• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.207-218
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• 2008

The impacts of planted transgenic rice varieties on bacterial communities in paddy soils were monitored using both cultivation and molecular methods. The rice field plot consisted of eighteen subplots planted with two genetically modified (GM) rice and four non-GM rice plants in three replicates. Analysis with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes revealed that the bacterial community structures were quite similar to each other in a given month, suggesting that there were no significant differences in bacterial communities between GM and non-GM rice soils. The bacterial community structures appeared to be generally stable with the seasons, as shown by a slight variation of microbial population levels and DGGE banding patterns over the year. Comparison analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries constructed from soil bacterial DNA showed that there were no significant differences between GM and non-GM soil libraries but revealed seasonal differences of phyla distribution between August and December. The composition profile of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) between GM and non-GM soils also was not significantly different to each other. When soil DNAs were analyzed with PCR by using primers for the bar gene, which was introduced into GM rice, positive DNA bands were found in October and December soils. However, no bar gene sequence was detected in PCR analysis with DNAs extracted from both cultured and uncultured soil bacterial fractions. The result of this study suggested that, in spite of seasonal variations of bacterial communities and persistence of the bar gene, the bacterial communities of the experimental rice field were not significantly affected by cultivation of GM rice varieties.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2014

Plant abiotic stress tolerance has been modulated by engineering the trehalose synthesis pathway. However, many stress-tolerant plants that have been genetically engineered for the trehalose synthesis pathway also show abnormal development. The metabolic intermediate trehalose 6-phosphate has the potential to cause aberrations in growth. To avoid growth inhibition by trehalose 6-phosphate, we used a gene that encodes a bifunctional in-frame fusion (BvMTSH) of maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (BvMTS) and maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (BvMTH) from the nonpathogenic bacterium Brevibacterium helvolum. BvMTS converts maltooligosaccharides into maltooligosyltrehalose and BvMTH releases trehalose. Transgenic rice plants that over-express BvMTSH under the control of the constitutive rice cytochrome c promoter (101MTSH) or the ABA-inducible Ai promoter (105MTSH) show enhanced drought tolerance without growth inhibition. Moreover, 101MTSH and 105MTSH showed an ABA-hyposensitive phenotype in the roots. Our results suggest that over-expression of BvMTSH enhances drought-stress tolerance without any abnormal growth and showes ABA hyposensitive phenotype in the roots.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.95-105
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• 2005

Transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis provides one of the most powerful tools for functional studies of genes in higher plants. This project has been performed to develop a large population of insertional mutations, and to construct databases of molecular information on Ds insertion sites in rice. Ultimate goals are to supply genetic materials and information to analyze gene function and to identify and utilize agronomically important genes for breeding purpose. Two strategies have been employed to generate the large scale of transposon population in a Japonica type rice, Dongjin Byeo; 1) genetic crosses between Ac and Ds lines and 2) plant regeneration from seeds carrying Ac and Ds. Our study showed that over 70% of regenerated plants generally carried independent Ds elements and high activity of transposition was detected only during regeneration period. Ds-flanking DNA amplified from leaf tissues of F2 and T1 (or T2) plants have been amplified via TAIL-PCR and directly sequenced. So far, over 65,000 Ds lines have been generated and over 9,500 Ds loci have been mapped on chromosomes by sequence analysis. Database of molecular information on Ds insertion sites has been constructed, and has been opened to the public and will be updated soon at http://www.niab.go.kr. Detailed functional analysis of more than 30 rice mutants has been performed. Several Ds-tagged rice genes that have been selected for functional analysis will be briefly introduced. We expect that a great deal of information and genetic resources of Ds lines would be obtained during the course of this project, which will be shared with domestic and international rice researchers. In addition to the Japonica rice, we have established the tagging system in an rice line of indica genetic background, MGRI079. MGRI079 (Indica/Japonica) was transformed with Agrobacteria carrying Ac and Ds T-DNA vectors. Among transgenic lines, we successfully identified single-copy Ds and Ac lines in MGR1079. These lines were served as ‘starter lines’ to mutagenize Indica genetic background. To achieve rapid, large scale generation of Ds transposant lines, MGR1079 transformants carrying homozygous Ac were crossed with ones with homozygous Ds, and $F_2$seeds were used for plant regeneration. In this year, over 2,000 regeneration plants were grown in the field. We are able to evaluate the tagging efficiency in the Indica genetic background in the fall.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2010

This study was carried out to develop of macro-protocol and the biosafety guide Golden Rice, modified vitamin A at large scale GMO field. Commercialization of genetically modified (GM) plants will be required the assessment of risks associated with the release of GM plants that should include a detailed risk assessment of their impacts in the environment and human health. Prior to GM plant release, applicants should provide the information on GM crops for approval. A total of $4,700m^2$ GM field, each of Golden Rice and 'Nakdong' were used for further analysis on agronomic traits and pathogenesis. Generally plant growth and panicle number in the transgenic lines were lower than in the wild type under field condition. The major agronomic traits such as plant growth, grain quality in Golden Rice were similar than in 'Nakdong'. The yield difference was due to reduced ripened rate and the 1,000 grain weight. The grain shape was similar donor plant, however, color of brown rice was different from segregation. Also the difference of pathogenesis reaction was not significant in the leaf blast and sheath blight between Golden Rice and 'Nakdong'. These results provided the agronomic data and pathogenesis for risk assessment analysis of Golden Rice and suggested that the macro-protocol could be useful to detect GM plants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.771-777
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• 2008

