• Proceedings of the EASDL Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.13-30
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• 2004

There are two groups of significant functional constituents in sesame seeds on the whole; one is the vegetable oils and another is the anti-oxidative compounds. However, although high amounts of major fatty acids are synthesized in sesame seeds, their composition is unfavorable because the contents of alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid, the essential fatty acids, are very low or do not produced in sesame seeds. So, to increase these fatty acids in sesame seeds, one strategy is to overexpress their genes, ${\omega}$-3 fatty acid desaturase for alpha-linolenic acid and delta-6 fatty acid desaturase for gamma-linolenid acid, in them. Another molecular target is to enhance alpha-tocopherol, vitamin E, because its content is very low in sesame seeds. The enzyme, gamma-tocopherol methyltransferase, catalyzes the conversion of gamma-tocophero to alpha-tocopherol. Overexpression of this enzyme in sesame seeds could be also a good molecular breeding target. Reduction of phytic acid is also another molecular target in sesame seeds because phosphorus pollution may be caused by its high content in sesame seeds. Accordingly, to do so, one of target enzymes could be myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase which is a key regulatory enzyme in the pathway of phytic aicd biosyntheses. In this lecture, a molecular strategy for development of value-added sesame crop is described in association with some results of our experiments involved in the molecular characterizations of the genes mentioned above.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1626-1633
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• 2004

In recent, the roles of oleic acid, most abundant fatty acid in myelin, were investigated in relation to the brain functions. This study examined the effects of diets either with desirable ratios of $\omega$6/ $\omega$9 and P/M/S (mixed oil-fed group: MO) or with defficient in $\omega$3 series fatty acids (safflower oil-fed group: SO) on the oleic acid composition in RBC and brain synaptosomal, mitochondrial & microsomal phospholipids. The desirable fatty acid composition was computer-searched with different fats and oils to meet right ratios of both $\omega$6/ $\omega$3 and P/M/S. Diets were fed 3 weeks before conception and new-born pups were fed maternal milk from the same mothers and same diets until 9 wks of age. At 3 wks of age, the compositions of oleic acid in brain subcellular fractions and red blood cells were constantly remained whatever the composition of dietary fatty acids. But at 9 wks of age, the composition of oleic acid in synaptosome and mitochondria were significantly higher in MO group than SO group. The composition of oleic acid in milk was significantly higher in MO group than SO group, but in case of SO group, that of oleic acid was increased by 48%, in comparison with dietary fatty acid compositions. -9 desaturase index (18:0\longrightarrow8:1) of brain synaptosome was significantly higher in MO group than SO group at 3 and 9 weeks of ages, but that of brain microsome was higher in SO group than MO group at 9 wks of age. Taken together, the presences of oleic acid in the diet was important to maintain brain functions. The origins of oleic acid in brain may suggests two hypotheses; first, the central nervous system has priority for the uptake of oleic acid, and second the nervous system can synthesize all the oleic acid it needs, independently of its presence in the diet.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2003

Effects of various combinations of corn oil (CO) and perilla oil (PO) as respective dietary sources of ${\omega}$-6 and ${\omega}$-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on fatty acid profiles of immune organs were studied in young chicks. Seventy-five 1-day-old male (ISA Brown) chicks were assigned to five treatments with three replications. Semi-purified-type diets containing glucose and soybean meal as major ingredients were added with 8% CO, 6% CO+2% PO, 4% CO+4% PO, 2% CO+6% PO and 8% PO and fed for 7 weeks. There were no significant differences in body weight gain, feed intake and relative weights of liver and immune organs (g/100g weight) among dietary groups. Dietary fatty acid patterns were generally reflected in the fatty acid compositions of all immune organs such as spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius. The levels of a-linolenic acid(LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid in various immune organs increased with increasing levels of perilla oil in the diets, whilet the levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) decreased. Thymus appeared to have capacity to retain remarkably higher (P<0.05) levels of LA and LNA up to 37 and 22%, respectively, compared to the other organs. Thymic tissue contained ${\omega}$-3 fatty acid and ${\omega}$-6 fatty acid 10~36 times and 3~5 times higher than the other organs, respectively. Spleen tissue was specifically higher (P<0.05) in the levels of AA and EPA and the ratios of AA/LA and EPA/LNA, compared to the other organs, suggesting that the tissue might have high desaturase activity to convert LA or LNA to AA or EPA, respectively. BSA antibody production tended to increase by 18 ~ 32% with higher levels of perilla oil in diet, although the increase was not statistically significant. In conclusion, fatty acid compositions of immune organs very depending on the lipid composition of the diets and each organ appears to respond differently for its fatty acid profile to dietary lipids. Considering AA and EPA are precursors of many important eicosanoids, further studies are required to clarify the responses of the immune organs to the dietary fatty acids.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2010

