Cabbage plants were transformed with the potato proteinase inhibitor II (PINII) gene, bar gene, and hpt gene using Agrobacterium. The expression of the PINII gene was driven by its own promoter which was wound-inducible. Ten transgenic plants were obtained from medium containing hygromycin as a selection antibiotic. The integration and expression of PINII and bar genes were confirmed by Southern and Northern hybridization. Growth and development of diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) and tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura) larvae were examined on $T_1$ plants. The weight of the larvae and pupae of these two insects grown on transgenic plants was not different compared to those grown on wild type plants. However, the pupation and emergence rate of diamondback moths and tobacco cutworms fed on some transgenic plants was lower than on wild type plants. These results suggest that the PINII transgene under the control of a wound-induced promoter may be used for control of insects in transgenic cabbage through reduction of insect progeny number.

Soil-borne fungal pathogens such as Verticillium and Rhizoctonia can colonize in the stem tissue of plant through root and lead to wilting symptoms of plant by blocking. water transportation. During the colonization of Rhizoctonia solani in the vascular tissue of tomato stems, particularly, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene induction pattern was cyclized showing peak induction at two different time points (10 and 80 h) after fungal spores inoculation in vivo. In leaves or roots, however, no such cycling pattern was observed. The first induction peak may be due to an initial sporulation events leading to a second induction peak by a proliferation of fungal spores to the upper stems or other tissues from an initial spore trapping sites. Tomato PAL gene was also dramatically induced by wounding, light illumination and mercury chloride treatment but was not cyclized. Mercury chloride showed the earliest induction with all tissues even at half an hour after treatment.

An efficient system for the regeneration of adventitious shoots from in vitro cultured leaf sections of Lycium chinense Miller was developed and silent somaclones from the regenerants detected with RAPD method. Among the eight media tested (B5, SH, N&N, 1/2MS, MS, 3/2MS, GD and WPM), and four cytokinins (BA, kinetin, 2ip and zeatin) with different concentrations (1, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 $\mu{M}$), 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 20 and 30 $\mu{M}$ zeatin showed the best regeneration frequency (100% and 93.7%) and higher average number of shoots (9.0 and 9.4). All regenerants easily elongated after subculturing on 1/4MS without growth stimulants and produced spontaneous adventitious roots from their basal parts. With phenotypically normal 40 regenerants, RAPD analysis with 15 different random primers was performed to examine the cryptic somaclonal variants. No substantial differences in banding patterns were found in the amplified polymorphic DNAs implying no DNA changes during dedifferentiation into adventitious shoots. However, one (OPF-4) of the 15 primers detected silent somaclonal variation in one regenerant in which two different polymorphic bands did not appear when compared with the rest regenerants. The results indicate that regenerantion via intervening callus phase can be used to establish true-to-type planting stocks for homogeneous population.

The fruits of Vitex rotundifolia in Korea, known as 'Man Hyung Ja', occupy an important position as traditional oriental medicine in Asian countries. It is known that propagation of this plant by seed is difficult and time-consuming with little success. Attempts were made to develop a method by using nodal culture techniques. Explants of stem node without leaves cultured on Nitsch medium containing 1 ml/L BA, gave the best shoot induction ratio. Also, BA with IAA or TDZ treatment showed positive effect on shoot induction. Half-strength Nitsch medium was supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA produced better success than did the others on root formation. It showed that many of the regenerants grew successfully on growth chamber at $24^{\circ}c$.

Hormonal requirements inducing different regeneration pathways with particular emphasis on somatic embryo-genesis in Alhagi graecorum were studied. While combination of 0.5 $\mu{M}$ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2.5 $\mu{M}$ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 5 $\mu{M}$ 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in MS medium induced callus formation and callus maintenance from internodal explants, each alone or in combination with other induced distinct regeneration pathway. Adventitious bud formation was induced on MS medium supplemented with 2.5 $\mu{M}$ BAP. It was improved when 2.5 $\mu{M}$ BAP was used in combination with 5 $\mu{M}$ NAA. MS medium containing 0.5 $\mu{M}$ 2,4-D or 5 $\mu{M}$ NAA induced the formation of abnormal direct somatic embryos. While increase of 2,4-D concentration (1.125-9) resulted in the formation of viable embryogenic mass, increase of NAA did not change its effect. NAA should be used in combination with 2,4-D even at low concentration (0.5 $\mu{M}$) to form embryogenic mass. In A. gaecorum, the role of 2,4-D as trigger of somatic embryogenesis and BAP as trigger of adventitious bud formation was deduced, but for maximum yield certain auxin-cytokinin ratio should be applied. Embryogenic masses characterized by high water content, low peroxidase activity, and low number of peroxidase and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase bands in comparison with calli obtained under conditions stimulating adventitious bud formation. The resulted differential gene expression, which could be detected by native-PAGE patterns, could be used as marker for organogenic pathway in A. graecorum.

