Toll and IMD pathways play an important role in producing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through NF-κB in insects. The functions of IκB kinase (IKK) complex regulating the NF-κB signaling cascade have not yet been investigated in Tenebrio model. Here, we identified TmIKK-β (or TmIrd5) which contains 2,112 bp encoding 703 amino acid residues. Domain analysis shows that TmIKK-β contains one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. Developmental expression patterns indicate that TmIKK- β gene was highly expressed in early pupal (P1) and adult (A5) stages. Tissue specific profiles show that TmIKK-β was highly expressed in the integuments in last instar larvae, and fat body and hemocytes in 5 day-old adults. TmIKK-β1 transcripts were strongly induced at 3 and 12 h-post injection of E. coli, and 3 h-post injection of S. aureus or C. albicans in hemocytes. In gut, TmIKK-β transcripts were slightly induced by E. coli (at 6, 9 and 24 h) and C. albicans (at 24 h), while it was not induced by S. aureus challenge. Moreover, it was highly induced at 6 h-post injection of E. coli and then it was gradually decreased in the fat body. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-β, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. Depletion of TmIKK-β mRNA leads to increase microbial susceptibility of larvae against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. In addition, induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response to microbial challenge was tissue specifically investigated in TmIKK-β–silenced T. molitor larvae. The results suggest that expression of ten AMP genes out of fourteen genes were drastically decreased by TmIKK-β RNAi in fat body, suggesting that TmIKK-β plays an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses.

It has been well known that IKK-β, -ε and –γ play a pivotal role in IMD pathway. In this study, TmIKK-ε was identified and their functions in countering pathogenic infections were investigated. We identified TmIKK-ε gene which including 2,196 bp nucleotides (encoding 731 amino acid residues). Domain analysis of TmIKK-ε indicates that there is one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. TmIKK-ε gene was highly expressed in 2 day-old pupal stage and the expression was gradually decreased until 1 day-old adults. Then the expression was slightly increased until 4 day-old adult stage. Tissue specific expression of TmIKK-ε mRNA was high in the gut, integuments and hemocytes in last instar larvae, and fat body, Malpighian tubules and testis in 5-daysold adult. In hemocytes, TmIKK-ε was drastically induced by E. coli injection after 3 h and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection. In gut, expression level of TmIKK-ε was high at 6 h-post injection of microbial injection. Expression of TmIKK-ε in fat body was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-ε, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay were performed. TmIKK-ε RNAi caused increased larval mortality against E. coli, not S. aureus and C. albicans. Finally, to investigate the induction patterns of Tenebrio fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-ε RNAi, three microorganisms were treated into TmIKK-ε-silenced T. molitor larvae. Nine out of fourteen AMP genes were not induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-β dsRNA-injected group. Taken together, our results indicate that TmIKK-ε may regulates nine antimicrobial peptide genes in response to microbial challenge in T. molitor fat body.

Autophagy is an important self-eating process to eliminate damaged or unused organelles. We identified nine autophagy-related genes (Atg) including AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -8, -12 and -13 from the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Developmental expression patterns indicate that mRNA levels of AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -12 and -13 were highly expressed in egg, whereas expression of AaAtg8 was high in 1stand3rdinstarlarvalstages. TissuespecificexpressionofthesegenesindicatesthatAaAtg1 was highly expressed in thorax and midgut in blood-fed adult female mosquitoes (BF), and head and thorax in sugar fed adult female mosquitoes (SF). Transcript level of AaAtg3 was high in thorax in BF, but head, thorax and Malpighian tubules in SF. AaAtg4b, -4d mRNA levels were significantly high in Malpighian tubules in BF, and head in SF, respectively. AaAtg-5 and -6 transcripts were highly expressed in head in BF, and expression of AaAtg-8 was high in Malpighian tubules in BF. Levels of AaAtg-12 and -13 mRNAs were significantly high in head and midgut in BF. Induction patterns of AaAtg genes against pathogens showed that AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -8, -12 and -13 were strongly induced at 6 h-post injection of S. aureus, and mRNA levels of AaAtg-1, -3 and -13 were significantly induced by E. coli challenge after 3 h-post injection in SF abdominal carcass. In SF midgut, AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -12 and -13 transcripts were drastically induced at 9 h-injection of E. coli and S. aureus, while expression of AaAtg-8 was highly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans at 9 h-post injection. Each AaAtg gene was slightly induced by E. coli, S. aureus or C. albicans at different time points in abdominal carcass in BF. Interestingly, AaAtg-8 was not induced by microbial challenge. While eight other Atg genes except AaAtg-8 were highly influenced by S. aureus at 6 and 9 h-post injection, E. coli at 3 h-post-treatment, and 3, 6, and 9 h-post inoculation. In the future, we will characterize the functional roles of autophagy during mosquito-microbes interaction.

