• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.109-115
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• 2016

Silk has had a reputation as a luxurious and sensuous fabric but it is not popular due to the expensive price and poor durability. To develop the silk materials that apply the various industries, the artificially synthesized gene can be introduced into the silkworm and expressed in the silk gland. Transgenic silkworms for the mass production of green fluorescent silks are generated using a fibroin H-chain expression system. For commercial use, safety assessment of the transgenic silkworms is essential. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential acute oral toxicity of EGFP protein expressed in genetically modified (GM) fluorescence silkworm and to obtain the approximative lethal dose in the male and female at 6-weeks ICR mice. EGFP protein was fed at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight in five male or five female mice. Mortalities, clinical findings and body weight changes were monitored for 1, 3, 7, 14 days after dosing. At the end of 14 day observation period, all mice were sacrificed, and the postmortem necropsy were performed. The test group was not observed death case. Also the effect was not admitted by test substance administration in common symptoms, the body weight and postmortem. The results of single-dose oral toxicity test showed that approximative lethal dose of EGFP protein expressed in fluorescence silkworm was considered to exceed the 2,000 mg/kg body weight in both sexes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1303-1310
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• 2016

Although many studies on the effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on soil microorganisms have been carried out over the past decades, they have provided contradictory information, even for the same GM crop, owing to the diversity of the soil environments in which they were conducted. This inconsistency in results suggests that the effects of GM crops on soil microorganisms should be considered from many aspects. In this study, we investigated the effects of the GM drought-tolerant rice MSRB2-Bar-8, which expresses the CaMSRB2 gene, on soil microorganisms based on the culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. To this end, rhizosphere soils of GM and non-GM (IM) rice were analyzed for soil chemistry, population densities of soil microorganisms, and microbial community structure (using pyrosequencing technology) at three growth stages (seedling, tillering, and maturity). There was no significant difference in the soil chemistry between GM and non-GM rice. The microbial densities of the GM soils were found to be within the range of those of the non-GM rice. In the pyrosequencing analyses, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were dominant at the seedling stage, while Chloroflexi showed dominance over Proteobacteria at the maturity stage in both the GM and non-GM soils. An UPGMA dendrogram showed that the soil microbial communities were clustered by growth stage. Taken together, the results from this study suggest that the effects of MSRB2-Bar-8 cultivation on soil microorganisms are not significant.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.224-231
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• 2015

Purpose: Corn is a major commercial crop targeted for genetic modification owing to its high consumer demand as a foodstuff for humans and livestock, as well as its other industrial applications. However, the safety of genetically modified (GM) crops is controversial. Indeed, several countries have banned the importation of GM seeds that can germinate. Therefore, development of effective, convenient, and nondestructive methods to inhibit seed germination is required. Methods: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of microwave heat treatment for inhibition of germination of corn kernels and for optimization of power and exposure time required for effective aging treatment. Artificial inhibition was induced in corn kernels using microwave heat treatment. Seven power levels were examined (400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 W) at each of the four exposure times (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 min). Results: Corn kernels could be aged effectively after heating for 0.5~1.0 min at powers greater than 800 W, with increasing efficacy observed at higher powers. Further analysis showed that the most effective inhibition of germination was observed at 1000 W for 40 s. This setting did not cause any physical damage to the corn kernels. Conclusions: Optimal inhibition of corn kernel germination was achieved using higher power for shorter times, which may be useful for industrial corn seed treatment.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.157-161
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• 2014

Understanding the gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to conventional crops is important to prevent and mitigate seed contamination caused by pollen-mediated gene flow. We conducted a field test to investigate the gene flow from diamondback moth resistant GM cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) containing cry1Ac1 gene, to a non-GM control line AD126. GM and non-GM cabbage plants were cultivated in the field and pollinated using Bombus terrestris under the nets during the flowering periods. After seeds were collected from non-GM plants, hybrids between them and the GM cabbages were screened by multiplex PCR targeting cry1Ac1 gene. Out of 878 germinated seedlings, 168 hybrids were found and the average gene flow frequency was 19.7%. Because cabbage is mainly pollinated by insect pollinators, large-scale field tests are needed to study gene flow of GM cabbage.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Genetically modified (GM) crops must receive relevant regulator's authorization before they can be sold as seed or used food, feed and processing. Before approving any GM crop, the relevant government ministries are required to examine environmental risk assessment to make scientifically sound and socially acceptable decisions. But one of the least studied and understood areas in the environmental risk assessment of GM crops are their impact on soil microbial community. METHODS AND RESULTS: Recently, advanced methods have been developed to characterize the soil microbial community in various environments. In this study, the culture-dependent and culture-independent technical approaches for profiling soil microbial communities are summarized and their applicability to assess GM crops are discussed. CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that the effect of GM crops on soil microbial community need to be assessed on a case by case basis. The combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent method was necessary for reliable and detailed assessment of effect of GM crops on soil microbial community.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2017

