The Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai Guérin-Méneville 1861 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), is one of the important natural resources possessing industrial value for silk fiber production. In this study, ten microsatellite markers and two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences (COI and ND4) were used to investigate the genetic variation and geographic structure of A. yamamai populations in South Korea. Two mtDNA gene sequences revealed very low total genetic variation and resultant low geographic variation, validating to use further variable molecular markers. Population-based FIS, FST, RST, and global Mantel test consistently support that A. yamamai populations are overall well interconnected with a relatively high gene flow. Nevertheless, STRUCTURE analysis using microsatellite data and mtDNA sequences coincidently indicate the presence of two genetic pools in many populations.

The red-spotted apollo butterfly, Parnassius bremeri Bremer, 1864 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), has been listed as an endangered species in Korea. We developed microsatellite markers by nest-generation sequencing (NGS), selected 12 markers, and applied the markers to available South Korean populations to understand population genetic characteristics. The genotyping of 40 P. bremeri individuals from three localities in South Korea showed that at each locus, the observed number of alleles ranged from 17 to 43, the observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.84722-0.90556 and 0.76045-0.79208, respectively, and FIS was –0.155 to –0.121. STRUCTURE analysis supported the presence of two genetic pools in all three populations, although an immediate reason for this subdivision is not known. The population based FST, RST, and front wing length collectively suggest that at least Samchuk population in Gangwon Province has a significant distance. Further scrutinized analysis is undergoing.

The tiny dragonfly, Nannophya pygmaea (Odonata: Libellulidae) is one the smallest dragonflies in the world and listed as a second-degree endangered wild animal in Korea. We developed microsatellite markers and applied selected markers to South Korean populations to understand population genetic characteristics, along with two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences (COI and ND5). Two mtDNA-based population genetic analysis indicates substantially reduced genetic diversity in an island population (Muuido) compared to others. On the other hand, population-based FST and RST consistently support that N. pygmaea populations are overall well interconnected with a relatively high gene flow. These results may collectively indicate that N. pygmaea populations in South Korea may have rather larger population size than we previously acknowledged based on a single-locus mtDNA sequence and field observation.

Entomopathogenic fungi, widely distributed in nature, have been developed as biopesticides of agricultural pests. However, little is known about isolation method for obtaining a variety of highly virulent strains from the soil. In this work, the previously established method using mealworm (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) as a baiting system was used to efficiently isolate fungal strains from soil, and the isolated fungal library in Korea was established. To isolate entomopathogenic fungi, soil samples from 10 regions of Korea such as Iksan, Imsil, Gunsan, Yeosu, Suncheon, Gwangyang, Jinju, Hamyang, Boseong and Jangseong were collected. Of the collected soils, 21 and 34 isolates of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from Iksan and Gunsan, respectively. The isolates were classified as genera of Metarhizium, Beauveria and Isaria. This work can suggest an effective insect pathogenic fungal isolation method

Entomopathogenic fungi have been known as promising candidates in biological control. However, a large number of conidia with higher stability should be produced for industrialization. In this work investigated the possibility of several grains for the production of thermotolerant Isaria javanica and I. fumosoroseus conidia. The fungal conidia were produced on ten grains for 14 days in Petri dish conditions. Of the ten granular substrates, millet, perilla seed and barley showed the high conidial production, 15.7 ± 8.4, 17.3 ± 5.2 and 13.5 ± 1.9 × 109 conida/g in I. javanica and 15.9 ± 0.6, 15.0 ± 0.5 and 15.0 ± 0.7 ×109 conida/g in I. fumosoroseus, respectively. However, the two strains showed relatively low thermal stability regardless of substrates, when exposed to 45℃ for 1, 2 and 3 hours. This work suggests a possible substrate for conidial production of entomopathogenic fungi with low cost.

Despite of a substantial effort, the phylogeny of Lepidoptera still has unstable taxa and unresolved relationships particularly form Apoditrysia to Ditrysia (e.g. phylogenetic position and familial relationships of Gelechioidea, the monophylies of Tineoidea and Zygaenoidea and so on). We performed phylogenetic analysis using ~13,000-bp length of mitogenome sequences form 50 species (with seven species in two superfamilies form this study) representing 13 superfamilies to improve the lepidopteran phylogeny from Apoditrysia to Ditrysia. A close relationship of Gelechioidea to Obtectomera than to apoditrysian taxa was noteworthy, although the nodal support is very weak (ML, 23%; BI, BPP = 0.94). Monophyly of Zygaenoidea without Epipyropidae (Epipomponia nawai) was also noteworthy in spite of weak nodal support (ML, 64%; BI, 1.0). Scrutinized analysis is currently underway.

