Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is known as an important biomarker for fetal abnormality during first trimester and has a pivotal role in follicle development and corpus luteum formation. And also, it is being revealed that an expression of PAPP-A in various cells and tissues such as cancer and lesion area. PAPP-A is the major IGF binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) protease. Cleavage of IGFBP-4 results in loss of binding affinity for IGF, causing increased IGF bioavailability for proliferation, survival, and migration. Additionally, PAPP-A can be used as a promising therapeutic target for healthy longevity. Despite growing interest, almost nothing is known about how PAPP-A expression is regulated in any tissue. This review will focus on what is currently known about the zinc metalloproteinase, PAPP-A, and its role in cells and tissues. PAPP-A is expressed in proliferating cells such as fetus in uterus, granulosa cells in follicle, dermis in wound, cancer cells, and Sertoli cells in testis. They have common characteristics of proliferation faster than normal cells with stimulating IGFs action and inhibiting IGFBPs. The PAPP-A functions and expression studies in livestock have not yet been conducted much. Further studies are needed to use PAPP-A as a marker for healthy longevity in animal science.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious vesicular disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, causing substantial economic losses to the livestock industry. The causative FMD virus (FMDV) comprises four structural proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4) and several non-structural proteins. Among the capsid proteins, VP4 is the most conserved, making it an attractive target as a diagnostic and vaccine antigen, regardless of FMDV serotype. In this study, we attempted to express the VP4 protein N-terminally fused to a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag in Escherichia coli. Whereas VP0 and VP2 proteins were expressed in the soluble fraction, we failed to detect VP4, even in the insoluble fraction. To investigate the effect of VP4 C-terminal amino acid residues on protein expression, we constructed three VP4 mutants fused to GST, among which the mutant in which the C-terminal 15 amino acid residues had been deleted showed the highest level of protein expression. Furthermore, protein expression was observed even in the mutant in which three amino acid residues (DKK) had been fused to the C terminus. However, unlike the other two mutants, the wild-type VP4 mutant was poorly expressed, thereby indicating that the C-terminal amino acid residues could play a pivotal role in determining expression of the VP4 protein in E. coli.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2/B1) is an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification regulator and a key determinant of premRNA processing, mRNA metabolism and transportation in cells. Currently, m6A reader proteins such as hnRNPA2/B1 and YTHDF2 has functional roles in mice embryo. However, the role of hnRNPA2/B1 in porcine embryogenic development are unclear. Here, we investigated the developmental competence and mRNA expression levels in porcine parthenogenetic embryos after hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down. HhnRNPA2/B1 was localized in the nucleus during subsequent embryonic development since zygote stage. After hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down using double stranded RNA injection, blastocyst formation rate decreased than that in the control group. Moreover, hnRNPA2/B1 knock-down embryos show developmental delay after compaction. In blastocyste stage, total cell number was decreased. Interestingly, gene expression patterns revealed that transcription of Pou5f1, Sox2, TRFP2C, Cdx2 and PARD6B decreased without changing the junction protein, ZO1, OCLN, and CDH1. Thus, hnRNPA2/B1 is necessary for porcine early embryo development by regulating gene expression through epigenetic RNA modification.

The ovary undergoes substantial physiological changes along with estrus phase to mediate negative/positive feedback to the upstream reproductive tissues and to play a role in producing a fertilizable oocyte in the developing follicles. However, the disorder of estrus cycle in female can lead to diseases, such as cystic ovary which is directly associated with decline of overall reproductive performance. In gene expression studies of ovaries, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay has been widely applied. During this assay, although normalization of target genes against reference genes (RGs) has been indispensably conducted, the expression of RGs is also variable in each experimental condition which can result in false conclusion. Because the understanding for stable RG in porcine ovaries was still limited, we attempted to assess the stability of RGs from the pool of ten commonly used RGs (18S, B2M, PPIA, RPL4, SDHA, ACTB, GAPDH, HPRT1, YWHAZ, and TBP) in the porcine ovaries under different estrus phase (follicular and luteal phase) and cystic condition, using stable RG-finding programs (geNorm, Normfinder, and BestKeeper). The significant (p < 0.01) differences in Ct values of RGs in the porcine ovaries under different conditions were identified. In assessing the stability of RGs, three programs comprehensively agreed that TBP and YWHAZ were suitable RGs to study porcine ovaries under different conditions but ACTB and GAPDH were inappropriate RGs in this experimental condition. We hope that these results contribute to plan the experiment design in the field of reproductive physiology in pigs as reference data.

