• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.215-220
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• 2016

The global cultivation area of genetically modified crops (GM crops) has been increasing every year. Cultivation of GM crops is not only beneficial to the economy but also has positive effects on the environment in decreasing the use of agrochemicals, chemical fertilizers, and agricultural machinery. However, there have been controversies about the admixture of GM crops and non-GM crops and the unintentional release of GM crops to the environment. Especially in Korea, where consumption of agricultural products is import-dependent, the economic importance of GM crops has been a significant issue. The Act on import and distribution of GM crops was established in 2001 to start the management of GM crops in Korea. Recently, the imported amount of GM crops to Korea has reached over 10 million tons and is increasing very rapidly; consequently, the potential environmental impact of GM crops is becoming a big issue in Korea. In Japan, the discovery of imported GM canola plants around ports in 2005 raised awareness of the unintentional release of GM crops. In Korea, GM maize plants were also found in port and feed factory surroundings from 2005 to 2007. It is now necessary to monitor imported GM crops by tracing distribution, transport process for practical environmental risk assessment. Possible gene transfer from GM crops to non-GM crops should also be investigated in the cultivation area and the surroundings as well.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2013

A duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed to detect unapproved genetically modified (GM) potato (EH92-527-1) in Korea. The UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) gene was selected as an endogenous reference gene for potato and used to validate the specificity for 14 different crops. The primer pair EH92-F/R was designed to amplify the junction sequence between the genome and transgenic region introduced in GM potato. Its specificity was also validated using several different GM events. The detection limit of the duplex PCR method is approximately 0.05%. This duplex PCR method could be useful for monitoring cultivation of unauthorized GM potato in Korea.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.31-66
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• 2011

The main issue in Korean debates over genetically modified (GM) foods have been government's responsibility to guarantee consumers' right-to-know and make informed choice. Counter-experts' critique over the current regulatory processes based upon substantial equivalence have not been widely publicized. Through interviews and textual analysis, this paper explored three groups' performances in Korean GM food controversies-regulatory scientists, civil society organizations, and counter-experts. Analytic focus was made upon how each of the groups interact with current GM food regulations. While making conflicts with regulatory scientists and their 'discourse of compliance with global standards,' counter-experts were excluded from regulatory processes. This article suggests that the processes and contexts in which counter-experts failed to form strong alliance with other groups need to be examined in order to further understand the specific contours of Korean GM food controversies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the spaciotemporal plasticity of intergeniculate leaflet in postnatal mongolian gerbil using genetically modified pseudorabies virus recombinant, which was a kind of excellent neurotracer with the ability to transpass the neuronal synaptic cleft. In addition, we tried to evaluate the special role of intergeniculate leaflet as a signal controler of circardian rhythm by expression of various nourotransmitters in suprachiasrnatic nucleus. The PRV-BaBlu, a genetically modified strain of PRV-Bartha with lac-Z gene, was injected into vitreous body of postnatal mongolian gerbil, and immunostained. The PRV-Bablu infected the neurons in intergeniculate leaflet of postnatal mongolian gerbil, and the degree of viral infection in postnatal period of experimental animals had tendency to increase with time consuming. This results showed that the mutant PRV-Bar-tha strain with lac-Z gene, PRV-BaBlu, was a very excellent neurotracer to localize the retinogeniculate tract with infection of neurons in intergeniculate leaflet specially.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.278-280
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• 2010

This study was aimed to develop a novel qualitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneous detection of genetically modified (GM) soy and maize within a single reaction. The specific primers designed to detect four respective GM events (A2704-12, MON88017, Bt11, and MON863) were included in the tetraplex PCR system. Each of PCR products for four GM events could be distinguished by agarose gel based on their different lengths. The specificity and reproducibility of this multiplex PCR were evaluated. This multiplex PCR consistently amplified only a fragment corresponding to a specific inserted gene in each of the four GM events and also amplified all four of the PCR products in the simulated GM mixture. These results indicate that this multiplex PCR method could be an effective qualitative detection method for screening GM soy and maize in a single reaction.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1033-1038
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• 2003

