• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2019

The morphological characteristics of the bloom-forming dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea isolated from Jangmok Harbour, Geoje in Korea was examined using light and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and its large subunit (LSU) rDNA was sequenced. Additionally, investigation was done on the effects of temperature and salinity on the growth of A. sanguinea. The cells were dorso-ventrally compressed up to 54.7-70.3 ㎛ long and 31.5-48.5 ㎛ wide. The epicone was conical while the hypocone was separated into two lobes. The nucleus was positioned at the center of the cell. The yellow-brown chloroplasts radiated close to the cell center. SEM observation indicated that A. sanguinea has an e-shaped apical groove. Molecular phylogeny based on LSU rDNA gene sequences revealed that the A. sanguinea strains isolated from Jangmok Harbor were classified in the clade of ribotype A. The maximum growth rate (0.50 day^-1) was observed at 20℃ and 20 psu, while the maximum cell density (1,372 cells mL^-1) was observed at 25℃ and 30 psu. This indicates that the blooms of A. sanguinea ribotype A in Korean coastal area are affected by water temperature, rather than the salinity.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.247-252
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• 2000

Polyamine concentrations were clearly enhanced in leaves and chloroplasts by Cd treatment, but not in thylakoid and PSII. It appeared that newly synthesized polyamines by Cd are distributed in stromal space. The accumulated polyamines in stromal space could not be adjacent to thylakoid membranes, suggesting that they are already saturated. The levels of putrescine and spermine were about 36 and 20 fold lower in chloroplast than in whole leaf cells respectively, whereas agmatine level was only 3.7 fold lower. The inhibitory effect of Cd nn $O_2$ evolving process was obviously alleviated by 0.2mM spermine supplement. Polyamines stimulated $O_2$ evolution within the range of 0.5mM in spinach thylakoids. It was also found that stimulating effect of polyamines is about 2 fold higher in dicothyledonous spinach than in monocotyledonous wheat at same concentrations. Furthermore, the enhanced activity of $O_2$ evolution was lowered rather by agmatine treatment than by putrescine treatment in wheat, suggesting a difference between monocot and dicot.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2020

Morphology of a strain of unspecified Skeletonema species established from Korean coast was examined by light, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, and SSU(small subunit) and LSU(large subunit) rDNA of the strain were also sequenced. The specimen was characterized by solitary or short chains, and each cell contained 1-2 chloroplasts. The valve face was slightly convex, and the terminal fultoportula processes (TFPPs) were open and showed narrow distal ends that could be truncated or spiny with claw-like protrusions. The basal part of the TFPPs was tubular and oblique to the cell axis. The intercalary fultoportula processes (IFPPs) were also narrow, completely open, and joined in a 1 : 1 junction. Occasionally, one IFPP was connected with two opposing IFPPs. The morphological features of the specimen were identical to those of Skeletonema pseudocostatum. Molecular phylogeny based on SSU rDNA revealed that the Korean strain is nested within a clade comprising S. pseudocostatum and S. tropicum. However, based on D1-D2 LSU rDNA sequences, a clade including S. pseudocostatum and a Korean strain was separated from the S. tropicum clade. This indicates that the Korean strain can be identified as S. pseudocostatum. This species represents the first record from Korean coastal waters.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2003