The Arabidopsis ${\omega}$-3 fatty acid desaturase (AtFAD7) catalyzes the synthesis of trienoic fatty acids (TA). A transgenic tobacco line, T15, was produced by a sense AtFAD7 construct and showed a cosuppression-like phenotype, namely extremely low TA levels. The sequence similarity between AtFAD7 and a tobacco ortholog gene, NtFAD7, was moderate (about 69%) in the coding sequences. AtFAD7 siRNAs accumulated at a high level, and both AtFAD7 and NtFAD7 mRNAs are degraded in T15 plants. The low-TA phenotype in T15 was dependent on a tobacco RNA-dependent RNA polymerase6 (NtRDR6). We also produced tobacco RNAi plants targeting AtFAD7 gene sequences. The AtFAD7 siRNA level was trace, which was associated with a slight reduction in leaf TA level. Unexpectedly, this RNAi plant showed an increased NtFAD7 transcript level. To investigate the effect of translational inhibition on stability of the NtFAD7 mRNAs, leaves of the wild-type tobacco plants were treated with a translational inhibitor, cycloheximide. The level of NtFAD7 mRNAs significantly increased after cycloheximde treatment. These results suggest that the translational inhibition by low levels of AtFAD7 siRNAs or by cycloheximide increased stability of NtFAD7 mRNA. The degree of silencing by an RNAi construct targeting the AtFAD7 gene was increased by co-existence of the AtFAD7 transgene, where NtRDR6-dependent amplification of siRNAs occurred. These results indicate that NtRDR6 can emphasize silencing effects in both cosuppression and RNAi.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.161-174
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• 1997

Omega-3 fatty acids have been major research interests in medical and nutritional science relating to life sciences since after the epidemiologic data on Green3and Eskimos reported by several researchers clearly showed fewer per capita deaths from heart diseases and a lower incidence of adult diseases. Linolenic acid(LNA) is an essential fatty acid for human beings as well as linoleic acid(LA) due to the fact that vertebrates lack an enzyme required to incorporate a double bond beyond carbon 9 in the chain. In addition the ratio of omega-6 and 3 fatty acids seems to be important in terms of alleviation of heart diseases since LA and LNA competes for the metabolic pathways of eicosanoids synthesis. High consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in seafoods may control heart diseases by reducing blood cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL and increasing HDL and by inhibiting plaque development through the formation of antiaggregatory substances like PGI$_2$, PGI$_3$ and TXA$_3$ metabolized from LNA. Omega 3 fatty acids also play an important role in neuronal developments and visual functioning, in turn influence learning behaviors. Current dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids are limited mostly to seafoods, leafy vegetables, marine and some seed oils and the most appropriate way to provide omega-3 fatty acids is as a part of the normal dietary regimen. The efforts to enhance the intake of omega-3 fatty acids due to several beneficial effects have been made nowadays by way of food processing technology. Two different ways can be applied: one is add Purified and concentrated omega-3 fatty acids into foods and the other is to produce foods with high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids by raising animals with specially formulated feed best for the transfer of omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, items of manufactured and marketed omega-3 fatty acids fortified foodstuffs are pork, milk, cheese, egg, formula milk and ham. In domestic food market, many of them are distributed already, but problem is that nutritional informations on the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are not presented on the labeling, which might cause distrust of consumers on those products, result in lower sales volumes. It would be very much wise if we consume natural products, result in lower sales volumes. It would be very much wise if we consume natural products high in omega-3 fatty acids to Promote health related to many types of adult diseases rather than processed foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.63.1-63
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• 2000

