• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.392-399
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• 2014

Plant senescence is one of the survival strategies to use limited nutrients efficiently during growth, development and adaptation. In this study, we isolated a gene (PagSEN1) homologous to SENESCENCE 1 from Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa. The PagSEN1 gene encodes a putative protein consisting of 243 amino acids containing a rhodanese domain. Southern blot analysis suggested that two copies of the PagSEN1 gene are present in the poplar genome. We characterized its transcriptional expression under various conditions mimicking senescence and environmental stresses. The PagSEN1 was expressed most strongly in mature leaves but most weakly in roots. The gene was significantly up-regulated by treatments with mannitol, NaCl, ABA and JA, but not by cold, SA and GA3. These results indicate that PagSEN1 is involved in senescence response induced by environmental stresses.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2007

To determine whether antioxidant enzyme systems are related to chilling tolerance, changes of antioxidant enzyme activities during the chilling stress were determined in the leaves of a chilling-tolerant cultivar (Cucurbita ficifolia, cv. Heukjong) and a chilling-sensitive cultivar (Cucurbita moschata, cv. Jaerae 13). Leaves of chilling-tolerant plant have two major isoforms, Fe-SOD and Mn-SOD, at the Rm values of 0.20 and 0.52, respectively. In leaves of chilling-sensitive plant, two major isozymes of SOD was observed, one isoform is Mn-SOD at the Rm value of 0.20, and the other isoform is Cu/zn-SOD at the nm value of 0.58. When plants were treated with chilling stress, Cu/zn-SOD at the Rm value of 0.58 was newly expressed at 10 days after chilling stress in the chilling-tolerant plants, and density of this band increased at five days after chilling stress in the chilling-sensitive plants. One APX isozyme band was observed in unstressed plants of both cultivars. Under the chilling stress one APX isozyme band was newly expressed at 10 days after chilling stress in the chilling-tolerant cultivar. Significant genotype differences were observed fnr POD isozyme banding patterns such as few main isozyme bands in chilling-tolerant plants, and one band in chilling-sensitive plants. Densities of three POD isozyme bands at the Rm of 0.36, 0.40 and 0.54 increased at 10 days after chilling stress in the chilling-tolerant plants, while two bands at the nm of 0.36 and 0.54 increased at 10 days and 20 days after chilling stress in the chilling-sensitive plants, respectively. Activities of SOD, APX and POD significantly increased during five days after chilling stress in both cultivars. In the chilling-tolerant cultivar, activities of these enzymes were higher in chilling-stressed plant than in unstressed plants. However, activities of these enzymes in the chilling-sensitive cultivar decreased rapidly after five days of chilling stress, and were lower in chilling stressed plants than in unstressed plants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2013

An AlaAT knock-out mutant (alaat) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) was isolated from T-DNA tagging lines and the genotypes of its progeny were determined with AlaAT1-specific primers. The alaat phenotypes showed decreased growth and grain yield when compared with control plants. The activity of AlaAT1 in the mutant plants was practically undetectable. The responses of alaat plants to growth under salt stress were compared with those of control plants by measuring chlorophyll fluorescence and the activities and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes. All abiotic stresses tested (salt, drought, and chilling) caused a similar decrease in chlorophyll fluorescence in both alaat and wild type plants. The activity of peroxidase (POX), an antioxidant enzyme, decreased following salt treatment of alaat plants, while control plant showed an increased activity. The mRNA levels for cAPX (cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase), POX2, and AlaAT were determined by RT-PCR following salt stress. No AlaAT1 mRNA was detected in alaat plants. The POX2 mRNA showed a slightly increased level in the wild type but was not detected in alaat plants, in agreement with the activity assays. The levels of cAPX mRNA were greatly increased in both the wild type and alaat plants. The salt stress effects on rice plant growth are therefore proposed to reflect a loss of function of AlaAT, which alters the activity and synthesis of antioxidant enzymes (especially peroxidases), rather than a direct effect on photosynthesis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.810-820
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• 2016

