Embryo transfer (ET) could be a relevant tool for genetic improvement programs in horses similar to those already underway in other species and produce multiple foals from the same mare in one breeding season. However, there have been no reports describing equine embryo transfer performed in Korea. In the present study, we performed an equine embryo collection and transfer procedure for the first time. We examined the embryo collection and pregnancy, size of embryo during the incubation period after collection, and progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17ß (E2) concentrations in mare’s serum at embryo collection and transfer. A total of 16 donors responded to estrus synchronization; estrus was induced in 12 donors and 4 recipients, and artificial insemination was successful in 10 donors and six blastocysts were collected from donors. Of these blastocysts, we monitored the size of blastocysts for 3 day during incubation and transferred 2 blastocysts to a recipient, with 1 successful pregnancy and foal achieved. The dimensions of equine embryo at day 7 to day 9 were 409 μm, 814 μm and 1,200 μm. The serum P4 and E2 concentrations were 7.91±0.37 ng/μL and 45.45±12.65 ng/μL in the donor mare, and 16.06±3.27 ng/μL and 49.13±10.09 ng/μL in the recipient mare.

We previously demonstrated that root colonization of the rhizobacterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6, induced expression of a galactinol synthase gene (CsGolS1), and resulting galactinol conferred induced systemic resistance (ISR) against fungal and bacterial pathogens in cucumber leaves. To examine the role of galactinol on ISR, drought or high salt stress, we obtained T-DNA insertion Arabidopsis mutants at the AtGolS1 gene, an ortholog of the CsGolS1 gene. The T-DNA insertion mutant compromised resistance induced by the O6 colonization against Erwinia carotovora. Pharmaceutical application of 0.5 - 5 mM galactinol on roots was sufficient to elicit ISR in wild-type Arabidopsis against infection with E. carotovora. The involvement of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling on the ISR was validated to detect increased expression of the indicator gene PDF1.2. The T-DNA insertion mutant also compromised tolerance by increasing galactinol content in the O6-colonized plant against drought or high salt stresses. Taken together, our results indicate that primed expression of the galactinol synthase gene AtGolS1in the O6-colonized plants can play a critical role in the ISR against infection with E. carotovora, and in the tolerance to drought or high salt stresses.