배스(Micropterus salmoides)는 수생태계에서 최상위단계에 위치하는 생태계교란 어종으로 심각한 담수생태계의 불균형을 초래하고 있다. 배스의 퇴치 및 관리를 위한 다양한 시도를 하고 있지만 효과적인 방안은 없는 상황이므로 배스의 고유한 특성에 기반한 개체군 감소의 효율성을 극대화할 수 있는 방식을 모색하였다. 본 연구에서는 배스의 Transcriptom 분석으로 Unigene contigs는 182,887개, 그리고 정자-난자 인식 단백질인 IZUMO1과 Zona pellucida sperm-binding protein의 유전자에서 CRISPR/Cas9 system을 적용할 최종 Target sequence는 12종을 산출하였다. 각 Target sequence를 인식할 수 있는 12종의 sgRNA를 합성한 후 후속 연구에 사용할 12종의 Cas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex를 제작하였다. 본 연구에서는 차세대염기서열 분석법으로 정자-난자 인식 단백질을 암호화하는 유전자를 탐색하였고, CRISPR/Cas9 system으로 유전자를 편집하여 번식행동은 하지만 수정란을 형성하지 못하는 생식세포를 생산하는 불임개체를 유도하기 위한 조성물 개발 과정을 확립하였다. 그리고 배스와 동일한 수계에 있는 고유 생물종의 서식에는 영향을 미치지 않는 생태교란종 관리 방안으로서의 유용성을 검증하기 위한 후속 연구의 귀중한 기초 자료를 확보하는데 기여했다고 판단된다.

본 연구는 국내 가드닝 관련 교육프로그램 현황 분석을 위해 ‘가든’, ‘가드닝’, ‘가드너’, ‘정원’, ‘정원사’ 등의 관련 키워드가 프로그램 명, 활동, 유인물 등에 사용된 프로그램과 수목 원·식물원 전문 인력 양성 프로그램을 모두 조사하였다. 국내에서 2017년과 2018년에 운영된 프로그램을 대상으로 하였다. 조사 결과, 54개의 주관기관에서 83개의 가드닝 관련 프로그램이 운영된 것으로 나타났다. 주관기관 중에 지자체가 가장 많은 것으로 나타났고(39기관, 72.2%), 이외에는 사립 수목원·식물원(6개, 11.1%), 공립 수목원·식물원(5개, 9.3%), 국립 수목원·식물원(2개, 3.7%), 사기업(1개, 1.9%), 대학교 (1개, 1.9%) 순으로 나타났다. 83개의 가드닝 관련 프로그램 은 63개의 운영기관에서 수행되었다. 운영기관 중 12개의 기관은 대학교로, 대학교에서 지자체의 프로그램을 위탁받아 운영했음을 알 수 있다. 가드닝 관련 프로그램은 경기도(50개, 61.4%)에 가장 많이 분포되어 있었다. 가드닝 관련 프로그램 중 성인이 참가 가능한 프로그램(64개, 63.4%)이 가장 많았으며, 전체 프로그램 중 65개(78.3%)는 전문교육을 위한 프로그램인 것으로 조사되었다. 국민들의 자연, 숲, 정원에 대한 관심 증대와 지속적인 국가적 정원 분야의 확대가 예상됨에 따라 더 많은 가드닝 관련 프로그램 제공을 통해 다양한 경험의 기회를 주는 것이 필요할 것으로 보인다.

