• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2057-2063
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• 2018

Laccases can oxidize a variety of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates including synthetic dyes. In this research, a laccase gene Lcc9 from Laccaria bicolor was chemically synthesized and optimized to heterogeneous expression in Pichia pastoris and Arabidopsis thaliana. The properties of recombinant laccase expressed by P. pastoris were investigated. The laccase activity was optimal at 3.6 pH and $40^{\circ}C$. It exhibited $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of $0.565mmol\;l^{-1}$ and $1.51{\mu}mol\;l^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ for ABTS respectively. As compared with untransformed control plants, the laccase activity in crude extracts of transgenic lines exhibited a 5.4 to 12.4-fold increase. Both laccases expressed in transgenic P. pastoris or A. thaliana could decolorize crystal violet. These results indicated that L. bicolor laccase gene may be transgenically exploited in fungi or plants for dye decolorization.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.161-180
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• 2017

As the competition for securing cross-border biological sovereignty becomes intensified due to the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol, this study analyzed patent trends only for freshwater plants in order to secure national biological sovereignty. As a result, freshwater plants include a total of 68 genera and 128 species, and a total of 60 genera and 3,256 patents were surveyed. Among them, iris was the most industrialized, 14.71% followed by angelica(8.48%) and Mentha(6.94%). However, unconfirmed eight genera (Aneilema, Artemisia Cabomba, Nymphoides, Pistia stratiotes L., Pseudoraphis Griff., Ruppia) are not patented freshwater plants and it is expected that patent entry is high and barrier is low in the future. Based on patent results, Cooperative Patent Classification analysis was carried out and as a result, a total of 15 industry sectors were derived. And biopharmaceutical(30.24%) was found to be the most industrialized industry sector followed by agricultural chemistry (28.89%), biochemical industry (16.25%). In the biomedical industry, angelica(17.74%) was the most used and Iris (9.55%), Sium(20.56%) and angelica (20.48%) were found to be the most used in agricultural chemistry, biochemical industry and bio food industry, respectively. The analysis of detailed industry fields for 15 industry sectors showed that medicines of unknown structure containing substances from plants (37.77%), raw materials (46.57%) such as insect repellants, attracting agents and preparation of peptides(16.82%) with more than 21 amino acids were most frequently used in biopharmaceutical, agricultural chemistry and biochemical industry, respectively. This study is of significance as a basic data to know which freshwater plants are used in which field in order to secure biological sovereignty and patent analysis is considered necessary to continuously secure the biological sovereignty for freshwater plants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2001

Defense mechanisms against anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare on the leaf surface of cucumber plants after pre-treatment with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR), amino salicylic acid(ASA) or C. orbiculare were compared using a fluorescence microscope. Induced systemic resistance was mediated by the pre-inoculation in the root system with PGPR strain Bacillus amylolquefaciens EXTN-1 that showed direct antifungal activity to C. gloeosporioides and C. orbiculare. Also, systemic acquired resistance was triggered by the pre-treatments on the bottom leaves with amino salicylic acid or conidial suspension of C. orbiculare. The protection values on the leaves expressing SAR were higher compared to those expressing ISR. After pre-inoculation with PGPR strains no change of the plants was found in phenotype, while necrosis or hypersensitive reaction(HR) was observed on the leaves of plants pre-treated with ASA or the pathogen. After challenge inoculation, inhibition of fungal growth was observed on the leaves expressing both ISR and SAR. HR was frequently observed at the penetration sites of both resistance-expressing leaves. Appressorium formation was dramatically reduced on the leaves of plants pre-treated with ASA, whereas EXTN-1 did not suppress the appressorium formation. ASA also more strongly inhibited the conidial germination than EXTN-1. Conversely, EXTN-1 significantly increased the frequency of callose formation at the penetration sites, but ASA did not. The defense mechanisms induced by C. orbiculare were similar to those by ASA. Based on these results it is suggested that resistance mechanisms on the leaf surface was different between on the cucumber leaves expressing ISR and SAR, resulting in the different protection values.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2002

