomic DNA from stained ciliate cells is not available yet. In the present study, we describe a method to extract genomic DNA from a single protargol-impregnated euplotid cell. By using $HgCl_2$ as a fixative and modulating the exposure time of bleach solution in the protargol impregnation, high-quality genomic DNA can successfully be extracted from a stained single cell with minimal loss of morphological integrity. This technique will contribute to the effectiveness of combined approaches of molecular and morphological taxonomy from single ciliate cells.

Genetic Polymorphisms of t-PA and PAI-1 Genes in the Korean Population

Kang, Byung-Yong,Lee, Kang-Oh The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2003 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.7 No.3

Abnormalities in fibrinolysis system is associated with risk of hypertension. In this report, the Alu repeat insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and the Hind III RFLP of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) genes were investigated in 115 normotensives and 83 patients with hypertension, and their association with anthropometrical data and plasma biochemical parameters were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the gene frequencies of the two candidate genes between normotensives and hypertensives, respectively. Our results indicate lack of associations between the two polymorph isms in t-PA and PAI-1 genes and risk of hypertension in the population under study. However, the Hind III RFLP of PAI-1 gene was significantly associated with plasma glucose level, suggesting its role in glucose metabolism. It needs to be tested whether this RFLP of PAI-1 gene is associated with insulin resistance syndrome or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in the Korean population.

Description of Muricid Species (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda) Collected from the Coastal Areas of South Korea

Choe, Byung-Lae,Park, Joong-Ki The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 1997 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.1 No.2

The muricid species collected from 49 localities (72 sites) of Korean coast were examined. The Korean muricid fauna was recognized as 26 species of 15 genera in consequence of the present study along with the reviews of the previous records. Among the species examined, 5 of Mancinella echinata (Blainville, 1832), Morula spinosa (A. Adams, 1853), Boreotrophon paucicostatus Habe and Ito, 1965, Boreotrophon cymatus Dall, 1902, and Boreotrophon alaskanus Dall, 1902 were not reported in the Korean fauna previously. Korean muricids are suggested as subtropical, temporal, and boreal species distributed throughout the coastal areas of Korea with their own ranges.

Determination of HLA-A*02 Alleles Using Nested PCR-SSP in Korean Population

Lee, Kyung-Ok,Heo, Jeong-Ho-Ho,Kim, Hye-Jin,Lee, Eun-Mi,Hong, Sung-Hoi,Kim, Yoon-Jung The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 1997 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.1 No.1

HLA-A2 is one of the most diversified HLA-class I antigen with 17 subtypes so far identified at the molecular level. HLA-A*02 subtyping has significant implications on the tissue typing for organ and bone marrow transplantations. Recently, DNA-based typing methods have been successfully applied to the elucidation of HLA gene polymorphisms. In the present study, HLA-A*O2 genotyping was established by using nested polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) and distribution of A*O2 alleles were determined in Korean individuals. Genomic DNA prepared from four B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and lymphocytes from serologically defined 48 HLA-A2 Korean individuals by phenol/chloroform extractions was typed. The results of the four B-lymphoblastoid cells were consistent with the previous data typed by PCR analysis. Five A*O2 alleles-A*0201, A*0203, A*0206, A*0207 and A*0210-were commonly observed in a total of 17 A*02 alleles. Of these, A*0207 (f=49.0%) was the most frequent allele in Korean population. A*0206 (f=28.3%) and A*0201 (f=17.0%) were also found frequently while A*0203 and A*0210 types were observed in less than 5%. In conclusion, the high level of discrimination for HLA-A*O2 alleles will prove useful and informative in the study of transplant survival, and may identify the importance of allelic differences not readily detectable by serology on host and donor compatibility.

Testicular Cycles in the Korean Frogs: Annual Spermatogenic Patterns, Seasonal Changes in the Steroidogenic Competence, and Responsiveness Gonadotropins in vitro

고선군,강해묵,김정우,권혁방,Go, Seon-Gun,Gang, Hae-Muk,Kim, Jeong-U,Gwon, Hyeok-Bang The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 1997 Korean journal of biological sciences Vol.1 No.1

Using three species of Korean frogs (Rana dybowskii, R. rugosa and R. nigromaculata), the annual spermatogenic pattern, the seasonal changes in the steroidogenic competence, and responsiveness of testis to gonadotropins in terms of testosterone secretion in vitro were examined. The spermatogenic pattern of R. dybowskii was classified as a discontinuous type since spermatogenesis stops completely after spawning in late winter (February) until mid-summer (July). In contrast, the pattern of R. nigromaculata and R. rugosa was classified as a potent continuous type since sperm was always present in the seminiferous tubules all year round. In all three species, the levels of testicular testosterone and that of testosterone secreted by testis following in vitro culture were very low in late summer (August), but increased thereafter until winter (hibernation period). Interestingly, responsiveness of testis in vitro to gonadotropins in terms of testosterone secretion increased markedly in November (early hibernation period). Specifically, bullfrog LH was more effective than FSH in stimulating the secretion of testosterone by frog testis in vitro during hibernation period. This fact suggests that testosterone secretion by testis during hibernation is at least regulated by the pituitary gonadotropin rather than environmental factors. Taken together, the data presented here suggest that testicular cycles of three species of Korean frogs are closely linked to their females breeding cycles, and are eventually controlled by various environmental cues.

Characterization of Microsatellite Markers Closely Linked with PKD Loci in the Korean Population

Kim, Un-Kyung,Lee, Kyu-Beck The Korean Society for Integrative Biology 2006 Integrative biosciences Vol.10 No.2

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common inherited renal disorders in the world. Mutations in PKD1 located on chromosome 16p13.3 are responsible for 85% of all the ADPKD patients whereas mutations in PKD2 on chromosome 4q21-23 are responsible for the rest of the cases. Genetic heterogeneity and the problems of mutation detection in PKD1 suggest that linkage analysis is an important approach to study the genetics of ADPKD. To evaluate the availability of six (CA)n microsatellite markers for the linkage analysis of ADPKD in the Korean population, we examined the allele frequencies and heterozygosities of the markers. With the exception of KG8, five markers were highly informative, with PIC values over 0.5, but the PIC value of KG8 marker was less informative than other five markers because of the low number of alleles. Therefore, this study will be useful in linkage analysis for ADPKD families in the Korean population.