• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2008

It is well known that NtMEK2, a tobacco MAPK kinase, is the upstream kinase of both salicylic acid-induced protein kinase and wound-induced protein kinase. In addition, expression of $NtMEK2^{DD}$, a constitutively active mutant of NtMEK2, is known to induce multiple defense responses in tobacco. In this study, transgenic rice plants that contained an active or inactive mutant of NtMEK2 under the control of a steroid inducible promoter were generated and used to determine if a similar MAPK cascade is involved in disease resistance in rice. The expression of $NtMEK2^{DD}$ in transgenic rice plants resulted in HR-like cell death. The observed cell death was preceded by the activation of endogenous rice 48-kDa MBP kinase, which is also activated by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the bacterial blight pathogen of rice. In addition, prolonged activation of the MAPK induced the generation of hydrogen peroxide and up-regulated the expression of defense-related genes including the pathogenesis-related genes, peroxidases and glutathione S-transferases. These results demonstrate that NtMEK2 is functionally replaceable with rice MAPK kinase in inducing the activation of the downstream MAPK, which in turn induces multiple defense responses in rice.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Rice plant numbers and density are key factors for yield and quality of rice grains. Precise and properly estimated rice plant numbers and density can assure high yield from rice fields. The main objective of this study was to automatically detect and count rice plants using images of usual field condition from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We proposed an automatic image processing method based on morphological operation and boundaries of the connected component to count rice plant numbers after transplanting. We converted RGB images to binary images and applied adaptive median filter to remove distortion and noises. Then we applied a morphological operation to the binary image and draw boundaries to the connected component to count rice plants using those images. The result reveals the algorithm can conduct a performance of 89% by the F-measure, corresponding to a Precision of 87% and a Recall of 91%. The best fit image gives a performance of 93% by the F-measure, corresponding to a Precision of 91% and a Recall of 96%. Comparison between the numbers of rice plants detected and counted by the naked eye and the numbers of rice plants found by the proposed method provided viable and acceptable results. The $R^2$ value was approximately 0.893.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 2013

Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the most destructive viruses of rice, and greatly reduces rice production in China, Japan, and Korea, where mostly japonica cultivars of rice are grown. RSV is transmitted by the small brown plant-hopper (SBPH) in a persistent and circulative-propagative manner. Several methods have been developed for detection of RSV, which is composed of four single-stranded RNAs that encode seven proteins. Genome sequence data and comparative phylogenetic analysis have been used to identify the origin and diversity of RSV isolates. Several rice varieties resistant to RSV have been selected and QTL analysis and fine mapping have been intensively performed to map RSV resistance loci or genes. RSV genes have been used to generate several genetically modified transgenic rice plants with RSV resistance. Recently, genome-wide transcriptome analyses and deep sequencing have been used to identify mRNAs and small RNAs involved in RSV infection; several rice host factors that interact with RSV proteins have also been identified. In this article, we review the current statues of RSV research and propose integrated approaches for the study of interactions among RSV, rice, and the SBPH.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.444-449
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• 2016

Deep rooting, which enables plants to extract water from greater soil depths, is a critical strategy for improving plant survival under water-deficient conditions. However, as it is difficult to observe intact root systems belowground, several techniques have been developed to screen deep- and shallow-rooting phenotypes in rice. Here, we introduce a simple and convenient method for deep- and shallow-rooting phenotyping using a unique combination of sand, soil, and plastic mesh netting. Vandana, a drought-tolerant rice variety, and Dongjin, a Korean japonica rice variety, were used to analyze root phenotypes. No significant differences in root length were observed in rice grown under irrigated conditions regardless of net position, whereas roots were significantly longer, and ratio of deep root (RDR) values were significantly higher in Vandana rice grown under semi-drought conditions. In summary, this simple and useful method represents a low-cost means of phenotyping the roots of rice and other crops grown in various-sized pots and at multiple plant growth stages.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.149-160
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• 2014

