복숭아순나방(Grapholita molesta)은 두 가지 주요 성페로몬 성분(Z-8-dodecenyl acetate and E-8-dodecenyl acetate)을 갖고 있다. 이 성 페로몬 성분의 생합성 과정 분석은 포화지방산의 10번 탄소에 이중결합을 합성하는 불포화효소(Δ10 DES)가 종 특이적 광학이성체 형성에 필수 적이라고 제시하였다. 그러나 이 효소의 분자적 특징에 대해서 분석되지 않았다. 본 연구는 복숭아순나방 성페로몬 샘의 전사체에서 Δ10 DES로 추정된 불포화효소(Gm-comp1575)의 단백질 기능 영역을 분석하였다. Gm-comp1575 유전자는 370개의 아미노산 서열 정보를 암호하고 있으며 분자량은 약 43.2 kDa 그리고 등전위점(pI)은 8.77로 추정되었다. 이 불포화효소는 4개의 막투과영역을 지니고 있으며, 6개의 탄수화물 결합 위 치가 아미노 말단과 세포내 영역에서 갖는 것으로 추정되었다. 분자계통분석은 Gm-comp1575가 다른 종에서 알려진 Δ10 DES와 유사성이 높은 것으로 밝혀졌다. Gm-comp1575 전사체는 암컷 성페로몬 샘 및 다른 복부 조직에서 발현되었다. 이 유전자 발현에 대한 RNA 간섭 처리는 처녀 암컷으로 하여금 사과원에서 수컷을 유인하는 능력을 크게 감소시켰다. 이러한 결과는 Gm-comp1575가 복숭아순나방의 성페로몬 생합성과 관련 이 있는 유전자라고 제시하고 있다.

복숭아순나방은 사과, 배 등 핵과류 과실의 심식류로서 일차해충이다. 따라서 살포 농약과 접촉을 피할 수 있어 화학적 방제에 어려움을 주고 있다. 성페로몬을 이용한 교미교란 기술이 개발되어 방제 가능성을 제시하였다. 그러나 효과적 교미교란제 처리는 광범위한 지역에 비교적 다량의 성페로몬이 투여되기에 이에 따른 막대한 방제 비용은 이 기술의 제약점이다. 이를 해결하기 위한 방향으로 효모를 이용한 성페로몬 생합성 기술이 대안책으로 대두되었다. 본 연구는 이를 위해 복숭아순나방의 성페로몬 생합성에 특이적 △10 desaturase의 유전자 특성을 규명하는 데 목표를 두었다. 성페로몬샘 의 전사체 분석은 최소한 3 종류의 후보 △10 desaturase 유전자를 찾아냈다. 이 가운데 Gm_comp1575 전사체의 유전자 구조를 밝혔다. 추정된 전체 아미노산 길이는 371 개로서 다른 desaturase와 유사한 길이를 나타냈고, 복숭아순나방 성페로몬에 서 발현되었다. 현재 이 유전자의 기능 분석이 이뤄지고 있다.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1) gene plays important role in fatty acid composition. In order to find marker-assisted selection (MAS) for improving the economic trait, this study was performed to identify the 878T>C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on SCD1 gene. Three genotypes (CC, CT, and TT) were detected in 878T>C SNP of SCD1 gene from 103 Hanwoo population by polymorphism chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and economic traits were analyzed by general linear model. The frequency of allele C and T was 0.534 and 0.466, also the genotype frequency of CC, CT and TT was 0.252, 0.563, and 0.184, respectively in the Hanwoo population. The TT genotype of SCD1 gene showed a significantly higher measures (p<0.05) of carcass weight (CW) than CT, CC genotype. No significant association was detected between genotype and other economic trait (marbling, backfat thickness, and longissimus muscle area) in this study. The results revealed that SCD1 gene 878T>C SNP could be useful for effective MAS to increase the economic quality in Hanwoo population.

This study aims to identify DNA marker related to health index which is derived from fatty acid composition of Hanwoo meat. We investigated a genetic association between two SNPs (-867G>C and 878C>T) of SCD gene and health indexes. Two health index values (index of atherogenicity and index of thrombogenicity) were derived from a combination of fatty acid composition. Phenotypic correlation indicated that oleic acid (C18:1) was negatively correlated to index of atherogenicity (-0.84) and index of thrombogenicity (-0.91), respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that 878T>C SNP was significantly associated with IA (index of atherogenicity, p=0.012) and IT (index of thrombogenicity, p=0.006). There was no association between the regulatory SNPs (-867G>C and -877Gdel) and health indexes. Haplotype analysis detected 4 main haplotype (GdelT; 0.004, GdelC; 0.344, CGT; 0.350 and CGC; 0.261) in Hanwoo. The GdelT haplotype was significant on IA and IT. The effect of GdelT haplotype showed increasing IA and IT values, while GdelC haplotype has a decreasing IA and IT value in Hanwoo. In conclusion, the 878C>T SNP in the SCD gene seems to have an effect on this health index and might be implemented into animal breeding program.

A cDNA of PBAN receptor (Plx-PBANR) isolated from female pheromone gland of the diamondback moth encodes 338 amino acids and has 7 transmembranes, belonging to G-protein coupled receptor family. The fact that Plx-PBANR expression was only found in female pheromone gland revealed that pheromone gland is the only molecular target of Plx-PBAN. Plx-PBANR expressing cells increased level of Ca2+ influx when challenged with PBANs. When RNAi fragment for PBANR was injected into pupae, suppression of PBANR expression was maintained for at least 2 days at post-emergence. Injection of RNA fragment for inhibition of Plx-PBANR expression also inhibited mating behavior and suppressed sex pheromone production, suggesting that some molecular target was affected by reduced Plx-PBANR expression. We cloned partial Δ9 and Δ11 desaturase gene and investigated expression level in Plx-PBANR-RNAi moth. It is of interest that desaturases expression was reduced by RNA fragment injection. These results suggest of PBANR expression affects the molecular biological events of PBAN and eventually suppresses mating behavior.

Microsomal Ω-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD3) is an essential enzyme in the production of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid α-linolenic acid during the seed developing stage. To understand the regulatory mechanism of the gene encoding the Ω-3 fatty acid desaturase, a genomic fragment corresponding to the previously isolated perilla seed PfFAD3 cDNA was amplified from perilla (Perilla frutescens Britt) by GenomeWalker PCR. Sequence analysis of the fragment provided with identification of a 1485-bp 5'-upstream region and a 241-bp intron in the open reading frame. To determine the tissue-specificity of the PfFAD3 gene expression, the 5'-upstream region was fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and incorporated into Arabidopsis thaliana. Histochemical assay of the transgenic plants showed that GUS expression was restricted to seed and pollen, showing that PfFAD3 gene was exclusively expressed in those tissues.