Background : Lectins were individually isolated from natural Korean mistletoe (nML) and its in vitro cultured calli (cML). Both of the lectins showed the difference in bioactivities such as cytotoxicity and cytokine induction. Methods and Results : Target cells (1 x 104 cells/well) were seeded independently into each well of a 96-well culture plate and incubated with different concentrations of each lectin. Survivability of target cells was determined by CCK-8 kit (Sigma, USA) according to manufacturer’s directions. The nML showed 46, 34 and 5.5 times stronger than cML in cytotoxicity (IC50) to human melanoma cell line (SK-MEL-28), human carcinoma cell line (NCI-H1650) and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7), respectively. In addition, respective lectins directly stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 but they showed the difference in enhanced productivity of some inflammatory cytokines. Compared with cML, the nML induced both TNF-α and IL-1β at its low concentration. Administration of two kinds of lectins (10-1000 μ g/kg body weight) to ICR mouse did not show any significant changes on the level of alanine transaminase (ALT), glutamate-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in sera. Conclusion : From the above results, we may suggest that nML and cML showed differences in cytotoxic effects and cytokine production due to the difference in amounts from sources.

Background : The research is designed to investigate the optimal cultivation technology and the growth of above-ground and below-ground sections as well as the photosynthetic characteristics for new ginseng variety “K-1” by differentiating the planting density under the conditions of transplanting and direct seedling. Methods and Results : The K-1 variety and hybrid variety (Jakyungjong) were selected for the research and the ginseng varieties were transplanted and directly sown in Yeoncheon area in 2013. The transplanting was made in the form of 5 lines × 9 rows (45 plants), 6 lines x 9 rows (54 plants), 7 lines × 9 rows (63 plants) and 8 lines × 9 rows (72 plants) in each lot (1.65㎡) while the direct seedling for testing was conducted three times in randomly blocked design in the form of 11 lines × 14 rows (154 plants), 12 lines × 14 rows (168 plants), 13 lines × 14 rows (182 plants). Various measures were collected from the 4-year transplanted ginseng and 3-year direct seedling ginseng in 2015 to find out the growth features and photosynthesis of above-ground section (rate of germination, leaf length, leaf width, stem length and leaf area index (LAI)) and the below-ground section (length, diameter, weight and class of roots). Conclusion : After the planting of the ginseng, the germination rate of K-1 for the transplanting was 85.1 ~ 92.0% across different plantation densities while that for the direct seedling was 67.7% ~ 77.9% across plantation densities, thus showing no significant difference between the two planting methods. LAI was higher for the higher planation density for both transplanting and direct seedling. As for the photosynthesis speed, the form of 6 lines × 9 rows showed the higher speed in transplanting while the form of 12 lines x 14 rows showed the higher speed in direct seedling. The photosynthesis of K-1 was higher than that of Jakyungjong. In the 4-year ginseng cultivated under the transplanting, diameter of roots, number of branch roots and weight of raw ginseng were the highest in the plantation density of 5 lines × 9 rows. The distribution of root weight was high with 23.3% and 20.0% for the 51~70g group and the 71g or above group, respectively, for the 4 year transplanted plants in the form of 5 lines × 9 rows. The growth for above-ground and below-ground sections for K-1 was better than that for Jakyungjong. As a result, it was found that the proper plantation density for the 4-year root in the transplanted K-1 was 5 lines × 9 rows considering the growth of the above-ground section, quantity and distribution of root weight.

Background : Management of air temperature are known to primarily affecting on physiological properties and yield in plant. Methods and Results : The effect of air temperature on characteristics of photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence in Schisandra chinensis Baillon were investigated under controlled temperature using growth chamber. Net photosyntheis rate, transpiration was measured at 1,000 μmol m-2 s-1 of photon flux density and chlorophyll fluorescence was analyzed by OJIP method. Net photosyntheis rate and transpiration rate was higher in treatment of 25℃. As results of chlorophyll fluorescence by OJIP analysis, maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II (PSII) and PIabs was higher in treatment of 25℃ which reflects the relative reduction state of PSII. But in treatment of 35℃ the relative activities per reaction center such as ABS/RC, DIo/RC were higher than in treatment of 25℃ which implied that the relative reduction of electron transport at PSI and increasement of photo inhibition at reaction center. Conclusion : This result implies that 25℃ of air temperature may be a adequate temperature to improving the efficiency of photosynthesis through controlling a photosystem in Schisandra chinensis Baillon.

Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly affects gene expression within the plant genome. To access the physiological response of rice to different types of ionizing radiation, rice seeds were exposed to gamma-ray and ion beam radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation dramatically decreased the shoot length compared with non-irradiated plants. Fluorescence-activated-cell-sorting (FACs) was used to measure DNA contents. There were significant correlations of dose-dependent between irradiated plant and non-irradiated plant. The radicals induced by the ionizing radiation in the plant could be observed by electron spin resonance (ESR). It was confirmed that the number of free radicals in cell was greatly increased all irradiated plants than non-irradiated plant. A significant positive correlation was shown between ionizing radiation dose and signal intensity. In order to determine the Genetic diversity, AFLP analysis was conducted with the irradiated plant and non-irradiated plant. Based on band patterns, the cluster analysis was conducted to evaluate the genetic variation by using the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Grouping Method of Averages). Genetic diversity of irradiated plants by low dose ion beam was the closest non-irradiated plant and irradiated by high dose gamma-ray was the furthest from non-irradiated. We describe the detailed methods of ionizing irradiation and discuss its applications in genetic research as well as plant breeding.

Multivessel spontaneous coronary artery dissection is extremely rare. There are no guidelines regarding optimal treatment of spontaneous coronary artery dissection. The treatment depends on clinical symptoms, extent and location of the dissection, and the hemodynamic status of the patient. Although percutaneous coronary intervention might be required for all of the dissecting arteries, this case demonstrated the importance of an appropriate selection of treatment modalities for spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Characteristics of the developmental stages of spermatids during spermiogenesis and phylogenetic classicfication of the species using sperm ultrastructures in male Crassostrea ariakensis were investigated by transmission electron microscope observations. The morphology of the spermatozoon of this species has a primitive type and is similar to those of Ostreidae. Ultrastructures of mature sperms are composed of broad, modified cap-shaped acrosomal vesicle and an axial rod in subacrosomal materials on an oval nucleus, four spherical mitochondria in the sperm midpiece, and satellite fibres which appear near the distal centriole. The axoneme of the sperm tail shows a 9+2 structure. Accordingly, the ultrastructural characteristics of mature sperm of C. ariakensis resemble to those of other investigated ostreids in Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia. In this study, particularly, two transverse bands (stripes) appear at the anterior region of the acrosomal vesicle of this species, unlike two or three transverse bands (stripes) in C. gigas. It is assumed that differences in this acrosomal substructure are associated with the inability of fertilization between the genus Crassostrea and other genus species in Ostreidae. Therefore, we can use sperm ultrastructures and morphologies in the resolution of taxonomic relationships within the Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia. These spermatozoa, which contain several ultrastructures such as acrosomal vesicle, an axial rod in the sperm head part and four mitochondria and satellite fibres in the sperm midpiece, belong to the family Ostreidae in the subclass Pteriomorphia.

xBrassicoraphanus, a new synthetic intergeneric hybrid between Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis and Raphanus sativus L., also locally known as ‘Baemoochae’, is an interesting subject for studying polyploidy and genome plasticity in the family Brassicaceae, but very few genomic and cytogenetic information. Here, we analysed the chromosome complements and pairing of the most fertile lines, BB1 and BB5, using dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) to check their chromosomal segregation stability. The somatic chromosome complement of B. rapa was confirmed to be 2n=20 (2.8~4.8μm), of R.sativus, 2n=18 (2.0~3.3μm), and of xBrassicoraphanus, 2n=38 (2.2~5.0μm). There were eight, eight, and seventeen metacentric pairs and two, one, and two submetacentric pairs in B. rapa, R. sativus, and xBrassicoraphanus, respectively. Additionally, three, two, and five pairs of 5S rDNA and five, three, and eight pairs of 45S rDNA were observed in B. rapa, R. sativus, and xBrassicoraphanus, respectively. This suggests that both B. rapa (AA) and R. sativus (RR) genomes, particularly the rDNA arrays, co-exist in xBrassicoraphanus (AARR) genome. In meiosis I, nineteen bivalents were most frequent, and GISH analysis showed ten bivalents from the A genome. This study would provide a useful information for further genomic study of xBrassicoraphanus and its improvement as a new promising breeding variety.

