빵의 소비가 증가함에 따라 제빵 성능을 향상시킬 수 있는 기술은 제빵 산업에서 중요한 주제가 되고 있다. 활성글루텐(vital gluten)은 밀가루에 물을 첨가하여 전분을 제거한 후 글루텐만을 건조시킨 단백질이다. 품질이 낮은 밀가루에 활성글루텐을 첨가하면 반죽에 탄성과 신장성을 부여하여 제빵성능을 향상할 수 있다. 현재 제빵 산업에서 활성글루텐이 많이 활용되고 있지만 이들의 화학적, 물리화학적 특성 및 품질 평가에 필요한 품질 파라미터들에 대해 이해가 부족한 실정이다. 본 총설에서는, 활성글루텐의 품질을 예측하기 위한 파라미터의 이해를 돕기 위하여 밀 글루텐 단백질의 종류와 역할, 밀 반죽에서 형성되는 글루텐 네트워크, 밀가루 품질에 영향을 미치는 요인, 활성글루텐의 제조공정, 활성글루텐의 품질에 영향을 미치는 요인, 마지막으로 활성글루텐의 물리적 특성을 효과적으로 평가할 수 있는 글루토피크(Glutopeak)에 대해 설명하고자 한다. 본 총설을 통해 반죽 리올로지 특성과 제빵 성능에 영향을 미치는 활성글루텐의 품질 파라미터를 이해하고, 제빵 산업에서 활용할 수 있도록 도움이 되길 기대한다.

느타리버섯은 가장 중요한 식용버섯 중 하나이다. 느타리버섯은 Pseudomonas tolaasii에 의한 세균성 갈변병에 매우 감수성이므로, 저항성 품종을 만들기 위한 노력의 하나로 누에에서 분리된 항 세균성 단백질인 누에신을 느타리버섯에서 과발현시키고자 하였다. 누에신 cDNA는 여름 느타리버섯의 β-tubulin 프로모터에 결합되어 pTRura3-2 vector와 함께 우라실 영양요구성 돌연변이 균주에 형질전환되었다. 누에신 cDNA가 형질전환된 느타리버섯을 genomic PCR과 Southern blot을 통하여 분리할 수가 있었으며, 이들 중 3개의 형질전환체가 누에신 유전자를 발현시킴을 확인하였다. 그러나 이들 형질전환체들에서 누에신 단백질을 검출할 수 없었으며, 또한 항 세균 효과도 확인할 수 없었다. 이들 결과는 형질전환기술을 이용한 병 저항성 개발 가능성을 보여주고 있다.

Mushroom is the only microorganism cultivated as the crop, and Plerotus ostreatus is one of the most important edible mushrooms. Efficient production of edible mushrooms relies on the precise control of fruiting body development, and an identification of the molecular mechanism of fruiting body development has commercial and scientific importance. In order to identify the developmentally regulated genes during fruiting body development, cDNA libraries were constructed from eight developmental stages of the P. ostreatus. From these libraries, 11,761 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated. Based on these results, we performed macroarray analysis using 1,528 unigene clones at three developmental stages of mycelium, fruiting body and basidiospores. Plasmids isolated from these clones were blotted on the nylon membrane. The isotope-labelled cDNA probes for hybridization of the northern blot were prepared from total RNAs isolated from three developmental stages of mushroom. The 33, 14, 10 unigenes were very highly expressed in mycelia, fruit body and basidiospores, respectively. To confirm expression pattern of these genes, RT-PCR was performed using the total RNA isolated from three developmental stages. Seven genes were successfully amplified in RT-PCR. The expression patterns of the genes were similar with that in macroarray. One of seven genes was identified as a 12kDa heat shock protein and its expression level was very highly at fruiting stage, but not detected at mycelium stage.

Seed dormancy is an important adaptive mechanism to protect seeds under the unfavorable environments. Unlike to wild type species, the seed dormancy trait of cultivated crops has been weakened by breeding programs during the domestication period. Weak seed dormancy often causes preharvest sprouting (PHS) problem in many cereal crops that result in significant economic loss. The seed dormancy is a quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlled by multiple genetic and environmental factors. So far, many QTLs for seed dormancy have been identified from rice and wheat as well as in the model plant Arabidopsis. Unveiling of QTL genes and complex mechanisms underlying seed dormancy is accelerated by the rapid progress of crop genomics. In the present study, we reviewed current status of research progress on the seed dormancy QTLs and correlated genes in Arabidopsis and cereal crops.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a stress hormone that functions in abiotic stress adaptation in plants. Thus many efforts have been made to identify the molecular mechanisms of ABA signal transduction pathways. Recently there were big advances in understanding molecular mechanisms of ABA dependent expression. From the ABA receptors to the transcription factors, signaling components were discovered and the biological networks among the components were identified. In this review, we describe the ABA signaling components and the rice orthologues identified. These show that signaling network systems of ABA are highly conserved in dicot and monocot plants and we are able to manipulate the ABA signaling components to develop the abiotic stress tolerant crops.

Brown leaf spot, caused by necrotrophic Cochliobolus miyabeanus (imperfect; Bipolaris oryzae), is one of the devastating disease in rice (Oryza sativa). Especially, recommended agricultural system such as diminishing fertilizer and environmental alteration like temperature increment result in the favorable conditions for the outbreak of this disease. Lack of water supply also requires drought-tolerant rice cultivar. We hypothesized that regulation of programmed cell death (PCD) should be a common solution conferring resistance and tolerance against above biotic and abiotic stresses at the same time. Among 17 CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE-GATED ION CHANNEL in rice (OsCNGCs), over expression of a CNGC resulted in lesion mimic phenotypes in Dongjin background. Further, knock out of a CNGC resulted in enhanced resistance against rice brown spot in the field. These results indicate that selected OsCNGC should be involved in the PCD regulation and fungal infection-specific regulation of OsCNGC expression might induce resistance against rice brown spot because of pathogen’s necrotrophic nature. Vitamin E, tocopherol, is involved in the accumulation inhibition of reactive oxygen species involving superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Tocopherol cyclase in Nicotiana benthamiana (NtTC), which is included in tocopherol systhesis, conferred tolerance against drought stress to rice. We already have settled down the recombination system effectively removing selection markers in vector. Based on these systems, we will define fungal secretome and genome, confirmation of PAMPs/effectors, identification of rice pattern recognition receptor, and functional characterization of these rice genes in the respect of PCD and disease resistance. We will also develop marker-free transgenic rice tolerant to drought and/or salinity stresses. These works should give us a bundle of rice genes conferring resistance and tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses and amount of information useful for the analyses of common cross talk points between disease resistance and stress-tolerance.

Recently there are many reports that signaling pathways of abiotic stress and biotic stress are correlated. These relations are not only antagonistic but also synergistic. In this project we are searching the common components in abiotic and biotic stress signaling through proteome and transcriptome analysis. In this project, we are profiling the transcriptome under ABA and biotic stress treatment and searching the common genes which were regulated in both treatment. Furthermore, we are analyzing the secretome and proteome induced under C.maydis. It would be expected that integrative analysis of transcriptome and proteome will presents us the candidate genes to develop abiotic/biotic stress tolerant transgenic plants.