Biotechnology in the 21st century will be driven by three emerging technologies: genomics, high-throughput biology, and bioinformatics. These technologies are complementary to one another. A large number of economically important crops are currently subjected to whole genome sequencing. Functional genomics for determining the functions of the genes comprising the given plant genome is under progress by using various means including phenotyping data from transgenic mutants, gene expression profiling data from DNA microarrays, and metabolic profiling data from LC/mass analysis. The aim of plant molecular breeding is shifting from introducing agronomic traits such as herbicide and insect resistance to introducing quality traits such as healthful oils and proteins, which will lead to improved and nutritional food and feed products. Plant molecular breeding is also expected to aim to develop crops for producing human therapeutic and industrial proteins.

Samyang Genex succeeded in commercialization of anticancer agent-paclitaxel by plant cell culture technology. The core technology of Samyang Genex relating paclitaxel production includes cell line development, cell line preservation, cell culture, scale-up technology, and purification technology. On the basis of the research, Samyang Genex built the factory operated by CGMP (current good manufacturing practice). The $paclitaxel-Cenexol^{TH}-is$ commercially available in Korea, and it will be launched to world market including USA after approval of US FDA.

동양물산 중앙기술연구소에서 개발한 다신초 (multiple shoot) 증식기술을 이용하면 1회 계대배양으로 신초의 수가 약 15배 증가하고 1년에 10회의 계대배양이 가능하므로 계산상 1개의 신초로부터 5,700억개 (1510)의 신초 생산ㅇ 가능하므로 유전적으로 동질의 씨마늘을 단기간에 대량증식시키는 것이 가능하다 이러한 기술을 우수한 형질을 가진 마늘종에 적용하여 현재 국내${\cdot}$외 여러 지역에서 적응성 및 안정성 생산성 검정 실험을 수행하여 산업화 진입을 준비하는 단계에 도달하였다. 수년에 걸친 검정 시험 결과 조직배양 씨마늘을 이용할 경우 최대 50% 이상의 증수효과는 물론 상품성이 증대되는 효과도 확인하여 우리 나라 마늘산업의 국제 경쟁력을 향상시키고 능민 소득 증대에 크게 기여할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. 또한 조직배양을 통해 대량생산된 무병주 씨마늘을 농가 위탁, 계약재배 등을 통해 증식하여 실수요 농가에 보급하는 체계를 갖추게 된다면 타 주요작물에 비해 상대적으로 미진한 종구 보급체계도 확립될 수 있을 것이다. 더불어 국제경쟁력을 갖춘 기술력, 원가 등을 기반으로 국내뿐만 아니라 일본, 미국 등 국외지역에도 공급지역을 확대할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Adverse environmental conditions such as drought, high salt and cold/freezing are major factors that reduces crop productivity worldwide. According to a survey, 50-80% of the maximum potential yield is lost by these 'environmental or abiotic stresses', which is approximately ten times higher than the loss by biotic stresses. Thus, improving stress-tolerance of crop plants is an important way to improve agricultural productivity. In order to develop such stress-tolerant crop plants, we set out to identify key stress signaling components that can be used to develop commercially viable crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Our primary focus so far has been on the identification of transcription factors that regulate stress responsive gene expression, especially those involved in ABA-mediated stress response. Be sessile, plants have the unique capability to adapt themselves to the abiotic stresses. This adaptive capability is largely dependent on the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), whose level increases under various stress conditions, triggering adaptive response. Central to the response is ABA-regulated gene expression, which ultimately leads to physiological changes at the whole plant level. Thus, once identified, it would be possible to enhance stress tolerance of crop plants by manipulating the expression of the factors that mediate ABA-dependent stress response. Here, we present our work on the isolation and functional characterization of the transcription factors.

