• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.276-283
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• 2005

Ascorbic acid is a great antioxidant and helps protect the body against pollutants. GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMPase) is a key enzyme in manufacturing GDP-mannose, a glycosyl donor for ascorbate and cell wall biosynthesis as well as for protein glycosylation. In this study, we described molecular cloning of a full-length cDNA from Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Jasim), using tuber. The cDNA isolated encoded a GDP-mannose pyrophosphrylase. The nucleotide sequence of pGMPC showed about 95%, 89% and 80% homology with S. tuberosum (AF022716), N. tabacum (AB066279) and A. thaliana (AF076484) cDNAs clone known as GMPase, respectively. We detected the expression of GMPase using RT-PCR. The highest expression of GMPase was found in stems, and the largest amount of ascorbic acid was also presented in stems. In contrast, the leaf showed minimal level of GMPase transcript and ascorbic acid content. We propose that GMPase expression patterns were similar to the changes of ascorbic acid content in the leaves treated with diverse stresses.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.385-390
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• 2009

A resveratrol synthase (RS) gene was isolated from peanut (Arachis hypogaea, L. cv. Jinpoong) plants. This gene was placed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV35S) and introduced into two Korean varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cvs. Jasim and Jowon) plants by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Putative transformants were screened by PCR with primers designed from CaMV 35S promoter, NOS terminator and RS gene. Most of selected transgenic potato plants showed the amplification of expected fragments by PCR of genomic DNA with gene-specific primers, while they were absent in untransformed control plants. Expression of the resveratrol synthase gene was also examined by northern blot analysis. The transformants showed a band which was lacking in the control plant, confirming that the introduced gene is transcribed into mRNA in the transformants. The strength of the band, which reflected the level of mRNA expression, differed among the individual transformants. Among the transformants obtained, the highest trans-resveratrol content in the transgenic young leaves of purple-fleshed "Jashim" was $2.11{\mu}gg^{-1}$ fresh weight and that in the microtubers in vitro of purple fleshed "Jashim" was $8.31{\mu}gg^{-1}$ fresh weight. This amount of resveratrol may have a positive biological effect on human health.