Dendrolimus superans (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) has long been acknowledged to present in South Korea under the circumstance of a substantial change in species names of Dendrolimus. In the present study, we found that specimens of D. superans collected from South Korea were D. sibiricus, rather than D. superans. Comparison of Korean specimens to the D. superans from Japan and the D. sibiricus from Russia in terms of wing morphology, female and male genitalia, a partial COI gene sequence, and a partial internal spacer sequence 2 (ITS2) consistently supported the presence of D. sibiricus in South Korea. Phylogenetic analyses using concatenated sequences of COI and ITS2 from available individuals of D. sibiricus and D. superans both by Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods the Korea samples to be D. sibiricus.

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Vespa velutina nigrithorax and V. ducalis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). The genomes were 16,475-bp and 15,779-bp long and contained typical sets of genes. The V. velutina and V. ducalis A+T-rich region was 132-bp long and 166-bp long and was the shortest of all sequenced Vespoidea genomes. Start and stop codons in several Vespa species—including V. velutina and V. ducalis—were diversified, despite these species belonging to the same genus. In comparison with the ancestral mitogenomes, Vespa mitogenomes showed substantial gene rearrangement; however, we detected no gene rearrangement among Vespa species. We conducted phylogenetic reconstruction based on concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs in available species of Vespoidea—22 species in six subfamilies in two families (Vespidae and Formicidae). The Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood (ML) methods revealed that each family formed strong monophyletic groups.

Entomopathogenic fungi are expected to play a role as great biological control agents in the global bio-pesticide market in the future. The first step is the collection of fungal isolates and it should be a platform for the development of highly effective biopesticides. In this work, we constructed a fungal library using a mealworm pathogenecity-based fungal collection method and further characterized some isolates with high virulence. A phylogenetic tree was generated, and of the isolates 17 isolates’ biological features were characterized, such as morphology, virulence against several insect, stability of conidia for heat, production of biologically active materials, such as enzymes. This work reports an attractive entomopathogenic fungal library including the information of effective isolates in pest management.

Many turfgrass pests, Ectinohoplia rufipes, Exomala orientalis and Popillia quadriguttata, cause serious damage to grass fields in Korea. In this study, control of turfgrass pests using entomopathogenic fungi were investigated using Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis as an alternative insect. In a preliminary experiment, some Metathizium sp. showed ca. 60% virulence after 7 days exposure to the entomopathogenic fungi. Compared to the contact-exposure, overall a spray treatment showed lower control efficacy against P. brevitarsis seulensis. Furthermore, mortality of various developmental stages of P. brevitarsis seulensis was investigated under laboratory conditions. This work suggests that when treated with fungi mortality of P. brevitarsis seulensis was closely related with developmental stage. These results provide a basic information for the control of P. brevitarsis seulensis using entomopathogenic fungi

The purposes of this study were to investigate the influences of channel assessments on the usage of multi-channels by product types, and the differences in the usage of multi-channels among product types in buying decision making process for fashion products. Data were collected from 510 consumers in their 20s to 50s with purchasing experiences through multi-channel distribution system and living in Seoul and Kyunggi province; 491 were analyzed after deleting incomplete questionnaires. Factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis by using SPSS 18.0. The results were as follows: 5 factors were extracted for channel assessment: utility, accuracy, risk, price benefit and sharing information. Price benefits, utility and sharing information for online channel tended to influence positively on the usage of online channel and online+offline channels. Accuracy and low perceived risk of offline influenced positively on offline and on+offline channel usages. The usage levels of on-line and off-line channels for cosmetics were significantly lower than the usage levels for clothes and accessories on information search, evaluation of alternatives, and purchase stages. Significant differences were also found in the usage levels of multi-channels (on+off-line) on information search and evaluation of alternatives stages. The usage levels of the multi-channels for clothes were the highest followed by those of accessories and cosmetics in order.

