Gangliosides exist in glycosphingolipid-enriched domains on the cell membrane and regulate various functions such as adhesion, differentiation, and receptor signaling. Ganglioside GM3 by ST3GAL5 enzyme provides an essential function in the biosynthesis of more complex ganglio-series gangliosides. However, the role of gangliosides GM3 in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation and early embryo development stage has not yet understood clear. Therefore, we examined ganglioside GM3 expression patterns under apoptosis stress during maturation and preimplantation development of porcine oocytes and embryos. First, porcine oocytes cultured in the NCSU-23 medium for 44 h after H2O2 treated groups (0.01, 0.1, 1 mM). After completion of meiotic maturation, the proportion MII (44 h) was significantly different among control and the H2O2 treated groups (76.8±0.3 vs 69.1±0.4; 0.01 mM, 55.7±1.0; 0.1 mM, 38.2±1.6%; 1 mM, P<0.05). The expressions of ST3GAL5 in H2O2 treated groups were gradually decreased compared with control group. Next, changes of ST3GAL5 expression patterns were detected by using immunofluorescene (IF) staining during preimplantation development until blastocyst. As a result, we confirmed that the expressions of ST3GAL5 in cleaving embryos were gradually decreased (P<0.05) according to the early embryo development progress. Based on these results, we suggest that the ganglioside GM3 was used to the marker as pro-apoptotic factor in porcine oocyte of maturation and early embryo production in vitro, respectively. Furthermore, our findings will be helpful for better understanding the basic mechanism of gangliosides GM3 regulating in oocyte maturation and early embryonic development of porcine in vitro.

생명공학 관련 회사들이 유전자 변형 품종을 적극적으로 개발함으로서 생명공학 관련 시장규모도 급속도로 성장하고 있으며, GM 작물의 재배면적도 매년 빠르게 증가하고 있다.1996년 GM 작물이 처음 재배된 이후 2014년 현재 28개국에서 유전자 변형 작물을 재배하고 있으며, 재배면적도 1996년170만 헥타르에서 100배 이상 증가하여 1억 8,150만 헥타르에재배되고 있어, GM 작물은 근래에 가장 빨리 채택된 육종기술로 인정 받고 있다. 전 세계 GM 작물 재배품종 중 가장많이 재배되고 있는 형질은 제초제 내성이 도입된 품종으로 1억 260만 헥타르에 이르며 전체의 57%에 해당하고, 다음이제초제 내성과 해충 저항성이 함께 형질전환된 품종이 재배되고 있다. 농민이 GM 작물을 재배함으로서 수확량 증가, 농약사용 감소, 농가 수익 증가 등 혜택을 받을 수 있어 매년GM 작물을 재배하는 면적이 증가하고 있으며, 특히 개발도상국에서의 GM 작물의 채택률이 선진국보다 더 빠르게 증가하고 있다. 콩, 옥수수, 면화 등 GM 작물의 급속한 증가에도 불구하고 아직도 작물의 재배로 발생할 수 있는 환경의 영향, 작물의 잡초화, 신종 병해충의 출현 가능성으로 인한 위해성 논란 등 생명공학 안전성에 대한 문제가 끊임 없이 제기되고 있어 GM 작물에 대한 위해성 검증과 안전성에 대한 적극적인연구와 홍보가 요구된다.

본 연구의 목적은 방화곤충에 의해 유전자변형 작물로부터 비변형작물로의 유전자 이동이 일어날 수 있는가를 조사하기 위한 프로토콜을 개발하는 것이다. 이를 위해 제초제저항성 형질전환 콩과 재배콩인 태광콩, 그리고 G. soja 시험구에서 발생하는 곤충상을 sweeping법으로 조사하였으며, 이들 시험구에서 화분매개 가능성을 가진 방화벌의 시간대별 출현빈도 및 부위별 화분 부착율을 조사하였다. 또한 채집한 서양종꿀벌로부터 부착된 화분을 이용, 핵산을 추출하고 PCR 증폭 가능성 여부를 분석하였다. 그 결과, 유전자변형 콩과 비변형 콩 사이의 곤충상에는 시기별로 유의성 있는 차이는 없는 것으로 조사되었다. 개화기 콩 꽃에서 서양종꿀벌의 출현빈도는 정오에 가장 높은 것으로 나타났다. 이들이 수확한 화분으로부터 핵산을 추출하여 PCR 을 수행하였을 때 lectin 유전자가 증폭된 것으로 보아 이들 화분은 콩으로부터 유래한 것임을 확인하였다.

