최근 지구온난화에 의한 이상기상으로 겨울철 한파와 봄철 저온에 의한 농작물 피해가 심각하게 발생하고 있다. 특히 과수의 개화기 저온피해는 꽃눈의 생육단계에 따라 차이가 있으며 발육이 진전될수록 내한성이 약해져 개화 직전부터 낙화 후 1주까지 한계온도가 다르게 발생한다. 따라서 개화기가 빠른 사과 ‘홍로’가 ‘후지’보다 피해가 심각한 것이 일반적이나 2020년 4월 저온피해는 개화기가 늦은 ‘후지’의 피해가 심하게 발생하여 그 원인을 분석하고자 본 연구를 수행하였다. 충북 보은군 사과나무 ‘후지’와 ‘홍로’를 동시에 재배하는 2농가를 대상으로 품종 간 피해율 실태조사를 실시하였다. 또한 정확한 품종 간 비교 분석을 위하여 생육단계가 동일한 시료를 선택하여 인위적으로 저온처리(－2.0℃, －4.0℃)를 하여 피해 정도를 조사하고, 원인 분석을 위해 조직 내 유리당과 호르몬 함량을 분석하였다. 실태조사 결과 2농가 모두 ‘후지’가 ‘홍로’보다 피해율이 높았으며, 특히 B농가(저지대, 평지) ‘후지’의 경우 피해율이 60.5%로 가장 높았다. 또한 동일한 생육 단계의 시료를 사용한 인위적 저온 처리 시험결과에서도 ‘후 지’와 ‘홍로’ 품종 간 피해율에 유의한 차이가 있었다. 유리당 함량은 저온 피해율이 낮았던 ‘홍로’가‘후지’보다 높았으며, 호르몬 분석 결과 정상 꽃눈보다 손상된 조직에서 ABA, IAA 와 SA 함량이 높게 나타났다. 따라서 본 연구 결과 조직내 유리당 함량이 높으면 저온 피해율이 낮은 것을 확인할 수 있었으며, 특히 저온 피해율은 sorbitol 함량과 부의 상관관계를 이루고 있다.

변색기의 수준별 야간 고온이 포도 ‘거봉’의 과피색 발현에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위해 시기별 과피색 변화, 과피 내 안토시아닌 및 식물호르몬 ABA와 GA 함량을 분석하였다. 변색기 20일 동안의 야간 24, 27°C 처리에 의해 ‘거봉’ 포도의 과피색 불량이 나타났으며, 야간 온도가 높을수록 과피색 발현이 더욱 억제되었다. 수확기 과실 품질을 분석한 결과, 야간 21°C 처리구에 비해 24, 27°C 처리구의 과방중, 과립중, 당도가 감소하였다. 야간 21°C 처리구의 과피에서 만개 후 50일부 터 안토시아닌이 축적되기 시작했고, 개별 안토시아닌 중 Mal 과 함께 총 안토시아닌 함량이 수확기까지 지속적으로 증가하였다. 야간 21°C 처리구를 기준으로 과피의 총 안토시아닌이 야간 24, 27°C 처리에 의해 감소하였으며, 개별 안토시아닌 중에서는 Peo를 제외한 나머지 안토시아닌의 감소 경향이 뚜렷하였다. 식물호르몬 ABA는 야간 21°C 처리구의 과피에서 변색기에 최대값을 보이고 다시 수확기까지 감소하였는데, 이러한 ABA 함량의 증가는 야간 24, 27°C 처리에 의해 감소 하는 경향이었다. GA는 변색기 과피에서 급격하게 감소하여 수확기까지 낮은 함량으로 유지되었는데, 야간 기온이 낮을수록 빠르게 감소하였다. 야간 21°C 처리구 과피에서 ABA/GA 값은 만개 후 60일에 최대값을 보이고 다시 수확기까지 감소하였지만, 이 증가 양상이 야간 고온에 의해 감소하며 과피 안토시아닌 축적과 동일한 경향을 보이며 변화하였다. 따라서 변색기 야간의 24°C 이상의 고온은 ‘거봉’ 포도의 과피색 발현을 억제하며, 이는 식물호르몬 ABA, GA의 비율 변화, 과실 당도 감소로 인한 총 안토시아닌 함량 및 조성 변화 때문으로 판단되었다.

