Nilaparvata lugens, brown planthoppers, is one of important pests on rice. Korean N. lugens is migrated from China and causing severe damages on rice in early September in Korea. For identifying biotypes of these N. lugens based on complete mitochondrial genomes, we completed mitochondrial genome of N. lugens captured in Hadong-gun, Gyoungsang-nam province in Korea. The circular mitogenome of N. lugens is 17,610 bp including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and a single large non-coding region of 2,424 bp. The base composition was AT-biased (89.5%). 112 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 59 insertions and deletions are identified by comparing with Chinese N. lugens. Based on phylogenetic trees together with those of N. lugens captured in China, no clear phylogenetic relationship along with five biotypes, requiring more researches to achieve biotype identification including detailed analysis of sequence variations on mitochondrial genomes and whole genome analysis of N. lugens in near future.

배초향은 항동맥경화나 항박테리아의 특성을 가지는 한약재에 널리 사용되는 영년생 약용식물이다. 연구의 목적은 수경재배에서 배양액의 종류와 PPFD값에 따른 배초향의 생장 및 항산화 물질의 변화를 조사하는 것이다. 배초향은 주야간 16:8 시간의 일장조건에서 150과 200 μmol·m-2·s-1 PPFD 조건과 일본원시(HES), 서울시립대(UOS), 유럽채소연구소(EVR), 오오츠카 배양액(OTS)을 이용하여 6주간 재배하였다. OTS 배양액조 건에서 자란 배초향의 지상부 및 지하부 건물중은 다른 배양액 처리구와 비교하여 유의적으로 높았다. 배초향의 틸리아닌 함량은 OTS 처리에서 가장 높았으며 다음으로 EVR, HES, UOS 순서로 낮아졌다. 총 아카세틴의 함량은 EVR처리에서 가장 높았으나 OTS처리와는 유의적 차이를 보이지 않았다. 또한 200 μmol·m-2·s-1 PPFD 조건에서 자란 배초향은 PPFD 150처리구와 비교하여 유의적으로 생체중과 건물중이 증가하였으며 기능성 물질은 틸리아닌과 아카세틴의 함량도 높았다. 본 연구는 수경재배 방식을 이용하여 식물공장에서 배초향을 재배할 경우 200 μmol·m-2·s-1 PPFD 조건과 OTS 배양액 조건에서 경제적인 광원조건으로 최적 바이오매스 생산량과 틸라아닌과 아카세틴의 함량을 증가시킬 수 있을 것으로 제안한다.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae B is a powerful biological control agent against Monochamusalternatus, a crucial mediator of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. In this study, production of destruxins(dtxs), insecticidal cyclic hexadepsipeptides, was monitored in the submerged culture of M. anisopliae B. Three typesof dtxs, i.e., destruxin A, B, and E, were produced during the culture. Among the three dtxs, the production yield ofdestruxin A was best, followed by destruxin B and E. Destruxin A production was increased when pH was controlledat 6.0, whereas production of destruxin E was not affected by the pH control. The highest yield of dtxs A, B, and Ewere 16.4, 7.3, and 6.1 mg L-1, respectively. Considering that process for dtxs production has not been optimized, M.anisopliae B has more powerful implication as a biocontrol agent.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is one of potent biological control agents against a variety ofinsect pests. In this study, we investigated enzyme production of M. anisopliae strains A and B. They produced extracellularenzymes for degrading the epidermis of Monochamus alternatus, a crucial mediator of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchusxylophilus. With Q-TOF MS/MS analysis, 29 kDa protein, a major band on a SDS-PAGE gel, was identified as subtilisin-likeserine protease PR1A. M. anisopliae A produced an extracellular enzyme more efficiently than M. anisopliae B: however,enzyme activities targeted for the cuticle were comparable. Our results suggest that the two strains of M. anisopliae havethe biological potential against M. alternatus with insecticidal protease production.

Ski protein is implicated in proliferation/differentiation in a variety of cells. We had previously reported that Ski protein is present in granulosa cells of atretic follicles, but not in preovulatory follicles, suggesting that Ski has a role in apoptosis of granulosa cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells; however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of the present study was to locate Ski protein in the rat ovary during luteinizationto predict the possible role of Ski. In order to examine the expression pattern of Ski protein along with the progress of luteinization, follicular growth was induced by administration of equine chorionic gonadtropin to immature female rats, and luteinization was induced by human chorionic gonadtropin treatment to mimic luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. While no Ski-positive granulosa cells were present in preovulatory follicle, Ski protein expression was induced in response to LH surge, and was maintained after the formation of the corpus luteum (CL). Though Ski protein is absent in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicle, its mRNA (c-Ski)was expressed and the level was unchanged even after LH surge. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Ski protein expression is induced in granulosa cells upon luteinization, and suggests that its expression is regulated post-transcriptionally.

