• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2016

Climate changes are shifting the perception of C4 photosynthetic crops due to their superior adaptability to harsh conditions. The tribe Andropogoneae includes some economically important grasses, such as Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Miscanthus spp., and Saccharum spp., representing C4 photosynthetic grasses. Although the Andropogoneae grasses diverged fairly recently, their genomic structures are remarkably different from each other. As previously reported, the family Poaceae shares the pan-cereal duplication event occurring ca. 65 MYA. Since this event, Sorghum bicolor has never experienced any additional duplication event. However, some lineage-specific duplication events were reported in Z. mays and Saccharum spp., and, more recently, it was revealed that a shared allotetraploidization event occurred before the divergence between Miscanthus and Saccharum (but after the divergence from S. bicolor), which provided important clues to those two species having large genome sizes with complicated ploidy numbers. The complex genomic structures of sugarcane and Miscanthus (defined as the Saccharum complex along with some other taxa) have had a limiting effect on the use of their molecular information in breeding programs. For the last decade, genomics-associated technologies have become an important tool for molecular crop breeding (genomics-assisted breeding, GAB), but it has not been directly applied to sugarcane and Miscanthus due to their complicated genome structures. As genomics research advances, molecular breeding of those crops can take advantage of technical improvements at a reasonable cost through comparative genomic approaches. Active genomic research of non-model species using closely related model species will facilitate the improvement of those crops in the future.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.197-206
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• 2000

This paper summarizes recent developments in the field of molecular biology and its application to plant breeding, particularly in rice. Plant breeding in the past mostly depended on the time-consuming crossing of known genomes limited to certain traits. Plant breeding has now benefited from marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering to widen the gene pool, improve plant protection, and increase yield. Future plant breeding will expand based on functional and nutritional genomics, in which gene discovery and high-throughput transformation will accelerate crop design and benefits will accrue to human health, in the form of nutritional food for poor people to reduce malnutrition, or food enriched with antioxidants and with high food value for rich people. Agricultural biotechnology for food is no longer a dream but a reality that will dominate the 21st century for agriculture and human welfare.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.13-13
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• 2017

By the progress of genome sequencing, infrastructures for marker-assisted breeding (MAB) of rice came to be established. Fine mapping and gene isolation have been conducted using the breeding materials derived from natural variations and artificial mutants. Such genetic analysis by the genome-wide dense markers provided us the knowledge about the many genes controlling important traits. We identified several genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) for heading date, blast resistance, eating quality, high-temperature stress tolerance, and so on. NILs of each gene controlling heading date contribute to elongate the rice harvest period. Determination of precise gene location of blast resistance gene pi21, allowed us to overcome linkage drag, co-introduction of undesirable eating quality. We could also breed the first practical rice cultivar in Japan with a brown planthopper resistance gene bph11 in the genetic back-ground of an elite cultivar. Discovery of major and minor QTLs for good eating quality allowed us to fine-tune of eating quality according to the rice planting area or usage of rice grain. Many rice cultivars have bred efficiently by MAB for several traits, or by marker-assisted backcross breeding through chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) using genetically diverse accessions. We are also systematically supporting the crop breeding of other sectors by MAB or by providing resources such as CSSLs. It is possible to pyramid many genes for important traits by using MAB, but is still difficult to improve the yielding ability. We are performing a Genomic Selection (GS) for improvement of rice biomass and grain yield. We are also trying to apply the genome editing technology for high yield rice breeding.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2012

Calcium is an essential nutrient for living organisms, with key structural and signaling roles. Its deficiency in plants can result in poor biotic and abiotic stress tolerance as well as reduced crop quality and yield. Calcium deficiency in humans causes various diseases such as osteoporosis and rickets. Biofortification of calcium in various food crops has been suggested as an economic and environmentally advantageous method to enhance human intake of calcium. Recent efforts to increase the levels of calcium in food crops have used calcium/proton antiporters ($CAXs$) and modified one to increase calcium transport into vacuoles through genetic engineering. It has been reported that overall calcium content of transgenic plants has been increased in their edible portions with some adverse effects. In conclusion, biofortification of calcium will add more value in crops as well as will be beneficial for animal and human. Therefore, more fundamental studies on the mechanisms of calcium ion storage and transporting are essential for more effective calcium biofortification.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.328-333
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• 2015

A genome wide association study was conducted using estimated breeding value (EBV) for milk production traits from 1st to 4th lactation. Significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were selected for each trait and the differences were compared by lactation. DNA samples were taken from 456 animals with EBV which are Holstein proven bulls whose semen is being sold or the daughters of old proven bulls whose semen is no longer being sold in Korea. High density genome wide SNP genotype was investigated and the significance of markers associated with traits was tested using the breeding value estimated by a multiple lactation model as a dependent variant. As the result of significance comparisons by lactations, several differences were found between the first lactation and subsequent lactations (from second to 4th lactation). A similar trend was noted in mean deviation and correlation of the estimated effects by lactation. Since there was a difference in the genes associated with EBV for each trait between first and subsequent lactations, a multi-lactation model in which lactation is considered as a different trait is genetically useful. Also, significant markers in all lactations and common markers for different traits were detected, which can be used as markers for quantitative trait loci exploration and marker assisted selection in milk production traits.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1059-1071
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• 2015