본 연구는 사과나무 ‘홍로’와 ‘후지’의 내재휴면 기간 중 휴면타파에 유효한 한계온도 범위를 알아보고자 수행 하였다. 저온 축적에 의한 내재휴면 타파 여부를 확인하기 위하여 온도 처리구별로 발아율을 조사한 결과 ‘홍로’ -5℃ 처리구를 제외한 모든 처리구에서 발아율이 50% 이상으로 나타났다. 또한 ‘후지’의 온도 처리구별 발아율은 -5℃ 처리구에서도 86.3%로 휴면이 타파되었다. 탄수화물과 무기성분의 변화는 처리간 유의한 차이는 있었으나 일정한 경향이나 특이한 변화를 나타내지 않았다. 그러나 유리당 분석 결과 sorbitol 함량은 휴면 타파 여부에 따라 휴면이 타파되지 않은 ‘홍로’-5℃ 처리구의 경우 29.62mg/g으로 높게 나타났으며, 휴면이 타파된 것 으로 판단되는 처리구는 낮은 수준이였다. 호르몬 분석 결과 휴면이 타파되지 않은 ‘홍로’ -5℃ 처리구의 경우 ABA (abscisic acid)와 JA (jasmonic acid)는 각각 176.48, 15.72ng/g으로 높게 나타났으며, 모든 처리구에서 휴면이 타파된 것으로 나타난‘후지’의 경우 ABA, JA, SA(salicylic acid) 함량이 ‘홍로’ 품종보다 유의하게 낮게 나타났다. 본 연구 결과 휴면 타파에 유효한 한계 온도 범위는 품종에 따라 다르며 ‘홍로’는 -5℃에서 발아율이 30.3%로 휴면이 타파되지 않은 것으로 나타났으 며, ‘후지’는 0℃ 이하인 -5℃에서도 86.3%로 높게 나타나 저온 축적의 효과가 있는 것으로 판단된다.

We analyzed the anthocyanin accumulation, abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA) contents and metabolic genes expression in berry skins under high temperature (High T) at veraison, in order to investigate the cause of bad coloration of 'Kyoho' grape due to High T in summer season. The coloration of ‘Kyoho’ grapes was stopped by High T for 10 days from veraison, and the fruit quality was not affected except skin color. Total anthocyanin of skins was decreased by High T treatment and malvidin and peonidin were decreased compared to control. In berry skins, ABA content did not decrease by High T treatment, but it was rather higher than that of control. GA content was increased about two times compared to the control after 10 days of High T treatment, which caused decreased ratio of ABA/GA. Analysis of expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes showed that the early biosynthetic genes were not affected by High T and the expression of UFGT was decreased by temperature treatment. ABA biosynthetic gene expressions were not affected by High T and the expression of GA20ox1 and GA2ox1/2, which are known to regulate the biosynthesis and inactivation of GA, were increased and decreased by High T, respectively. Therefore, the bad coloration of ‘Kyoho’ grapes under the High T at veraison was due to inhibition of anthocyanin biosynthesis of skin, and it was suggested that the anthocyanin biosynthesis was controlled by the ratio of ABA and GA rather than ABA content.