Ultrastructural changes of the pericarp in Citrus reticulata has been investigated during hesperidium abscission. The pericarp was composed of compactly arranged parenchyma cell layers during early stages of fruit development. The outermost exocarp was green and active in photosynthesis. However, cells in the exocarp soon changed into collenchyma cells by developing unevenly thickened walls within a short time frame. As the fruit approached maturation, the chlorophyll gradually disappeared and chloroplasts were transformed into carotenoid-rich chromoplasts. In the mature fruit the exocarp consisted of large, lobed collenchyma cells with primary pit fields and numerous plasmodesmata. The immature mesocarp was a relatively hard and thick layer, located directly under the exocarp. With development, the deeper layers of the exocarp merged into the white, spongy mesocarp. Before separation of the hesperidium from the plant, some unusual features were detected in the plasma membrane of the exocarp cells. The number of small vacuoles and dark, irregular osmiophilic lipid bodies also increased enormously in the exocarp collenchyma after the abscission. They occurred between the plasma membrane and the wall, and invaginated pockets of the plasma membrane containing double-membraned vesicles were also frequently noticed. The lipid bodies in the cytoplasm were often associated with other organelles, especially with plastids and mitochondria. The plastids, which were irregular or amoeboid in shape, contained numerous large lipid droplets, and occasional clusters of phytoferritin, as well as few loosely -oriented peripheral lamellae. Myelin-like configurations of membrane were frequently observed in the vacuoles, as was the association of lipid bodies with the vacuolar membrane. Most vacuoles had an irregular outline, and lipid bodies were often connected to the tonoplast of the vacuoles. The structural changes underlying developmental, particularly to senescence, processes in various hesperidium will be reported in the separate paper.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.237-244
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• 2010

Utricularia forms small, but complex carnivorous trap along the stem either in water or in soil depending upon species. The shapes and sizes of the traps, appendages, and trichomes are known to differ among aquatic, terrestrial and epiphytic species. In the present study, the morphology and microstructure of the trap in aquatic Utricularia japonica and terrestrial U. livida were examined using light and electron microscopy. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of trap features between the aquatic and terrestrial species. The trap was found to be comprised of a thin walled bladder with numerous capitate trichomes, two-armed bifid and four-armed quadrifid glands in both species; however, the traps of the two species were different in size, and number and morphology of the trichomes and glands. Aquatic Utricularia was chlorenchymatous with chloroplasts distributed throughout the body, whereas the terrestrial species was translucent without plastids due to an adaptation to underground habitats. Furthermore, the former differed considerably in that the traps developed antenna and appendages around the entrance area. A peculiar trap entrance was also noted in U. livida, which exhibited radiating rows of various trichomes within funnel-shaped tissue. A large number of glandular trichomes covered the entrance area and door surface with four trigger hairs each in the aquatic form but only two in the terrestrial form. The glandular trichomes near the door secreted a large amount of mucilage that temporarily composed the velum in the U. japonica, however, it was not observed in the terrestrial species. All of the aforementioned features were highly related in their structure and function during carnivorous mechanism in Utricularia. The current findings provide important data for further comparison of the different life forms within Utricularia.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.299-305
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• 2007

Oxidative stress is a major damaging factor for plants exposed to environmental stresses. Previously, we have generated transgenic potato (cv. Superior) plants expressing both CuZnSOD and APX genes in chloroplast under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SSA plants) and selected the transgenic potato plant lines with tolerance against methyl viologen (MV)-mediated oxidative stress. When leaf discs of SSA plants were subjected to $3{\mu}M$ methyl viologen (MV), they showed approximately 40% less damage than non-transgenic (NT) plants. SSA plantlets were treated with $0.3{\mu}M$ MV stress, SSA plants also exhibited reduced damage in root growth. When 350 MV was sprayed onto the whole plants, SSA plants showed a significant reduction in visible damage, which was approximately 75% less damage than leaves of NT plants. These plants will be used for further analysis of tolerance to environmental stresses, such as high temperature and salt stress. These results suggest that transgenic potato (cv. Superior) plants would be a useful plant crop for commercial cultivation under unfavorable growth conditions.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.30-41
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• 2011

