• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.326-335
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• 2007

This study was conducted to assess the environmental risks of anthracnose resistant transgenic chili peppers with the PepEST gene on non-target organisms in the agroecosystem environments during the chili pepper growing seasons in 2006. We quantitatively collected arthropods assemblages living on leaves and flowers of chili peppers on June 20, July 25, and August 25 by using an insect vacuum collector to compare the patterns of arthropod community structures between non-transgenic chili peppers (nTR, WT512) and anthracnose resistant transgenic chili peppers (TR, line 68). We found the seasonal difference with the highest species richness and Shannon's diversity in July's sampling among the growing seasons (P<0.05) and each sampling season showed the different arthropod community composition. We also found there was no statistical difference between the two types of crops, nTR and TR, at each sampling time (P>0.05). The significance level of arthropod community showed that there were lots of seasonal difference of functional groups as well as taxa but only the herbivore group in the functional groups was significantly different for the types of plants (P<0.05). So, we further examined the herbivore groups to find any potential damage and identified the possibility of herbivorous damage from some herbivores, grasshoppers, aphids and thrips. Although we couldn't find any adverse effects from the environmental risk assessment between the arthropod community structures on two types of plants from our results, we should keep working for the environmental risk assessment because of the herbivorous potential risk possibility.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.293-301
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• 2011

Purpose: We have previously reported that tetra-cell adhesion molecule (T-CAM) markedly enhanced the differentiation of osteoblast-like cells grown on anorganic bone mineral (ABM). T-CAM comprises recombinant peptides containing the Arg- Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence in the tenth type III domain, Pro-His-Ser-Arg-Asn (PHSRN) sequence in the ninth type III domain of fibronectin (FN), and the Glu-Pro-Asp-Ilu-Met (EPDIM) and Tyr-His (YH) sequence in the fourth fas-1 domain of ${\beta}$ig-h3. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the cellular activity of osteoblast-like cells and the new bone formation on ABM coated with T-CAM, while comparing the results with those of synthetic cell binding peptide (PepGen P-15). Methods: To analyze the cell viability, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed, andto analyze gene expression, northernblot was performed. Mineral nodule formations were evaluated using alizarin red stain. The new bone formations of each group were evaluated using histologic observation and histomorphometrc analysis. Results: Expression of alkaline phosphatase mRNA was similar in all groups on days 10 and 20. The highest expression of osteopontin mRNA was observed in the group cultured with ABM/P-15, followed by those with ABM/T-CAM and ABM on days 20 and 30. Little difference was seen in the level of expression of collagen type I mRNA on the ABM, ABM/T-CAM, and ABM/P-15 cultured on day 20. There were similar growth and proliferation patterns for the ABM/T-CAM and ABM/P-15. The halo of red stain consistent with $Ca^{2+}$ deposition was wider and denser around ABM/T-CAM and ABM/P-15 particles than around the ABM particles. The ABM/T-CAM group seemed to have bone forming bioactivity similar to that of ABM/P-15. A complete bony bridge was seen in two thirds of the defects in the ABM/T-CAM and ABM/P-15 groups. Conclusions: ABM/T-CAM, which seemed to have bone forming bioactivity similar to ABM/P-15, was considered to serve as effective tissue-engineered bone graft material.