본 연구는 퇴비에 함유된 영양소 및 중금속 함량을 파악하고 상추 재배시 퇴비의 적정 시용 비율을 알아보고자 수행되었다. 실험을 위해 두가지 퇴비를 이용하였다. 첫 번째 퇴비는 미완숙 퇴비(CA)이며 두 번째 퇴비는 시중에서 판매되고 있는 완숙 퇴비(CB)이다. 각각의 퇴비는 인공토양을 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%로 혼합하여 사용하였다. 50%와 75%의 비율로 혼합한 CA의 pH는 각각 5.39, 5.50으로 측정되었으며 약 산성으로 나타났다. CA 및 CB를 75% 비율로 혼합할 경우, 총 탄소 함량은 각각 14.5%와 6.5%로 다른 비율의 퇴비에 비해 높았고 대조구에 비해 총 질소와 인 농도가 유의하게 증가하였다. 총 탄소함량은 CA퇴비를 인공토양에 75% 혼합한 실험구에서 가장 높게 나타났다. CA는 CB와 비교하여 퇴비화율, 질소, 인의 농도가 크게 증가하였다. CB 75% 혼합한 실험구에서 구리(128 mg kg-1), 아연(260 mg kg-1), 납(0.32 mg kg-1), 카드뮴(0.48 mg kg-1) 의 함량은 다른 혼합구에 비해 가장 많은 증가하였다. 특히 비소는 CA퇴비를 25% 혼합한 실험구와 CB퇴비를 75%, 50% 혼합한 실험구에서 가장 높았다(6.69 and 6.28 mg kg-1). CA실험구 중에서 상대적으로 낮은 염분 및 중금속 함량을 함유한 CA 25% 혼합한 실험구는 상추의 성장속도 및 엽면적 등이 CB에 비해 낮게 측정되어 최적의 성장조건은 아닌 것으로 사료된다. 따라서, CA를 사용하여 상추재배에 이용할 경우, 더 낮은 농도의 CA를 이용하는 것이 적당할 것으로 판단된다.

Multiple interferon tau (IFNT) genes exist in bovine. An antiluteolytic substance secreted by the bovine conceptus and primarily responsible for maternal recognition of pregnancy is bovine trophoblast protein 1 (bIFNT1), a new type I interferon tau (IFNT) genes. The objectives of this research were to investigate whether multiple, distinct gene encode bIFNT1 and other type I bIFNT gene in the bovine genome and to examine expression of bIFNT1 and other bIFNTc1 mRNAs during conceptus development. These transcrips could be regulated through caudalrelatedhomeobox-2 (CDX2) and ETS2 and/or AP1 (JUN) expression, a transcription factor implicated in the control of cell differentiation in the trophectoderm. The presence of mRNAs encoded by bIFNT1 and type I bIFNTc1 genes were examined quantitatively via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of total cellular RNA (tcRNA) extracted from on day 17, 20 and 22 bovine conceptuses. The expression level of bIFNT1 was higher on day 17 transcripts were gradually weakly detectable on day 20 and 22. However, the other bIFNTc1 gene examined transcripts was highly expressed on day 20 and transcripts were weakly detectable on day 17 and 22 bovine conceptuses. Furthermore, human choriocarcinoma JEG3 was co-transfected with an -1kb-bIFNT1/c1-Luc constructs and several transcription factor expression plasmids. Compared to each -1kb-bIFNT1/c1-Luc increased when this constructs were co-transfected with, ETS2, AP1(JUN), CREBBP and/or CDX2. Also, bIFNTc1 gene was had very effect on activity by alone ETS2, and AP1 (JUN) expression factors in choriocarcinoma JEG3 cell. However, bIFNT1 gene expression of the upstream region was not identified. We demonstrated that the activities of bIFN genes are regulated by differential, tissue-specific and developmental competence during pregnancy.

Anthricin (Deoxypodophyllotoxin), a naturally occurring flavolignan, has well known anti-cancer properties in several cancer cells, such as prostate cancer, cervical carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. However, the effects of Anthricin are currently unknown in oral cancer. We examined the anticancer effect and mechanism of action of Anthricin in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Our data showed that Anthricin inhibits cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner (IC50 50 nM) in the MTT assay and Live & Dead assay. In addition, Anthricin treated FaDu cells showed marked apoptosis by DAPI stain and FACS. Furthermore, Anthricin activates anti-apoptotic factors such as caspase-3, -9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), suggesting that caspase-mediated pathways are involved in Anthricin- induced apoptosis. Anthricin treatment also leads to accumulation of the pro-apoptotic factor Bax, followed by inhibition of cell growth. Taken together, these results indicate that Anthricn-induced cell death of human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells is mediated by mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. In summary, our findings provide a framework for further exploration on Anthricin as a novel chemotherapeutic drug for human oral cancer.