This study is focused on the investigation of the genes which are induced by various stresses of the halophyte Salicornia herbacea. One of the factors influencing in the germination of Salicornia herbacea is salt stress. The highest germination rate was found in the condition without NaCl, and the upper limit of the NaCl concentration for the germination of Salicornia herbacea was 7%. The optimal temperature of $20^{\circ}C$showed a germination rate of 98%. Among genes induced by stress the 2CysPrx gene was cloned and analyzed for this study. The 2CysPrx gene has two cysteine conserved residues and is composed of 275 amino acids with molecular weight of 30.1kDa. The 2CysPrx gene appeared to be one copy in the genome and consists of 6 introns and 7 exons. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the highest transcription rate induced by NaCl and $H_2O_2$ appeared to be at the concentration of 3.5% NaCl and 40mM $H_2O_2$, respectively. The amount of transcript induced by high temperature($40^{\circ}C$) and $75{\mu}M$ of ABA was respectively highest. The gene at low temperature ($4^{\circ}C$) appeared not to be expressed. We are conducting to clone other peroxyredoxin genes induced by various environmental stresses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1415-1420
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• 2017

The metallothionein (MT) gene (IbMT3) was selected from an EST library of suspension-cultured sweet potato cells. The MT gene, which is one of abundant ESTs in the library, is involved in stress regulation of cells and tissues. A full-length IbMT3 cDNA was obtained and analysis of its nucleotide sequence revealed that IbMT3 encoded a type 3 MT protein, based on its structural characteristics. The function of type 3 MT in plants is not yet known. Northern blot analysis showed stronger expression of IbMT3 in suspension-cultured cells than in sweet potato plant leaves. Since cell culture is known to impose a state of oxidative stress on cells, sweet potato plants were subjected to oxidative stress to investigate the transcriptional regulation of IbMT3. When the herbicide methyl viologen (MV) was administered for 6, 12, and 24 hr, IbMT3 transcription rapidly increased at 6 hr and then decreased. A cold treatment at $15^{\circ}C$ for 24 and 48 hr resulted in a gradual increase in IbMT3 expression. These findings indicate that IbMT3 expression is regulated in response to environmental and oxidative stress. IbMT3 isoform is expected to have antioxidant effects in sweet potato plants and may play an important role in cellular adaptation to oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.368-374
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• 2011

The relationship between MDHA reductase activity and ascorbate, dehydroascorbate, and hydrogen peroxide content was evaluated, and this experiment was conducted to determine the change of MDHA reductase activity and the level of steady-state mRNA abundance of MDHA reductase in lettuce leaves subjected to low temperature stress. MDHA reductase activity of chloroplastic and cytosolic fraction in lettuce leaves subjected to $4^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr increased, followed by a steady decrease during the duration of recovery to $20^{\circ}C$ for 48 hr. The content of ascorbate slowly increased during low temperature treatment, followed by a rapid increase during the duration of recovery to $20^{\circ}C$ for 48 hr, while dehydroascorbate content rapidly decreased. The relationship between MDHA reductase activity of chloroplastic and cytosolic fraction in lettuce leaves subjected to $4^{\circ}C$ and ascorbate content correlated positively ($R^2$=0.9240, 0.9108, respectively), but MDHA reductase activity of chloroplastic and cytosolic fraction and dehydroascorbate were reversely correlated ($R^2$=0.8638, 0.8980, respectively). Hydrogen peroxide content and MDHA reductase activity of chloroplastic and cytosolic fraction in lettuce leaves subjected to $4^{\circ}C$ correlated positively ($R^2$=0.9443, 0.9647, respectively). Northern blot analysis showed that the level of mRNA transcript of MDHA reductase was similar to total activity of MDHA reductase, and also that the level of mRNA of MDHA reductase after recovery to $20^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr decreased.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of high temperature and drought on growth performance, photosynthetic parameters and photosynthetic pigment contents of Liriodendron tulipifera L. seedlings. The seedlings were grown in controlled-environment growth chambers with combinations of four temperature ($-3^{\circ}C$, $0^{\circ}C$, $+3^{\circ}C$, $+6^{\circ}C$; based on the monthly average for 30 years in Korea) and two water status (control, drought). Temperature rise increased growth, total dry weight and leaf area in all water status. Also photosynthetic rate, dark respiration, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate increased with increasing temperature. In contrast, growth and photosynthetic parameters of L. tulipifera seedlings were lower in $-3^{\circ}C$ than $0^{\circ}C$. But temperature rise decreased water use efficiency in all water status. Temperature rise increased photosynthetic pigment contents of leaf. Also chlorophyll a/b ratio increased with increasing temperature. In conclusion, the elevated temperature lead to causes growth increase through the increase of energy production by higher photosynthetic rate during a growth period of L. tulipifera seedlings.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2019