This is a fundamental study to develop a sensor to detect weeds in paddy field using machine vision adopted spectralphotometric technique in order to use the sensor to spread herbicide selectively. A set of spectral reflectance data was collected from dry and wet soil and leaves of rice and 6 kinds of weed to select desirable wavelengths to classify soil, rice and weeds. Stepwise variable selection method of discriminant analysis was applied to the data set and wavelengths of 680 and 802 m were selected to distinguish plants (including rice and weeds) from dry and wet soil, respectively. And wavelengths of 580 and 680 nm were selected to classify rice and weeds by the same method. Validity of the wavelengths to distinguish the plants from soil was tested by cross-validation test with built discriminant function to prove that all of soil and plants were classified correctly without any failure. Validity of the wavelengths for classification of rice and weeds was tested by the same method and the test resulted that 98% of rice and 83% of weeds were classified correctly. Feasibility of CCD color camera to detect weeds in paddy field was tested with the spectral reflectance data by the same statistical method as above. Central wavelengths of RGB frame of color camera were tried as tile effective wavelengths to distingush plants from soil and weeds from plants. The trial resulted that 100% and 94% of plants in dry soil and wet soil, respectively, were classified correctly by the central wavelength or R frame only, and 95% of rice and 85% of weeds were classified correctly by the central wavelengths of RGB frames. As a result, it was concluded that CCD color camera has good potential to be used to detect weeds in paddy field.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1213-1222
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• 2009

The search for diverse plant growth-promoting (PGP) diazotrophic bacteria is gaining momentum as efforts are made to exploit them as biofertilizers for various economically important crops. In the present study, 17 diazotrophic strains belonging to eight different genera isolated from rice paddy fields were screened for multiple PGP traits and evaluated for their inoculation effects on canola and rice plants. All of the strains tested positive for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity and production of indole 3-acetic acid (IAA) and ammonia ($NH_3$). Additionally, four of the strains were able to solubilize phosphorus (P), five tested positive for zinc (Zn) solubilization and sulfur (S) oxidation, and eight strains produced siderophores. Based on the presence of multiple PGP traits, 10 strains were selected for inoculation studies. Treatment with Herbaspirillum sp. RFNB26 resulted in maximum root length (54.3%), seedling vigor, and dry biomass in canola, whereas Paenibacillus sp. RFNB4 exhibited the lowest activity under gnotobiotic conditions. However, under pot culture conditions, Paenibacillus sp. RFNB4 significantly increased plant height and dry biomass production by 42.3% and 29.5%, respectively. Canola plants and rhizosphere soils inoculated with Bacillus sp. RFNB6 exhibited significantly higher nitrogenase activity. In greenhouse experiments, Serratia sp. RFNB18 increased rice plant height by 35.1%, Xanthomonas sp. RFNB24 enhanced biomass production by 84.6%, and rice rhizosphere soils inoculated with Herbaspirillum sp. RFNB26 exhibited the highest nitrogenase activity. Our findings indicate that most of the selected strains possess multiple PGP properties that significantly improve the growth parameters of the two plants when tested under controlled conditions.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2016

Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have contributed to revolutionary understanding of many fundamental biological processes. With unprecedented cost-effective and high-throughput sequencing, a single laboratory can afford to de novo sequence the whole genome for species of interest. In addition, population genetic studies have been remarkably accelerated by numerous molecular markers identified from unbiased genome-wide sequences of population samples. As sequencing technologies have evolved very rapidly, acquiring appropriate individual plants or populations is a major bottleneck in plant research considering the complex nature of plant genome, such as heterozygosity, repetitiveness, and polyploidy. This challenge could be overcome by the old but effective method known as haploid induction. Haploid plants containing half of their sporophytic chromosomes can be rapidly generated mainly by culturing gametophytic cells such as ovules or pollens. Subsequent chromosome doubling in haploid plants can generate stable doubled haploid (DH) with perfect homozygosity. Here, classical methodology to generate and identify haploid plants or DH are summarized. In addition, haploid induction by epigenetic regulation of centromeric histone is explained. Furthermore, the utilization of haploid plant in the genomics era is discussed in the aspect of genome sequencing project and population genetic studies.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2009