Preserving intact genetic material and delivering it to the next generation are the most significant tasks of living organisms. The integrity of DNA sequences is under constant threat from endogenous and exogenous factors. The accumulation of damaged or incompletely-repaired DNA can cause serious problems in cells, including cell death or cancer development. Various DNA damage detection systems and repair mechanisms have evolved at the cellular level. Although the mechanisms of these responses have been extensively studied, the global RNA expression profiles associated with genomic instability are not well-known. To detect global gene expression changes under different DNA damage and hypoxic conditions, we performed RNA-seq after treating human cervical cancer cells with ionizing radiation (IR), hydroxyurea, mitomycin C (MMC), or 1% O2 (hypoxia). Results showed that the expression of 184–1037 genes was altered by each stimulus. We found that the expression of 51 genes changed under IR, MMC, and hypoxia. These findings revealed damage-specific genes that varied differently according to each stimulus and common genes that are universally altered in genetic instability.

돌기해삼 Apostichopus japonicus는 주요 양식 대상 무척추동물로서 우리나라 연안 해역에 서 식하고 있다. 본 연구는 방류 방법에 따른 단기간의 생리학적 스트레스 정도를 평가하기 위하 여 heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) 유전자의 발현 변화를 실시간 정량적 중합효소연쇄반응법 으로 조사하였다. 어린 돌기해삼을 비닐봉지에 산소 포장하여 30분간 수송하거나 방류 해역의 간조기에 1시간 공기 중에 노출된 실험군의 HSP90 유전자 발현은 대조군의 HSP90 유전자 발현에 비하여 통계학적으로 유의미하게 증가하였다(수송 후 실험군 p=0.001; 간조기 실험군 p=0.032). 어린 돌기해삼을 방류 후 6시간까지 분석한 결과, 선상에서 씨뿌림 방식으로 방류된 6시간째의 개체 및 호스를 통과하여 수중으로 방류된 2~6시간째의 HSP90 유전자 발현율은 대 조군에 비하여 약간 감소하는 경향을 보였다(씨뿌림 실험군 p=0.069; 호스 방류군 p=0.093). 한 편, 잠수부에 의해 수중에서 방류된 어린 돌기해삼은 방류 후 시간이 경과할수록 HSP90 유전 자 발현율은 증가하는 패턴이 관찰되었다(p=0.061). 이상의 결과는 방류된 어린 돌기해삼의 단기간 스트레스 반응 연구와 효과적인 방류 방법의 개발에 HSP90 유전자 발현이 유용하게 사용될 수 있음을 시사한다.

Skin protects the body by mediating various immune responses against exogenous substances including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, in addition to its predominant role as a physical barrier. Despite the significant protection offered via various mechanisms, bacterial infection of the skin is one of the most common skin diseases in veterinary medicine. This study demonstrated the structural and immunological changes in the skin during infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius using skin explants from four healthy beagles. Skin structure was generally well preserved in uninfected controls, but defects in skin structure, including injury of keratinocytes and dermal–epidermal junctional disruption, were identified when skin explants were exposed to P. aeruginosa and S. pseudintermedius. On exposure to P. aeruginosa, marked linear cleft formation was noted along with acantholysis along the basal layer after 24 hours of culture. In addition to the defects in the skin structure, mRNA expression levels of the AMPs cBD103 and S100A8 were decreased, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Taken together, these results suggest that our ex vivo canine skin model is a research tool for investigating bacterial skin infections in dogs.