Bt gene derived from the B. thuringiensis has been used for developing GM crops, and corn, cotton and soybean producing B. thuringiensis toxins have been on the market for last 17 years or so creating a huge GM seed industry. One of the notorious pests in brassica crops is diamondback moth (DBM). In order to protect the insect plague of crops from DBM, 4-5 billion dollars have been wasted annually for applying integrated measures in worldwide. Major prevention is use of pesticides that may build the contamination level of chemicals in the ground and this practice threats the environment and ecosystem. An alternative is to develop GM brassica crops and therefore we have developed GM cabbages resistant DBM using bt gene. Lots of T0 cabbages were tested for resistance and independent GM cabbages resistant to DBM were selected. Molecular analysis was conducted to find if GM cabbage holds one copy transgene and intergenic insertion. We found an independent GM cabbage and it contained a singly copy of the transgene without disturbing the insertion site. This one called C95 line with an status of event have been self-crossed for two generation (T2). Also we are working the development of GM cabbage with different vector that contains bar gene as a selection marker. So far 17 T0 cabbages have been obtained by bar selection.

Unfavorable environmental stresses are major limiting factors that affect plant productivity. Plants perceive and respond adaptively to an abiotic stress condition, and the adaptive process is controlled mainly by phytohormone, consequently, changing in gene expression pattern. Transcriptional regulator ABF3 (Abscisic acid response element Binding Factor 3) mediating the ABA-responsive gene expression plays important roles in drought and temperature tolerance. Here, we report an event of drought tolerant GM gourd in which abf3 was inserted in the genome. For drought stress experiment, T0 plants were self-pollinated and back-crossed to select cultivars for drought stress experiment. The drought tolerant GM gourds were selected for last 3 years and have been crossed to get the several BC and T generation consecutively. In this year, BC3T1, F1 (Bak x GM gourd), BC1F1 and control plants were subjected to drought stress, that is no watering for 12 days and rehydration afterwards. The GM gourds showed high tolerance to drought while the non-transformed plants were totally dried. When the plants were subjected to rehydration, the GM bottle gourds were completely revived and recovered from the drought stress. Tolerance levels to drought of BC3T1, F1 (Bak x GM gourd) and BC1F1 were 92.5%, 50.0% and 65.0%, respectively.

Many viruses infect cucurbits. One of the well-known symptoms is mosaic disease. Those that cause mosaic are cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), squash mosaic virus (SqMV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). WMV resistant GM squash was developed many years ago in the United States and it was on the market, but no further information was available by now pertinent to commercial aspect. Usually these viruses are not easily controlled by frequent applications of chemicals that target the insect as carriers of viruses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop commercial varieties possessing resistance against viral diseases. We have developed GM watermelon rootstocks called gongdae, using a coat protein gene of CGMMV as transgene. Those GM watermelon rootstocks showed highly resistant to CGMMV, and have been crossed to get the several BC and T generation. In order to obtain the virus resistant watermelon, watermelon lines were crossed to the selected GM watermelon rootstock. Here, we present the successful watermelon cultivars that show resistance to CGMMV. The resistance must have obtained by transferring the transgene from the GM watermelon rootstock to watermelon line

In 2012, the world population exceeded 7 billion and the need to address food security has never been greater. Achieving food security won’t be easy considering the megatrends of growing population, greater affluence, and increasing urbanization. Not only are more people demanding more food, but they want greater variety, including meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables. While demand for food is growing, farmers’ ability to increase productivity is facing unprecedented challenges. Scarcity of water, energy, and land is expected to define food production in the coming decades. Agricultural practices will also need to protect biodiversity through increasing productivity without expanding into natural ecosystems. Further exacerbating the situation is a changing climate that has led to higher temperatures and erratic weather patterns in some areas. Each day farmers face the challenge of growing more from less - increasing yields while protecting the environment by using less water, land, and energy. Global Agricultural Biotechnology companies like Syngenta have addressed these challenges through innovation in research and development by looking at the grower’s challenges holistically, including land, technology, and the community. The presentation will cover general R&D activities in an agricultural biotechnology company, which may differ from those in academic research institutes. Product safety and environmental considerations are integral to industry’s R&D work. To make earlier and better-informed decisions on which active ingredients or traits to move forward, normally companies begin safety trials early in the development process, facilitating timely engagement with regulators and other key stakeholders. Also to complement in-house expertise and bring in novel technologies which may or may not be used in agribusiness, companies are actively seeking value-adding partnerships and collaborations to bring exciting new offers to the grower. Development of a GM crop through all those activities mentioned above is quite a costly and lengthy process. My presentation will describe a typical process required for developing a GM crop in an agricultural biotechnology company from early discovery to commercialization to the market, which may give you a different perspective from academic point of view.