Host defense against pathogen invasion highly relies on immune defense machinery that is controlled by the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) of transcription factors. The Toll pathway are well known as an insect innate immune mechanism to protect host itself from invaded pathogens. Basically, in the edible insect, Tenebrio molitor, the Toll pathway is primarily activated by polymeric Lys-type peptidoglycans (PGNs), and components of fungal cell walls, β-1,3-glucan. Based on the current studies, the tremendous study has been focused on recognition and subsequent activation of spätzle in haemolymph, hence, there is a grave gap for intracellular event. Herein, in order to understand intracellular event of Toll signaling pathway, the Dorsal gene were identified. Moreover, domain analyses of TmDorsal2 gene indicate that there are two major domains such as Rel homology domain (RHD), ig-like, plexins, and transcription factors (IPT) domains. Based on the achieved results, TmDorsal2 mRNA was highly expressed in 1-day old pupa. Furthermore, TmDorsal2 was highly expressed in Malpighian tubules and fat body in last instar larvae (LL), and likewise mainly expressed in Malpighian tubules during adult 5-day old period, also the lowest expression of TmDorsal2 was observed in gonads. Moreover, TmDorsal2 mRNA levels after infection with E. coli appreciably went up at 6 and 9h time points. To investigate the effects of TmDorsal2 RNAi on larval susceptibility against various pathogens namely E. coli, S. aureus or C.albicans, dsRNA of TmDorsal2 has been synthesized the larvae dissected after 24h. As a result, TmAttacin1a, 1b and 2, TmDefencine1 and 2, TmTenecin1, 2, 3 and 4, TmCecropin2, TmColeoptericin1 and 2, Thaumatin-like protein 1 and 2 markedly reduced in the gut after injecting all mentioned microbes. In contrast, TmTenecin 2, Thaumatin-like protein 1 and 2 strikingly increased after microbe injection in the fat body. Interestingly, the most AMPs gene expression in whole body experimental case were upregulated. On the horizon, we will investigate effects of TmDorsal1 RNAi on larval susceptibility against various pathogens. Taken together, our studies may aid to understand insect innate immunity.

The cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella L. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a specialized insect that uses its mouthparts(stylets) to feed from the phloem of its host plants, which are found among the Brassicaceae and Asteraceae. Female whiteflies lay their eggs in circular patterns embedded in wax on the underside of the leaves. These were collected from the leaf of triangular lettuce, Crepidiastrum sonchifolium throughout the whole Chungnam province, 2013. We reared the cabbage whitefly on the egg-plant. The elongate-oval eggs are laid upright in a semicircle on the underside of Brassica leaves but didn’t in lab. Initially pale and translucent, the eggs become darker. Nymphs are scale-like and covered with wax; their color is white with two yellow spots on the abdomen. On the dorsal surface of the last abdomial segment is the vasiform orifice charactersitic of the group. The fourth instar is called the “pupa”. The pupa is thicker, immobile, and pale in color with red eyes. The adults are tiny, about 1.5 mm long, and moth-like. The head and thorax are dark. The abdomen is yellow and covered by a conspicuous white waxy layer. The forewings have a faint, dark bar. If disturbed, the adults fly readily. The duration of development of immature stages of Aleyrodes proletella decreased with increase in temperature, the mortality was higher below 16 ℃ and above 28 ℃.

Most traditional genome sequencing projects involving infectious viruses include culturing and purification of the virus. This can present difficulties as an analysis of multiple populations from multiple locations may be required to acquire sufficient amount of high-quality DNA for sequence analysis. The electrophoretic method provides a strategy whereby the genomic DNA sequences of the Korean isolate of Pieris rapae granulovirus (PiraGV-K) were analyzed by purifying it from host DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, thus simplifying sampling and labor time. The genomic DNA of infected P. rapae was embedded in agarose plugs, digested with a restriction nuclease and methylase, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to separate PiraGV-K DNA from the DNA of P. rapae, followed by mapping of fosmid clones of the separated viral DNA. The double-stranded circular genome of PiraGV-K encodes 120 open reading frames (ORFs), covering 92% of the sequenced genome. BLAST and ORF arrangement showed the presence of 78 homologs to other genes in the database. The mean overall amino acid identity of PiraGV-K ORFs was highest with the Chinese isolate of PiraGV (~99%), followed up with Choristoneura occidentalis ORFs at 58%. PiraGV-K ORFs were grouped, according to function, into 10 genes involved in transcription, 11 involved in replication, 25 structural protein genes, and 15 auxiliary genes. Genes for Chitinase (ORF 10) and cathepsin (ORF11), involved in the liquefaction of the host, were found in the genome. The recovery of PiraGV-K DNA genome by pulse-field electrophoretic separation from host genomic DNA had several advantages, compared with its isolation from particles harvested as virions or inclusions from the P. rapae host. We have sequenced and analyzed the 108,658 bp PiraGV-K genome purified by the pulsed field electrophoretic method. The method appears to be applicable to the analysis of genomes of large viruses. The chitinase, identified by PiraGV-K genome sequence, was functionally characterized by quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy.