본 연구에서는 발아와 고압처리에 따른 검정콩 조사포닌 추출물의 in-vitro 항암 활성을 확인하기 위하여 검정콩을 발아시킨 후 고압처리하고, 조사포닌 추출물을 제조한 후 인체 유래 유방암(MCF-7), 대장암(HCT-116), 전립선암(PC-3) 및 위암(AGS) 세포주에 대한 증식억제효과를 검토하였다. 대조구의 조사포닌 추출물은 400 μg/mL 농도에서 4종의 암세포주에 대하여 67.02~91.70% 범위의 생존율을 보여 항암 효과가 낮았지만, 발아 4일차 콩을 150 MPa의 압력에서 고압처리한 검정콩의 조사포닌 추출물은 23.94~57.37% 범위의 생존율을 보여 발아와 고압처리에 의해 암세포 성정억제효과가 증가하였다. 특히, 위암세포(AGS)의 경우 다른 세포주에 비해 저농도에서도 세포증식효과를 보여 가장 높은 암세포 증식억제 효과를 나타내었다. 이상의 결과로부터 항암 활성을 나타내는 Soyasaponin, B group의 soyasaponin 및 soyasapogenol의 함량은 발아와 고압처리에 의해 증가하였고, 고압처리 발아콩으로부터 항암 활성을 나타내는 사포닌 추출물의 개발이 가능할 것으로 생각된다. 또한, 추후 항암 활성 물질의 분리동정과 메커니즘 규명에 대한 연구가 수행되어야 할 것으로 판단된다.

Sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), especially Q biotype, has been recognized one of the most destructive insect pests worldwide because of increased resistance to some insecticide groups requiring alternative strategies for its control. We studied the conidia production of entomopathogenic fungus Isaria javanica Pf04, which had been reported high virulence isolate against Q biotype of B. tabaci, using grain. Brown rice was most suitable for conidia mass production of the isolate of I. javanica. Conidia was produced high at 25 ~ 27.5℃. The isolate produced more spores when conidia suspension directly inoculated onto media than two-phase fermentation. When concentration of inoculum was high spore production was high, but increasing rate of conidia production was highest at low inoculum concentration (1×105 conidia/ml) as 6,700 times increase compared with 20 times increase at high inoculum concentration (1×108 conidia/ml). These results indicated that the isolate can produce more conidia with cheap agricultural product and can develop as a microbial pesticide to control sweetpotato whitefly.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a dioecious plant, although monoecious plants are bred in some cultivars for fiber or seed production. Recently, hemp has received attention for medicinal use with some cannabinoids, including cannabidiol. Self-fertilization for breeding inbred lines is difficult because of dioeciousness and anemophily in hemp. This experiment was conducted to develop a self-fertilization method by forming female flowers and seeds from male plants of dioecious hemp. To induce the formation of female flowers on male plants, 500 ㎎ L-1 of ethephon was sprayed on plants at soon, seven and fourteen days after primordia formation. The plant ratio of female flowers formation and the number of harvested seeds were increased by ethephon treatment. Female flowers of male plants have 5 stigmas in contrast to the dual stigma of female 1plants. Male plant seeds were lighter and smaller than those from female plants. Although the germination rate was lower than that of normal seeds from female plants, the seeds from male plants germinated to grow seedlings. Thus, we suggest that hemp plants should be treated with ethephon at soon after primordia formation to induce the formation of more female flowers on the male plants.

High yield is the most important trait in various agricultural characteristics. Many approaches to improve yield have been tried in conventional agricultural practice and recently biotechnological tools employed for same goal. Genetic transformation of key genes to increase yield is one way to overcome current limitation in the field. We are producing transgenic soybean plants through high efficient transformation method by introducing all gene member with AT-hook binding domain, hoping to obtain manageable delay of senescence. Many transgenic soybean plants are growing in greenhouse and GMO field, and will be evaluated their senescence and any association with yield increase.

Soybean is a crop of importance economically and nutritionally in many parts of the world. Thanks to many new genes brought from genomic research, It is possible to introduce various candidate genes through genetic transformation to see the performance of the genes in field. In our lab, soybean transformations have been tried for last 10 years to probe the possibility of traits improvement by transformation of new gene into soybean. For this purpose, three different genes were transformed into Korean soybean variety, Kwangan. First, the gene that controls early flowering of plant was transformed into Kwangan. Second, a candidate gene for soybean mosaic virus (SMV) resistance was transformed to produce transgenic plants. Third, another candidate gene for drought tolerance was transformed. All the transgenic plants from three genes transformation were produced for their gene insertion and their expression using PCR, qRT-PCR. Further analysis including harvesting seeds is currently undertaken.