In the present study, we investigated the effects of two herbicide-resistant genetically modified rice (GM rice) varieties, Milyang 204 and Iksan 483, recently developed in Korea on non-target insects and a spider. No difference in host preferences of the English grain aphid Sitobion avenae and the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens were observed between GM rice and non-GM rice. Wolf spider Pirata subpiraticus, feeding on N. lugens reared on GM rice or non-GM rice, revealed no significant difference in body weight. P. subpiraticus, fed with N. lugens reared on Milyang 204, showed survival rates similar to that in P. subpiraticus fed with N. lugens reared on non-GM rice. However, P. subpiraticus feeding on N. lugens reared on Iksan 483 demonstrated significantly lower survival rates than that in P. subpiraticus feeding on N. lugens reared on Milyang 204 or non-GM rice. In addition, when larvae of the western honeybee Apis mellifera were supplied with Iksan 483 pollen, a significantly longer pupal period occurred, as compared with that of A. mellifera supplied with pollen of Milyang 204 or non-GM rice. As GM rice has negative effects on P. subpiraticus, which is an important predator in agricultural ecosystems, and on A. mellifera, which plays important roles in pollination and honey production, additional studies on risk assessment of GM rice should be conducted before releasing newly developed herbicide-resistant GM rice to the agricultural environment.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2018

The Biosafety Division of the National Academy of Agricultural Science has developed a 'Crop Composition DB' that provides analytical data on commercialized crops. It can be used as a reference in the 'Comparative Evaluation by Compositional Analysis' for the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops. This database provides the composition of crops cultivated in Korea, and thus upgrades the data to check the extent of changes in the compositional content depending on the cultivated area, varieties and year. The database is a compilation of data on the antioxidant, nutrient and secondary metabolite compositions of rice and capsicum grown in two or more cultivation areas for a period of more than two years. Data analysis was conducted under the guidelines of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists or methods previously reported on papers. The data was provided as average, minimum and maximum values to assess whether the statistical differences between the GM crops and comparative non-GM crops fall within the biological differences or tolerances of the existing commercial crops. The Crop Composition DB is an open-access source and is easy to access based on the query selected by the user. Moreover, functional ingredients of colored crops, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and cauliflowers, were provided so that food information can be used and utilized by general consumers. This paper introduces the feature and usage of 'Crop Composition DB', which is a valuable tool for characterizing the composition of conventional crops.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.59-70
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• 2000

In nature, plant diseases, insects and parasites (hereafter called as "pest") must be co-survived. The most common expression of co-survival of a host crop to the pest can be tolerance. With tolerance, chemical uses can be minimized and it protects environment and sustains host productivity and the minimum pest survival. Tolerance can be applicable in all living organisms including crop plants, lifestocks and even human beings. Tolerant system controls pest about 90 to 95% (this pest control system often be called as horizontal or partial resistance), while the use of chemicals or selection of high resistance controls pest 100% (the most expression of this control system is vertical resistance or true resistance). Controlling or eliminating the pests by either chemicals or vertical resistance create new problems in nature and destroy the co-survial balance of pest and host. Controlling pests through tolerance can only permit co-survive of pests and hosts. Tolerance is durable and environmentally-friend. Crop cultivars based on tolerance system are different from those developed by genetically modified organism (GMO) system. The former stabilizes genetic balance of a pest and a host crop in nature while the latter destabilizes the genetic balance due to 100% control. For three decades, the author has implemented the tolerance system in breeding maize cultivars against various pests in both tropical and temperate environments. Parasitic weed Striga species known as the greatest biological problem in agriculture has even been controlled through this system. The final effect of the tolerance can be an integrated genetic pest management (IGPM) without any chemical uses and it makes co-survival of pests in nature.in nature.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2002

An efficient system of rice microspore culture could contribute to the production of genetically modified rice. The microspores were isolated by mechanical or shed methods. The number of microspores per 100 anthers isolated at uninucleate stage was higher than (or similar to) those at binucleate stage in isolation method with pestle or spatular, but microspore divisions were not easily observed on both stages. On the other hand, pollen division in shed pollen culture was observed more frequently at uninuclear than at binuclear stage. Cold pretreatment at 1$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 days resulted in the best multicellular division to produce microcalli at 12.5% efficiency in shed microspores. Heat shock at 33$^{\circ}C$ for one hour before or after pollen shedding enhanced cell division and callus formation. Out of twelve green regenerants, two were haploids and ten were diploids based on the chromosome analysis of root tips. The size of stoma was 12$^{m}$ m in haploids and 15 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diploids determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.68-68
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• 2017

The status of corn genetic diversity in the uplands of Sarangani in Southern Philippines was investigated using 12 morphological traits subjected to multivariate statistical analyses. Information about traditional farming, post-harvest and storage practices were also elicited especially in relation to losses of traditional varieties, a phenomenon known as genetic erosion. While a handful of farmers still plant traditional corn varieties in the remotest areas, a significant number had already shifted to genetically modified corn. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) reduced the 12 morphological traits into 5 principal components and identified ear length and ear weight to be major contributors to variation. Cluster Analysis, on the other hand, formed two distinct groups but failed to give information about intra-cluster variability among the 32 collected corn accessions. These results warrant that more informative morphological traits and that molecular markers will be used to obtain a better picture of genetic diversity in Sarangani upland corn. Molecular analysis is also needed to establish genetic identities of these cultivars and to detect gene introgression from GM varieties into the gene pool of farmers' corn varieties. These analyses are imperative for the conservation of traditional corn varieties before they disappear in the Sarangani uplands because of shifting priorities of upland farmers.