Auxin plays a crucial regulatory role in plant growth and development processes. Three major classes of auxin-responsive transcription factors controlled by the Auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA), Gretchen Hagen 3 (GH3), and small auxin up RNA (SAUR) genes regulate auxin signaling. Aux/IAA, in particular, encodes short-lived nuclear proteins that accumulate rapidly in response to auxin signaling. In this study, we isolated a PagAux/IAA1 gene from poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa) and investigated its expression characteristics. The PagAux/IAA1 cDNA codes for putative 200 amino acids polypeptide containing four conserved domains and two nuclear localization signals (NLSs). Utilizing Southern blot analysis, we confirmed that a single copy of the PagAux/IAA1 gene was present in the poplar genome. The expression of this gene is specific to leaves and flowers of the poplar. PagAux/IAA1 expressed in the early exponential growth phase of cell-cultured in suspension. PagAux/IAA1 expression level reduced in drought and salt stress conditions, and the presence of plant hormones such as abscisic acid. However, expression enhanced in cold stress, cambial cell division, and presence of plant hormones such as gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid. Thus, these results suggest that PagAux/IAA1 participates in cold stress response as well as developmental processes in the poplar.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1456-1462
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• 2009

D-chiro-Inositol, which is the isomer of myo-inositol, is a well known drug for the treatment of type II diabetes. The methylated form of D-chiro-inositol, D-pinitol and D-chiro-inositol are synthesized when the plants are exposed to the abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and low temperature as osmoprotectants. In soybean, myo-inositol is converted to ononitol by O-methyltransferase, and ononitol is converted to D-pinitol by ononitol epimerase and finally converted to D-chiro-inositol by demethylase. However there have been some reports that in buckwheat, myo-inositol can be converted to D-chiro-inositol directly. This study was conducted to determine the changes of soluble cyclitols in buckwheat seedlings after exposure to salt and drought stresses by GC-FID. The results indicated that myo-inositol may be the precursor of D-chiro-inositol biosynthesis.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.294-300
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• 2003

In the previous study, we have isolated several vaginal lactobacilli from Korean woman and selected one of them (KLB12) for further study, which was indentified as Lactobacillus fermentum by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene. Formulated L. fermentum KLB12 can be used for ecological treatment of bacterial vaginosis. For pharmaceutical formulation, the spray-drying process is required where stress such as high temperature is routinely applied. In this study, we found that heat stress at 60$^{\circ}C$ for 20∼30min reduced the viable cell population of KLB12 by 10$\sub$6/～10$\sub$9/. However, adaptation of KLB12 cells at 52$^{\circ}C$ made them more thermotolerant upon exposure to 60$^{\circ}C$. The level of thermal protection in RSM (reconstituted skim milk) by adaptation in acid (pH 5), cold (4$^{\circ}C$), ethanol (3％), NaCI (0.3M) was also examined. Although not as efficient as the homologous stress, adaptations in both cold and NaCI gave considerable cross protection against heat stress. When chloramphenicol was added during heat adaptation, adaptation effect was abolished. This suggests that de novo protein synthesis is necessary during the adaptation process. Important changes in proteome during heat adaptation was examined with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.