수염풍뎅이(Polyphylla laticollis manchurica)는 과거에는 흔히 발견되었으나, 1970년대 이후 한반도 내 개체수 가 급격히 감소하여 2005년 환경부에 의해 멸종위기 야생생물 Ⅰ급으로 지정되었다. 또한 해당종의 분자생물학적 연구는 멸종위기종이라는 특성으로 인해 제한적으로 진행되었다. 그로 인해 NCBI 등 공공 데이터베이스에서 제공되는 서열정보들 또한 부족한 실정이다. 이 연구는 이러한 한계를 극복하고 수염풍뎅이의 유전적 특성을 규명하기 위해 생물정보학적 기술을 활용하여 전사체 분석을 진행하였다. Illumina HiSeq 2500 플랫폼을 사용하여 53,433,048개의 RNA reads를 얻었으며, Trinity와 TGICL을 이용한 De novo 어셈블리 분석을 통해 18,172개의 unigenes를 생성하였다. 생성된 unigenes는 GO, KOG, KEGG, PANM DB를 활용하여 annotation을 진행하였다. 그 결과, GO 분석에서는 ‘binding and catalytic activities’와 관련된 항목이 높은 발현을 보였으며, KOG 분석의 경우 ‘Cellular Processes and Signals’ 범주가 높은 비율을 나타내었다. KEGG 분석을 통해 2,118개의 unigenes가 metabolic 카테고리에 annotation된 것을 확인하였다. SSR 모티프 분석에서는 AT/AT (42.90%) 모티프, AAT/ATT (13.13%) 모티프 순으로 많이 나타나는 것을 확인하였다. 이 연구를 통해 분석한 결과 들을 이용하여 유전자원 및 종 정보를 실시간 제공 및 정보 공유가 가능하도록 Database 및 web-interface를 구축하 였으며, 이러한 자료들은 국내 멸종위기종인 수염풍뎅이의 고유한 유전적 특성을 발굴 및 확보할 수 있는 기반자 료로써 활용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme that terminates impulse transmission by rapidly hydrolyzing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses. Previous studies have discovered a transiently opening channel referred to as the “back door” in Torpedo californica AChE. Previously, we observed that substituting the Tyr391 residue with a Phe residue significantly decreased the catalytic efficiency of recombinant Apis mellifera AChE1 (AmAChE1), while the reverse substitution restored it. Interestingly, substitution of the Tyr391 residue with a Phe residue in AmAChE1 disrupted the formation of the backdoor, while the reverse substitution restored it. This finding suggests that the Tyr-to-Phe substitution impairs backdoor formation, thereby leading to a significant reduction in the catalytic activity of AmAChE1. This serves as one of the driving forces for the functional transition from AmAChE1 to AmAChE2. In this experiment, we also confirmed the gradual restoration and increase in AChE activity by substituting Phe391 in AmAChE1 with Ser, Trp, Thr, Ile, Asn, and Tyr residues through kinetic assay and molecular dynamics simulation.
The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is a worldwide pest that causes serious damage to Allium crop species and acts as a vector for iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). In a previous study, we established an emamectin benzoate (EB) resistant strain (EB-R) with a 490-fold higher resistance ratio than the susceptible strain (SUS). The EB-R exhibited significantly increased transcript levels of glycine receptor alpha, glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) b, and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) 6EB2 compared to SUS. To identify EB resistance-related genes that are differentially expressed genes between SUS and EB-R, we established an isogenic backcrossing strain and conducted transcriptome analysis after the 4th cycle of isogenic backcrossing. Among the 85 up-regulated genes in the transcriptome data, six cuticular protein genes showed up-regulation. Additionally, CYP450 4g15, which catalyzes the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons, exhibited a 6 log2-fold higher expression level in EB-R compared to SUS. Therefore, the elevated expression of genes associated with cuticle protein modification may be significantly is involved in the development of EB resistance.
현재까지 전세계적으로 Periphyllus allogenes (개성진사진딧물)은 무시성충세대에 대한 형태학적 정보만이 보고되었다. 본 연구에서는 2021 년부터 2022년까지 한국 가평군, 홍천군에서 그동안 P. allogenes의 알려지지 않았던 간모, 유시성충 세대를 채집하여, 이들에 대하여 형태학적 정 보, 분포지역, 기주식물, 생태 사진을 처음으로 보고한다.