Plant breeders have focused on improving plant architecture as an effective means to increase crop yield. Here, we identify the main-effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for plant shape-related traits in rice (Oryza sativa) and find candidate genes by applying whole genome re-sequencing of two parental cultivars using next-generation sequencing. To identify QTLs influencing plant shape, we analyzed six traits: plant height, tiller number, panicle diameter, panicle length, flag leaf length, and flag leaf width. We performed QTL analysis with 178 $F_7$ recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross of japonica rice line 'SNU-SG1' and indica rice line 'Milyang23'. Using 131 molecular markers, including 28 insertion/deletion markers, we identified 11 main- and 16 minor-effect QTLs for the six traits with a threshold LOD value > 2.8. Our sequence analysis identified fifty-four candidate genes for the main-effect QTLs. By further comparison of coding sequences and meta-expression profiles between japonica and indica rice varieties, we finally chose 15 strong candidate genes for the 11 main-effect QTLs. Our study shows that the whole-genome sequence data substantially enhanced the efficiency of polymorphic marker development for QTL fine-mapping and the identification of possible candidate genes. This yields useful genetic resources for breeding high-yielding rice cultivars with improved plant architecture.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the agronomic traits, comparison of weed characteristics and possibility of gene flow in 'vitamin A enforced GM rice' and the donor plant, 'Nagdong'. The GM rice was not significantly different agronomic traits compared to the donor plant, Nagdong. Weed population changes were investigated in the cultivation of the GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong. Dominant weed species and their dry matter did not show the difference between GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong in macro-GM crop field. Dominant weed species with the GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong were Monochoria vaginalis, followed by Eleocharis kuroguwai, Echinochloa crus-galli and Lindernia procumbens. The detection of gene from the GM rice was done using PCR, gene flow can't be detected by weed species. Results of this study on the agronomic traits, weed characteristics and possibility of gene flow has elucidated that GM rice might not be different from the donor plant, Nagdong.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.278-282
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• 2006

Bacillus vallismortis EXTN-1, a biocontrol agent in cucumber, tomato and potato was tested in rice pathosystem against rice fungal pathogens viz. Magnaporthe grisea, Rhizoctonia solani and Cochliobolus miyabeanus. Apart from increasing the yield in the bacterized plants (11.6-12.6% over control), the study showed that EXTN1 is effective in bringing about disease suppression against all the tested fungal pathogens. EXTN-l treatment resulted in 52.11% reduction in rice blast, 83.02% reduction in sheath blight and 11.54% decrease in brown spot symptoms. As the strain is proven as an inducer for systemic resistance based on PR gene expression in Arabidopsis and tobacco models, it is supposed that a similar mechanism works in rice, bringing about disease suppression. The strain could be used as a potent biocontrol and growth-promoting agent in rice cropping system.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2012

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs), which were related to the ability of callus induction and plant regeneration in seed culture of rice, were analyzed using a mapping population from a cross between the rice cultivars 'Samgang' (tongil type) and 'Nagdong' (japonica). A tongil type rice cultivar, 'Samgang' showed lower frequency (20%) of plant regeneration than that (35%) of japonica rice, 'Nagdong'. Transgressive segregations were observed for the ability of callus induction and plant regeneration from the seed-derived calli of 58 doubled haploid (DH) lines. The ability of plant regeneration of 58 doubled haploid lines showed a continuous distribution with comparatively wide range (10.0 to 66.7%) of variation. Composite interval mapping analysis was used to identify the QTLs controlling callus induction and plant regeneration ability. Four significant QTLs, qCWS6, qCWS8, qCWS9 and qCWS11, associated with callus weight per seed were detected on chromosomes 6, 8, 9, and 11 with LOD values of 3.30, 2.60, 2.70 and 2.43, explaining 36% of the total phenotypic variation. Three significant QTLs, qPR1, qPR6, and qPR11, for the ability of plant regeneration were located on chromosome 1, 6, and 11 at LOD score of 2.25, 2.15 and 2.55, accounting for 24 % of the total phenotypic variation. The present study should be useful for improving the efficiency of plant regeneration in tissue culture of indica rice by means of marker-assisted selection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.110-114
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• 2010

WRKY transcription factors are known to be involved in many different biological processes including plant response to biotic stress, abiotic stress, and plant development. WRKY proteins are extensively studied in Arabidopsis. Recently, reports on WRKY proteins are rapidly increasing in the other plant species, especially in rice. Therefore, this review will discuss the function of rice WRKY proteins reported so far.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2010

We evaluated microbial populations and aflatoxin production in unhulled and white rice from rice processing complexes of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in five regions in Korea and identified three predominant Aspergillus species. Fungal and bacterial populations in rice samples were significantly different between regions in 2007. Aflatoxins were also detected and varied at the levels of 2.45 - 3.43 ng per g unhulled rice grain and 1.29 - 2.09 ng per g white rice grain. Unhulled rice generally detected higher level of aflatoxins than white rice regardless of sampling regions; however, no significant differences were found in Anseong and Cheonan in 2005 and Cheonan and Gimpo in 2007. Aflatoxin production between sampling regions was not different regardless of rice type and sampling year. Although the fungal diversity was highly distinct from region to region, three Aspergillus isolates were predominant in the rice samples; thus, representative isolates AC317, AF57, and AF8 were selected and identified based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. Consequently, isolates AC317, AF57, and AF8 were identified as A. candidus, A. flavus, and A. fumigatus, respectively. These fungi can produce mycotoxins that are harmful for consumers and thus it is important to detect and reduce the population of storage fungi in rice.