Although much effort has been made to find agronomically important loci in the soybean plant, extensive linkage disequilibrium and genome duplication have limited efficient genome-wide linkage analyses that can identify important regulatory genes. In this respect, recombination block-based analysis of cultivated plant genomes is a potential critical step for molecular breeding and target locus screening. We propose a new three-step method of detecting recombination blocks and comparative genomics of bred cultivars. It utilizes typical reshuffling features of their genomes, which have been generated by the recombination processes of breeding ancestral genomes. To begin with, mutations were detected by comparing genomes to a reference genome. Next, sequence blocks were examined for likenesses and difference with respect to the reference genome. The boundaries between the blocks were taken as recombination sites. All recombination sites found in the cultivar set were used to split the genomes, and the resulting sequence fragments were named as core recombination blocks (CRBs). Finally, the genomes were compared at the CRB level, instead of at the sequence level. In the genomes of the five Korean soybean cultivars used, the CRB-based comparative genomics method produced long and distinct CRBs that are as large as 22.9 Mb. We also demonstrated efficiency in detecting functionally useful target loci by using indel markers, each of which represents a CRB. We further showed that the CRB method is generally applicable to both monocot and dicot crops, by analyzing publicly available genomes of 31 soybeans and 23 rice accessions.

High temperature impediment in developing stages of crops has been occurred due to the impact of global warming. Rice production is notable to be sensitive to increasing environmental temperature and grain filling temperatures are already approaching threatening levels in many countries with rice cultivation. Recent proteomic analyses exposed impulsive changes of metabolisms during rice grain development. Interestingly, proteins involved in glycolysis, citric acid cycle, lipid metabolism, and proteolysis were accumulated at higher levels in mature grain than those of developing stages. High temperature (HT) stress in rice ripening period enhances damaged (chalky) grains which have loosely compacted shape starch granules. We carried out two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to analyze protein profiles during grain filling and different developmental stages of rice seed maturation. Proteins were separated from the fertilized seeds (seeds from 7 days and 21 days after fertilization) and seed maturation stage using IEF in the first-dimension and SDS-PAGE in the second dimension along with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. More than 1,000 protein spots were detected on a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A total of 120 different protein spots out of 140 protein spots were identified by MALDI-TOF and nano LCQ-TOF mass spectrometer. The identified proteins were categorized into six (6) different groups according to their expression patterns during grain filling and seed maturation. Some proteins were confirmed during seed development stages such as cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase, whereas others were appeared at a specific stage like putative subtilisin-like protease, germin-like, seed allergenic proteins. Furthermore, the chalking mechanism of rice grain under the HT stress could be discussed in terms of grain starch glycome, transcriptome, and proteome.

Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a major staple for a large portion of the world. The crop ranks fifth among the cereals world-wide with respect to its importance for food and feed applications. To this end, the grain harvested from sorghum, and the millets provides an important source for dietary calories and protein for approximately one billion people in the semi-arid regions of the world. However, grain sorghum products are known to have relatively poor digestibility, only approximately 50%–70%, in comparison with other grains, such as wheat and maize, which tend to have digestibility percentages over 80% and 70%, respectively. Protein with high digestibility is by definition nutritionally superior owing to the increased availability of amino acids. Digestibility can be impacted by both protein–protein and⁄or protein–nonprotein interactions. However, with respect to grain sorghum, it is thought that the major factor influencing digestibility is the former because of high protein cross-linking around the protein body. To understand the mechanism of seed storage proteins in the sorghum, the proteomic analysis was carried out between the wild(BTX623) and mutant(M271207) genotypes of sorghum. Proteins were separated from the mature seed using IEF in the first-dimension and SDS-PAGE in the second dimension along with hybrid LTQ-FTICR mass spectrometry. After image analysis using Progenesis SameSpot software, we identified the 62 differential expressed protein spots out of 293 protein spots. Out of total differential expressed spots, 35 differential expressed protein spots (more than2-fold) were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Out of 35 protein spots, we were identified 20 protein spots as up-regulated and 15 protein spots as downregulated, significantly. In our proteomic investigation, the candidate proteins may provide novel clues for better understanding the characteristics of seed proteins in Sorghum.

