돼지는 경제적으로 중요한 동물이며, 장기 이식용 동물들 중 인간의 장기와 크기 및 구조가 유사한 돼지에 대한 연구가 활발하게 이루어지고 있다. 그 중 Major Histocompatibility Complex(MHC)는 돼지에서 SLA(Swine Leukocyte Antigen)이라 불리어지며, 이종장기 이식시 면역거부 반응에 매우 중요한 역할을 한다. 본 연구는 돼지 SLA class Ⅲ 영역에 존재하는 다양한 SNP들의 haplotype을 추정하고, 이를 이용한 계통발생학적 분류와 LD block을 조사함으로써 SLA class Ⅲ 영역 내에 존재하는 많은 SNP들이 어떤 조합의 형태로 다음 세대로 전달되는 지를 규명하고자 실행하였다. SLA class Ⅲ 영역의 haplotype을 조사하기 위해 약 10 kb 간격으로 48개의 SNP들을 선발하였고, 8품종(총 111두)에서 111개의 haplotype을 확보하였다. Principal Component Analysis(PCA)를 수행한 결과 미니돼지는 독립적인 group을 형성하였으며, Large White, Landrace, Berkshire가 하나의 group을 형성하였다. 또한 한국 재래돼지와 Duroc, 한국 야생멧돼지와 Tongcheng pig가 각각 group으로 형성되었다. SLA class Ⅲ 영역에서 선발한 48개 SNP들의 LD를 추정한 결과 모든 품종에서 SNP들 사이의 LD block이 형성되지 않았다. 이는 haplotype이 고정되어 지지 않는 이유와 마찬가지로, SLA class Ⅲ 영역에 존재하는 SNP들이 면역 또는 질병과 연관되어 있어 같은 품종 내 에서도 다형성을 보이는 것으로 사료된다.

Matrix Metalloproteinases (both MMP2 and -9) play a pivotal role of the embryos hatching and implantation. Therefore, the objective of this study was carried out to investigate the influence of MMP2 and MMP9 on embryo development potential and subsequent effect at molecular level. There was no significant difference of cleavage rate among the groups. The development competence of blastocyst was significantly higher (P<0.05) in MMP9 treatment (39.81±16.61) than that to the combined treatment of MMP2 and –9 (23.68±0.27), but there was no significant difference among the control vs. MMP2 vs. MMP9 (35.05±2.74 vs. 32.71±6.18 vs. 39.81±16.61, respectively). On the other hand, the hatching rate of blastocysts was significantly lower (P<0.05) in combined group of MMP2 and –9 (12.55±0.09) (Table1). The expression level of MMP2 and MMP9 was significantly lower (P<0.05) in the entire treatment groups than that in the control group. But the expression of MMP9 was significantly higher (P<0.05) when compared in the entire treatment groups. The relative expression embryonic developmental gene, IFNt expression level significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the MMP9 embryos. The placenta establishment genes, PLAC8 and SSLP1, expression were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the MMP2 embryos compared to other groups. Transcription regulation gene, HNRNPA2B1, was higher (P < 0.05) in the combined group of MMP2+MMP9 than that in the other groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that MMPs to culture medium improves the blastocyst development rate and further impact on target gene expression analysis.

The purpose of this study was attempted to new methods in mammalian embryos vitrification. This method was affected to increase of the embryo vitrification efficiency and it would be applied to the field of embryo transfer to recipient by modified loading method of embryo into 0.25 ml plastic straw. The frozen mouse embryos were carried out warmed from two different cell stages (8-cell and blastocyst, respectively) by attachment of an embryo in the vitrification straw (aV) method. All groups were cultured in M-16 medium to determine the development and survivability for 24 h, respectively. Results shown that, the survivability of two different groups were significantly different (94.8% vs. 70.9%). Total cell number was not significantly different the non-frozen blastocyst (99.7 ± 12.4) compared to the post-thaw blastocyst (94.8 ± 15.1). From the 8-cell embryo, total cell number of frozen blastocysts were significantly lower than others groups (74.7 ± 14.6, p<0.05). In the case of cell death analysis, the blastocysts from non-frozen and frozen-thawed 8-cell group were not different (0.0 ± 0.0 vs. 1.9 ± 3.1, p>0.05). However, the apoptotic nuclei of blastocyst were significantly observed the frozen-thawed group (5.4 ± 4.4) compared to non-frozen group (p<0.05). Therefore, this new method of embryos using in-straw dilution and direct transfer into other species would be more simple procedure of embryo transfer rather than step-wise dilution method and cryopreservation vessels, so we can be applied in animal as well as human embryo cryopreservation in further.

The effects of probiotic additions to feed and manure on temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Hanwoo manure during summer (4 weeks) were evaluated. Fifteen Hanwoo (24-mo-old, 580 ± 20 kg) were housed in individual pens (5 × 8 m) and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (n = 5 cattle per treatment). Hanwoo were fed experimental rations as follows: control (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate); T1 (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate, 2% probiotics on as-fed basis); and T2 (10 kg roughage + 2 kg concentrate, 2% probiotics on as-fed basis + 7 kg probiotics as top-dressing on the surface of Hanwoo manure). In comparison to the control, the addition of probiotics to feed or feed and manure had an effect (P < 0.05) on temperature and humidity over the 4 weeks, except for humidity at 0 weeks. The only significant difference (P < 0.05) observed in CO2 emission was among all treatments at 3 and 4 weeks (but not at 0 through 2 weeks). These results indicated that use of probiotics as feed and manure additives did not have a significant effect on environmental parameters.