Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation causes follicle depletion. To overcome this problem, we investigate the effect of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a follicle recruitment control hormone, supplementation before and/or after mouse ovarian transplantation. A total of 120 5-week-aged BD F-1 female mice were used. The mice were randomly divided into four groups according to AMH doses (0, 5, 25, 125 μg/mL, respectively). AMH was injected intraperitoneally on every other day for a week before, after, or before and after transplantation of ovaries under kidney capsules was performed. One week after transplantation, follicular normality was evaluated by histological analysis and TUNEL assay. In Group A and C, morphologically intact follicle (G1) ratios of AMH treated groups showed no statistically significant difference. In Group B, G1 ratios of 25 and 125 μg/mL of AMH treated groups were higher than those of 5 μg/mL treated group, but there was no improvement in G1 ratio after AMH treatment. In every group, apoptotic follicle ratios did not show any trend according to AMH treatment. Proportions of primordial follicle were not significantly different according to AMH treatment in all groups. The result of the present study demonstrated that AMH treatment during on transplantation of cryopreserved ovaries has no significant effect on follicle survival and prevention of follicle depletion.

Objective : To investigate the effects of Simvastatin and Methylprednisolone on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation using mouse models. Methods : The mice were randomly distributed into 1 control and 3 experimental groups. The B6D2F1 mice were given oral Simvastatin (5 mg/kg), intravenous Methylprednisolone (15 mg/kg), or a combination of both at 2 hours before ovariectomy. Same volume of normal saline was given perorally in the control group at 2 hours before ovariectomy. The ovarian tissues were vitrified accrording to our protocols. The vitrified ovaries were warmed 1 week later and auto-transplanted under bilateral kidney capsules. The ovaries and blood sera were collected at 2, 7 or 21 days after transplantation. Histological analysis, TUNEL assay, immuno-histochemistry for CD31, serum AMH level and embryonic development after in vitro fertilization were assessed for evaluation. Results : With regard to the total grade 1 follicle rate, both Simvastatin or Methylprednisolone treated groups were significantly increased at 2, 7 or 21 days after transplantation (except Simvastatin treated group at 7 days). A combination of Simvastatin and Methylprednisolone group was significantly improved in terms of the total G1 follicle rate, apoptotic follicle rate, CD31 positive area and serum AMH after ovarian tissue transplantation. However, there were no statistically difference with respect to the oocyte maturation rate, blastulation rate, and the other embryonic development parameters after in vitro fertilization procedure among the four groups. Conclusion : Our results suggest that combined donor Simvastatin and Methylprednisolone have beneficial effects on the quality and function of transplanted ovarian tissues.

Genome sequencing researches for considerable numbers of crops and wild plants are being developed. Cytogenetic researches according to chromosome number and size are essential to confirm and comprehend ploidy level and genome size before genome sequencing project is actually conducted. Cytogenetic researches on six food crop plants were carried out by DAPI staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method. Fagopyrum esculentum Moench showed 2n=2x=16, each chromosome length of 1.42㎛ to 1.77㎛, total chromosome length of 13.31㎛, and karyotypic formula of 2n=8m; Phaseolus angularis W.F. Wight, 2n=2x=22, 2.01㎛ to 3.84㎛, total 28.03㎛, 2n=9m+2sm, Perilla frutescens var. japonica Hara, 2n=2x=40, 1.73㎛ to 2.76㎛, total 44.36㎛, 2n=5m+13sm+2st. Chromosome sizes of the other three species such as, Panicum miliaceum L., 2n=2x=36, total chromosome length of 30.83㎛, Sesamum indicum L., 2n=2x=26, 27.39㎛, lpomoea batatas L., 2n=2x=30, total 33.51㎛ were too small for each chromosome type to be identified and analyzed. The result of FISH analysis using 5S and 45S rDNA probe showed species-specific chromosome locations in the genome. These preliminary analyses were carried out to decide which food crop to prioritize for genome sequencing. This work was supported by the “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (No.PJ009837), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

A new six-rowed naked waxy barley variety, ‘Saehanchal’, was developed by the barley breeding team of the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), R.D.A. This variety was derived from a cross between ‘SB7803G-BC6-B-B-47-2’ and ‘Suwon262’ in 1989. The fi