• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.237-241
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• 2017

Drought is one of the detrimental factors that impair plant growth and productivity. In this study, we applied annealing control primer (ACP)-based reverse transcriptase PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in maize leaves in response to drought stress. Two-week-old maize seedlings were exposed to drought (DT) by suspending water supply. DEGs were screened after 3 days of DT-treated samples using the ACP-based technique. Several DEGs encoding 16.9 protein, antimicrobial protein, hypothetical protein NCLIV_068840, thioredoxin M-type were identified in maize leaves under drought stress. These genes have putative functions in plant defense response, growth and development. These identified genes would be useful for predictive markers of plant defense, and growth responses under drought stress in plants.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 1996

To know the changes of rbcL mRNA level by illumination, Northern hybridization analysis was performed with maize (Zea mays L.cv. Golden X Bantam). The average level of rbcL. mRNA in the light-grown shoots was 3.1 times higher than that of the dark-grown shoots after 6 to 10 growth days. The maximum difference of rbcL mRNA level between the dark-grown and the light-grown shoots was 5.1 folds. These results indicate that accumulation of rbcL mRNAin maize shoots is induced by light. Since the transcriptional DNA binding proteins and their cognate promoter elements, we carried out gel-retardation assays to elucidate the specific binding proteins on the rbcL promoter. It was found that plastid proteins of light-grown shoots bound to the R2 DNA fragment (-33 to -229) and R3 DNA fragment (-230 to -418 from ATG) of the rbcL promoter. From the results of competitive binding assays and heat or protease treatments, it was demonstrated that the bindings were sequence-specific DNA-protein interactions. Therefore, it could be concluded that the rbcL promoter region has at least two specific recognition sites for plastid proteins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.978-987
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• 2015

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the greatest limitations to agriculture in acid soils, particularly in tropical regions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can supply plants with nutrients and give protection against Al toxicity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of soil liming (i.e., reducing Al saturation) on the AMF community composition and structure in the roots of maize lines contrasting for Al tolerance. To this end, we constructed four 18S rDNA cloning libraries from L3 (Al tolerant) and L22 (Al sensitive) maize lines grown in limed and non-limed soils. A total of 790 clones were sequenced, 69% belonging to the Glomeromycota phylum. The remaining sequences were from Ascomycota, which were more prominent in the limed soil, mainly in the L3 line. The most abundant AM fungal clones were related to the family Glomeraceae represented by the genera uncultured Glomus followed by Rhizophagus and Funneliformis. However, the most abundant operational taxonomic units with 27% of the Glomeromycota clones was affiliated to genus Racocetra. This genus was present in all the four libraries, but it was predominant in the non-limed soils, suggesting that Racocetra is tolerant to Al toxicity. Similarly, Acaulospora and Rhizophagus were also present mostly in both lines in non-limed soils. The community richness of AMF in the non-limed soils was higher than the limed soil for both lines. The results suggest that the soil Al saturation was the parameter that mostly influences the AMF species composition in the soils in this study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1592-1598
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• 2008

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of cattle slurry on maize fodder (Zea mays) production. Maize fodder was produced at 4 cattle slurry levels $T_0$ (0 ton/ha), $T_1$ (10 ton/ha), $T_2$ (12 ton/ha) and $T_3$ (14 ton/ha) in a randomized block design. Agronomic characteristics, plant heights, circumference of stems, number of leaves, leaf area and dry matter yield of maize fodder were measured. Maize plant height and stem circumference were significantly (p<0.01) influenced by the increasing rate of cattle slurry at 15, 30, 45 and 56 days after sowing. Number of leaves of fodder plants was not significant but leaf area was significant (p<0.05) among the treatment groups. The highest biomass yield (p<0.01) of maize fodder was observed in $T_2$ (44.0 ton/ha). For crude protein content, a significant difference (p<0.01) was observed in the treatment groups and the highest value was observed in $T_2$ (11.99%). Organic matter content of maize fodder showed a significant difference but ash, ADF and NDF contents showed no significant differences among treatment groups. From this study it may be concluded that the application of 12 tons of cattle slurry/ha was optimal for production of biomass and nutrient content of maize fodder.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2010

The pollen dispersal by wind can make an important to understanding the viability and evolution of plants in ecological and agricultural science. Modelling can be applied to evaluate concerns about the spread of engineered pollens from genetically modified (GM) crops. Here, we are using gamma model to estimate the level of dispersal distance of pollen in the cross-pollination between two different maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars in GMO field of Korea University during the year 2010. The result of estimation of model indicates maximum pollen dispersal distance of estimated proportion of cross-pollination of maize was reached to 0.1% in 525 meter northwest due to the wind. We identify further measurements necessary to improve the accuracy of the model predictions.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.411-419
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• 2003

The potent biosynthetic precursors, 24$\alpha$-methylcholesterol and 24$\alpha$-methylcholestanol, and the endogenous brassinosteroids (BRs), castasterone (CS) and 6-deoxocastasterone (6-deoxoCS), were identified from shoots of maize seedlings. In addition, the presence for activities of several enzymes involved in the late C6-oxida-lion pathway from 24$\alpha$-methylcholestanol to CS was demonstrated in the plants. However, activity for brassinolide (BL) synthase which catalyze the conversion of CS to BL, the last step of the late C6-oxidation pathway, was not detected in the enzyme solution obtained from the maize shoots. Together with the fact that BL was not identified from the maize shoots, these results strongly suggested that BRs in the maize shoots are biosynthesized during seedling growth and the active BR in the shoots is not BL but CS.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1473-1483
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• 2014