The global mushroom industry has grown rapidly in recent years in terms of beneficial effects, market value, and demand. India has a wide range of agro-climatic conditions and is largely an agricultural country with a cultivated area of about 4.37 %, generating about 620 million tons of agro waste annually. Mushroom cultivation not only helps recycle agro wastes, but also fills the nutritional gap prevalent among a large population of India. Recently, government industrial policy and creative innovation has promoted research and other endeavors aiming towards the cultivation of mushrooms. Mushroom cultivation in India was initiated in Solan, in the mid-sixties. Mushroom cultivation has been successful in temperate regions of the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the hills of northeast India. Recently, many unemployed people have begun to adopt mushroom cultivation as a means of self-employment. It is high time that Indian mushroom cultivators and consumers became aware of the nutritional and medicinal values of cultivated and wild species of mushrooms. The total mushroom production in India between 2010 and 2017 was approximately 0.13 million tons, accounting for a 4.3% increase in the average growth rate of mushrooms per annum. In particular, the total production of white button mushrooms is the highest, with a share of about 73% of total mushroom production. In this review article, we have analyzed the current scenario of the Indian mushroom industry and its contribution to the economic growth of the country.

It is well established that mitochondrial genome is strictly maternally inherited in mammalian, despite the fact that paternal mitochondria enter into oocyte during fertilization. To date, although some mechanisms have been extrapolated to interpret the elimination of paternal mitochondria, the exact mechanism still is unclear. Recent studies suggest that autophagy process and the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway may be involved in elimination of paternal mitochondria. However, the dynamic profiles of autophagy and ubiquitination associated with paternal mitochondria degradation have not been determined in mouse model. Through immunostaining with specific antibody LC3 and Ubiquitin and confocal microscopy, we investigated the dynamic profiles of LC3 and Ubiquitin signals in mouse embryos during preimplantation development. In addition, embryos were stained with MitoTracker Red for tracking the degradation process of paternal mitochondria. Our results showed that paternal mitochondria gradually degraded during postfertilization development, and sporadic paternal mitochondria were found at least in 16 cell embryos. LC3 and Ubiquitin signals appeared in the midpiece of sperm at 3 h postfertilization, and they were strictly colocalizated with paternal mitochondria from zygote to 2 cell embryo. Nevertheless, the colocalization became loose at 4 cell embryos, and gradually disappeared beyond 4 cell embryos. Our results confirmed that autophagy process and the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway may take part in the postfertilization remove of paternal mitochondria.

Superovulation, or ovarian stimulation is a commonly used ART for treatment of human infertility/subfertility. Recent studies suggest that superovulation unaffects methylated imprints acquisition in mouse oocytes during oogenesis, whereas disrupts DNA methylation maintenance in embryos during preimplantation development. However, the mechanisms of defects in methylation maintanence caused by superovulation remain largely unclear. We hypothesized that superovulation may disrupt the expression of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts), the enzymes which catalyze DNA methylation acquisition and maintenance. The mice were subjected to superovulate with low (6 IU) and high (10 IU) dosage hormone. We examined the global DNA methylation levels in zygotes and DNA methylation of repeated sequences (IAP and Line 1) in blastocyst stage embryos. In addition, we investigated the expression of Dnmts (Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b, Dnmt3l and Dnmt1o) in ovulated oocytes and zygotes. Through staining with antibody 5mC and Di-H3K9 coupled with confocal microscopy, we found that global methylation profiles in zygotes derived from females after low or high dosage hormone treatment were not affected when compared to control counterpart. Moreover, methylation at IAP in blastocysts also was unaffected by superovulation, irrespective of hormone dosage. In contrast, methylation level at Line 1 decreased when the females were administered by high dosage hormone. Furthermore, expression of de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b, Dnmt3L, as well as maintenance Dnmt1o in MII oocytes and zygotes was not disrupted by superovulation. Given superovulation adversely affected methylation maintenance in blastocysts during preimplantation development but with normal expression of Dnmts in oocytes and zygotes, it is indicated that defects of embryonic methylation didn’t originate from abnormal expression of Dnmts.