We examined the morphometric characteristics and fluctuating asymmetry of diploid and triploid marine medaka, Oryzias dancena. We used morphometric parameters the truss and classical dimensions. Significant differences in all the classical and truss dimensions of the diploid and triploid fish. All the dimensions of the triploid fish were greater than those of the diploid fish. The triploid marine medaka shows sexual dimorphism in these characters, and the sexual dimorphism of the triploid marine medaka is similar to that of the diploid marine medaka. Thus, the growth of triploid marine medaka is faster than that of the diploid fish, and it displays clear sexual dimorphism, with male fish having longer dorsal and anal fins than female fish. we examined fluctuating asymmetry of eye diameter, maxilla length, operculum length, number of pectoral fin ray and number of pelvic fin ray. In all experimental groups, Eye diameter and maxilla length showed no significant difference between left side and right side (P>0.05). Trends of operculum length in triploid male group and pectoral fin ray's number in diploid male group showed similar trend with trends of operculum length in triploid female group and pectoral fin ray’s number in diploid female group. However, trends of operculum length in diploid male group and pectoral fin ray's number in triploid male group showed opposite trend with trends of operculum length in diploid female group and pectoral fin ray’s number in triploid female group. Trend of pelvic fin ray's number in all groups showed similar trend with trend of pectoral fin ray’s number in all groups.

Discovery, identification, and informatics of low molecular weight peptide are extensively rising in the field of proteomics research. In this study, we analyzed protein profiles to discover peptide based biomarker for twelve different soybean seeds with three different agronomic types using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). For optimization of SELDI-TOF MS in soybean seed proteome analysis, four different extraction buffers were tested with urea solubilization buffer, thiourea/urea solubilization buffer, phenol extraction buffer, and modified trichloroacetic acid (TCA)/acetone precipitation/urea solubilization extraction buffer. Two different type of ProteinChip arrays, cation exchange (CM10) and anion exchange (Q10), applied to profile peptides. Among the four different extraction buffers, phenol extraction was selected to protein extraction methodology. Numbers of detected peak cluster in twelve soybean seeds were 125 at CM10 and 90 at Q10 array in the mass range from 2 to 40 kDa. Among them, 82 peak clusters at CM10 and 33 peak clusters at Q10 array showed significantly different peak clusters at p<0.00004 (CM10) and p<0.00005 (Q10) among twelve different soybean cultivars. Moreover, 29 peak clusters at CM10 and 17 peak clusters at Q10 array were detected in all cultivars as an ‘universally existed peptide’. In comparison with three different agronomic types, total of 55 peak clusters (CM10) and 23 peak clusters (Q10) were significantly different peak clusters at p<0.00004 and p<0.0001, respectively. In these probability levels, soybean seeds were well discriminated into different cultivar and different type with each other. Also we could find several specific peptide biomarkers for agronomic type.

Geneally, rice seeds regardless indica or japonica are showing low germination ratio or completely lost germination ability together with lost of good eating quality under high temperature and humidity conditions. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate a longevity for conservation of good eating quality during long term storage in rice. For the longevity evaluation, germination ability was studied after 5 days of high temperature and humidity stress (50℃/RH 95%). Dharial, originated from Bangladesh and showing weedy type with red pericarp, was selected as a good donor for longevity genes. A mutant was developed from Dharial through EMS mutagenesis and two populations of Dharial/4*Ilmibyeo and Dharial/4*Gopumbyeo were also developed for genetic study. In the 2-DE analysis followed by MALDI-TOF MS with wild and mutant lines, several candidate genes were identified. In the longevity test of two populations, a few lines showing good germination ability after high temperature and humidity stress were selected and subjected to confirm the relationships between longevity and conservation of good eating quality under long term storage.

광나무(L. lucidum)는 ursolic acid와 oleanolic acid를 다량 포함하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 광나무 열매, 줄기, 잎 세 부위 추출물의 항주름 효능을 평가하였다. 광나무 추출물은 human skin fibroblasts에서 독성이 없을 뿐만 아니라 MMP-1과 MMP-2의 발현을 감소시키고 COL1A1의 발현을 증가시켰다. 이들 추출물은 모두 농도 의존적으로 COL1A1의 발현을 증가시켰으며 MMP-1과 MMP-2의 발현을 감소시켰다. 광나무 세 부위 추출물 가운데, 열매 부위에 가장 많은 양의 ursolic acid 와 oleanolic acid가 함유되어 있었으며 가장 강한 COL1A1 upregulating 효과와 MMP-1과 MMP-2 downregulating 효과를 나타냈다. 이처럼 항주름 효능을 보이는 광나무 열매 추출물은 기능성 화장품 소재로 개발될 수 있는 가능성이 있다.