The influences of the agitation as well as the addition of medium during culture on the production of embryos were invested in isolated microspore culture of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). When the culture medium was added during initial liquid culture step of liquid-double layer culture, the embryo yield and quality greatly increased. The most effective time point for medium addition was 5 days after the culture commenced. On the other hand, the effect of medium addition at later double layer culture step in liquid-double layer culture on the embryo production was less compared to that of medium addition during the initial liquid culture step. Agitating the culture for 1 week during later double layer culture step in liquid-double layer culture effectively increased the production of normal cotyledonary embryos. In the case of liquid culture, agitating the culture for 1 week from 7 days after the culture commenced was also effective for embryo development. However, when the total agitation time was longer (2 to 3 weeks) during liquid-double layer culture or liquid culture, the embryos developed abnormally in both cases. The normal cotyledonary embryos obtained in this study successfully developed to plants when transferred to regeneration media. These regenerated plants were either diploid or haploid, and there was a difference in the number of chloroplasts between guard cells of diploid and haploid. These results can be used as an important data for developing an efficient microspore culture system with high quality embryo production in hot pepper.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.125-134
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• 2013

Lipid droplets called plastoglobules are present in all plastid types. In chloroplasts, they are surrounded by the outer lipid monolayer from and connected to thylakoid membrane. The plastoglobule core contains the neutral lipids, which includes prenylquinones, triacylglycerols, and carotenoids. During stress and various developmental stages such as senescence, the size and number of plastoglobules increase due to the accumulation of lipids. Plastoglobules proteome revealed the presence of metabolic enzymes as well as structural proteins, plastoglobulins/fibrillins. Among the metabolic enzymes, the tocopherol cyclase, VTE1 and the NADPH quinine dehydrogenase, NDC1 have demonstrated that these participate in isoprenoid lipid metabolic pathways at the plastoglobule, notably in the metabolism of prenylquinones (tocopherol, plastoquinol and phylloquinone).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2007

Environmental stress is the major limiting factor in plant productivity. As an effort to solve the global food and environmental problems using the plant biotechnology, we have developed transgenic tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants via Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer method. To develop transgenic tall fescue plants with enhanced tolerance to the environmental stresses, both CuZn superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) genes were incorporated in a pIG121 binary vector and the both of the genes were controlled separately by an oxidative stress-inducible sweet potato peroxidase 2 (SWPA2) premoter expressed in chloroplasts. Leaf discs of transgenic plants showed 10-30% less damage compared to the wild-type when they exposed to a wide range of environmental stresses including methyl viologen (MV), $H_2O_2$ and heavy metals. In addition, when $200{\mu}M$ MV was sprayed onto the whole plants, transgenic plants showed a significant reduction of visible damage compared to wild-type plants that were almost damaged. These results suggest that over expression of CuZnSOD and APX genes in transgenic plants might be a useful strategy to protect the crops against a wide range of environmental stresses.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.237-246
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• 1995

In this study, the callus was induced and regenerated from the immature embryo and ultrastructural characteristics of developmental stages in Citrus junos SIEB, were investigated. The yellowish callus was induced by 5 to 6 week of culture of citrus. In proliferation callus after 6 weeks of culture, large vacuole was formed by fusion between adjacent small ones. In the non-embryogenic callus cultured for 12weeks, re-differentiated cells of callus showed the large nucleus with globular nucleus and amyloplast with large size of starches. In the embryogenic callus cltured for 14-16 weeks, the active exocytosis occurred in cells, secretory vesicles appeared on cell membrane and small particles from cytoplasm were released to intercelluar space. In the embryogenic callus cultured for 24 weeks, a sperical type of chloroplast bounded on cytoplasm by double membrane and typical grana was dispersed equally among matrix. In the normal plantlet after 26 weeks of culture, a lot of vessels and companion cells apperaed in the leaf cell of plantlet. In the normal plantlet after 30 weeks of culture, the immature leaf showed many small companion cells, sieve tubes and central vacuole. Also, the secondary vacuole protruded into the central vacuole and elongated chloroplasts near plasma membrane. In the matured plant habituated on the soil, palisada tissue composed of orderly arranged cells contained the nucleus in the center of the cell and large vacuoles on either side of the nucleus.