The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops has increased due to their economic and agronomic advantages. Before commercialization of GM crops, however, we must assess the potential risks of GM crops on human health and environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible impact of Bt rice on the soil microbial community. Microbial communities were isolated from the rhizosphere soil cultivated with Bt rice and Nakdong, parental cultivar and were subjected to be analyzed using both culture-dependent and molecular methods. The total counts of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes in the rhizosphere of transgenic and conventional rice were not significantly different. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes revealed that the bacterial community structures during cultural periods were very similar each other. Analysis of dominant isolates in the rhizosphere cultivated with Bt and Nakdong rice showed that the dominant isolates from the soil of Bt rice and Nakdong belonged to the Proteobacteria, Cloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Acidobacteria. These results indicate that the Bt rice has no significant impact on the soil microbial communities during cultivation period. Further study remains to be investigated whether the residue of Bt rice effect on the soil environment.

Climate warming has the potential to deteriorate grain yield and quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.), offsetting the stimulative effects of elevating CO2. To know how the change in sink-source balances by reducing sink-size (RSS) may affect grain yield and quality of rice grown under various climate change scenarios, we conducted a temperature gradient chamber experiment with/without CO2 fumigation systems which were established in paddy field. Rice crops (cv. Ilmybyeo) were exposed to either ambient (396ppmV) or elevated CO2 of 673ppmV in three levels of air temperature [(Ta), local ambient Ta (24.8℃), 1.3℃ and 2.4℃ above ambient Ta] over whole seasons. Thus, the experiment was a 2×3 factorial design with three replicate plots of each CO2×Ta combination. At flowering, for two hills from each combination treatment total thirty (10 per each top, middle and basal parts of panicle) spikelets per panicle were removed with order of panicle appearance by scissors. This corresponded to a 25% reduction of total sink-size per hill. In ambient Ta and CO2 , grain yield decreased with RSS by 23.4%, approximately mirroring the reduced sink-size. With rising Ta, however, the yield reduction by RSS was significantly mitigated (-5.6% in 1.3℃ above ambient Ta), and the yield rather increased with RSS by 9.3% in 2.4℃ above ambient Ta. This was due primarily to the increased single grain mass with RSS. A similar response fashion of grain mass and yield with RSS to Ta was found in elevated CO2, but not CO2×Ta interaction. For brown rice, the fraction of normal rice was linearly reduced with rising Ta, ranging from 78.5～79.2% in local ambient Ta to 48.2～55.5% in 2.4℃ above ambient Ta over CO2 treatments. However, this deteriorative effect of rising Ta was significantly alleviated with RSS; the fractions of normal rice were a 81.9～84.1%, 75.9～77.2% and 64.0～66.3% in local ambient Ta, 1.3℃ and 2.4℃ above ambient Ta, respectively. The alleviative effect of RSS on rice quality was due mainly to the reduced immature rice, and was more conspicuous as Ta rises. These results suggest that current rice cultivars in Korea, at least cultivars tested in this experiment, will likely to be prone to source-limitation in the future projected warming with elevating CO2, and thereby will be needed a cultivar having either a greater source ability or a less sink size compared with current cultivars, in order to ensure a rice quality in the future warming conditions.

To know how interacting climate drivers may affect rice quality, we investigated physio-chemical properties of brown and milled rice. Rice crops (Oryza sativa L., cv. Ilmybyeo and Pyounganbyeo) were grown under either ambient [370ppmV (2008)/396ppmV (2009)] or elevated CO2 of 650ppmV (2008)/673ppmV (2009) in three levels of air temperature [(Ta), local ambient Ta [25.9℃ (2008)/24.8℃ (2009)], 1.3℃ and 2.4℃ above ambient Ta] over whole seasons, using six temperature gradient chambers established in paddy fields. Over 2 years, thus the experiments were a 2×3 factorial design with three replicate plots of each CO2×Ta combination. The fractions of normal brown rice were reduced with elevating CO2 by 8% (Ilmybyeo)～14% (Pyounganbyeo), and with rising Ta by 16% (+1.3 ℃)～27% (+2.4℃) in Ilmybyeo and by 27% (+1.3℃)～42% (+2.4℃) in Pyounganbyeo (p=0.015, 0.000, 0.059, 0.000 and 0.017 for CO2, Ta, CO2×Ta, cultivar and Ta×cultivar, respectively). With respect to immature rice, elevating CO2 increased milky-white rice, white-based rice and white-belly rice across cultivars. Warming also significantly increased all immature rice across cultivars, though no CO2×Ta interaction was observed. Over 2 years, the deteriorative effect of warming on brown rice quality was significantly greater in Pyounganbyeo than in Ilmybyeo. Across cultivars, protein contents of milled rice were decreased (c. 5～9%) with elevating CO2 but increased (c. 5%) with warming, though no CO2×Ta interaction was found (p=0.119). Elevating CO2 significantly increased whiteness of milled rice over cultivars but not amylose contents and gloss value of cooked rice, while warming had a strong affect these properties all related rice quality. Overall, our results suggest that warming and elevating CO2, in each alone or in combination, may have the potential to deteriorate physio-chemical properties of rice related to quality.

"Juan1" is a new japonica rice variety of mid-late maturing, tolerance to lodging and adaptable to direct seeding which was developed by the rice breeding team of National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, in 2005. This variety is derived from a cross between Ilpumbyeo, a variety of good-eating quality and high yield, and SR18392-HB683-104. The Juanl has heading date of August 19 at ordinary planting in the middle plain. It has semi-erect plant type with culm length of about 80cm and tolerance to lodging. This variety shows susceptible to blast, bacterial blight, virus diseases and brown planthopper. The milled rice kernels of Juanl are translucent with non-glutinous endosperm, clear in chalkiness and medium short grain. It has also low amylose content of 18.8%, low gelatinization temperature and good palatability. The average milled rice yield of this variety was 5.68 MT/ha at ordinary planting in local adaptability test for three years from 2003 to 2005. Juan! would be highly adaptable to middle plain and mid-eastern coastal region of Korea.

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate spontaneously into beating cardiomyocytes via embryo-like aggregates. We describe the use of mouse embryonic stem (mES03) cells as a reproducible differentiation system for cardiomyocyte. To induce cardiomyocytic differentiation, mES03 cells were dissociated and allowed to aggregate (EB formation) at the presence of 0 75% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 4 days and then another 4 days without DMSO (4+/4-). Thus treated EBs were plated onto gelatin-coated dish for differentiation. Spontaneously contracting colonies which appeared in approximately 4-5 days upon differentiation. Expression of cardiac-specific genes were determined by RT-PCR. Rebust expression of myosin light chain (MLC-2V), cardiac myosin heavy chain , cardiac muscle heavy polypeptide 7 -MHC), cardiac transcription factor GATA4 and skeletal muscle-specific -subunit of the L-type calcium channel () were detected as early as 8 days after EB formation, but message of cardiac muscle-specific -subunit of the L-type calcium channel (CaCh) were revealed at a low level. Strikingly, the expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was not detected. When spontaneous contracting cell masses were examined their electrophysiological features by patch-clamp technique, it showed ventricle-like action potential 17 days after the EB formation. This study indicates that mES03 cell-derived cardiomyocytes displayed biochemical and electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes and DMSO enhanced development of cardiomyocytes in 4+/4- method.

Regional Adaptability Test (RAT) was conducted to select promising breeding lines of rice for cultivation in specif ic regions. Analysis of genotype (G) and genotype by environment (G×E) interaction observed in RAT was carried out to test their adaptabili