• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.331-344
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• 2011

The well-conserved NBS domain of resistance (R) genes cloned from many plants allows the use of a PCR-based approach to isolate resistance gene analogs (RGAs). In this study, we isolated an RGA (CapRGC) from Capsicum annuum "CM334" using a PCR-based approach. This sequence encodes a protein with very high similarity to Rx genes, the Potato Virus X (PVX) R genes from potato. An evolutionary analysis of the CapRGC gene and its homologs retrieved by an extensive search of a Solanaceae database provided evidence that Rx-like genes (eight ESTs or genes that show very high similarity to Rx) appear to have diverged from R1 [an NBS-LRR R gene against late blight (Phytophthora infestans) from potato]-like genes. Structural comparison of the NBS domains of all the homologs in Solanaceae revealed that one novel motif, 14, is specific to the Rx-like genes, and also indicated that several other novel motifs are characteristic of the R1-like genes. Our results suggest that Rx-like genes are ancient but conserved. Furthermore, the novel conserved motifs can provide a basis for biochemical structural. function analysis and be used for degenerate primer design for the isolation of Rx-like sequences in other plant species. Comparative mapping study revealed that the position of CapRGC is syntenic to the locations of Rx and its homolog genes in the potato and tomato, but cosegregation analysis showed that CapRGC may not be the R gene against PVX in pepper. Our results confirm previous observations that the specificity of R genes is not conserved, while the structure and function of R genes are conserved. It appears that CapRGC may function as a resistance gene to another pathogen, such as the nematode to which the structure of CapRGC is most similar.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.137-144
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• 2003

This study was conducted to clarify developmental characteristics of scab in potato fields in Jeju island, Korea from 1995 to 1999. Occurrence of potato scab increased with repeated cultivaton of potato and high soil pH in the fields. Incidence of the disease was high as 54.8％ in the repeatedly cultivated potato fields but relatively low as 20.8~26.3% in the non-cultivated fields and in the fields where barley and Chinese cabbage were formerly cultivated. A total of 66 isolates were obtained from the diseased patato tubers and identified as Streptomyces scabies, S.turgidiscabies and S. acidiscabies. The isolation frequency of each Streptomyces species was 37.7%, 14.8% and 18.0%, respectively. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of the Streptomyces spp. was $28~30^{\circ}C$, and the optimum pH for that 6~7.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 2004

Arabidopsis NDPK2 (AtNDPK2) is a key singaling component that regulate cellular redox state and known to enhance multiple stress tolerance when over-expressed in Arabidopsis plant (Moon et al. 2003). In order to develop transgenic potato plants with enhanced tolerance to multiple stresses, we placed an AtNDPK2 cDNA under the control of a stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter or enhanced CaMV 35S promoter. Transgenic potato plants (cv. Superior and Atlantic) were generated using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system and selected on MS medium containing 100 mg/L kanamycin. Genomic Southern blot analysis confirmed the incorporation of AtNDPK2 cDNA into the potato genome. When potato leaf discs were treated with methyl viologen (MV) at 10 $\mu$M, transgenic plants showed higher tolerance to MV than non-transgenic or vector-transformed plants. The NDPK2 transgenic potato plants will be further used for analysis of stress-tolerance to multiple environmental stresses.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2002

High temperature during sprout emergence period of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a major limitation to the yield of fall-grown potato in Korea. To explore the possibility of improving the yield of fall-grown potato through recycled paper mulching, the changes of soil environment and the growth and yield of potato cv. Daeji as affected by three mulching treatments of non-mulched control, recycled paper mulching (RPM), and black polyethylene film-mulching (BPFM) were examined over two fall seasons at Suwon, Korea. The mulching materials were a recycled mulch paper with 110 g/$m^2$ and a thickness of 0.1 mm, which was manufactured from old corrugated containers for this experiment and a commercial black polyethylene film with a thickness of 0.01mm. On an average throughout the growing period, the soil temperature with RPM at the 5-cm depth was lower by 0.4-1.1$^{\circ}C$ than that of the control. The maximum temperature during daytime in RPM was lowered by approximately 1 to 5$^{\circ}C$ according to the weather condition during emergence period, the difference being great on a fine day. The soil temperature with BPFM was much higher than the control. The effect of the mulching treatments diminished as the canopy became developed. The mulching treatments were more advantageous than the control in the conservation of soil water. Moreover, RPM and BPFM efficiently suppressed the occurrence of weeds until the potato harvest. RPM improved the emergence significantly due to lower soil temperature, whereas BPFM showed much poorer emergence than the control. Growth after emergence and yield were significantly higher in RPM than in the control and BPFM. It was concluded that the significantly improved yield in RPM compared to that in the control was mainly due to the improvement of the sprout emergence and tuber growth accompanied by lower soil temperature and better conservation of soil water.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2004

In order to develop transgenic potato plants with enhanced tolerance to multiple stress, we constructed the transformation vector expressing both superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase genes in chloroplasts under the control of a stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter. Transgenic potato plants (cv. Superior and Atlantic) were generated using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Transgenic potato plants were regenerated on MS medium containing 100mg/L kanamycin. Genomic Southern blot analysis confirmed the incorporation of foreign genes into the potato genome. When potato leaf discs were subjected to methyl viologen (MV) at 10 $\mu$M, transgenic plants showed higher tolerance than non-transgenic or vector-transformed plants. To further study we selected the transgenic plant lines with enhanced tolerance against MV. These plants will be used for further analysis of stress-tolerance to multiple environmental stresses.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.160-170
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• 2016

The increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has raised the interest in alternative antimicrobial treatments. In our study, the functionally active gram-negative bacterium bacteriophage CP933 endolysin was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by a combination of transient expression and vacuole targeting strategies, and its antimicrobial activity was investigated. Expression of the cp933 gene in E. coli led to growth inhibition and lysis of the host cells or production of trace amounts of CP933. Cytoplasmic expression of the cp933 gene in plants using Potato virus X-based transient expression vectors (pP2C2S and pGR107) resulted in death of the apical portion of experimental plants. To protect plants against the toxic effects of the CP933 protein, the cp933 coding region was fused at its Nterminus to an N-terminal signal peptide from the potato proteinase inhibitor I to direct CP933 to the delta-type vacuoles. Plants producing the CP933 fusion protein did not exhibit the severe toxic effects seen with the unfused protein and the level of expression was 0.16 mg/g of plant tissue. Antimicrobial assays revealed that, in contrast to gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BL21(DE3)), the gram-positive plant pathogenic bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis was more susceptible to the plant-produced CP933, showing 18% growth inhibition. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the combination of transient expression and protein targeting to the delta vacuoles is a promising approach to produce functionally active proteins that exhibit toxicity when expressed in plant cells.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.223-230
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• 2016

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a strong antioxidant/reducing agent that can be converted to dehydroascorbate (DHA) by oxidation in plants. DHA, a very short-lived chemical, is recycled to AsA by dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). Previously, DHAR cDNA was isolated from the hairy roots of the sesame plant, and DHAR-overexpressing transgenic potato plants were generated under the control of the CaMV35S promoter (CaMV35S::DHAR). An increase in transgene expression and ascorbate levels were observed in the transgenic plants. In the present study, proteomic analysis revealed that transgenic plants not only accumulated DHAR in their cells, but also induced several other antioxidant enzyme-related proteins during plant growth. These results suggest that DHAR is important for stress tolerance via induction of antioxidant proteins, and could improve stress tolerance in transgenic potato plants.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.313-317
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• 1997

Leaf segments of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) genotypes, ND860-2, Norchip, Russet Norkotah, Goldrush, and Norqueen Russet were transformed with the coat protein gene of potato virus Y (PVY). The white-skinned genotypes, ND860-2 and Norchip, were easily transformed and regenerated into shoots, whereas the three russet-skinned genotypes had low frequencies of regeneration. Transformed shoots were generally recovered in four to six weeks. Antibody to PVY coat protein detected a single band of 30 kD in western blots of transgenic plants. Transformed plants had a normal phenotype in the greenhouse and many showed a delayed buildup of PVY following inoculation. Several transgenic lines had negative ELISA readings 85 days after inoculation. Transgenic lines which did not show detectable levels of PVY antigen will be further tested for resistance to PVY.

• Plant Resources
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2005

Osmotic stress is one of major limiting factors in crop production. In particular, seasonal drought often causes the secondary disease in the field, resulting in severe reduction in both quality and productivity. Recent efforts have revealed that many genes encoding protein kinases play important roles in osmotic stress signal transduction pathways. Previously, the AtSIK (Arabidopsis thaliana Stress Inducible Kinase) mutants have shown to enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses, accompanying with higher expression of abiotic stress-related genes than did the wild-type plants. In this study, we have transformed potato (cv. Taedong Valley) with the AtSIK expression cassette. Both PCR and RT-PCR using AtSIK-specific primers showed stable integration and expression of the AtSIK gene in individual transgenic lines, respectively. Foliar application of herbicide ($Basta^{(R)}$) at commercial application rate (0.3% (v/v)) revealed another evidence of stable gene introduction of T-DNA which includes the bar gene for herbicide resistance. Overexpression of the AtSIK gene under dual CaMV35S promoter increased sensitivity to salt stress (300 mM NaCl), which was demonstrated by the reduction rate of chlorophyll contents in leaves of transgenic potato lines. These results suggest that possible increase of osmotic tolerance in potato plants may be achieved by antisense expression of AtSIK gene.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.355-360
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• 2006

To gain a better understanding on the function of the potato Solanum tuberosum Multiprotein Bridging Factor 1 protein (StMBF1) its interaction with the TATA box binding protein (TBP) was demonstrated. In addition we reported that StMBF1 rescues the yeast mbf1 mutant phenotype, indicating its role as a plant co-activator. These data reinforce the hypothesis that MBF1 function is also conserved among non closely related plant species. In addition, measurement of StMBF1 protein level by Western blot using anti-StMBF1 antibodies indicated that the protein level increased upon $H_2O_2$ and heat shock treatments. However, the potato $\beta$-1,3-glucanase protein level was not changed under the same experimental conditions. These data indicate that StMBF1 participates in the cell stress response against oxidative stress allowing us to suggest that MBF1 genes from different plant groups may share similar functions.