This study was conducted to find out the variation in agronomic trait and chemical composition in the collected Perilla frutescens from China and Japan. From the results of growth investigation, the maximum number if branches was 26.7ea in Japan 134 line, followed by 25 nodes number in China 119 line. Among the different lines investigated, maximum number of panicle number (108.8) were observed in China 114 line. 1000 seed weight was maximum (4.12 g) in China 118 line. Flowering time of different collected lines varied significantly with average value of 175.5 days and the average line required for maturation of seedlings was 205.1 days. Plant height was the highest (248.9 ㎝) in China 107 line. Highest number of total picking leaves was 965ea, and the average picked period was 54 days. The major phenol compounds contained in Perilla frutescens showed wide variation for Syringic acid, Benzoic acid, Naringin, o-Coumaric acid, Myricetin, Naringenin and Hesperetin. Japan 139 line showed the highest level of total phenol contents (8254.0 ㎍/g, dry weight).

The full-length cDNA encoding Perilla frutescens limonene synthase (PFLS) (603 amino acids, GenBank accession no. D49368) was cloned. To elucidate the role of PFLS in gene regulation, we transiently transformed full-length PFLS into tobacco plants. PFLS mRNA was first detected in the intact leaves of the plants at 6 h, and the LS transcript level increased after 12 h in leaves treated with oxidative stress-related chemicals. The transient overexpression of PFLS resulted in increased transcription of NbPR1 and NbSIP in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Thus, our result confirmed that the infiltration of PFLS gene act as a transcriptional regulator of NbPR1 or NbSIP genes in the tobacco.

들깻잎 신품종 도입을 위해 재배된 30계통의 선발 품종의 정유성분 분석 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 30 품종 모두 40가지 이상의 정유 성분들을 함유하고 있고 상위 3순위의 주요 성분들이 강원도 횡성군 동산면에서 재배된 15 품종은 D104 (56%), D107 (67.6%)을 제외하고 71~86%까지 차지하고 있었고 강원대학교 교내 포장에서 재배된 15 품종은 S114 (63.8%), S140 (68.3%)를 제외하고 77~88%까지 함유하고 있었다. 30 품종 모두 가장 많이 함유하고 있는 정유 성분이 75%를 넘지 않았고 다양한 성분 조성을 갖고 있어 다양한 화학형을 보였으나 정확한 품종 분류를 위해서는 GC/MS를 통한 후속연구가 필요하다. 본 연구 결과 perillaketone의 함량을 줄이고 대신 다른 향기 성분이 증가된 잎 들깨 도입 및 신품종 육성을 위한 기본정보로서 부합된다고 판단된다.