• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.231-237
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• 2004

Oxycarotenoids are oxygenated carotenoids that perform critical roles in plants. $\beta$-Carotene hydroxylase adds hydroxyl groups to the $\beta$-rings of carotenes and has been cloned from several bacteria and plants including Arabidopsis. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of $\beta$-carotene hydroxylase gene (Chyb) on the oxycarotenoids biosynthesis in the transgenic Arabidopsis. Construct of pGCHYB containing Chyb was established onto Gateway vector system (pENTR3C gateway vector and pH2GW7 destination vector). Arabidopsis thaliana (cv. Columbia) was transformed with Agrobacterium tumerfacience GV3101 harboring pGCHYB construct driven by 35S promoter and hygromycin resistant gene. Seven hundred bases paired PCR products, indicating the presence of Chyb gene, were found in the transformants by PCR analysis using Chyb primers. Hygromycin resistance assay showed that transgenes were stably inherited to next generation. The overexpression of the Chyb gene resulted in the decrease carotenoid content. Especially, astaxanthin unusual oxycarotenoid in wild type Arabidopsis was detected in the transgenic plants. This means that decreased carotenoids might be converted into astaxanthin metabolism with the aid of silent gene in the host.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2006

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of mercury and arsenic on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana when treated with three different concentrations. When treated with mercury, there was no noticeable difference in the growth of the plant between the group treated with $0.5\;{\mu}g/L$ (the effluent standard established by the Ministry of Environment) and the group treated with the concentration 100 times higher. They both showed almost the same level of growth as that of the normal plant. But the group of the concentration 10 times higher showed significantly $10\%$ more growth compared with the normal plant. When treated with arsenic, the three different groups all showed a little more growth compared with the normal plant. Interestingly, the group of the concentration 10 times higher than the official standard concentration of arsenic $(50\;{\mu}g/L)$ showed the highest level of growth, significantly $20\%$ more than the normal plant. These results show that some amount of mercury and arsenic in the soil do not have much effect on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, and that optimum concentrations of mercury and arsenic can even stimulate the growth of the plant.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.1303-1308
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• 2003

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and lead) on the seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, and examinated the removal effects of biostone and green tea on the heavy metal toxicity. Cadmium and chromium among the four heavy metals had no effect on the seed germination even in the concentration fifty times higher than in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. However, seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. When seeds were sown in the solutions of lead (15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L) and copper(15 and 20 mg/L), the seed germination rates were 0％ and less than 10％, respectively. However, when biostone(3 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 100％ in all the concentrations. The germination rate was 100％ in distilled water and copper solution (5 mg/L). However, green tea (0.2 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 0％ in both. The results show that cadmiun and chromium had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, Biostone removed heavy metal toxicity, but green tea did not removed heavy metal toxicity during germination.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2000

The glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities of S-type and L-type thioltransferases (TTases), which are purified from the seeds and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively, were identified and compared. The S-type and L-type TTases showed $K_m$ values of 9.72 mM and 3.18mM on 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), respectively, indicating the L-type TTase has higher affinity for CDNB. The GST activity of the L-type TTase was rapidly inactivated after being heated at $70^{\circ}C$ or higher. The GST activity of the S-type TTase remains active in a range of $30-90^{\circ}C$. $Hg^{2+}$ inhibited the GST activity of the S-type TTase, whereas $Ca^{2+}$ and $Cd^{2+}$ inhibited the GST activity of the L-type TTase. Our results suggest that the GST activities of two TTases of Arabidopsis thaliana may have different catalytic mechanisms. The importance of the co-existence of TTAse and GST activities in one protein remains to be elucidated.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.605-609
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• 1999

Thioltransferase, also called glutaredoxin, is a general GSH-disulfide reductase of importance for redox regulation. Previously, the protein thioltransferase, now called S-type thioltransferase, was purified and characterized from Arabidopsis thaliana seed. In the present study, a second thioltransferase, called L-type thioltransferase, was purified to homogeneity from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. The purification procedures included DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-50 gel filtration, and glutathione-agarose affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was confirmed to show a unique band on SDS-PAGE and its molecular weight was estimated to be 26.6 kDa, which appeared to be atypical compared with those of most other thioltransferase. It could utilize 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, S-sulfocysteine, and insulin as substrates, and also contained dehydroascorbate reductase activity. Its optimum pH was 8.5 and its activity was greatly activated by L-cysteine. When it was kept for 30 min, it appeared to be very stable up to $70^{\circ}C$. It was activated by $MgCl_2$ and, on the contrary, inhibited by $ZnCl_2$, $MnCl_2$, and $AlCl_3$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.9-14
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• 2014

