It has been known that adenomyoma is a rare non-neoplastic lesion of the biliary tract. In literature, adenomyoma was managed by extensive surgical procedures for its diagnosis and treatment because adenomyoma showed symptoms like obstructive jaundice and epigastric pain, which made the decision for the lesion difficult to distinguish from malignant neoplasm.We successfully treated a patient who had 12 mm sized adenomyoma of the major papilla with incomplete pancreas divisum by using an endoscopic papillectomy in the asymptomatic stage. The final diagnosis with an immunohistochemical stain revealed a lesion for adenomyoma of the major papilla.

Totally, 26 collections, 17 from Korea and 9 from China, were investigated for their sequences of 5S rDNA, especially the non-transcribed spacers (NTSs). Sequences of 5S rDNA were isolated by PCR using the primers, 5s-rRNA1 and 5s-rRNA2. Genomic DNA PCR produced single amplification of 300, 330, or 350 base pair fragments. Sequence analysis revealed that all inserts contained the part of 5S rDNA gene sequence and the full length of the NTS region. Three different sizes of the fragments were confirmed due to different size of NTS and their length were 300bp, 330bp and 350bp, respectively. Among 17 Korean foxtail millets tested, 14 collections showed single 300bp amplification. Longest fragment amplification, 350bp, was obtained only from the foxtail millet from China origin, even though 2 of them include 300bp fragment. CLUSTALW multiple alignments of 26 foxtail millets clearly revealed 4 areas with certain degree of sequence heterogeneity (region I, II, III, IV). Among 4 boxed areas, foxtail millet genotypes from China have distinct insertion especially in region III. Five of them have extra insertion of sequence and their additional sequences were either 45 or 48 base pair. Three Korean foxtail millets have 32 bp insertion. Other 8 Korean collections have short insert sequences (6 to 8 bp), 3 with 8 bp and 5 with 6 bp. In addition to insert, deletion sequences were also confirmed as major deletion was observed in region II of Chinese collection. The size of deletion was 7 bp long. According to phylogenic tree constructed using MEGA4 program, clear grouping was not revealed. To obtain more convincing results various collections from many countries should be obtained and analyzed to distinguish different germplasm from different origin.

Twenty two common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) varieties collected from Korea, China and Russia were investigated for their phylogenetic relationship using 5S ribosomal DNA sequences with a hope to provide the basic information on their exact origin. Sequences of 5S rDNA were isolated by PCR. The primers, 5s-rRNA1 and 5s-rRNA2, were designed to isolate the complete NTS. Genomic DNA amplification produced two fragments with different length, 900 bp and 400 bp fragments, confirming the presence of two types of 5S rDNA repeats that differed from each other in the length of the NTS region. Amplified DNAs of 400 bp fragment were subcloned and used for further investigation. The obtained NTS sequences ranged from 200 to 300 bp and homology of sequences among plant materials was much higher than long repeat. CLUSTALW multiple aligment of 5S rDNA sequences from 22 different common millets revealed the clear difference by their origin. And critically different areas with insert or deletion were also confirmed. Those sequence difference seems to be used for discrimination of cultivars from different origin and use as molecular markers for origin identification. In phylogenic tree construction, the clear classification was shown where the genotypes from China and Russia is positioned together and stay away from domestic genotypes.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are promising cell source because of their unique self-renewal and pluripotency. Although hESC-derived cardiac cells are currently generated worldwide, cryopreservation of these cells is still limited due to low rate of post-thaw survival. Cryopreservation of hESC-derived cardiac cells is critical in that their long-term storage can accelerate their use in regenerative medicine. However, to date, there are few reports on efficient cryopreservation and post-thaw survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells. In this study, we evaluated the effects of ginsenoside, which is known to improve survival of rat embryonic cardiomyocytes against myocardial ischemia injury in diabetic rats (Wu et al., 2011), on the survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells after thawing. We induced differentiation into cardiac cells using our previously reported method (Kim et al., 2011). Differentiated, pre-beating stage cardiac cells were cryopreserved using either mass cryopreservation or vitrification. To evaluate the effects of ginsenoside (Re, Rb), we compared three sets: pre- and post-thaw treatment, pre- or post-thaw treatment only. The survival of post-thaw cardiac cells were evaluated using Trypan-blue and Annexin V staining. In addition, the three groups were treated with ROCK inhibitor Y-27632, and compared with non-treatment groups. The effect of ginsenoside was significant in post-thaw treatment group, i.e, thawed cells expressed cardiac specific genes and showed specific functionality such as spontaneous beating. Taken together, we demonstrated favorable effects of ginsenoside on the survival of hESC-derived cardiac cells after cryopreservation and thawing. These results suggest a possible application of well-known cardioprotectant ginsenoside in cell-based tissue engineering using hESC-derived cardiac cells.

