• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 2018

Chloroplasts are present in organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. These organelles are thought to have originated from photosynthetic cyanobacteria through endosymbiosis. During endosymbiosis, most cyanobacterial genes were transferred to the host nucleus. Therefore, most chloroplast proteins became encoded in the nuclear genome and must return to the chloroplast after translation. The N-terminal cleavable transit peptide (TP) is necessary and sufficient for the import of nucleus-encoded interior chloroplast proteins. Over the past decade, extensive research on the TP has revealed many important characteristic features of TPs. These studies have also shed light on the question of how the many diverse TPs could have evolved to target specific proteins to the chloroplast. In this review, we summarize the characteristic features of TPs. We also highlight recent advances in our understanding of TP evolution and provide future perspectives about this important research area.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.41-41
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• 2019

The genus Ficus L., containing approximately 850 species, is by far the largest genus in the Moraceae. They are mainly distributed worldwide, mainly in tropical countries. In South Korea, there are three native Ficus (including F. erecta Thunb, F. sarmentosa var. nipponica (Franch. & Sav.) Corner, and F. thunbergii Maxim.). Among them, F. erecta is effectively natural resources for the improvement of senile cognitive impairment. However, the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences and information of F. erecta have not been addressed. Therefore, in this study, we provide the complete cp genome of F. erecta and its allied species using next-generation sequencing technology. The chloroplast of Ficus species has typical structure which includes large and small single copy regions and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs). The sizes of cp genomes range from 160,276 bp to 160,603 bp. To determine the phylogenetic positions of these species, we conducted a maximum likelihood analysis using common protein-coding genes in chloroplast sequences. Also, we describe a newly developed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers using multiplex PCR to identify F. erecta based on amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) technique. We analyzed matK, atpB of the chloroplast genes and ITS from F. erecta and three related taxa, F. carica, F. sarmentosa var. nipponica and F. thunbergii. It provides useful information for molecular identification between F. erecta and related Korean native species.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2020

Solanum stoloniferum, one of the wild tetraploid Solanum species belonging to the Solanaceae family, is an excellent resource for potato breeding owing to its resistance to several important pathogens. However, the sexual hybridization of S. stoloniferum with S. tuberosum (potato) is hampered due to the sexual incompatibility between the two species. To overcome this and introgress the various novel traits of S. stoloniferum in cultivated potatoes, cell fusion can be performed. The identification of the fusion products is crucial and can be achieved with the aid of molecular markers. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequence of S. stoloniferum was obtained by next-generation sequencing technology, and compared with that of six other Solanum species to identify S. stoloniferum-specific molecular markers. The length of the complete chloroplast genome of S. stoloniferum was found to be 155,567 bp. The structural organization of the chloroplast genome of S. stoloniferum was similar to that of the six other Solanum species studied. Phylogenetic analysis of S. stoloniferum with nine other Solanaceae family members revealed that S. stoloniferum was most closely related to S. berthaultii. Additional comparison of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of S. stoloniferum with that of five Solanum species revealed the presence of six InDels and 39 SNPs specific to S. stoloniferum. Based on these InDels and SNPs, four PCR-based markers were developed to differentiate S. stoloniferum from other Solanum species. These markers will facilitate the selection of fusion products and accelerate potato breeding using S. stoloniferum.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.64-64
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• 2018

The genus Cenchrus (Poaceae), containing ca. 97 species, is distributed throughout Australia, Africa and Indian sub-continent and which was introduced to the United States and Mexico for use in improved pasture. In Korea, especially Daecheong Island, it is one of the most hazardous invasive plant, which causes serious environmental threats, biodiversity damages and physically negative impact on humans and animals. It can cause serious damage to farms, fields and white sand beaches. However, the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences and information of Cenchrus longispinus have been not addressed, so we provide the complete cp genome of Cenchrus longispinus using next-generation sequencing technology. The size of cp genomes of this Daecheong Island species (Cenchrus longispinus) is 137,144 bp, and it shows a typical quadripartite structure. Consisting of the large single copy (LSC; 80,223 bp), small single copy (SSC; 12,449 bp), separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs; 22,236 bp). This cp genome contains 75 unique genes, 4 rRNA coding genes, 33 tRNA coding genes and 21 duplicated in the IR regions, with the gene content and organization are similar to other Poaceae cp genomes. Our comparative analysis identified four cpDNA regions (rpl16, rbcL, ndhH and ndhF) from three Cenchrus species, two Setaria species and one Pennisetum species which may be useful for molecular identification.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2015

Dendranthema boreale and D. indicum are easily distinguished from other Korean Dendranthema spp. by having yellow flowers. We have found a putative new taxon of Dendranthema having white flowers, except for sharing most characters with Dendranthema boreale. The chloroplast (cp) genome of the putative new taxon of Dendranthema, Dendranthema sp. K247003, registered in National Agro-Biodiversity Center (ABC), was completely characterized as a genetic barcode. The cp-genome of Dendranthema sp. K247003 was 151,175-bp in size: LSC was 82,886-bp, IR 24,971-bp, SSC 18,347-bp. The cp-genome of Dendranthema sp. K247003 contains 113 genes and 21 introns consisted of 79 protein coding genes, 4 RNA genes, and 30 tRNA genes, with 20 group II introns and one group I intron. Some of the genes and there introns were duplicated in IR. The cp-DNA of Dendranthema sp. K247003 is distinguished from that of D. boreale IT121002 by 67 SNPs in genic regions of 24 protein coding genes and by a 9-bp INDEL in ycf1. Further cp-DNA study will give us better information on genetic markers of Dendranthema species.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2006