Hardy Kiwifruit (A. arguta (Sieb. & Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq.) is one of the valuable species due to their edible fruits, high content of nutritious substances, especially abundant of vitamin C, and distinctive flavor and medicinal usage. Therefore, we have developed a new cultivar of A. arguta with large fruits and high yielding. For this, 168 candidate plants were collected from wild populations in 12 locations from 4 provinces (Chungbuk, Gangwon, Gyeongnam, and Jeonbuk) from 1985 to 1987. A clone bank that contained highly productive, superior genotypes of A. arguta was assembled in 1988, and 32 excellent clones were selected in 1996 through the clone tests for growth and fruiting. From these clones, we have been regularly investigated yield trials for the fruiting characteristics to evaluation of major agronomic traits, which are the average of Fruit Length (FL), Fruit Width (FW), Weight of Fruit (WF) and Individual Yield (IY), during consecutive 6 years (1997~2002). Finally, we have selected the new A. arguta cultivar, “Dae-Sung” with large fruits and high yielding and registered as a new variety denomination and certificated for variety production and merchandising in 2006 (Table 1). This cultivar is characterized by a diploid plant and oblong type in the fruit shape, and is particularly characterized by large fruit size (Fig. 1, Table 3). The major agronomic traits of this cultivar showed the large selection effect with an average of 41.6 mm (FL), 29.9 mm (FW), 18.9 g (WF), and 25.9 kg (IY), which are 28.8%, -0.7%, 16.7%, and 232.0% compared to the mean of 29 sample trees, respectively (Table 2).

‘Taegang’ is a new six-rowed covered barley cultivar developed by the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), R.D.A. This cultivar is developed from a cross between ‘Suwon287’ and ‘Olbori’ in 1992. An F8 selection was made at NCES in 2000 and it was te

In this study, the PHYTO-PAM-fluorometric method was used to evaluate the ETRmax in terms of sensitivity to DIN/DIP against 14 microalgae: Prorocentrum micans, Heterocapsa triquetra, Gymnodinium impudicum, Gymnodinium catenatum, Amphidinium caterae, Chlorella vulgaris, Chroococcus minutus, Microcystis aeruginosa, Chlorella ellipsoidea, Nannochloris oculata, Oocystis lacustris, Chroomonas salina, Gloeocystis gigas, and Prymnessium parvum. We found that P. micans, H. triquetra, and A. caterae exposed to the maximum level of DIN/DIP were significantly smaller in the ETRmax than that of the minimum and moderate mixture. Unlikely the ETRmax, the initial slope alpha was not significantly different at the level of 60 DIN/DIP. In G. catenatum, the moderate levels of 15 and 20 in DIN/DIP were found to be significantly different from the ETRmax at Ch1-Ch4. Gymnodinium impudicum had a higher value than that of the ETRmax than that of dinoflagellates used in this study, ranging from 306.1 (Ch4, DIN/DIP: 10) to 520.1 (Ch4, DIN/DIP: 30). The ETRmax value obtained from other microalgae was similar to G. impudicum at any of the ratios of DIN/DIP and channels. Consequently, the influence of offshore water current assures us of the suppression of photosynthesis and electron transport rate in dinoflagellates. Gymnodinium impudicum has not been researched in the area of red tides in Korea, but it will be enough to creat the massive algal blooms in the future because of higher potential photochemical availability.

“Jaeanchal” is a new six-rowed, naked and waxy barley cultivar developed by National Crop Experiment Station (NCES), RDA in 2001. This cultivar was derived from a cross between “Suwon261” and “SB881115-6” in 1989. The final selection was made at NCES in 1

A new two-rowed naked waxy barley cultivar, 'Pungsanchal', was developed for split polished grains by the National Crop Experiment Station(NCES), RDA in 2001. This cultivar was derived f rom a cross between 'SB901258GG-B' and 'Suwon212' in 1991. The f ina