The prevalence of cancer in companion dogs is growing nowadays with the increasing worldwide population of domestic dogs. Since there is a less established standard of care in veterinary medicine, investigational treatments, such as the development of biomarkers can be considered as a therapeutic intervention for early diagnosis. Despite the enormous efforts that have been invested in the search of biomarkers, still, there is a need for easy detection of significant biological markers for predicting canine cancers at an early stage. In this study, we have analyzed the expression pattern of previously reported 46 canine cancer-associated candidate genes in blood specimens using real-time qPCR. We hypothesized that analysis of gene expression in blood would provide preliminary evidence of local or systemic immunogenic response which further contribute to the easy and early diagnosis of canine cancer from blood specimen as an analytical tool. The datasets included a total of 22 blood samples collected from different breeds of dogs diagnosed with cancer and five from healthy normal dogs. RT-qPCR analysis was performed by employing the SYBR Green PCR mix to assess the expression of these 46 genes in a total of 27 samples. From our result, a total of nine genes (ROS1, C1QA, CD48, IL1b, TLR2, IL2R, CHI3L1, CTSS, and TLR7) were found to be significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) in the cancer samples compared to non-cancer samples. The relative expression level of ROS1, C1QA, CD48, IL1b, TLR2, IL2R, CHI3L1, CTSS, and TLR7 genes was 5.74, 4.78, 3.94, 2.94, 2.57, 2.53, 2.50, 2.04, and 2.57, respectively, in cancer samples compared to non-cancer samples. Thus, our results reveal several highly expressed cancer genes that can be therapeutic target genes for further testing in canine cancers.

This study aims to critically analyze how gendered spaces and gender images are expressed verbally and non-verbally in the latest information and communication advertisements. The results showed that the gendered space appeared although it had nothing to do with the information and communication devices or advertisement content. The gender-specific spatial distinctions and restrictions fully reflected the stereotypes of gender roles. Sexist images also emerged in the verbal and non-verbal expressions with images of women being reproduced in a more negatively compared to that of men. Regarding frequency, many aspects limited and revealed “the differing interests and characteristics of gender”, which were expressed both verbally and non-verbally. The emphasis on women's appearance stood out non-verbal, albeit superfluously. It is a problem that these gender images and perceptions are fixed or reproduced through mass media.

최근 살진균제는 세계 식량 안보에 없어서는 안될 필수 요소이며, 그 사용량은 증가하고 있다. 살진균제는 직접적 또는 간접적으로 곤충에 영 향을 미쳐 유전자 및 분자 수준의 변화를 일으킨다. 곤충은 다양한 해독 매커니즘을 통해 살진균제를 포함한 농약으로부터 유발되는 활성산소 (ROS) 독성을 제거한다. 본 연구는 살진균제 캡탄의 비치명적 투여량(0.2, 2, and 20 μg/μL)을 주입 후 갈색거저리의 유충에서 해독효소의 mRNA 발현량을 분석했다. 갈색거저리의 전사체 분석을 통해 해독 매커니즘 관련 유전자인 퍼옥시다제(POX), 카탈라제(CAT), 슈퍼옥사이드 디스뮤타제(SOD) 및 글루타티온-S-트랜스퍼라제(GST)를 발굴하였다. 처리 24시간 후 TmPOX5 mRNA가 유의하게 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 처리 3 시간 후 TmSOD4의 mRNA가 유사하게 증가하였다. 또한 2 μg/μL 처리 24시간 후 TmCAT2의 mRNA 가 유의하게 증가하였다. 캡탄 노출 후 TmGST1 및 TmGST3의 mRNA 발현량도 증가하였다. 결론적으로, TmPOX5 및 TmSOD4 유전자는 갈색거저리에서 캡탄 노출에 대한 바이오마커 또는 생체이물 센서로 작용할 수 있음을 시사한다.

본 연구는 미술치료프로그램이 성인 발달장애인의 자기표현, 사회성 기술 및 삶의 질에 미치는 효과를 연구하는 것에 목적이 있다. 연구방법은 장애인복지 시설을 이용하는 성인 발달장애인을 대상으로 미술치료에 동의한 30명을 대상으로 하였다. 대상자를 실험집단과 통제집단에 각 15명씩 무선 배정하였다. 실험 기간은 2020년 8월부터 11월까지 주 1회 8회기의 미술치료 프로그램을 시행하였다. 자기표현의 효과검증을 위해 체크리스트를 사용하여 빈도를 분석하였다. 사회성기술과 삶의 질의 효과는 두 집단의 평균을 SPSS 23 프로그램을 이용하여 독립 t 검증하였다. 결과분석, 미술치료가 진행한 실험집단이 통제집단보다 사회성 기술에서 유의미한 효과가 있었다. 실험집단이 통제집단보다 삶의 질이 높아지는 효과가 있었다. 성인 발달장애인을 대상으로 한 미술치료가 발달적 측면의 재활치료뿐만 아니라 자기표현, 사회성 기술 및 삶의 질 향상에 효과가 있음을 확인할 수 있었다.

