Selecting surrogated species is the first step for environmental risk assessment of GM crop on non-target arthropods. To select surrogated species considering the domestic environment, we surveyed the arthropod fauna in five main localities (Changnyeong-gun in Gyeongsangnam-do, Goesan-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do, Gokseong-gun in Jeollanam-do, Hongcheon-gun in Gangwon-do and Hwaseong-si in Gyeonggi-do) in which maize was cultivated with large scale. Maize is one of the main imported GM crop in Korea. Arthropods were surveyed with yellow sticky traps and pitfall traps from May to August with a week interval considering the crop growing season in 2012 and 2013. A total of 135 species of 51 families in 13 orders were identified from the 17,470 arthropods. Six orders (Coleoptera, Araneae, Hemiptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera) were dominant in species richness and three orders (Collembola, Thysanoptera and Diptera) in abundance, representing 84% and 86% of the total, respectively. In the composition of fuctional guilds, herbivore group was the most dominant followed by predator group occupying 40% and 37% of the total abundance.

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) developed into sperms through spermatogenesis have been utilized as a useful tool in the field of regenerative medicine and infertility. However, a small number of highly qualified SSCs are resided in the seminiferous tubule of testis, resulted in developing effective in-vitro culture system of SSCs for solving simultaneously quantitative and qualitative problems. Presently, SSCs can be enriched on testicular stromal cells (TSCs), but there are no systematic researches about TSC culture. Therefore, we tried to optimize culture condition of TSCs derived from mouse with different strains. For these, proliferation and viability were measured and compared by culturing ICR outbred or DBA/2 inbred mouse-derived TSCs at 35 or 37℃. In case of ICR strain, primary TSCs cultured at 37℃ showed significantly higher proliferation and viability than those at 35℃ and significant increase of proliferation and viability in sub-passaged TSCs was detected in the 35℃ culture condition. Moreover, sub-passage of primary TSCs at 35℃ induced no significant effects on proliferation and viability. In contrast, in case of DBA/2 strain, significantly improved proliferation were detected in the primary TSCs cultured at 35℃, which showed no significant difference in the viability, compared to those at 37℃. Furthermore, sub-passaged TSCs cultured at 37℃ showed no significant differences in proliferation and viability, compared to those at 35℃. However, with significant decrease of proliferation induced by sub-passage of primary TSCs at 35℃, no significant effects on proliferation and viability were resulted from sub-passage of primary TSCs at 37℃. From these results, culture temperature of primary TSCs derived from outbred and inbred strain of mouse could be separately optimized in primary culture and subculture.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in vitro maturation (IVM) medium, cytochalasin B (CB) treatment during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and electric activation on in vitro development ICSI-derived embryos in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in vitro in medium 199 (M199) or porcine zygote medium (PZM)-3 that were supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 21～22 h. ICSI embryos were produced by injecting single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of IVM oocytes. The oocytes matured in PZM-3 with 61.6 mM NaCl (low-NaCl PZM-3) tended to decrease (0.05<P<0.1) nuclear maturation when compared with oocytes matured in M199 (76.9% vs. 83.8%) but no significant differences were found in embryo cleavage, blastocyst formation, and mean number of cells in blastocyst (73.8% vs. 74.6%, 11.1% vs. 12.1%, and 28.4 cells vs. 30.1 cells, respectively). The oocyte degeneration was not reduced by CB treatment during ICSI (11.9%) when compared with no treatment control (11.3%) while the treatment showed detrimental effects (P<0.05) on embryonic cleavage (40.0%) and blastocyst formation (1.8%) rates when compared with control (60.0% and 11.5%, respectively). For activation of ICSI oocytes, additional electric stimulus has no positive or negative effect on in vitro development of preimplantation stage ICSI porcine embryos. Our results demonstrate that CB treatment during ICSI inhibits embryonic development of ICSI oocytes and additional electric activation after ICSI has no effect in improving ICSI embryonic development in pigs. Further studies are needed to improve ICSI efficiency by investigating factors influencing embryonic development after ICSI in pigs.

In apple orchards under different farming practices (organic and conventional), arthropod community structure was investigated. Arthropods were collected with pitfall traps, band traps, yellow sticky traps and pheromone traps from May to December, 2012 in Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Biodiversity was analyzed with species richness and Shannon diversity index (H΄). Sampled arthropods were identified 37 families in 14 orders from 21,618 individuals in organic orchard-1 and 33 families in 10 orders from 11,318 individuals in organic orchard-2 and 35 families in 13 orders from 27,711 individuals in conventional orchard. Species richness was relatively highest in organic orchard-1, intermediate in conventional orchard and lowest in organic orchard-2. In ecologically functional group, abundance of pests was higher in conventional orchard than in organic orchards due to the high occurrence of Phyllonorycte ringoniella (Gracillariidae) and Lyonetia prunifoliella (Lyonetiidae). Organic orchards showed higher abundance, species richness and species diversity of epigeic predators and those of parasitoids above ground than conventional orchard. Abundance of detritivores, mainly collembola, were higher in organic orchard than in conventional orchard.