Compared to wide ranges of genetic variation of natural populations, very limited Miscanthus cultivar has been released. This study was the first report on the development of Miscanthus cultivar by means of radiation breeding. Seeds of M. sinensis were initially exposed to gamma rays of 250 Gy for 24 h, generated from a 60Co gamma-irradiator. The irradiated seeds were sown and then the highly tiller-producing mutants were selected for this study. Biomass-related parameters including tiller number, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number were measured. Ploidy level and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were investigated to characterize the mutants compared to wild type (WT) Miscanthus. Plant height and tiller number were negatively related, where multi-tillering mutants were relatively short after 4 month growth. However stem diameter and leaf number were greater in mutants. All the materials used in this study were diploid, implying that the mutants with greater tiller numbers and stem diameter were not likely related to polyploidization. Based on the sequence of ITS regions, the mutants demonstrated base changes from the gamma irradiation where G+C content (%) was decreased in the ITS1, but increased in ITS2 when compared to WT sequence. ITS2 region was more variable than in ITS1 in the mutants, which collectively allows identification of the mutants from WT. Those mutants having enhanced tillers and allelic variations might be used as breeding materials for enhanced biomass-producing Miscanthus cultivars.

Organ abscission is a programmed cell separation process that results in the detachment of an entire organ from a plant. Our goal is to understand the signaling pathway that regulates this physiological process. The receptor-like protein kinase, HAESA (HAE), and its paralog, HAESA-like 2 (HSL2), are both expressed in the floral abscission zones in Arabidopsis thaliana. Loss-of-function analyses of either gene do not show any phenotypical change, but the hae hsl2 double mutant shows an abscission-defect phenotype. Examination of the abscission zone by light and scanning electron microscopy showed that the abscission zone in the hae hsl2 appears structurally normal. The force required to remove the petals in wild type and hae hsl2 flowers was measured using a petal breakstrength meter. The force required to remove petals from the hae hsl2flowers at all stages of development was similar to that of wild type flowers that have not yet begun to abscise their petals. Taken together, these data support the role of HAE and HSL2 in the activation of cell separation, rather than differentiation of the abscission zone. Ethylene is also known to promote abscission; therefore we tested the ethylene-induced triple response and the effect of exogenous treatment on floral organ in the hae hsl2, revealing that HAE and HSL2 act independently of ethylene. This implies that the HAE is critical for floral abscission in concert with the action of HSL2.

To identify salt-tolerance characteristics of corn seedling was treated in solution of 0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl of hydroponic cultivation. In photosynthesis of corn seedling, there was no large difference between 50mM and 0 mM NaCl solution, however, in 100 mM NaCl solution, the tolerance gradually decreased to 76~%,~;49~%,~;and~;31~% after one day, four days, and seven days, respectively, in comparison to 0 mM NaCl solution. Osmotic potential of corn in seedling period was significantly decreased with increasing saline level, however, free proline content in the plant on the ground was significantly increased with increasing saline level and with the lapse of time. In terms of correlation among major characteristics, there was a highly significant positive difference between osmotic pressure potential and photosynthesis, However, highly negative correlation was found between osmotic pressure potential and free proline content. In addition, it was expected that young seedling of corn with saline tolerance may be utilized in the transplantation in salt-accumulated land. Based on above-shown result, in terms of saline tolerance of Chalok-2 variety, growth suppression was serious with 100mM NaCl solution. However, growth was expected that seedling growth would be favorable under 50 mM NaCl solution.