Reports of herbicide resistance events are proliferating worldwide, leading to new cultivation strategies using combinations of pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. We analyzed the impact during a one-year cultivation cycle of several herbicide combinations on the rhizobacterial community of glyphosate-tolerant Bt-maize and compared them to those of the untreated or glyphosate-treated soils. Samples were analyzed using pyrosequencing of the V6 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The sequences obtained were subjected to taxonomic, taxonomy-independent, and phylogeny-based diversity studies, followed by a statistical analysis using principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering with jackknife statistical validation. The resilience of the microbial communities was analyzed by comparing their relative composition at the end of the cultivation cycle. The bacterial communites from soil subjected to a combined treatment with mesotrione plus s-metolachlor followed by glyphosate were not statistically different from those treated with glyphosate or the untreated ones. The use of acetochlor plus terbuthylazine followed by glyphosate, and the use of aclonifen plus isoxaflutole followed by mesotrione clearly affected the resilience of their corresponding bacterial communities. The treatment with pethoxamid followed by glyphosate resulted in an intermediate effect. The use of glyphosate alone seems to be the less aggressive one for bacterial communities. Should a combined treatment be needed, the combination of mesotrione and s-metolachlor shows the next best final resilience. Our results show the relevance of comparative rhizobacterial community studies when novel combined herbicide treatments are deemed necessary to control weed growth.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of single and co-inoculation of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) on early plant growth in Saemangeum reclaimed soil. Plant growth promoting Brevibacterium iodinum RS16 and Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20 were inoculated on maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor L.) grown in Saemangeum reclaimed soil. Single and co-inoculation of B. iodinum RS16 and M. oryzae CBMB20 increased plant height, dry biomass accumulation and macro-nutrient accumulation of maize and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. M. oryzae CBMB20 treatment increased plant height in maize by 41.2% at 30 days after sowing (DAS), shoot dry weight and total dry weight compared to non-inoculated treatment. Macro-nutrient accumulation (N and P) in maize roots was significantly increased with co-inoculation treatment, K and Ca content was significantly increased at B. iodinum RS16 treatment compared to non-inoculated treatment. Macro-nutrient accumulation (P, K, Ca and Mg) in shoot was higher with M. oryzae CBMB20 treatment compared to non-inoculated treatment. In case of sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, co-inoculation treatment showed 33.7% increase in plant height compared to non-inoculated treatment at 30 DAS. M. oryzae CBMB20 treatment increased root dry weight and total dry weight, macro-nutrient accumulation in roots and N, Ca and Mg accumulation in shoot compared to non-inoculated treatment. P and K accumulation in shoot was significantly increased at co-inoculation treatment compared to non-inoculated treatment. This pot culture experiment demonstrated that single and co-inoculation of B. iodinum RS16 and M. oryzae CBMB20 increased the early growth and nutrient accumulation of maize and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1273-1279
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• 2005

Penicillium oxalicum strain CBPS-3F-Tsa, an efficient phosphate solubilizing fungus, was evaluated for its production of organic acid in vitro and effect of inoculation on the growth promotion of Maize under greenhouse conditions. The fungus solubilized 129.1, 118.8, and 54.1 mg P/1 of tricalcium phosphate [$Ca_{3}(PO_{4})_{2}$], aluminum phosphate ($A1PO_{4}$),and ferric phosphate ($FePO_{4}$), respectively, after 72 h of incubation. Malic acid, gluconic acid, and oxalic acid were detected in the flasks supplemented with various phosphate sources [240, 146, 145 mM/1 $A1PO_{4},\;FePO_{4},\;and\;Ca_{3}(PO_{4})_{2}$, respectively] together with a large amount of malic acid followed by the other two. The effects of inoculation of P. oxalicum CBPS-3F-Tsa on maize plants were studied under pot culture conditions. P. oxalicum CBPS-3F-Tsa was inoculated to maize plants alone or together with inorganic phosphates in the form of fused phosphates (FP) and rock phosphates (RP). Inoculation of P. oxalicum CBPS-3F-Tsa increased the plant growth and N and P accumulation in plants, compared with control plants, and also had positive effects when applied with RP. The results of this study show that the fungus P. oxalicum strain CBPS-3F-Tsa could solubilize different insoluble phosphates by producing organic acids, particularly malic acid, and also improved the efficiency of RP applied to maize plants.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2009

One of the limitations to conducting maize Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using explants of immature zygotic embryos routinely is the availability of the explants. To produce immature embryos routinely and continuously requires a well-equipped greenhouse and laborious artificial pollination. To overcome this limitation, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system using explants of type II embryogenic calli was developed. Once the type II embryogenic calli are produced, they can be subcultured and/or proliferated conveniently. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate a stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of maize using explants of type II embryonic calli and to evaluate the efficiency of the protocol in order to develop herbicide-resistant maize. The type II embryogenic calli were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58C1 carrying binary vector pTF102, and then were subsequently cultured on the following media: co-cultivation medium for 1 day, delay medium for 7 days, selection medium for $4{\times}14$ days, regeneration medium, and finally on germination medium. The T-DNA of the vector carried two cassettes (Ubi promoter-EPSPs ORF-nos and 35S promoter-bar ORF-nos). The EPSPs conferred resistance to glyphosate and bar conferred resistance to phosphinothricin. The confirmation of stable transformation and the efficiency of transformation was based on the resistance to phosphinothricin indicated by the growth of putative transgenic calli on selection medium amended with $4mg\;1^{-1}$ phosphinothricin, northern blot analysis of bar gene, and leaf painting assay for detection of bar gene-based herbicide resistance. Northern blot analysis and leaf painting assay confirmed the expression of bar transgenes in the $R_1$ generation. The average transformation efficiency was 0.60%. Based on northern blot analysis and leaf painting assay, line 31 was selected as an elite line of maize resistant to herbicide.