Two-photon microscopy (TPM) has been used in plant research as a high-resolution high-depth 3D imaging modality. However, TPM is known to induce photo-damage to the plant in case of long time exposure, and optimal excitation wavelength for plant imaging has not been investigated. Longer excitation wavelength may be appropriate for in vivo two-photon imaging of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, and effects of longer excitation wavelength were investigated in terms of imaging depth, emission spectrum. Changes of emission spectrum as a function of exposure time at longer excitation wavelength were measured for in vivo longitudinal imaging. Imaging depth was not changed much probably because photon scattering at the cell wall was a limiting factor. Chloroplast emission spectrum showed its intensity peak shift by 20 nm with transition of excitation wavelength from 849 nm or below to 850 nm or higher. Emission spectrum showed different change patterns with excitation wavelengths in longitudinal imaging. Longer excitation wavelengths appeared to interact with chloroplasts differently in comparison with 780 nm excitation wavelength, and may be good for in vivo imaging.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

We identified cdf based on screening of the Arabidopsis cDNA library for functional suppressors of the AtBI-1 (a gene described to suppress the cell death induced by Bax gene expression in yeast). The cdf was located on Chr. V and was composed of 5 exons and 4 introns. It encodes a protein of 258 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 28.8 kDa. The protein has 3 transmembrane domains in the C-terminal region. The cdf has one homologue, named cdf2, which was found in Arabidopsis. Like cdf, cdf2 also induced growth defect in yeast. The effect of the cell growth defect factor was somewhat lower than Bax. cdf could arrest the growth of yeast. Its localization to the nucleus was essential for the suppression of yeast cell proliferation. Morphological abnormality of intracellular network, which is a hallmark of AtBI-1, was attenuated by expression of cdf.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2010

Expression patterns of OsAREB1 revealed that expression of OsAREB1 gene can be induced by ABA, PEG and heat. Yeast one-hybrid assay demonstrated it can bind to ABA-responsive element (ABRE), which was found in most stress-induced genes. Transgenic Arabidopsis over-expressing OsAREB1 had different responses to ABA and glucose compared to wild-type plants, which suggest OsAREB1 might have a crucial role in these two signaling pathways. Further analysis indicate that OsAREB1 have multiple functions in Arabidopsis. First, OsAREB1 transgenic plants had higher resistance to drought and heat, and OsAREB1 up-regulated the ABA/stress related gene such as RD29A and RD29B. Second, it delayed plant flowering time by down-regulating the expression of flowering-related genes, such as FT, SOC1, LFY and AP1. Due to the dates, OsAREB1 may function as a positive regulator in drought/heat stresses response, but a negative regulator in flowering time in Arabidopsis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.389-394
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• 2006

Human seven-in-absentia (SIAH)-interacting protein (SIP) is a component of the E3 ligase complex targeting beta-catenin for destruction. Arabidopsis has one SIP protein (AtSIP) with 32% amino acid sequence identity to SIP. To investigate the functions of AtSIP, we isolated an atsip knockout mutant, and generated transgenic plants overexpressing AtSIP. The growth rates and morphologies of the atsip and transgenic plants were indistinguishable from those of wild type. However, atsip plants were more susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae infection, and the transgenic plants overexpressing AtSIP were more resistant. Consistent with this, RNA blot analysis showed that the AtSIP gene is strongly induced by wounding and hydrogen peroxide treatment. In addition, when plants were infected with P. syringae, AtSIP was transiently induced prior to PR-1 induction. These observations show that Arabidopsis AtSIP plays a role in resistance to pathogenic infection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2003

Turnip crinkle vims (TCV) inoculation onto resistant Arabidopsis ecotype Dijon（Di-17) leads to a hypersensitive response (HR) on the inoculated leaves. A dominant gene, HRT, which confers an HR to TCV, has been cloned from Di-17 plants by map-based cloning. HRT is a LZ-NBS-LRR class resistance gene and it belongs to a small gene family that includes RPP8, which confers resistance to Peronospora parasitica Emco5. Outside of the LRR region, HRT and RPP8 proteins share 98% amino acid identity while their LRR regions are less conserved (87% identity). HRT-transformed Arabidopsis plants developed an HR but generally remained susceptible to TCV due to a dominant RRT allele, which is not compatible with resistance. However, several transgenic plants that over-expressed HRT much higher than Di-l7 showed micro-HR or no HR when inoculated with TCV and were resistant to infection. Both the HR and resistance are dependent on salicylic acid but independent of NPRI, ethylene, or jasmonic acid. Arabidopsis plants containing both TCV coat protein gene and HRT developed massive necrosis and death in seedlings, indicating that the TCV coat protein is an avirulence factor detected by the HRT.