각종 환경스트레스에 의해 생체 내에서 과량으로 생성되는 독성의 활성산소종 (ROS)은 산화스트레스를 유발시켜 식물의 질병, 노화 및 세포사멸을 촉진시킨다. 연구팀은 21세기 당면한 지구규모의 환경, 식량 및 보건문제 해결에 기여할 수 있는 기발기술 (plateform technology)를 개발하기 위하여 식물 세포의 항산화기구 규명, 산화스트레스 유도성 항산화효소 유전자 개발, 스트레스 내성식물 개발에 관한 연구를 수행하고 있다. 여기에서는 항산화효소 유전자를 이용한 산업용식물체 개발에 관한 연구팀의 최근 연구결과를 중심으로 소개하였다. SOD와 APX 유전자를 엽록체에 동시에 발현시킨 담배식물체는 MV, 건조 등 여러 스트레스에 대한 내성을 나타내어, 복합 스트레스내성 농작물개발에 활용이 기대된다. 인체 DHAR 유전자를 엽록체에 도입시킨 담배식물체는 정상적으로 DHAR 유전자를 발현시켰으며, MV 등 여러 스트레스에 대한 내성을 나타내었다. 피부 노화방지 등에 관여하여 ROS를 제거하는 SOD를 과실에 과발현시킨 형질전환오이를 성공적으로 개발하여, SOD 오이는 기능성화장품의 용도로 제품개발이 기대된다. 또한 고구마에서 산화스트레스에 특이적으로 발현하는 POD (SWA2) promoter를 개발하였다. SWPAS2 Pormoter는 스트레스내성 및 의료용 단밸질 등 고부가가치 생리활성물질을 생산할 수 있는 산업용 형질전환 식물체 및 배양세포주 개발에 이용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Sterols play two major roles in plants: a bulk component in biological membranes and precursors of plant steroid hormones. Physiological effects of plant steroids, brassinosteroids (BRs), include cell elongation, cell division, stress tolerance, and senescence acceleration. Arabidopsis mutants that carry genetic defects in BR biosynthesis or its signaling display characteristic phenotypes, such as short robust inflorescences, dark-green round leaves, and sterility. Currently there are more than 100 dwarf mutants representing 7 genetic loci in Arabidopsis. Mutants of 6 loci, dwf1/dim1/cbb1, cpd/dwf3, dwf4, dwf5, det2/dwf6, dwf7 are rescued by exogenous application of BRs, whereas bri1/dwf2 shares phenotypes with the above 6 loci but are resistant to BRs. These suggest that the 6 loci are defective in BR biosynthesis, and the one locus is in BR signaling. Biochemical analyses, such as intermediate feeding tests, examining the levels of endogenous BR, and molecular cloning of the genes revealed that dwf7, dwf5, and dwf1 are defective in the three consecutive steps of sterol biosynthesis, from episterol to campesterol via 5-dehydroepisterol. Similarly, det2/dwf6, dwf4, and cpd/dwf3 were Shown to be blocked in $D^4$ reduction, 22a-hydroxylation, and 23 a-hydroxylation, respectively. A signaling mutant bri1/dwf2 carries mutations in a Leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase. Interestingly, the bri1 mutant was shown to accumulate significant amount of BRs, suggesting that signaling and biosynthesis are dynamically coupled in Arabidopsis. Thus it is likely that transgenic plants over-expressing the rate-limiting step enzyme DWF4 as well as blocking its use by BRI1 could dramatically increase the biosynthetic yield of BRs. When applied industrially, BRs will boost new sector of plant biotechnology because of its potential use as a precursor of human steroid hormones, a novel lead compound for cholesterol-lowering effects, and a various application in plant protection.

A lot of SSRs (simple sequence repeats) in peach and pear from enriched genomic libraries and in peach from a cDHA library were developed. These SSRs were applied to other related species, giving phenograms of 52 Prunus and 60 pear accessions. Apple SSRs could also be successfully used in Pyrus spp. Thirteen morphological traits were characterized on the basis of the linkage map obtained from an Fa population of peach. This map was compiled with those morphological markers and 83 DHA markers, including SSR markers used as anchor loci, to compare different peach maps. Molecular markers tightly linked to new root-knot nematode resistance genes were also found. A linkage map including disease-related genes, pear scab resistance and black spot susceptibility, in the Japanese pear Kinchaku were constructed using 118 RAPD markers. Another linkage map, of the European pear Bartlett, was also constructed with 226 markers, including 49 SSRs from pear, apple, peach and cherry. Maps of other Japanese pear cultivars, i.e., Kousui and Housui, were also constructed. These maps were the first results of pear species.