In the contemporary era of smart tourism, travelers face more accommodation options than ever before. The rapid expansions of alternative accommodation sector are partially owing to the growth of electronic commerce and the rise of online intermediary platforms. Online travel agencies serve as a critical distribution channel for tourism sectors, and the significance is further increased for small and micro entrepreneurs whose direct communication channels are scarce. Considering the holistic process of customer experience started with a third-party online intermediary, this study explores basic and extended attributes of small and medium-sized alternative accommodation where the comparative value is created. In order to achieve the objective, a research design was developed to synthesize the qualitative evidence. The synthesis encompasses both theoretical and practical perspectives, from a systematic review and opinions of academic professionals to an in-depth interview with an industry expert and the current practices of online travel agencies. This study suggests that the sources of value creation for alternative accommodation are not always consistent with those of the traditional. Accounting for the temporal and spatial dynamics in customer experience, the findings of this study provide insights on the comparative value of alternative accommodation, to both academic and industry audiences.

Although rice has been cultivated as a major food crop for approximately 5,000 years, the interest of customers in ‘scented rice’ is a recent trend in the Korean market. As a part of developing a germinated scented rice variety, the newly bred scented rice variety ‘Cheonjihyang-1 se’ was germinated for 24 h, and changes in profiles of flavor-related volatiles, lipophilic phytonutrients, and fatty acids were investigated. The profiling of volatile compounds by using a headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) revealed a total of 56 odor-active flavoring compounds; 52 at the pre-germination stage, 51 at the post-germination stage, and 47 common at both stages. The major flavoring compounds were nonanol and benzene, which constituted 11.5% and 6.6%, respectively, of the total peak area in pre-germinated rice, and 19.4% and 6.5%, respectively, in post-germinated rice. Germination induced an increase in 13 flavoring compounds, including 3,3,5-trimethylheptane and 1-pentadecene, which increased by 763 and 513%, respectively by germination. However, we observed a germination-induced decrease in most of the other flavoring compounds. Especially, the most important scented rice-specific popcorn-flavoring compound, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, showed 89% decrease due to germination. Furthermore, the germination of scented rice induced a decrease in the content of various phytonutrients. For example, the total contents of phytosterols, squalene, and tocols decreased from 207.97, 31.74, and 25.32 μg g -1 at pre-germination stage down to 136.66, 25.12, and 17.76 μg g -1 , respectively at post-germination stage. The fatty acid compositions were also affected by germination. The composition of three major fatty acids, linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids, increased from 36.6, 34.2, and 24.4%, respectively, at the pre-germination stage to 37.9, 36.9, and 20.7%, respectively, at the post-germination stage. All these results suggested significant changes in the flavor-related compounds and phytonutrients of the scented rice variety ‘Cheonjihyang-1 se’ during the process of germination, and subsequently the need for developing a more precise process of germination to enhance the flavor and nutritional quality of the germinated scented rice products.

Most of the commercial devices for vitrification are directly immersed into the warming solution (WS) for increasing of warming rate. However, the previous modified cut standard straw (MCS) which has reported is difficult to immerse into the WS. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the long cut straw (LCS) could be useful as a stable tool for vitrified-warmed human blastocysts. A total of 138 vitrified-warmed cycles were performed between November 2013 and November 2014 (exclusion criteria: women ≥38 years old, poor responder, surgical retrieval sperm, and severe male factor). The artificial shrinkage was conducted using 29-gauge needles. Ethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide (7.5% and 15% (v/v)) were used as cryoprotectants. Freezing and warming were conducted using the LCS tool. The cap of LCS was removed using the forceps in the liquid nitrogen (LN2) and then directly immersed into the first WS for 1 min at 37℃ (1 M sucrose). Only re-expanded blastocysts were transferred after it was cultured in sequential media for 18-20 h. A total of 294 blastocysts were warmed, and all were recovered (100%). Two hundred eighty-five embryos were survived (96.9%). The vitrifiedwarmed blastocysts of all patients were transferred without any cancellation. We were able to achieve a reasonable implantation (24.2%), following by clinical pregnancy (36.2%), which then continued to ongoing pregnancy (36.2%), and live birth (31.2%). Using LCS is achieved the acceptable rates of survival, pregnancy and live birth. Therefore, the LCS could be considered as a stable and simple tool for human embryo vitrificaton.