Calmodulin (CaM) proteins, members of the EF-hand family of $Ca^{2+}$-binding proteins, represent important relays in plant calcium signals. Here, OsCam1-1 was isolated by PCR amplification from the rice genome. The gene contains an ORF of 450 base pairs with a single intron at the same position found in other plant Cam genes. A promoter region with a TATA box at position-26 was predicted and fused to a gus reporter gene, and this construct was used to produce transgenic rice by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. GUS activity was observed in all organs examined and throughout tissues in cross-sections, but activity was strongest in the vascular bundles of leaves and the vascular cylinders of roots. To examine the properties of OsCaM1-1, the encoding cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli. The electrophoretic mobility shift when incubated with $Ca^{2+}$ indicates that recombinant OsCaM1-1 is a functional $Ca^{2+}$-binding protein. In addition, OsCaM1-1 bound the CaMKII target peptide confirming its likely functionality as a calmodulin.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2009

The genetically modified leaffolder-resistant (Cry1Ac1) rice plant was evaluated for the changes of resistance by comparing the occurrence of major diseases with a japonica type Korean rice variety, Nakdong which was the mother plant of the transgenic rice event, in greenhouse and field conditions. There was no difference in the occurrence of sheath blight and Helminthosporium blight between the two varieties in the fields. We couldn't find any difference of resistance for fungal blast and bacterial leaf blight by artificial inoculation in greenhouse. There was also no difference in the susceptibility to sheath blight in artificial inoculation tests confirming the results in the fields. The possibility of gene transfer of Bar and Cry1Ac1 from the genetically modified rice plant to naturally infected pathogens such as Fusarium moniliforme and Pyricularia oryzae in the field conditions was tested by PCR. And the possible transfer of those genes by continuous inoculation of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Rhizoctonia solani was also tested. However, we couldn't find any possibility of transfer of the genes in natural and artificial conditions.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2009

This study was carried out to develop transgenic rice cultivars with the CAX1 (accession no. U57411) gene. We successfully selected the transgenic rice plants over-expressing the Arabidopsis H+/$Ca^{2+}$ antiporter CAX1 (accession no. U57411) gene in T6 generation. The brown rice of the CAX1 expressing rice contained 13.4~68.0 % more calcium $(Ca^{2+})$ than that of the wild type and 5 lines were selected based on the phenotypes compared to the control cultivar at the GMO field. The CAX1 expressing transgenic rice plants were similar in phenotype to the wild type during the whole growth period. Also these selected 4 lines appeared to be resistant to blast, cold and water solution compared with the wild type. Difference in 1,000 grain weight of brown rice was observed among each line but grain shape did not show any morphological alternations. These results suggest the enhanced Ca-substrate specificity of CAX1 exchanger in donor plant. Therefore, intact CAX1 exchanger can be functionally useful for $Ca^{2+}$ nutrient enrichment of rice with reduced accumulation of undesirable cation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.195-195
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• 2005

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.809-817
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• 2009

The phenotypes associated with a gene function are often the best clue to its role in the plant. Transgenic plants ectopically expressing or suppressing a gene can provide useful information related to the gene function. In this study, we constructed three vectors - pFGL571, pFGL846 and pFGL847 - for the Agrobacterium-mediated ectopic expression of plant genes using pPZP211 and modified CaMV 35S, UBQ3 or UBQ10 promoters. The three vectors have several merits such as small size, high copy in bacteria, enough restriction enzyme sites in multi cloning sites and nucleotide sequence information. Analysis of transgenic plants containing GUS or sGFP reporter genes under the control of modified CaMV 35S, UBQ3 or UBQI0 promoter revealed that all of the three promoters showed high activities during most developmental stages after germination and in floral organs. Furthermore, we generated a RNAi module vector, pFGL727, to suppress plant gene expressions and confirmed that pFGL727 is useful for the suppression of a gene expression using rice transgenic plants. Taken together, our new vectors would be very useful for the ectopic expression or the suppression of plant genes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.680-685
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• 2011

The AT-hook motif is a small DNA-binding protein motif that has been found in the high mobility group of non-histone chromosomal proteins. The Arabidopsis genome contains 29 genes encoding the AT-hook motif DNA-binding protein (AHL). Recent studies of Arabidopsis genes (AtAHLs) have revealed that they might play diverse functional roles during plant growth and development. In this report, we mined 20 AHL genes (OsAHLs) from the rice genome database using AtAHL genes as queries and characterized their molecular features. A phylogenetic tree revealed that OsAHL proteins can be classified into 2 evolutionary clades. Tissue expression pattern analysis revealed that all of the OsAHL genes might be functionally expressed genes with 3 distinct expression patterns. Nuclear localization analysis using transgenic Arabidopsis showed that several OsAHL proteins are exclusively localized in the nucleus, indicating that they may act as architectural transcription factors to regulate expression of their target genes during plant growth and development.