The root zone applications of a systemic insecticide, carbofuran, were evaluated for their impacts on the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), and spider populations in the greenhouse and rice paddy fields. In the green house experiments, no BPH nymphs were hatched at root zone treated on 40 to 50 day-old rice, while around 20 to 54 nymphs per pot were emerged in broadcasting and foliar spray treatments. This indicates that the root zone treatment can kill the eggs of BPH effectively. This is the first study ever demonstrated the high egg mortality of BPH due to the root-zone application. In the field experiments, the density of BPH in root zone treated plots were four to six times lower than in broadcasting and foliar spray plots at the 21 days after application. The BPH outbreaks and hopper-burns were observed at all treatments except the root zone treated plot at the 28 days after application. The root-zone application did not impact on the spider population, while foliar spray killed most of all spiders just one day after application. The densities of spider in foliar spray plots were always lower than in root-zone treated and control plots. The results indicated that the root-zone application of carbofuran can control BPH effectively without adverse effects to the spiders inhabited on the paddy field.

The techniques of IVM, IVF and IVC of canine oocytes may provide useful information for gamete salvage programs and the conservation of endangered canidae. This investigation has been made to determine the efficiency of in vitro maturation (IVM) as a basic experiment to study the development of canine oocytes after in vitro fertilization (IVF). The rate of oocytes developing to the MII stage was higher in the hormone treated group (10 IU/ml hCG+eCG, 14.7%, p<0.05) than in the control group (0 IU/ml hCG+eCG, 10.0%). The monospermy and pronuclear rates of canine oocytes were investigated after caffeine treatment on IVF. Canine oocytes were fertilized in the Fert‐TALP medium supplemented with 0, 10, 20 or 30 mM caffeine (Fert I, Fert II, Fert III or Fert IV, respectively). The highest pronuclear formation rate was obtained in the Fert I for 24 h IVF (6.7%, 6/89). Therefore, it is believed that unlike in other mammals, caffeine in canine IVF does not increase the efficiency of fertilization rate, and is not an important factor.

As indigenous aphid parasitoid, Aphelinus varipes kill aphids for feeding in addition to parasitization. Because of this characteristic of A. varipes, this parasitoid may have the possibility of biological control agent against aphids. So we have evaluated traits such as daily paratization, total parasization, number of aphids killed by host feeding, sex ratio, development time, pupal mortality of A. varipes parasitizing green peach aphid, Myzus persicae. At 25°C and 16L:8D, longevity, total paratization and host feeding of A. varipes female was 11.0, 25.3, and 63.3 days, respectively. And development time of male and female, sex ratio (M:F), pupa mortality of offspring of A. varipes were 12.0 days, 12.5 days, 0.88, and 11.6%, respectively. However, because these results are not enough to estimate potential of A. varipes as biological control agents/factors, other factors such as host suitability (Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Aulacorthum solani), effect of temperature, and host seeking behavior of A. varipes continually will be investigated.

Root zone application of several systemic insecticides was tested for control of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), in Vietnam and Korea. In Vietnam, the results indicated that carbofuran showed the highest nymphal mortality in all experiments, followed by imidacloprid and carbosulfan. When the insecticides were applied on 10-day old rice, carbofuran was shown almost 100% N. lugens mortality at six days after treatment and the efficacy was extended to twelve days after application. In Korea, various root-zone application methods were tested with carbofuran and carbosulfan. The results showed that carbofuran was the most active in reducing the egg hatching rates. When root-zone treated on 40-50 day-old rice in a greenhouse, no nymphs were hatched in carbofuran treated pots, while average of 20 nymphs were emerged in carbofuran broadcasting pots. Especially the number of nymphs emerged in carbosulfan foliar spray was 54 nymphs per pot even at the eight day after application, which was higher than in control pots. This is the first study ever demonstrated the high egg mortality of N. lugens on rice due to the root-zone application of insecticides.

Bt crystal proteins, encoded by cry genes, are a group of insecticidal proteins unique in the Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. These cry genes are widely applied as one of the most successful candidates for constructing transgenic crops resistant to pest insects. In our previous report, we found Cry1-5 had high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera larvae although its amino acid sequences showed high similarity (95.6%) to those of Cry1Ac which had low activity. In comparison with Cry1Ac, Cry1-5 had 12 different residues on domain I and II. In order to convert these residues to Cry1-5 randomly, 10 mutagenic primers were designed. Through multi site-directed mutagenesis, we mutated the modified cry1Ac gene by plant codon usage in pOBI-Modcry1Ac based on cry1-5 and constructed 63 mutant cry genes. Among them, 10 mutant cry genes on domain II were selected and their recombinant proteins were expressed by baculovirus expression system. From bioassay results to P. xylostella and S. exigua, we found some mutants have high insecticidal activities to be applicable to transgenic crops.