Asthmatics are more susceptible to fine particulate matters (PM2.5), compared to the general population. It has been reported that indoor PM2.5 is mainly generated by combustion of fossil fuels, meat or fish In particular, asthmatics are known to be more susceptible to indoor PM2.5 because 65 ∼ 95% of child or adult asthmatics stay inside the house. Thus, understanding the association between indoor activity patterns and variations in indoor PM2.5 levels is important. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of hourly indoor PM2.5 concentrations in asthmatics’ homes, and to evaluate its association with pan-frying cooking activity patterns, the most common PM2.5 emission related activity. From November 2017 to February 2018, real-time PM2.5 concentrations were measured in the living room of each asthmatic’s house (n = 35) for three weeks at 1 minute intervals. At the same time, self-reported daily activity patterns, hourly proportion (%) of cooking activities, were also recorded every hour over three weeks for each patient. In this study, we provided quantitative evidence that the distribution patterns of indoor hourly PM2.5 concentrations were associated with indoor cooking activities, especially in the homes of adult asthmatics. In addition, we observed that PM2.5 emitted by pan-frying could maintain even over up to 2 hour lagtime.

We report on a unique case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the cecum, which presented as a subepithelial tumor. A 62- year-old woman with abdominal pain underwent a colonoscopy, resulting in detection of a subepithelial tumor measuring 2 cm in the cecum. We performed a right hemicolectomy with diagnostic and curative intent; histological examination and immunohistochemical staining of the resected tumor indicated a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient achieved complete remission with combination chemotherapy.

Morphometric changes in the Ussurian bullhead, Leiocassis ussuriensis, and the Korean bullhead, Pseudobagrus fulvidraco, were observed during the early period of growth. Yolk length, yolk height, and yolk volume in the two species decreased within 9 days post-hatching (DPH) (p<0.05). The body lengths and body heights of both species increased gradually to 150 and 130 DPH, respectively (p<0.05). The horizontal distance between the anteriormost extension of the head and the anterior insertion of the pectoral fin, the anteriormost extension of the head × the verticality position of the anterior insertion of the primary dorsal fin rays, and the anterior insertion of the primary dorsal fin × the anterior insertion of the pectoral fin were greater in the Korean bullhead than in the Ussurian bullhead (p<0.05). However, the relative sizes of the head region, pectoral fin, ventral fin, and anal fin were greater in the Ussurian bullhead than in the Korean bullhead (p<0.05), and relative body depth and the size of the outer-mandible barbel were greater in the Korean bullhead than in the Ussurian bullhead (p<0.05). The growth curves of the morphometric characteristics of both species were divided into three types.

Environmental stresses including drought, extreme temperatures, and high salinity are major factors that severely limit crop productivity worldwide. To overcome yield loss due to these environmental stresses, a large number of researches have been conducted to understand how plants respond to and adapt these environmental stresses. Posttranscriptional regulation as well as transcriptional regulation of gene expression is recognized as a key regulatory process in plant stress responses, and these cellular processes are regulated by diverse RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Over the last years, we have extensively investigated the functional roles of RBPs that harbor an RNA-recognition motif at the N-terminal half and a glycine-rich region at the C-terminal half (glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins, GRPs), zinc finger-containing GRP, and cold shock domain proteins (CSDPs) in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and rapeseed (Brasicca napus) under stress conditions. Our comparative analysis demonstrated that certain family members display RNA chaperone function during stress adaptation process in monocotyledonous plants as well as in dicotyledonous plants. These findings point to the importance of the regulation of mRNA metabolism in plant response to environmental stresses and shed new light on the practical application of these RBPs to develop stress-tolerant transgenic crops.

The sex ratio (F:M) in the same population of oyster, Crassostrea gigas at the commencement of the study (2007) was 1:1.0, but changed to 1:2.8 by the end of the study (2008). The sex reversal rate in two-year-old oysters was 40.2%. Specifically, female to male sex reversal rate was 66.1%, which is higher than the male to female sex reversal rate of 21.1%. The sex reversal pattern of C. gigas appears to go from male female male, and as such is determined to be rhythmical hermaphroditism.

Cereal seeds, sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay, and corn are traditionally used as health assistant as well as energy supplying food in Korea. While beneficial phytochemicals to human have revealed in cereals, the information on peptides from cereals is far less accumulated than major reserve protein. Here, we analyzed peptide profiles using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) in cereal seeds for construction of peptide information and attempted to develop peptide biomarkers for cereal identification. To optimize the analysis condition of SELDI-TOF MS, the effect of dilution factor on binding affinity to protein chips was tested using CM10 and Q10 arrays. Peptide clusters were significantly different at the level of 0.01 p-value. Peak spectra were the most stable in 1:50 of dilution factor in both chip arrays. Numbers of detected peak of 5 cereal seeds were 131 in CM10 and 74 in Q10 array. Each cereal was grouped as a cluster and well discriminated into different cluster in the level of 0.01 p-value. Numbers of potentially identified peptide biomarkers are 11, 13, 9, 5 and 12 in sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay and corn, respectively. This study demonstrates that each cereal seed have own distinguishable specific peptides although their function are not identified yet in this study. In addition, the proteomic profiling using SELDI-TOF MS techniques could be a useful and powerful tool to discover peptide biomarker for discrimination and assess crop species, especially under 20 kDa.