목적 : 근시안에서 조도에 의한 동공크기와 동공중심이탈에 따른 고위수차의 변화를 확인하고자 하였다.
방법 : 각막굴절교정수술의 경험이 없고 안질환이 없는 건강한 성인 33명(평균 연령: 23.03±2.8세, 평균 등 가구면굴절력: -3.28±1.67 D, 66안)을 대상으로 하였다. 동공크기, 동공중심이탈(pupil center off-set), 고위 수차는 Wavefront Analyzer를 사용하여 기기에서 조정되는 암소시(scotopic, 0 lx)와 명소시(photopic, 20 lx)상태에서 3회 측정하고 평균값을 사용하였다. 통계분석은 SPSS(version 21.0)을 사용하였다.
결과 : 명소시 상태에서 동공크기는 암소시 상태보다 2.00 mm 감소하고(p<0.001) 근시안의 굴절이상도와 관련이 있었으며, 동공중심 offset은 0.09 mm 증가하고(p<0.003) 굴절이상도와는 관련이 없었다. 또한 동공중심 이동량은 0.17±0.13 mm로 주로 상이측, 상비측 방향으로 이동하였다. 전체 고위수차는 동공크기와 동공중심 offset 모두에서 상관성이 없었고, 구면수차는 동공크기와 상관성이 있었으며(p=0.006, p=0.007). 코마수차는 동공중심 offset과 상관성이 있었다(p=0.027, p=0,008).
결론 : 동공크기는 구면수차와 동공중심 offset은 코마수차와 상관성이 있어 조도에 따라 동공크기와 동공중심 offset이 변하면, 시력의 질에 영향을 미칠 것으로 사료된다.
Acetylcholinesterase 1 (AmAChE1) has low catalytic activity and is abundantly expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. In previous experiments, we observed that AmAChE1 is rarely expressed in summer while highly expressed in winter. Through additional experiments, the expression of AmAChE1 was suggested to be associated with brood rearing status. Under the assumption that abnormal suppression of brood rearing activity may result in stressful condition in honey bee social community, it was further suggested that AmAChE1 is likely involved in stress management particularly during winter. We hypothesized that the increased docility usually observed in overwintering bees is likely an outcome of stress management in colony, which is mediated by AmAChE1 expression. To verify this, worker bees expressing abundant AmAChE1 were collected in early winter and injected with Amace1 dsRNA to knockdown Amace1. Then, the behavioral activity of the bees was investigated using the EthoVison video tracking system. Honey bees injected with Amace1 dsRNA showed significantly increased motility, which was strongly correlated with the suppressed expression level of AmAChE1 in the abdomen. No apparent reduced expression of AmAChE1 in the head was observed perhaps due to the limited efficacy of RNA interference in the blood-brain-barrier. Our finding suggests that behavioral activity can be regulated, at least, by AmAChE1 expression level in non-neuronal tissue (i.e., fatbody) perhaps via metabolic alteration.
We studied the inhabited environment of aquatic lampylid species, Luciola lateralis, in Andong-si (rice paddy type), Bonghwa-gun (rice paddy type) and Cheongsong-gun (stream type) from 2010 to 2012. Totally, 5 species (Gabbia misella, Semisulcospira libertina, Radix auricularia, Physa acuta, and Hippeutis cantori) in rice paddy habitats, and 4 species (S. libertina, S. forticosta, R. auricularia, and H. cantori) in stream habitats can be edible by larval L. lateralis. We selected 2 species, S. libertina and P. acuta which can be the main food resources for larval L. lateralis in paddy and stream habitats, and individually reared the L. lateralis larvae with each other edible species. After the individual rearing, we analyzed the head sizes of each larval exuviae. There is no significant difference in the 1st instar larval size (P>0.05) between the kind of provided feed (S. libertina and P. acuta). In case of 2nd instar larvae, the head size was bigger when P. acuta was provided as the feed (P<0.05). In case of 3rd and 4th instar larvae, the head size was bigger when S. libertina was provided as the feed (P<0.05). In the analysis of size of L. larteralis adult according to inhabited environment, the adult size was found to be bigger at stream type environment than rice paddy type (P<0.01).