Innate immunity responses are triggered by the immune challenge and therefore involve signaling processes. The cellular response is initiated by hemocytes and mainly involves phagocytosis and encapsulation of intruders by these cells. To address whether Hc-STAT is activated upon bacterial challenge, we examined the subcellular location of STAT protein in hemocyte by immunostaining. A new insect member of the STAT family of transcription factors (Hc-STAT) has been cloned from the lepidopteran, Hyphantria cunea. The domain involved in DNA interaction and the SH2 domain are well conserved. The gene is transcribed at a low level during all stages of development, and the protein is present in hemocytes, fat body, midgut, epidermis, and Malphigian tuble (Mt). Especially, hemocytes and Mt showed transcriptional activation of Hc-STAT upon Gram (-) bacteria and fungal challenge. Gram (-) bacteria and fungal challenge specifically results in nuclear translocation of Hc-STAT protein and induction of DNA-binding activity that recognizes a STAT target site in H. cunea hemocyte. In vitro treatment with pervanadate translocates Hc-STAT to the nucleus in hemocyte cells. Here we report the first evidence for the involvement hemocyte JAK/STAT pathway upon microbial infection in lepidopteran insect.

As an effective generalist predator of aphids and other hemipteran pests, Harmonia axyridis has been a successful biological control agent. Interestingly, it was known that there were varied in color patterns on H. axyridis elytra. In fact, Seo & Youn (2007) reported that H. axyridis had five color patterns, for example, succinea 1, 2, conspicua, spectabilis, and axyridis. But there are uncertain that H. axyridis elytra colour patterns are regulated by genetic polymorphism. So we tried to what is the reason that color patterns are greatly variable. To identify DNA markers linked to a elytra polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was performed on DNA samples from four female succinea, conspicua, spectabilis and Coccinella septempunctata which is another species in Coccinellidae. AFLP analysis with the restriction endonuclease combination EcoRⅠ and MseⅠwas performed. Using 12 AFLP primer pairs, nine AFLP fragments which is specific between succinea, conspicua, spectabilis was identified. These nine AFLP fragments were isolated, cloned and sequenced. Subsequent UPGMA cluster analysis revealed three major group of H. axyridis populations. These genetic tree showed that H. axyridis elytra colour diversity was affected by genetic polymorphism. For more genetically understanding elytra colour genes, different primer combinations may be need to be generate enough polymorphic markers. These genetic analyses may be facilitate the understanding of molecular mechanism behind wing colour pattern formation.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of each single component of the synthetic sex pheromone in the rice green caterpillar, Naranga aenescens and rice leaf roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis. Trap catches with each single component or binary mixtures of the sex pheromone in N. aenescens were significantly lower than that with an optimum mixture (2: 1: 4) of Z9-14:Ac, Z9-16:Ac and Z11-16:Ac. But only few number of C. medinalis male was caught in trap baited with each component of the sex pheromone excepting Z13-18:Ald. In an optimum composition of the sex pheromone in C. medinalis, trap catches baited with an 11: 100: 11 mixture of Z11-18:Ald, Z13-18:Ald, and Z13-18:Ac without two alcohol components (Z11-18:OH and Z13-18:OH) was higher than that baited with an optimum mixture of Z11-18:Ald, Z13-18:Ald, Z11-18:OH, Z13-18:OH, and Z13-18:Ac. The efficacy of the sex pheromone lure of N. aenescens kept over 4 weeks. The occurrence of N. aenescens caught in trap baited with sex pheromone gave three peaks and C. medinalis showed two distinct peaks throughout the flight season. Therefore, it can be expected that pheromone-baited trap provides a simple tool for monitoring N. aenescens and C. medinalis in Korea.

선행 연구에서 poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) 나노 여과막을 사용하여 불소 이온을 포함한 1가 이온 혼합물을 분리하는 것이 가능함을 보였다. 예를 들면, 다공성 알루미나 지지체에 (PSS/PDADMAC)4PSS 필름을 코팅한 경우 염소/불소 이온의 선택도가 3 이상이었으며 4.8 bar에서 용액의 플럭스가 3.5 m 3 /m 2-day이었다. 그러나, PSS/PDADMAC 이층의 수가 4.5에서 5.5.로 증가하면 염소/불소 이온의 선택도가 1.9로 떨어졌으며, (PSS/PDADMAC)6PSS 필름의 경우에는 염소 이온의 배제율이 급속히 증가하면서 선택도가 1에 가까웠다. 이러한 선택도의 감소 현상은 예상치 못한 것으로서 다른 지지체를 사용하여도 같은 경향을 보이는지 여부는 불분명하였다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 다공성 알루미나 대신에 분획 분자량이 50kDa인 다공성 polyethersulfone (PES)에 PSS/PDADMAC을 적층하고 불소/염소 이온 혼합물의 나노 여과 특성을 살펴보았다. 그 결과 다공성 알루미나의 경우와 비록 적층 수는 달랐으나 불소 이온의 배제율이 최대가 되는 최적 적층수가 존재하였으며 이로부터 이러한 현상이 지지체에 무관한 일반적인 사실임을 알 수 있었다.

