Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be produced in mealworms, currently being used as animal feeds, by the infection of genetically engineered-entomopathogenic fungi. In this work, we integrated Bombyx mori (Bm) AMP, cecropin A to Beauveria bassiana ERL1170 by restriction enzyme-mediated integration method, which was confirmed by RT-PCR and an antibacterial activity assay. For the extracellular secretion of Bm cecropin A protein, the active domain of the cecropin A gene was tailed to the signal sequence of B. bassiana chitinase (Bbs). To exchange Bbs-cecropin A gene with egfp gene in pBARKS1-egfp, Bbs-cecropin A fragment was cut from pGEM-Bbs-cecropin A using XbaI/blunted and BamHI and ligated with cut pBARKS1-egfp using NcoI/blunted and BamHI, designated as pBARKS1-Bbscecropin A. After the transformation, transformants were grown on Czapek’s solution agar containing 600 μg ml-1PPT. Expression of Bm cecropin A was confirmed by RT-PCR. Strong clear zone was observed in the co-culture of the transformant D-6 and Bacillus subtilis on fourth strength Sabouraud dextrose agar 1 day after the culture at 25°C, whereas the wild type had no clear zone. This work suggests that Bm cecropin A can be efficiently produced in this mealworm-based fungal expression platform, thereby increasing the value of mealworms in the animal feed additive industry.

Brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens is giving enormous damage to rice production. In this work, virulence of four Beauveria bassiana isolates against brown planthoppers was investigated by applying fungal granules on the water of pots, and we further examined the growth of hypha on the rice plants from the water surcae to explain the insecticidal mode of action. We used Beauveria bassiana (Bb) ERL 836, 1170, 1575 and 1578 isolates, which produced ~2×108 conidia/g of millet grain in a solid culture. Rice seeding was grown in breeding boxes at 28±2℃ for 5 days. Mycotized millet grains were treated on the water in a box at 1 g/box and the rice seeding was infested with 18~25 brown planthopper adults per box. A chemical pesticide and water treatment served as controls. Among the treatments, Bb ERL 836-treated plants had the lowest damage, rather than the other fungal treatments in laboratory assays. Hyphal growth on the stem of rice plants was observed in Petridish conditions under a fluorescent microscopy. This work suggests a possible control of brown planthoppers using entomopathogenic fungi.

Beauveria bassiana isolates have been used in integrated pest management, but little consideration has been given to the studies on fungal gene expressions and their functions. In this work, to determine the functions of genes, B. bassiana ERL1170 was transformed by restriction enzyme-mediated integration method, where pABeG with bar gene was used as a transformation vector. Among seven hundred of transformants, morphologically different ERL1170-pABeG-#160 transformant, particularly dysfunctional in conidiogenesis. The transformant had yellow hyphal growth on fourth strength Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA/4) and produced very small amount of conidia (<1.0×105 conidia/cm2 agar) in 7 days, whereas wild type had white mycelial growth and significantly greater conidia (3.6×106 conidia/cm2 agar). Additionally under microscopic observation, hyphae of #160 seemed like indian club, compared to the straight forms of wild type hyphae. The next work is figure out possible genes contributing the conidiogenesis of B. bassiana.

Entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana can be used in integrated crop management and pharmaceutical applications. Recently some efforts have been given to the fungus to improve its biological performances, but low fungal transformation efficiency is one of the limitations. In this work, B. bassiana ERL1170 isolate was used for fungal transformation by restriction enzyme-mediated integration, where pBARKS1-Bbs-cecropinA was linearied using HindIII. The fungal transformation comprised two steps, preparation of competent blastospores and integration of the plasmid into the cells. To prepare competent blastospores, 2-d cultured blastospores were individually treated with 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 M lithium acetate (LiAc). Secondly in the integration step, concentration of LiAc and calcium chloride (CaCl2), and time period of heat shock were investigated as follows: LiAc, 1, 2 and 4 M; CaCl2, 50, 100 and 200 mM; and heat shock at 42℃, 20, 40 and 60 min. Consequently, combination of 0.2 M LiAc in preparing competent blastospores and 2 M LiAc and 200 mM CaCl2 in the second step showed the highest transformation efficiency. This work would be helpful in the fungal transformation of B. bassiana.

A new standard rose cultivar 'White Christmas' was bred from the cross between red standard cultivar 'Red Queen' and pink standard cultivar 'Vivaldi' at the National Horticulture Research Institute. The cross was made in 2001 and `White Christmas' was finally selected in 2006 after investigating characteristics for three years from 2003 to 2006. 'White Christmas', a white standard cultivar grows vigorously and has good flower shape. The major characteristics of this cultivar are 123.8 stems/m2/year in yield, 82.3 cm in length of cut flower, 11.0 cm in flower diameter, 60.1 in petal number, and 12.2 days in vase life. This cultivar can be propagated by both cutting and grafting. The consumer's preference of this cultivar is relatively higher than that of control cultivar, 'Tineke'.

A new standard rose cultivar 'Magic Pink' was bred from the cross between light yellow standard cultivar 'Medeo' and pink standard cultivar 'Veronica' at the National Horticulture Research Institute. The cross was made in 2001 and 'Magic Pink' was finally selected in 2006 after investigating characteristics for three years from 2003 to 2006. 'Magic Pink', a pink standard cultivar grows vigorously and has fashionable flower color. The major characteristics of this cultivar are 184.8 stems/m2/year in yield, 63.0cm in length of cut flower, 7.2 cm in flower diameter, 28.5 in petal number, and 10.4 days in vase life. This cultivar can be propagated by both cutting and grafting. The consumer's preference of this cultivar is relatively higher than that of control cultivar, 'Noblesse'.

A new oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar 'Darkhorse' was developed by Honam Agricultural Research Institute (HARI) m2005. It was released because ofits earlmess, high forage yield potential and adaptability for late summer sowing. It was devel-oped from the a

spray cultivar “Yellow Mimi” at the National Horticulture Research Institute. The cros was made in 199 and the “Suny Lady”was finaly selected in 2003 after investigating characteristics for thre years from 2001 to 2003. “Sunny Lady”, a yellow spray2/year