Paromius exiguus (Distant) has caused serious damage by pecky grains around Gimpo paddy fields in 2001. We conducted field and laboratory studies to determine the seasonal occurrence and age distribution of P. exiguus on the three major host plants. The overwintering P. exiguus was found mainly on the basal part of gramineae weeds in various localities. After overwintering, in mid-May, the adults aggregated on the grain parts of Imperata cylindrica, laid their eggs and nymphs developed into adults on the same host plants. By the time, the Calamagrostis epigeios colony had newly occupied I. cylindrica areas, the nymphs and adults of first generation had already moved to the second host. The second generation of P. exiguus, after having completed its life cycle on C. epigeios, the newly emerged adults migrated to the rice plants and other gramineae weeds in early August. Afterwards, they complete its third generation cycle where they can move to the overwintering site again. P. exiguus has the five nymphal stages and each nymphal stage could be determined by head or prothoracic width. On the I. cylindrica and O. sativa hosts, the age distribution of P. exiguus showed a simple structure as each stage ratio increased stepwise with time. But in case of C. epigeios, as the newly emerged adults and immature nymphs continuously migrate after a month from the I. cylindrica, the age structure became remarkably complex. The peak nymphal density was observed when the ratio of third and forth instar was the highest in the population. The finding about the specific age structure on each generation of the insect would be very useful in control decision making on the major host plants. It is also important to consider the host's specificity to pesticide sensitivity in relation to various nymphal stages.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2013

A less simple approach developed for generation of marker-free transgenic plants is to select transformants without the use of selective marker genes. Some results about development of marker-free transgenic plants were obtained using a non-selective approach in several crops such as rice, potato and tobacco. However, the study did not provide evidence on detailed characterization of introduced gene on genome, a critical step for confirming the stable integration and transmission of a foreign gene. In this study, we evaluated structure and integration sites of transgene (mCry1Ac) in the transgenic Bt rice plants which were made via conventional Agrobacterium-mediated transformation by non-selective method. Structure and integration sites of transgene in these transgenic plants had similar fashion as those recovered under selection.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2014

Recently, a quick drop of air temperature in plastic film houses by adverse weather conditions leads to the occurrence of low temperature damages to growing crops. Chilling injury, defined as a variety of growth restriction occurring below the optimal temperature, is one of environmental factors strongly affecting crop growth and yield. Low temperature causes the restricted evapotranspiration, reduced mineral uptake (P > K > $NO_3{^-}$), and an increase in electrolyte leakage such as K. Despite being different with plant species, an accumulation of soluble carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch under chilling condition is well known. A variety of environmental stresses are known to cause oxidative damage to plants either directly or indirectly by triggering an increased level of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and, to combat the oxidative damage, plants have the antioxidant defense systems comprising of enzymes, SOD, POD, CAT, GPX and APX, and non-enzymes, ascorbate, gluthathione, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, phenolic compounds, carotenoid and flavonoids. The aim of this review is to provide basic information to build chilling-indicators and optimal nutrition management under adverse temperature conditions as broadly considering mineral uptake, carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidative defense system.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2007

The HAP complex has been found in many eukaryotic organisms. HAP recognizes the CCAAT box present in the promoters of 30% of all eukaryotic genes. The HAP complex consists of three subunits - HAP2, HAP3 and HAP5. In this paper, we report the biological function of the AtHAP3b gene that encodes one of the HAP3 subunits in Arabidopsis. Compared with wild-type plants, hap3b-1 and hap3b-2 mutants exhibited a delayed flowering time under long-day photoperiod conditions. Moreover, the transcription levels of FT were substantially lower in the mutants than in the wild-type plants. These results imply that AtHAP3b may function in the control of flowering time by regulating the expression of FT in Arabidopsis. In a subsequent study, AtHAP3b was found to be induced by osmotic stress. Under osmotic stress conditions, the hap3b- 1 and hap3b-2 mutants flowered considerably later than the wild-type plants. These results suggest that the AtHAP3b gene plays more important roles in the control of flowering under osmotic stress in Arabidopsis.