• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.100 no.2
• /
• pp.131-135
• /
• 2011

To examine the sex morph, fruiting characteristics and seed viabilities of Acer palmatum var. matsumurae (Koidz.) Makino, the flowers and seed-sets of 101 trees were collected from early April to late October 2010, and floral structure and seed viability were studied. Among investigated 101 trees, 73.3% of trees were protandrous (PA: pollen is shed before stigmas are receptive) and 26.7% were protogynous (PG: stigmas are receptive before pollen is shed). Acer palmatum var. matsumurae has heterodichogamous sexual system. Number of flowers and seed-sets per inflorescence are significantly different between sex morphs, and PA has more flowers and seed-sets per inflorescence than PG. Rates of sound seeds and decayed seeds are significantly different between sex morphs. Rates of sound seeds were 46.4% in PA, but 65.6% in PG. and rates of decayed seeds were 49.6% in PA, but 23.6% in PG. The differences of decayed seeds' rates between sex morphs might be related with the timing of pistil flower blooming and insect pests' outbreak.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.101 no.1
• /
• pp.91-95
• /
• 2012

To examine the sex morph, heterodichogamy, fruiting characteristics and seed viabilities of Acer palmatum, sixty three planted trees were monitered in Wonju-si for two years in terms of their sex morph, flowering and fruiting habit. Most flowers of A. palmatum are pollinated by Apis mellifera, Helophilus virgatus, a few (3.57%) are pollinated by wind. Twenty four trees (42.9%) in 2010, and twenty trees (31.7%) in 2011 were proved protandrous (PA: pollen is shed before stigmas are receptive), thirty two (50.8%) in 2010, thirty trees (47.6%) in 2011 were proved protogynous (PG: stigmas are receptive before pollen is shed). This result means that Acer palmatum has heterodichogamous sexual system. Five trees (7.9%) have changed their sex morphs; 4 trees change the sex morp PA to PG, and one does the sex morph PG to PA. Rates of sound seeds and decayed seeds were significantly different between sex morphs. Rates of sound seeds were 51.6% (2010) and 64.0% (2011) in PA, but 30.4% (2010) and 40.4% (2011) in PG. and rates of decayed seeds did 40.0% (2010) and 31.2% (2011) in PA, but 65.6% (2010) and 56.8% (2011) in PG. The differences of decayed seeds' rates between sex morphs might be related with the timing of insect pests' outbreak.

• Journal of Species Research
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.145-151
• /
• 2015

Morphological changes of flowers and insect visitors were observed to investigate pollinator of Caesalpinia decapetala. The flowers of C. decapetala are protandrous. Functionally, the flower is changed from male to female. As a male, pollen grain is released after anther dehisced while style is immature. After completed pollen grain release, the style starts to lengthen. It helps the stigma to easily touch the carpenter bee's thorax covered with pollen grain. At this time, flower functions as a female. The majority of taxa and individuals observed were Hymenoptera. The most frequent visitor was the Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans, carpenter bee. Carpenter bees exhibited only typical pollinator behavior among flower visitors, with touching reproductive organs and seeking nectar at the same time. The pollination behavior is as follows. Soon after carpenter bees perceived guide mark, they foraged rightward and grasped style and stamens with legs and they inserted proboscis into standard petal to seek nectar. With this behavior, the pollen grains of the male flower transfer to the ventral thorax of the carpenter bee. As the carpenter bee moves to another female flower, the deposited pollen grains are delivered to the stigma.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.474-481
• /
• 2010

The sperm collection time, sex steroid hormones, and gonadal development of protandrous black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, acclimated in freshwater for more than 2 years were investigated to evaluate its reproductive capability. The gonadal development of black porgy reared in seawater and freshwater could each be classified into four successive stages. For black porgy reared in seawater (BSW) as the control, these were the growing (December to February), mature (February to March), spent (March to June), and degeneration and resting (July to December) stages; for black porgy reared in freshwater (BFW), these were the growing (November to January), mature (January to February), spent (February to May), degeneration and resting (June to November) stages. In both BSW and BFW, the plasma cortisol levels were the highest in March. The plasma testosterone (T) levels of BSW and BFW were the highest in March and February, respectively. The plasma estradiol-$17{\beta}$ ($E_2$) levels did not differ significantly between BSW and BFW. The 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels in the plasma of BSW and BFW were the highest in April. Sperm was collectible from March to June in BSW and from February to May in BFW. The results indicated that the gonadal maturation of BFW was about 1 month faster than that of BSW.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.439-445
• /
• 2009

Cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens and plays an important role in reproduction and development in vertebrates. We investigated the expression patterns of ovarian P450arom (P450aromA) and brain P450arom (P450aromB) mRNA during sex change in black porgy. Maturity was divided into seven stages from male to female (immature testis, mature testis, testicular portion of mostly testis, ovarian portion of mostly testis, testicular portion of mostly ovary, ovarian portion of mostly ovary, and mature ovary). P450aromA expression was significantly higher in the ovarian portion of mostly-ovarian stage fish, and P450aromB expression was highest in the brain of black porgy with mostly-ovarian gonads. Histology showed that testicular tissues were disintegrated with the development of ovarian tissue associated with an increase in the expression of the two P450arom mRNAs during sex change. Interestingly, among various tissues, P450aromA was only expressed in the ovary, and P450aromB was only expressed in the brain. To understand the role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and estradiol ($E_2$), we injected exogenous hormone (GnRH analogue [GnRHa] and $E_2$) into immature black porgy. In the GnRHa group, expression of the two P450arom genes decreased 12 h after injection, and expression of the two P450arom genes were significantly higher at 6 dafter $E_2$ injection. These results provide useful baseline knowledge on the mechanism of natural sex change in black porgy.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.163-168
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to obtain basic information on cross breeding for developing bolting resistant variety of Angelica gigas NAKAI which has been subjected to severe yield reduction resulted from flower-stalk initiation during the growth. Compatibility of selfing and/or crossing pollination among 5 local cultivars were tested. Results obtained are summarized as follows. In case of three year old plant, all cultivars emerged March 14 and bolted from May 12 to May 13. Ponghwa cultivar was flowered 3 to 5 days earlier than other cultivars. Flower duration continued 41 to 43 days. Interval of flowering date from main stem to first primary branch, from first to second or second to third primary branch was 9 to 13 days. Emergency of stamen proceeded 4~8 days of pistil initiation demonstrating that Angelica gigas NAKAI is protandrous plant. Furthermore initiation of first pistil was 1~4days later than formation of last stamen in the same flower cluster. Percent pollination of Angelica gigas NAKAI was 52% under natural condition, so called open-pollination, but bagging by enveloping flowers was as low as 0.4~2.4%. In the result of compatibility test, all local cultivars tend to show both of self-and cross-compatibility. Inpollination, ‘Muju’$\times$‘Muju’combination showed highest fertility up to 40.8% whereases cross pollination, ‘Pyeongchang’$\times$‘Inje’combination, showed 67.0% fertility.

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.293-298
• /
• 2005

We examined the effects of GnRHa on expression of the gonadotropin subunit gene in the pituitary and on syn-thesis of the plasma sex steroids (testosterone and 17$\beta$-estradiol) in protandrous black porgy. Fish were injected intraperitoneally with 0.2g GnRHa/g and then both the pituitary and the plasma were sampled 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after injection. The mRNA level of the FSH subunit increased at 6 hours post-injection, while the LH mRNA levels expressed are same with or without GnRHa treatment. Also, GnRHa stimulation caused a significant increase of the plasma testosterone (T) and 17$\beta$-estradiol ($E_2$) after 24 hours. The homologies of black porgy FSH to red seabream, Pagrus majoy FSH, snakehead fish, Channa maculata FSH and striped bass, Morone saxatilis FSH were $83.3\%,\;79.2\%$ and $76.0\%$ respectively. Amino acid homology analysis using the GenBank and EMBL general searches indicated that black porgy FSH has a high homology with yellowfin seabream, Acanthopagrus latus LH ($97.7\%$ identity) and red seabream LH ($83.3\%$ identity).

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2005

The objective of the present study was to investigate changes of sex steroid(testosterone: T and $estradiol-17{\beta}:\;E_2$), cortisol levels and gonadal development following $T_3$ treatment to protandrous black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegeli. Exogenous $T_3$ was found to significantly stimulate the increase of T levels in plasma of black porgy after 60 days of treatment. However no effects of $T_3$ on $E_2$ levels and oocyte size were found. $T_3$ treatment resulted in stimulated spermatogenesis and testicular development in gonad and prolonged spermiation. Also, the levels of cortisol were significantly increased in the fish treated with $T_3$ as compared to control fish at 60 days. The results showed that exogenous $T_3$ had direct effect on the release of T and cortisol, thus $T_3$ seems to play, either directly or indirectly, an important role in the testis development of functional male black porgy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.588-592
• /
• 2012

To examine the reason of empty samara production of Chinese elm, Ulmus parviflora, twenty two planted trees in Wonju-si were monitered for three years in terms of their flowering, pollinatiom system and samara characteristics. Inflorescences with bisexual flowers of Chinese elm are developed in the leaf axils on the twigs. Dichogamous flowers are varied with protogynuous and protandrous flower, and stamens in some bisexual flowers are developed in seperated time on a inflorescence or a tree. It is revealed newly that the flower of Chinese elm is out-crossed and partially insect(Apis mellifera) pollinated. The ratios of sound samara are significantly differed among years, the heighest values 65.5% were shown in 2009, lowered 42.9% in 2010, and the lowest 37.5% in 2011. This result might be affected by mean daily precipitation and number of rainy days during the flowering date, and lower temperature during the floral initiation stage, especially in 2011. These findings suggest that Chinese elm has self-incompatibility strategy and much pollination failure resulted in a production of much empty samaras. Further researches on the empty-seed production strategies and pollination system of major tree species might be needed.