배관 내부의 방사성 오염도를 측정하기 위한 ZnS(Ag)/플라스틱섬광체 조합의 알파/베타선 동시측정용 phoswich 검출기를 개발하였다. 알파/베타선 동시측정용 phoswich 검출기의 오염위치에 따른 검출 성능을 PSD (Pulse shape discrimination) 방법을 이용하여 평가하였다. 또한, 검출기를 방사성 오염물질로부터 보호하기 위한 오염방지용 필름에 대한 방사선 감쇄 정도를 실험적으로 평가하였다. PSD 방법으로 알파/베타선 분리 정도를 측정한 결과 충분히 알파와 베타선이 분리되었으며 오염방지용 필름의 적용 가능성을 확인하였다.

Bt crystal proteins, encoded by cry genes, are a group of insecticidal proteins unique in the Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. These cry genes are widely applied as one of the most successful candidates for constructing transgenic plants resistant to pest insects. In our previous report, we found Cry1-5 had high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera larvae although its amino acid sequences showed high similarity (97.9%) to those of Cry1Ab which had low activity. In comparison with Cry1Ac, Cry1-5 had 12 different residues in domain Ⅰ and domain Ⅱ, and we focused on domain Ⅰand domain Ⅱ regions and designed 10 mutagenic primers to change 12 residues. Through multi site-directed mutagenesis, we mutated the modified cry1Ac gene by plant codon usage in pOBⅠ-Mod-cry1Ac based on cry1-5 and constructed 63 various mutant cry genes. In the further study, we will express those mutant proteins as a fusion form with polyhedrin using baculovirus expression system and subsequently do bioassay to Spodoptera larvae.

This study was carried out to identify the sex pheromone of the soybean podworm, Matsumuraeses phaseoli. EAG response of M. phaseoli male antenna to various chemical compounds were examined. Of them, (E,E)-8,10-dodecadienyl acetate (E8E10-12:Ac) and (E)-8-dodecenyl acetate (E8-12:Ac) were most EAG-active. The abdominal tips of M. phaseoli females were extracted with distilled hexane 4h after light-off for 30 min. In an electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD), female extracts showed two EAG-active components. In a GC-MS analysis, three components (E8E10-12:Ac, E8-12:Ac, and (E,Z)-7,9-dodecadienyl acetate) were identical with those of authentic standards following the retention time and their ratio was 7: 1: 1. Of these three components, EAG responses of M. phaseoli males to E8E10-12:Ac and E8-12:Ac were significantly dose-dependent. Field effectiveness of these components remains to be evaluated.

This study was carried out to investigate the optimum composition of sex pheromone of the rice green caterpillar Naranga aenescens and its efficacy was examined in a paddy field. The mating rate of N. aenescens tended to be increased with age, showing the highest rate of mating at age 2. The highest mating showed within 1 h after the scotophase, and also mating took place even during the photophase. A GC-EAD analysis of virgin female extracts showed two EAG-active components. Their chromatographic behavior was coincident with that of an authentic sample of Z9-14:Ac and Z11-16:Ac, respectively. The mass spectrum of two EAG-active components was almost identical to that of the authentic samples. The EAG response to two compounds, Z9-14:Ac and Z11-16:Ac, was significantly dose-dependent, but response to Z9-16:Ac was not dose-dependent. A 2: 1: 4 mixture of Z9-14:Ac, Z9-16:Ac, and Z11-16:Ac was the most effective composition for attracting N. aenescens. The male moths increased in proportion to the pheromone amount impregnated. The sticky-typed wing trap baited with sex pheromone captured significantly more males than the other two type of trap examined. Trap catches within a paddy field were much more than those in perimeter trap. The trap-baited with sex pheromone gave three or four distinct fluctuation peaks of male catches throughout the flight seasons.

The surface of most coccinellids (particularly the elytra) has characteristic colour patterns, which show great variability within many species. Individuals of a species of ladybird often differ from one another in colour and pattern. In case of Harmonia axyridis, environmental factors, such as temperature or food, can probably influence colour and pattern. However, virtually no work has been carried out in the influence of such factor. Therefore, in this study, according to rearing temperature, photoperiod and diet, variation of elytra color patterns were investigated. First instar larva on each color pattern were reared in an incubator at one of two temperatures; 25 and 30℃, under the following photoperiod; L16: D8, L12: D12 and L8: D16 and were provided three species of aphids. And their color pattern of adults were estimated.