Rapid extension of genomic database leads to the remarkable advance of functional genomics. This study proposes a novel methodology of functional analysis using 5-methyltrytophan (5 MT) mutant together with their 2-DE analysis and public microarray database. A total of 24 proteins was changed in 5 MT mutant and four remarkably different expressed proteins were identified. Among them, three spots were converted to Affymetrix probe. A total of 155 microarray samples from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) in NCBI was retrieved and followed by constructing gene co-expression networks over a broad range of biological issues through Self-Organising Tree Algorithm. Three co-expressing gene clusters were retrieved and each functional categorization with differential expression pattern was exhibited from 5 MT resistance mutant rice. It was indicated new co-expression networks in the mutant. This study suggests that on investigating possibility which correspond 2-DE to microarray database with their full potential.

To investigate the mutagenecity of sodium azide (SA) and to select mutants having various agronomic characteristics in rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica), dry seeds of rice variety 'Suweon 472' were treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mM SA solutions prepared in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 3.0). Germination rate, seedling height and sterility were investigated in M1 generation and chlorophyll mutations were observed in M3 generation. Germination rate and seedling height decreased as the increase of SA concentration in M1 generation, the maximum seed sterility (40.8%) was found at 4.0 mM SA concentration. Chlorophyll mutants were occurred in M3 generation and the frequency calculated on a line basis was 13.5% at the same treatment. Many kinds of mutations for morphological and agronomic characters were observed and mutations with short culm and glabrous leaf were frequently found in M3 generation. Interestingly, five mutant lines resistant to blast or bacterial blight (BB) were selected and evaluated with several isolates in M3 generation although Suweon 472 has been known to be susceptible to blast and BB. These mutants showed all resistance to seven isolates of blast and a total of 76 lines among 2,567 lines evaluated showed resistant to race K1 of bacterial blight. Two mutant lines (440172 and 41272) showed different reaction to BB isolates from the other resistant mutants. A few kinds of endosperm mutants were also identified and most of them were waxy mutants.

Rice consumption per capta, in South Korea, has been decreased dramatically, owing to the changes of living patterns. Because of not only the major energy source of Korean people but also major income source of Korean farmers, diversifying end-use-quality of rice has been demanded. To the context, 'Suweon 472', a high yielding and early mature japonica line and released as 'Namilbyeo' to framers in 2002, was treated with a chemical mutagen, Sodium Azide to find endosperm mutant types. A total of nine endosperm mutat lines, including five waxy, one dull, two floury, and one white core type, were identified from the 3,542 mutatagen treated lines. Amylose contents, iodine reaction, disintegration in alkali solution, gelatinization in urea solution and amylogram properties of those nine endosperm mutant lines were evaluated to address the possibility as new genetic materials for diversifying rice quality of Korean japonica cultivars. All embryo mutants were clearly differentiated from their wild type, 'Suweon 472', in terms of physic-chemical properties evaluated. The endosperm mutant lines would be very useful in expanding untiliztation of rice through opening new rice markets of processed foods from Korean japonica rice.

In rice, tillering is an important trait determining yield. To study tillering at the agricultural and molecular aspects, we have examined a spontaneous rice mutant that showed reduction in the number of culms. The mutant was derived from a F6 line of the cross of Junambyeo*4 / IR72. It could produce, on average, 4 tillers per hill in the paddy field while wild-type plants usually have 15. Except the reduced culm numbers, they also show pale green phenotypes. The phenotypes of this mutant were co-segregated as the monogenic Mendelian ratio (χ2 = 0.002, p = 0.969). In order to locate a gene responsible for the rcn phenotype, the mutant with the japonica genetic background was crossed with Milyang21 of the indica background. Bulked segregant analysis was used for rapid determination of chromosomal location. Three SSR markers (RM551, RM8213, and RM16467) on chromosome 4 were genetically associated with the mutant phenotype. Each of the 217 F2 plants was genotyped with simple sequence length polymorphisms. The data showed that RM16572 on chromosome 4 was the closest marker that showed perfect co-segregation among the F2 population. We suggest the new rcn gene studied here name as rcn10t because there was no report which exhibit a rcn phenotype with a pleiotropic effect of pale green (chlorophyll deficiency), and mapped at same position on chromosome 4.

We bred a new green-kerneled glutinous rice variety that can be cultivated in the whole area of Korea, because only one native green-kerneled glutinous rice cultivar, “aengdongchalbyeo” has been cultivated in the southern coastal area due to its late heading. The seeds of “aengdongchalbyeo”were irradiated with 200 Gy of gamma ray in 1995. A promising mutant variety, “ogwonchalbyeo”(“onnong 17” was selected through line selection and regional yield trials. In particular, the new variety revealed at the earlier mid of August compared to that of “aengdongchalbyeo” the early of September, and it was considerably tolerant to a field lodging due to its shortened culm length. Also, “ogwonchalbyeo”had a higher ripened grain ratio and 1,000 grain weight compared to the original variety. The brown grain yield of the new variety was about 5.40 MT/ha, which was 11.3% higher than that of the original variety, in the regional yield trials at 3 different fields during 2000∼2001. The brown and milled grains of the new rice variety contained 20 to 65% higher amount of total amino acids, respectively than that of the original and two checks. For chlorophyll -a, -b and total chlorophyll, the new variety showed nearly two-fold higher than the checks, and for the carotenoid, it had 5.3 –7.6 times higher amount. These results showed that the new variety can be cultivated as a special green-kerneled glutinous rice with high functional compounds.