Paromius exiguus (Distant, 1883) is a serious insect pest in rice field adjacent to reclaimed land. They suck young ear of rice causing empty head of grain or pecky rice grain. During 2010 to 2012, we conducted to investigate the host-plant change of P. exiguus in Siwha reclaimed land, Hwaseong-si. In 2012, we also studied dispersal ability of P. exiguus from reclaimed land to adjacent rice fields. In early May, the adults aggregated on the grain parts of cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) (Poales: Poaceae) after overwintering, and laid their eggs and nymphs developed into adults on the same host plants from middle May to late June. Second generation was observed at wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigeios) (Poales: Poaceae) from late June to late July. At shooting stage of rice, adults moved to adjacent rice fields and third generation might be started. Although dispersal ability of adult of P. exiguus penetrated about 10 km into inland areas of Hwaseong-si, number of individuals of P. exiguus population was significantly declined with increasing distance from reclaimed land (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r=-0.7357, p<0.0001). Unfortunately, further studies on population dynamics of P. exiguus in rice fields could not investigated, because pesticides were widely sprayed by aerial application in 14 August, 2012. Nevertheless, this results will be a useful information for management and control of P. exiguus in rice fields adjacent to reclaimed land.

Food web of main arthorpods in 3 differently managed rice fields (low input, duck, apple snail farming) was investigated in Hongseong area, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. Main arthropods were selected by their abundance during the rice growing season in 2010. Food web was analyzed with stable isotope, δ15N and δ13C according to rice growth satges (seedling, tillering, booting, blooming/heading, and ripening stage). Rates of δ15N and δ13C in soil (F=5.72; df=2, 6; P=0.0407, F=40.86; df=2, 6; P=0.0003, respectively) and δ13C in rice (F=6.46; df=2, 6; P=0.0319) were statistically different. Rate of δ13C in Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (F=9.50; df=2, 6; P=0.0138), Pirata subpiraticus (F=11.00; df=2, 6; P=0.0098), and Pachygnatha clercki (F=6.33; df=2, 6; P=0.0333) were statistically different among farming methods. Stable isotope structures in food web were slightly different among 3 farming methods seasonally. Rates of δ15N and δ13C of rice pests such as Nephotettix cincticeps, Nilaparvata lugens, Laodelphax striatellus, and Sogatella furcifera were related to rice plant. Those of Tomoceridae sp. and Chironomidae sp., however, were not related to rice plant. Spiders as main natural enemy group were ranked on the top of food web and were thought to have life cycle based on the rice field from stable isotope structure.

We investigated the spatial distribution of ground beetle species from the edge of secondary forests in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. Nine secondary forests were selected, and 81 pitfall traps for collecting ground beetles were placed along forest interior―forest edge―forest exterior gradients during 14 June to 9 November, 2011. A total of 32 species belonging to 13 genera of 8 subfamilies were identified from 3710 collected ground beetles. Ten dominant species were selected for analysis. Five species such as Chlaenius micans (ANOVA, with Tukey's test, F2, 78=3.11, P=0.0502), Chlaenius ocreatus (F2, 78=2.76, P=0.0692), Dolichus halensis halensis (F2, 78=9.80, P=0.0002), Harpalus eous (F2, 78=2.73, P=0.0712), and Harpalus tridens (F2, 78=6.74, P=0.0020) were abundant at forest exterior. Three species such as Synuchus cycloderus (F2, 78=7.91, P=0.0007), Synuchus nitidus (F2, 78=9.72, P=0.0002), and Synuchus sp.1 (F2, 78=4.50, P=0.0142) were abundant at forest edge and forest interior. Coptolabrus smaragdinus branickii (F2, 78=3.24, P=0.0444) was abundant at forest edge and exterior. Finally, Chlaenius naeviger (F2, 78=1.39, P=0.2542) showed a wide distribution in this study. This study showed a significant edge effect on dominant ground beetles. Many environmental variables and prey items may be important factors for the spatial pattern of ground beetles. Because forest edges are generally important for many predaceous arthropods including ground beetles, the conservation and management of forest edges are important for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Community structure of ground beetles in Seokmun- and Siwha-reclaimed lands was investigated with pitfall traps from 21 May to 1 November, 2010. Survey areas were divided by the status of reclamation, vegetation, and flooding frequency. Status of the Seokmun-reclaimed land in Chungcheongnam-do is the progress of conversion to rice paddy after completion, and then dominant plant is Secale cereals. For the Siwha reclaimed land in Gyeonggi-do, reclamation is ongoing, and thus Imperata cylindrica and Calamagrostis pigeios are dominant plants. Flooding was more frequent in Seokmun than in Siwha as 4 times and none, respectively. A total of 3,352 epigeic insects of 9 orders and 22,981 epigeic insects of 9 orders were collected from the Seokmun- and Siwha-reclaimed land, respectively. Collembola was the most abundant in each site. In ground beetle assemblage, 11 species belonging to 7 subfamilies Seokmun and 8 species belonging to 5 subfamilies in Siwha were identified from 183 and 101 collected ground beetles. Chlaenius pallipes (107 individuals, 58.5%) and Pheropsophus javanus (52 individuals, 28.4%) was dominant in Seokmun, while Harplus jureceki (37 individuals, 36.6%), Synuchus arcuaticollis (17 individuals, 16.8%), and Dolichus halensis halensis (17 individuals, 16.8%) was dominant in Siwha. The Shannon's index value was 1.147 and 1.671 in Seokmun and Siwha, respectively. Similarity by the Sørensen index between Seokmun and Siwha was 0.3158. In conclusion, community structure and seasonality of ground beetles were significantly different between two reclaimed lands, and this difference appears to be due to their different habitat conditions such as flooding frequency and progress of reclamation.