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.269-277
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• 2003

Effects of soy protein concentrate (SPC) containing isoflavone and casein diets on plasma phospholipid (PLs)-fatty acid patterns were investigated in 7-& 40- wk old female rats. Diets containing 16% SPC (soy/young:SY, soy/old: SO) and casein (casein/young : CY, casein/ old: CO) supplemented with 0.5% cholesterol were fed for 4 wks. Fatty acid compositions of plasma PLs were determined by TLC and GLC. Compared to the dietary protein effects, age effects on serum lipids were more profound. The levels of total cholesterol (Chol.), triglyceride, HDL-Chol., (LDL+VLDL)-Chol. and atherogenic index (AI) were higher in older groups (OC & OS) than younger groups (YC &. YS). Soy groups had higher Ell)L-Chol. level and lower (LDL+ VLDL)-Chol. and AI, compared with casein groups. The compositions of C22:0, Cl8:1 $\omega$9 and sum of MUFA in plasma PLs were significantly higher in casein group (CY & CO) than soy group (SY & SO), but those of sum of SFA were higher in soy group. The compositions of C22:0, Cl8:1 $\omega$9, C22:1, Cl8:3$\omega$3 and C22:4$\omega$6 were higher and those of C22:6$\omega$3, sum of $\omega$3, Cl8: 2$\omega$6 C20:4$\omega$6, sum of $\omega$6 and sum of PUFA were lower in plasma PLs of younger rats. The average P/S and $\omega$3/$\omega$6 ratio in older group was higher. The $\Delta$-7 desaturation index (16:0⇒16:1$\omega$7) and $\Delta$-9 desaturation index (18:0⇒18:1$\omega$9) were lower in soy group than casein group, while $\Delta$-6 and $\Delta$-5 desaturation index were not affected by dietary protein. The $\Delta$-4 desaturation index (22:4$\omega$6⇒22:5$\omega$6) were higher and elongation index (20:4$\omega$6⇒22:4$\omega$6) were lower in older group. The ratio of the products of $\omega$3 fatty acid series (Cl8:3) was significantly higher in older group, which indicated that age affected the plasma PUFA metabolism. On the other hand, older rats had higher serum cholesterol level compared with younger rats. Taken together, these changes in fatty acid composition might cause minimal changes in tile membrane fluidity induced by the increase serum cholesterol level.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.472-482
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• 2010

For the massive screening of the genes related to oxidative stress, a cDNA library was constructed from hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Nockkwang) leaves treated with methyl viologen. From this library, 1,589 cDNA clones were sequenced from their 5' ends. The sequences were clustered into 1,252 unigenes comprised of 152 contigs and 1,100 singletons. Similarity search against NCBI protein database identified 1,005 ESTs (80.3%) as Known, 197 ESTs (15.7%) as Unknown, and 50 ESTs (3.99%) as No hit. In the ESTs, oxidative stress-related genes such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and osmotin precursor were highly expressed. The cDNA microarray containing 1,252 unigenes was constructed and used to analyze their expression upon methyl viologen treatment. Analyses of the hybridization revealed that various stress-related genes such as peroxidase, tyrosine aminotransferase, and omega-6 fatty acid desaturase, were induced and some metabolism related genes such as aldolase and ketol-acid reductoisomerase, were repressed by methyl viologen treatment, respectively. The information from this study will be used for further study on the functional roles of oxidative stress-related genes and signaling network of oxidative stress in hot pepper.