Chytridiomycosis, a disease that has caused amphibian population declines globally and elevated many species of anurans to endangered or threatened status, has recently been declared an internationally notifiable disease. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the amphibian chytrid fungus causing this disease, has not been previously reported in Korea or on mainland Asia. Thirty-six frog specimens representing 7 species were collected from the wild in South Korea and examined for Bd using standard PCR. Bd was detected in 14 (38.8%) samples from 3 species (Bufo gargarizans, Hyla japonica, and Rana catesbiana). Skin sections from all 14 PCR-positive frogs were examined using 2 staining techniques: haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Bd immunoperoxidase (IPX). In histological sections, zoosporangia were found in 6 frogs, with lower sensitivity for H&E (21%) than for IPX (46%). Intensity of infection, based on histopathology, was low in all frogs. These results confirm that Bd is present in South Korea and, hence, on the Asian mainland. Studies are urgently required to determine the impact of chytridiomycosis on Korean amphibians, and to map the distribution of Bd in Korea and other Asian mainland countries. KEY WORDS: Chytridiomycosis · Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis · Amphibian decline · Korea · Fungus Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 86: [9][10][11][12][13] 2009 nerable (Matsui 2004), and Hynobius yangi is classified as endangered (Stuart 2008) MATERIALS AND METHODSFrogs were collected opportunistically from the northern part of South Korea between June 11 and December 13, 2007 (see Table 1). During nocturnal and occasional diurnal surveys, frogs were captured individually by hand, with a new pair of disposable latex gloves being used for each frog in order to avoid cross-contamination between individuals . The animals were sacrificed by soaking them in a bath of 0.05% aqueous tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222). We aseptically cut small pieces of skin from the abdomen, inguinal region, and web between toes; we then divided this into 2, and placed 1 in 10% formalin for histological analysis and the other in a 1.5 ml microtube for DNA extraction. Instruments were flamed after dissection of each specimen to prevent cross-contamination. DNA was immediately extracted with Gene Releaser (Bio Ventures). The PCR assay used species-specific primers (Bd1a and Bd2a) located within internal transcribed spacer ITS1 and ITS2 to amplify the 5.8S region of nuclear rDNA (Annis et al. 2004). The PCR products were examined using 1.0% agarose gel and some of the positive bands were cut and sequenced to confirm the Bd sequence. Each sample was tested in triplicate, and was only recorded as positive if all 3 replicates indicated the presence of Bd. For PCR positive amphibians, histological sections of formalin fixed skin were stained using 2 techniques: haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Bd immunoperoxidase (IPX), the latter technique using polyclonal antibodies speci...

Background: Oxidative stress has been recently suggested to play a part in the development of osteoporosis. Catalase is a major antioxidant enzyme that detoxifies hydrogen peroxide by converting it into water and oxygen, thereby preventing cellular injury by oxidative stress. Aims: To examine the associations between the catalase gene (CAT) polymorphisms and bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal Korean women. Methods: All exons, their boundaries and the promoter region (approximately 1.5 kb) were directly sequenced in 24 individuals. Among 18 variants identified by a direct sequence method, four polymorphisms were selected and genotyped in all study participants (n = 560). BMD at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured using dual-energy x ray absorptiometry. Serum osteocalcin concentrations and bonespecific alkaline phosphatase activity were determined by an immunoradiometric assay and an immunoassay, respectively. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of the participants was 59.4 (7.2) years. Multivariate analysis showed an association of the +22348CRT polymorphism with BMD at the lumbar spine (p = 0.01 in the dominant model) and at femur neck (p = 0.05 in the dominant model), and with serum osteocalcin level (p = 0.008 in the dominant model). Haplotype analyses showed that HT4 (220T, +144C, +22348T, +33078A) was significantly associated with higher BMD at various sites (p,0.001-0.03) and with lower serum osteocalcin levels (p = 0.01 in the codominant model). Conclusions: These findings indicate that the +22348CRT polymorphism and HT4 of CAT may be useful genetic markers for bone metabolism.

The infraorder Cephalobomorpha is a diverse and ecologically important nematode group found in almost all terrestrial environments. In a recent nematode classification system based on SSU rDNA, Cephalobomorpha was classified within the suborder Tylenchina with Panagrolaimomorpha, Tylenchomorpha and Drilonematomorpha. However, phylogenetic relationships among species within Tylenchina are not always consistent, and the phylogenetic position of Cephalobomorpha is still uncertain. In this study, in order to examine phylogenetic relationships of Cephalobomorpha with other nematode groups, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Acrobeloides varius, the first sequenced representative of Cephalobomorpha, and used this sequence for phylogenetic analyses along with 101 other nematode species. Phylogenetic analyses using amino acid and nucleotide sequence data of 12 protein-coding genes strongly support a sister relationship between the two cephalobomorpha species A. varius and Acrobeles complexus (represented by a partial mt genome sequence). In this mitochondrial genome phylogeny, Cephalobomorpha was sister to all chromadorean species (excluding Plectus acuminatus of Plectida) and separated from Panagrolaimomorpha and Tylenchomorpha, rendering Tylenchina non-monophyletic. Mitochondrial gene order among Tylenchina species is not conserved, and gene clusters shared between A. varius and A. complexus are very limited. Results from phylogenetic analysis and gene order comparison confirms Tylenchina is not monophyletic. To better understand phylogenetic relationships among Tylenchina members, additional mitochondrial genome information is needed from underrepresented taxa representing Panagrolaimomorpha and Cephalobomorpha.

Background: Anther culture has advantage to obtain a homozygous progeny by induced doubling of haploid chromosomes and to improve selection efficiency for invaluable agronomical traits. Therefore, anther culturing is widely utilized to breed new varieties and to induce genetic variations in several crops including rice. Genome sequencing technologies allow the detection of a massive number of DNA polymorphism such as SNPs and Indels between closely related cultivars. These DNA polymorphisms permit the rapid identification of genetic diversity among cultivars and genomic locations of heritable traits. To estimate sequence diversity derived from anther culturing, we performed whole-genome resequencing of five Korean rice accessions, including three anther culture lines (BLB, HY-04 and HY-08), their progenitor cultivar (Hwayeong), and an additional japonica cultivar (Dongjin).

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