Tae-Jin Choi

Molecular cloning of Kazal-type proteinase inhibitor of the shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis

Proteinase inhibitors play important roles in host defence systems involving blood coagulation and pathogen digestion. We isolated and characterized a cDNA clone for a Kazal-type proteinase inhibitor (KPI) from a hemocyte cDNA library of the oriental white shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The KPI gene consists of three exons and two introns. KPI cDNA contains an open reading frame of 396 bp, a polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA, and a poly (A) tail. KPI cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 131 amino acids with a putative signal peptide of 21 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of KPI contains two homologous Kazal domains, each with six conserved cysteine residues. The mRNA of KPI is expressed in the hemocytes of healthy shrimp, and the higher expression of KPI transcript is observed in shrimp infected with the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), suggesting a potential role for KPI in host defence mechanisms.

Development of 52 new polymorphic microsatellite markers for the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

We characterized 52 new microsatellite markers isolated from (GT)n and (CT)n microsatellite‐enriched genomic libraries of the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). All markers were polymorphic, with eight to 30 (mean 15.1) alleles detected in 30 individuals from a single natural population. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.20 to 1.0. Segregation analysis within a mapping family revealed non‐amplifying null alleles at six loci. These results indicate that these new microsatellite markers will be useful for population genetic, parentage, and genome mapping studies.