Watermelon and melon are economically important Cucurbitaceae crops. Recently, the development of molecular markers based on the construction of genetic linkage maps and detection of DNA sequence variants through next generation sequencing are essential as molecular breeding strategies for crop improvement that uses marker-assisted selection and backcrossing. In this paper, we intended to provide useful information for molecular breeding of watermelon and melon by analyzing the current status of international and domestic research efforts on genomics and molecular markers. Due to diverse genetic maps constructed and the reference genome sequencing completed in the past, DNA markers that are useful for selecting important traits including yield, fruit quality, and disease resistances have been reported and publicly available. To date, more than 16 genetic maps and loci and linked markers for more than 40 traits have reported for each watermelon and melon. Furthermore, the functional genes that are responsible for those traits are being continuously discovered by high-density genetic map and map-based cloning. In addition, whole genome resequencing of various germplasm is under progress based on the reference genome. Not only by the efforts for developing novel molecular markers, but application of public marker information currently available will greatly facilitate breeding process through genomics-assisted breeding.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2009

Molecular markers developed from the flanking sequences of two cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-associated genes, orf456 and ${\Psi}atp6-2$, have been used for marker-assisted selection of CMS in pepper. However, in practice, the presence of orf456 and ${\Psi}atp6-2$ at substoichiometric levels even in maintainer lines hampers reliable selection of plants containing the CMS gene. In this study, we developed a novel CMS-specific molecular marker, accD-U, for reliable determination of CMS lines in pepper, and used the newly and previously developed markers to determine the cytoplasm types of pepper breeding lines and germplasms. This marker was developed from a deletion in a chloroplast-derived sequence in the mitochondrial genome of a CMS pepper line. CMS pepper lines could be unambiguously determined by presence or absence of the accD-U marker band. Application of orf456, ${\Psi}atp6-2$and accD-U to various pepper breeding lines and germplasms revealed that accD-U is the most reliable CMS selection marker. A wide distribution of orf456, but not ${\Psi}atp6-2$, in germplasms suggests that the pepper cytoplasm containing both orf456 and ${\Psi}atp6-2$ has been selected as CMS cytoplasm from cytoplasm containing only orf456. Furthermore, factors other than orf456 may be required for the regulation of male sterility in pepper.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.272-280
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• 2016

Chrysanthemum is one of the top floriculture species with ornamental and medicinal value. Although chrysanthemum breeding program has contributed to the development of various cultivars so far, it needs to be advanced from the traditional phenotype-based selection to marker-assisted selection (molecular breeding) as shown in major cereal and vegetable crops. Molecular breeding relies on trait-linked molecular markers identified from genetic, molecular, and genomic studies. However, these studies in chrysanthemum are significantly hampered by the reproductive, genetic, and genomic properties of chrysanthemum such as self-incompatibility, inbreeding depression, allohexaploid, heterozygosity, and gigantic genome size. Nevertheless, several genetic studies have constructed genetic linkage maps and identified molecular markers linked to important traits of flower, leaf, and plant architecture. With progress in sequencing technology, chrysanthemum transcriptome has been sequenced to construct reference gene set and identify genes responsible for developments or induced by biotic or abiotic stresses. Recently, a genome sequencing project has been launched on a diploid wild Chrysanthemum species. The massive sequencing information would serve as fundamental resources for molecular breeding of chrysanthemum. In this review, we summarized the current status of molecular genetics and genomics in chrysanthemum and briefly discussed future prospects.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.130-132
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• 2005

Genomics research has two ultimate applied goals: to Isolate and clone genes of economic importance for bio-technology and gene-assisted selection (GAS), and to locate and use markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in selective breeding programs. To this end, we have identified linked markers for feed conversion efficiency growth rate, and disease resistance to enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). Three microsatellite markers Ip266, Ip384, and Ip607 were identified to be linked to feed conversion efficiency. Similarly one marker each was identified to be linked to growth rate (Ip607) and disease resistance to ESC (Ip477). Ip607 marker linked to both growth rate and feed conversion efficiency, indicating that the QTL for both growth rate and feed conversion efficiency may either be the same or located in the same chromosomal region in the catfish genome. On phenotypic evaluation, certain traits such as growth rate can be accurately evaluated by body weight evaluation while other traits such as disease resistance can be quite complex. The linked DNA markers will be highly useful for MAS programs and for directing further efforts of genomic mapping for important quantitative traits.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2014

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a model plant for genome research in Solanaceae, as well as for studying crop breeding. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are a valuable resource in genetic research and breeding. However, to do discovery of genome-wide SNPs, most methods require expensive high-depth sequencing. Here, we describe a method for SNP calling using a modified version of SAMtools that improved its sensitivity. We analyzed 90 Gb of raw sequence data from next-generation sequencing of two resequencing and seven transcriptome data sets from several tomato accessions. Our study identified 4,812,432 non-redundant SNPs. Moreover, the workflow of SNP calling was improved by aligning the reference genome with its own raw data. Using this approach, 131,785 SNPs were discovered from transcriptome data of seven accessions. In addition, 4,680,647 SNPs were identified from the genome of S. pimpinellifolium, which are 60 times more than 71,637 of the PI212816 transcriptome. SNP distribution was compared between the whole genome and transcriptome of S. pimpinellifolium. Moreover, we surveyed the location of SNPs within genic and intergenic regions. Our results indicated that the sufficient genome-wide SNP markers and very sensitive SNP calling method allow for application of marker assisted breeding and genome-wide association studies.