Development of transgenic plant with desirable traits to cultivated plant is one of the important procedures in plant molecular breeding. However, applicable assessment of transgenic plant in laboratorial scale is not much except cultivating transgenic plant for a whole life in field condition. Here, we analyzed chlorophyll fluorescence in three transgenic soybean lines with AtMYB44 transcription factor for assessment of photosynthetic activity under abiotic stresses such as drought. Soybean varieties used in this study were ‘Bert’ and ‘Bert’ derived three transgenic soybeans, ‘AtMYB44 CM35101’, ‘AtMYB44 CM2471’, and ‘AtMYB44 CM4481’. Analyzed five different chlorophyll fluorescence variables are maximum PSII quantum yield (QY_max), steady state PSII quantum yield (QY_Lss), steady state non-photochemical quenching (NPQ_Lss), coefficient of photochemical quenching in steady-state (Qp_Lss), and fluorescence declineratio in steady-state (Rfd_Lss). To determine main chlorophyll fluorescence variable affected by abiotic stress, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted with five chlorophyll fluorescence variables measured from four varieties. QY_Lss and NPQ_Lss were main chlorophyll fluorescence variables to evaluate abiotic stress, particularly in drought stress. In comparison with transgenic soybean lines based on chlorophyll fluorescence variables, ‘AtMYB44 CM2471’ and ‘AtMYB44 CM4481’ are more tolerant to drought than the others. Interestingly, three transgenic soybean lines which have a same AtMYB44 gene with different regions of chromosome revealed the quite different responses of chlorophyll fluorescence to drought treatment.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars show a gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system, like other fruit species of Rosaceae family. Thus, it is necessary to determine their S-genotypes in order for stable fruit set in commercial cultivation. S-genotypes of apricots were determined by PCR and test crosses. Three sets of consensus primers designed from Prunus S-RNases were used to amplify fragments containing the first and second S-RNase intron, respectively. Through the results obtained from the 3 PCRs, we could identify SI genotypes of 33apricot cultivars. Several cultivars such as 'Heiwa', 'Yamagata No.3' and 'Shinsuoomi' had the self-compatible (Sc) allele. Self-pollination tests revealed that cultivars with Sc allele were self-compatible. Cross-pollination tests confirmed that there was cross-incompatibility between the cultivars with the same S-genotypes. These results might be very useful for growers for effective pollination and for breeders using these in cross breeding programs.

A new kidney bean cultivar, “Noghyeob 1” was developed at the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) in 2005. “Noghyeob 1” was selected from a cross between KLG50074 and KLG50063. It has determinate growth habit, white flower, green pod color, oval shape of crossed section of pod at the harvesting time for edible pod, white seed coat and middle seed size (21.1 grams per 100 seeds). The average yield of edible pod of “Noghyeob 1” was 24.25 M/T per hectare in the yield trials which were carried out at the green house in spring and autumn in 2005. It was 7 percent higher than that of the check cultivar “Kangnangkong 1”.

A new soybean cultivar for soy-paste, “Mansu”, was developed from the cross between ‘Suwon 192’, which was tolerant to disease, late maturing and high yielding, and ‘Suwon 196’ which was early maturing and large seed by soybean breeding team in the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) to make new variety having large seed and high yielding. A promising line, SS97213-2B-3SSD-39-1-1, was selected and designated as the name of ‘Suwon 236’. It was characterized by regional yield trials (RYT) for three years from 2004 to 2006 and released as the name of “Mansu”. It has a determinate growth habit, purple flower, grey pubescence, pale green seed coat, yellow cotyledon, large spherical seed (26.5 grams per 100 seeds). Maturity date is 4 days later than the check cultivar, Taekwang. The average yield of Mansu was 2.93 ton per hectare in the regional yield trials (RYT) carried out for three years from 2004 to 2006 which was 7 percent higher than that of the check cultivar, Taekwang.