Olfactory receptors (OR) are primarily responsible for the detection of odorant molecules. We previously demonstrated that OR7D4, an OR for androstenone, is expressed in the vomeronasal organ and olfactory epithelium tissue of stallions. Recently, the expression of OR1I1 in the human testes was reported and the possible roles of OR1I1 in the testicular cells were suggested. The objectives of this study were 1) to explore the expression of OR7D4 and OR1I1 in stallion testes, and 2) to define the specific localization of OR7D4 and OR1I1 in the testicular tissues. Stallion testicular tissue samples were used for this study. Western blot was performed to confirm the cross-reactivity of OR7D4 and OR1I1 antibody with stallion testicular tissue samples. OR7D4 and OR1I1 gene expressions were investigated using reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in stallion testes. Immunofluorescence was performed to investigate the expression of OR7D4 and OR1I1 in stallion testicular tissues. The protein bands for OR7D4 and OR1I1 from the testes were observed at approximately 38 kDa and 43 kDa, respectively. The mRNA of OR7D4 and OR1I1 were detected in stallion testes. Immunolabeling of OR7D4 and OR1I1 in the cytoplasm of both spermatogonia and Leydig cells was observed. In conclusion, androstenone and another odorant chemical, which is recognized by OR1I1, may play an important role in stallion testes.

Depression is one of the most important psychiatric disorders worldwide. Most depression-related data mining and machine learning studies have been conducted to predict the presence of depression or to derive individual risk factors. However, since depression is caused by a combination of various factors, it is necessary to identify the complex relationship between the factors in order to establish effective anti-depression and management measures. In this study, we propose a methodology for identifying and interpreting patterns of depression expressions using the method of deriving random forest rules, where the random forest rule consists of the condition for the manifestation of the depressive pattern and the prediction result of depression when the condition is met. The analysis was carried out by subdividing into 4 groups in consideration of the different depressive patterns according to gender and age. Depression rules derived by the proposed methodology were validated by comparing them with the results of previous studies. Also, through the AUC comparison test, the depression diagnosis performance of the derived rules was evaluated, and it was not different from the performance of the existing PHQ-9 summing method. The significance of this study can be found in that it enabled the interpretation of the complex relationship between depressive factors beyond the existing studies that focused on prediction and deduction of major factors.

본 논문은 국내 여성 싱어송라이터 선우정아의 작품 가사에 나타난 자기표현 주제의 특징을 도출하기 위한 목적을 가지고 연구되었다. 싱어송라이터는 본인이 작사, 작곡을 하기 때문에 작품의 주제를 선정하는 데 있어 제약을 받지 않고 본인이 전달하고자 하는 메시지나 음악 가치관 등을 자유롭게 표출할 수 있다는 특징이 있다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 선우정아의 작품에서 싱어송라이터의 특징들이 나타난 자기표현 주제에 해당하는 수록곡을 분류하고 작품 가사 분석을 시도하였 다. 먼저 자기표현 주제에 해당하는 수록곡을 분류하였을 때, 주제에 해당하는 곡은 총 6곡이었다. 선정된 6곡을 분석한 결과 자기표현의 대주제 안에서 두려움, 열등감, 경쟁, 욕망, 본인의 음악 가치관이 소주제로 사용되었다. 이어 가사 분석을 시도한 결과, 가사에서 음절의 수를 규칙적으로 배열하며 운율을 형성하였다. 또한 다양한 소재를 통하여 직설적으로 표현하였으며, 부정적 감정표현들이 가사에 나타나있다. 이를 통하여 자기표현의 주제에 해당되는 곡들은 선우정아 의 외모 콤플렉스에서 비롯된 주제임을 알 수 있으며, 전문 작사가들이 기존 대중가요에 주로 사용하는 주제와 차별성을 보이는 특징이 도출되었다.