AtRabG3b and CaMsrB2 genes incorporated into pPZP vetor were transformed to Korean soybean cultivar Kwangan using highly efficient transformation system. AtRabG3b gene plays a positive role in xylem development in Arabidopsis and 64 transgenic plants were produced. CaMsrB2 gene is known to confer drought tolerance in rice and 63 transgenic plants were produced. As a result of PPT leaf painting assay, about 20% of transformation efficiency was observed from 2 times of inoculation. These transgenic plants were confirmed for gene introduction using PCR. Currently, the copy number and the gene expression is investigating using qRT-PCR and RT-PCR. Moreover, 62 lines and 53 lines of T1 seeds from AtRabG3b and CaMsrB2, respectively, were sown in GMO field.

ORE7 gene incorporated into 3 different promoters including pCKLSL-35S, pCKLSL-TP and pCSENIF was transformed to Korean soybean variety Kwangan using highly efficient soybean transformation system. The gene is known to exhibit a delayed leaf senescence phenotype in Arabidopsis. Fourteen, Fifteen and nine transgenic plants were produced from pCKLSL-35S::ORE7, pCKLSL-TP::ORE7 and pCSENIF::ORE7, respectively. Moreover, transgenic plants were confirmed for gene introduction and their expression using PCR, qRT-PCR and RT-PCR. To identify the transgene insertion events, the analysis of flanking sequence was determined. As a results, T-DNA was integrated intergenically in transgenic line 1 of pCKLSL-35S::ORE7 and line 1 of pCSENIF::ORE7. Currently, flanking sequence analysis with pCKLSL-35S::ORE7, pCKLSL-TP::ORE7 and pCSENIF::ORE7 is carrying out to investigate the stable T-DNA insertions.

Insect resistant genes encode insecticidal δ-endotoxins that are widely used for the development of insect-resistant crops. Common soybean is a crop of economic and nutritious importance in many parts of the world. Korean soybean variety Kwangan was transformed with Insect resistant genes. These genes were transformed into Kwangan using highly efficient soybean transformation system. Transgenic plants harboring Insect resistant genes were confirmed for gene introduction and their expression using PCR, real-time PCR and RT-PCR. The confirmation of stable gene introduction with Insect resistant genes was also performing by Southern blot analysis. In addition, Flanking sequence analysis and agronomic characters were also investigated

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), a member of Potyviridae family, is one of the most typical viral diseases and results in yield and quality loss of cultivated soybean. Due to the depletion of genetic resources for resistance breeding, a trial of genetic transformation to improve disease resistance has been performed by introducing SMV-CP and HC-Pro gene by RNA interference (RNAi) method via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants were infected with SMV strain G5 and investigated the viral response. As a result, two lines (3 and 4) of SMV-CP(RNAi) transgenic plants and three lines (2, 5 and 6) of HC-Pro(RNAi) transgenic plants showed viral resistance. In genomic Southern blot analysis, most of lines contained at least one T-DNA insertion in both SMV-CP(RNAi) and HC-Pro(RNAi) transgenic plants. Subsequent investigation confirmed that no viral CP and HC-Pro gene expression was detected in two SMV-resistant lines of SMV-CP(RNAi) and three lines of HC-Pro(RNAi) transgenic plants, respectively. On the other hand, non-transgenic plants and other lines showed viral RNA expression. Viral symptoms affected seed morphology, and clean seeds were harvested from SMV-resistant line of SMV-CP(RNAi) and HC-Pro(RNAi) transgenic plants. In addition, strong viral gene expression was detected from seeds of SMV-susceptible non-transgenic plants and SMV-susceptible transgenic lines. When compared the viral resistance between SMV-CP(RNAi) and HC-Pro(RNAi) transgenic plants, soybean transgenic plants with the HC-Pro gene using RNAi strategy showed much stronger and higher frequency of viral resistance.