Chloroplasts are believed to be descended from certain cyanobacteria, which were taken up by phagocytosis into a host cell and lived there in a symbiotic relationship. In contrast to the current static concept on the chloroplast genome, its dynamism has been recently demonstrated: the chloroplast genome is active in intramolecular homolgous recombination, producing subgenomic circles when it obtains homolgous sequences via genetic transformation. Chloroplast tranformation in higher plants provides many advantages over nuclear transformation that include higher expression levels of transgenes, polycistronic expression of transgenes, and maternal transmission of transgenes. Tobacco has been used as a model for chloroplast genetic transformation. However, it is recently possible to transform the chloroplasts of other major food and economic crops including rice, soybean, and cotton. Chloroplast-transformed crops will be able to replace bioreactors using microorganisms for production of value-added proteins in future.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.577-587
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• 2007

Single-copy chloroplast loci are used widely to infer phylogenetic relationship at different taxonomic levels among various groups of plants. To test the utility of chloroplast loci and to provide additional data applicable to hybrid evolution in Musa, we sequenced two introns, rpl16 and ndhA, and two intergenic spacers, psaA-ycf3 and petA-psbJ-psbL-psbF and combined these data. Using these four regions, Musa acuminata Cola(A)- and M. balbisiana Colla (B)-containing genomes were clearly distinguished. Some triploid interspecific hybrids contain A-type chloroplasts (the AAB/ABB) while others contain B-type chloroplasts (the BBA/BBB). The chloroplasts of all cultivars in 'Namwa' (BBA) group came from the same wild maternal origin, but the specific parents are still unrevealed. Though, average sequence divergences in each region were little (less than 2%), we propose that petA-psbJ intergenic spacer could be developed for diversity assessment within each genome. This segment contains three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two indels which could distinguish diversity within A genome whereas this same region also contains one SNP and an indel which could categorize B genome. However, an inverted repeat region which could form hairpin structure was detected in this spacer and thus was omitted from the analyses due to their incongruence to other regions. Until thoroughly identified in other members of Musaceae and Zingiberales clade, utility of this inverted repeat as phylogenetic marker in these taxa are cautioned.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.04a
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• pp.37-37
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• 2018

The genus Crepidiastrum (Asteraceae), containing ca. 20 species, is mainly distributed in Asia. Crepidiastrum denticulatum, an edible plant that commonly call "e-go-deulppae-gi" in Korean, distributes in Korea, Japan, and China. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of C. denticulatum was characterized from MiSeq2000 (Illumina Co.) pair-end sequencing data. The cp genome of C. denticulatum has a total sequence length of 152,689 bp and show a typical quadripartite structure. It consists of the large single copy (LSC: 84,022 bp), small single copy (SSC: 18,519 bp), separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs: 25,074 bp) and contains 110 unique genes and 18 genes duplicated in the IR regions. Our comparative analysis identified three cpDNA regions (matK, rbcL, and psbA-trnH) from three Crepidiastrum species, which may be useful for molecular identification of each species, and providing a guideline for its clear confirming about dried medical herb.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.114-117
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• 2022

Lindera angustifolia is mainly distributed in the temperate climate zone of China but shows an extraordinary distribution, disjunctively isolated on the western coastal islands of Korea. We therefore present the complete chloroplast genome of Korean L. angustifolia. The complete plastome was 152,836 bp in length, with an overall GC content of 39.2%. A large single copy (93,726 bp) and a small single copy (18,946 bp) of the genome were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (20,082 bp). The genome consists of 125 genes, including 81 protein-coding, eight ribosomal RNA, and 36 transfer RNA genes. While five RNA editing genes (psbL, rpl2, ndhB×2, and ndhD) were identified in L. angustifolia from China, the "ndhD" gene was not recognized as an RNA editing site in the corresponding Korean individual. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that Korean L. angustifolia is most closely related to the Chinese L. angustifolia with strong bootstrap support, forming a sister group of L. glauca.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2019

The high expression level of industrial and metabolically important proteins in plants can be achieved by plastid transformation. The CaIA vector, a Capsicum-specific vector harboring aadA (spectinomycin resistance), is a selectable marker controlled by the PsbA promoter, and the terminator is flanked by the trnA and trnI regions of the inverted repeat (IR) region of the plastid. The CaIA vector can introduce foreign genes into the IR region of the plastid genome. The biolistic method was used for chloroplast transformation in Scoparia dulcis with leaf explants followed by antibiotic selection on regeneration medium. Transplastomes were successfully screened, and the transformation efficiency of 3 transgenic lines from 25 bombarded leaf explants was determined. Transplastomic lines were evaluated by PCR and Southern blotting for the confirmation of aadA insertion and its integration into the chloroplast genome. Seeds collected from transplastomes were analyzed on spectinomycin medium with wild types to determine genetic stability. The increased chloroplast transformation efficiency (3 transplastomic lines from 25 bombarded explants) would be useful for expressing therapeutically and industrially important genes in Scoparia dulcis L.