Field studies were conducted to assess potential effects of transgenic rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) CryIAc1 protein, which is highly effective the rice leafroller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, on the rice insect community in 2007 and 2008. Insects were sampled in non-Bt and Bt rice plots with a sweep net and a suction devise. A total of 64,256 individuals in 45 families and 11 orders (30,860 individuals in 43 families and 11 orders in the Bt-rice plots, and 33,396 individuals in 40 families and 11 order in the non-Bt rice plots) were captured and grouped by ecological functional guilds. Species diversity and richness were not significantly different between Bt-rice and non-Bt rice plots. The seasonal pattern of the insect community and the seasonal population fluctuation of insects were very similar between two plots. Collectively, the rice insect community was not influenced by the Bt-rice in the present study.

This study was conducted to investigate the altitudinal distribution of the ground beetle community in a mountain area during 2007 to 2009, and to examine what habitat characters are most relevant to the distribution of mountain ground beetle species, and finally to identify potential biological indicators for monitoring in forest. The study area was Mt. Sobaeksan National Park (1439 m elevation), in Punggi-up, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. Ground beetles were collected by pitfall traps, which were installed along the altitudinal gradient 437, 757, 1100 and 1420 m. In total, 3,259 individuals were identified as 32 species in 18 genera. The dominant species were Synuchus cycloderus (29.4%), Eucarabus sternbergi sobaeksanensis (15.4%) and Pterostichus orientalis (9.7%) in order. Overall, the ground beetle community structure was different along the altitude (similarity 65.2%) by NMDS ordination, but also were clustered into 2 groups, 437 and 757 m, and 1100 and 1420 m (similarity 57.9%). Therefore, the ground beetle assemblage could provide basic information for forest management. In this study, some ground beetle species were suggested to potential biological indicators along altitudinal gradient.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) and H19 genes are mutually imprinted genes which may be responsible for abnormalities in the cloned fetuses and offspring. This study was performed to identify putative differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of porcine H19 locus and to explore its genomic imprinting in in vitro fertilized (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transferred (SCNT) embryos. Based on mice genomic data, we identified DMRs on H19 and found porcine H19 DMRs that included three CTCF binding sites. Methylation patterns in IVF and SCNT embryos at the 2-, 4-, 8～16-cells and blastocyst stages were analyzed by BS (Bisulfite Sequencing)-PCR. The CpGs in CTCF1 was significantly unmethylated in the 2-cell stage IVF embryos. However, the 4- (29.1%) and 8～16-cell (68.2%) and blastocyst (48.2%) stages showed higher methylation levels (p<0.01). On the other hand, SCNT embryos were unmethylayted (0～2%) at all stages of development. The CpGs in CTCF2 showed almost unmethylation levels at the 2-, 4- and 8～16-cell and blastocyst stages of development in both IVF (0～14.1%) and SCNT (0～6.4%) embryos. At all stages of development, CTCF3 was unmethylated in IVF (0～17.3%) and SCNT (0～1.2%) embryos except at the blastocyst stage (54.5%) of IVF embryos. In conclusion, porcine SCNT embryos showed an aberrant methylation pattern comprised to IVF embryos. Therefore, we suggest that the aberrant methylation pattern of H19 loci may be a reason for increased abnormal fetus after embryo transfer of porcine SCNT embryos.