Four lines (MON810, GA21, NK603, and TC1507)of genetically modified maize(GMM) were recently approved after a safety-assessment by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). In this study, five pairs of specific oligonucleotide primers, based on the gene sequences inserted into maize and zein gene as internal standards, were designed and a method using PCR was developed for monitoring GMM and GMM derived foods circulating in the market. MON810 and GA21 were detected in raw materials of feed and food in the Korean market.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Cultivation of genetically modified(GM) crops rapidly has increased in the global agricultural area. Among those, herbicide resistant GM crops are reported to have occupied 89.3 million hectares in 2010. However, cultivation of GM crops in the field evoked the concern of the possibility of gene transfer from transgenic plant into soil microorganisms. In our present study, we have assessed the effects of herbicide-resistant GM Chinese cabbage on the surrounding soil microbial community. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effects of a herbicide-resistant genetically modified (GM) Chinese cabbage on the soil microbial community in its field of growth were assessed using a conventional culture technique and also culture-independent molecular methods. Three replicate field plots were planted with a single GM and four non-GM Chinese cabbages (these included a non-GM counterpart). The soils around these plants were compared using colony counting, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and a species diversity index assessment during the growing periods. The bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes population densities of the GM Chinese cabbage soils were found to be within the range of those of the non-GM Chinese cabbage soils. The DGGE banding patterns of the GM and non-GM soils were also similar, suggesting that the bacterial community structures were stable within a given month and were unaffected by the presence of a GM plant. The similarities of the bacterial species diversity indices were consistent with this finding. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that soil microbial communities are unaffected by the cultivation of herbicide-resistant GM Chinese cabbage within the experimental time frame.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1273-1278
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• 2009

This study aimed to evaluate the potential allergenicity of Cry proteins in insect-resistant genetically modified (GM) maizes (Bt11, MON810, and MON863) using serum screening tests. Serum samples were obtained from Korean children (0-15 years old) with allergic symptoms who had positive maize-specific IgE. The levels of serum specific IgE was measured by the Phadia ImmunoCAP system and considered as positive when they are 0.35 kU/L or higher. Cry proteins (Cry1Ab in Bt11, mCry1Ab in MON810, and Cry3Bb1 in MON863) were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified for serum screening. The reactivity of purified Cry proteins was confirmed by IgE immunoblots in 50 patients (maize-sensitized patients). There was no reaction between Cry proteins and sera from maize-sensitized patients. Our results suggest that these Cry proteins are not likely to cause allergic reactions. Further studies using more sera from patients with true clinical allergies are needed to evaluate the potential allergenicity of novel proteins in GM maize.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.293-301
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• 2001

Genetically modified organism (GMO) using recombinant DNA technique has been exponentially increased, however there are still arguments for the safety of GM foods. The objective of this research was to compare the allergens of GM soybean(Roundup Ready$^{TM}$) with conventional soybeans. Each soybean extracts were prepared as crude extracts, heated extracts, and as heated and simulated gastric quid (SGF)-digested samples to characterize the stability of allergens to physicochemical treatment. Positive sera from 20 soybean-sensitive patients and control sera from 5 normal subjects were used to identify the endogenous allergens in soybeans. Specific-IgE binding activities to each soybean preparations were evaluated by ELISA and immunoblot technique. In ELISA result, IgE binding activities of positive sera to soy crude extracts generally showed two fold higher mean value than those of control sera, how-ever there was no significant difference between GM soybean and natural soybean varieties. Extracted proteins form each of the soybean preparations were separated with SDS-PAGE. The band pattern of GM soybean was very similar to those of natural soybean varieties. Immunoblots for the different soybeans revealed no differences in IgE-binding protein patterns, moreover, disclosed five prominent IgE-binding bands (75, 70, 50, 44 and 34 kDa) in crude extracts, four (75, 70, 44 and 34 kDa) in heated preparations, one (50 kDa) in heated and SGF-digested preparations. These IgE binding bands were consistent with previously reported results on the soybean. These results indicate that GM soybean (Roundup Ready$^{TM}$) is no different from natural soybean in terms of its allergen.gen.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.248-257
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• 2018

Overexpression of AtCYP78A7, a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 protein, has been reported to improve tolerance to drought stress in genetically modified (GM) rice (Oryza sativa L.). The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential allergenicity and acute oral toxicity of the AtCYP78A7 protein expressed in GM rice. Bioinformatics analysis of the amino acid sequence of AtCYP78A7 did not identify any similarities with any known allergens or toxins. It showed that no known allergen had more than a 35% amino acid sequence homology with the AtCYP78A7 protein over an 80 amino acid window or more than 8 consecutive identical amino acids. The gene encoding the AtCYP78A7 protein was cloned in the pGEX-4T-1 vector and expressed in E. coli. Then, the AtCYP78A7 protein was purified and analyzed for acute oral toxicity. The AtCYP78A7 protein was fed at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight in mice, and the changes in mortalities, clinical findings, and body weight were monitored for 14 days after the dosing. Necropsy was carried out on day 14. The protein did not cause any adverse effects when it was orally administered to mice at 2000 mg/kg body weight. These results indicate that the AtCYP78A7 protein expressed in GM rice would not be a potential allergen or toxin.