Zingiber officinale buds from the rhizomes were used to produce in vitro shoots. These explants produced the largest number of multiple shoots, 9.8 shoots per explant, when were cultured on MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L benzyladenine (BA) and 2.0 mg/L indole butyric acid (IBA). This medium was also found to be suitable for in vitro propagation of other Zingiberaceae species: Alpinia conchigera, Alpinia galanga, Curcuma domestica, C. zedoaria and Kaempferia galanga. Both C. domestica and C. zedoaria produced more multiple shoots when were cultured in the liquid proliferation medium, MS medium containing 2.0 mg/L BA and 2.0 mg/L IBA. To maintain the in vitro plantlets of Zingiberaceae species, they were required to subculture every four weeks. After executing proper acclimatization protocol, in vitro plantlets of Alpinia galanga, A. conchigera, Curcuma domestica, C. zedoaria, Kaempferia galanga and Zingiber officinale could be successfully planted in the field with high percentage of survival.

Adventitious multiple shoots were developed from leaf, petiole and internode explants of Geophila reniformis D. Don. on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of $N^6$-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or Kinetin (KIN) alone or in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Leaf showed maximum organogenetic potential, followed by petiole and internode. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 22.22 $\mu{M}$ BAP and 4.57 $\mu{M}$ IAA induced maximum shoot buds from leaf explants. Internodal segments showed low potential of direct organogenesis. The regenerated shoots rooted the best in presence of 10.75 - 13.44 $\mu{M}$ $\alpha$-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) along with 2.22 $\mu{M}$ BAP, and were successfully established in the field with a survival rate of 89.11%.

In vitro multiplication of Curculigo orchioides was achieved by direct somatic embryogenesis in young leaf segments. Immature leaf segments of about 0.5 cm in length were cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of BAP (2-10 $\mu{M}$) or Kin (2-10 $\mu{M}$). Optimum response in terms of per cent cultures responding (89%) and the number of embryos per explant (16) were observed on MS medium supplemented with 8 $\mu$M BAP. The emergence of several somatic embryos on the adaxial side of the leaf segments was observed one month after the culture. Germinated somatic embryos were grown up to about 1.5 cm length before transferring to maturation medium. For maturation, the individual embryos were isolated and transferred to MS medium supplemented with BAP (5 $\mu{M}$) and NAA (0.5 $\mu{M}$). The plantlets emerged from the embryos were transferred to soil containing 1 peat: 1 sand with 90% success. The embryos were formed directly on the leaf segments without any callus phase. Direct regeneration of somatic embryos is important for the conservation of this endangered species, as rare somaclonal variants are likely to arise than from indirect regeneration.

The medicinal value of the genus Cleome justifies bio-technological studies of Cleome rosea, a Brazilian annual species from sandy coastal ecosystems (restinga), which have been submitted to an intense process of antropogenic degradation. In the present work, was analyzed the influence of cytokinins, 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin) added to the Murashige and Skoog medium (MS), on the proliferation capacity of explants from the stem axis (hypocotyl, node and internode) for a period of five monthly subcultures (150 days). Regardless of the explant sources, plantlet regeneration by direct and indirect organogenesis was observed. The largest number of shoots proliferated through direct organogenesis was obtained on medium with 4.4 $\mu{M}$ BA. Also, the highest proliferation capacity through indirect organogenesis was found on medium with 4.4 $\mu{M}$ BA + 4.6 $\mu{M}$ kinetin. The presence of kinetin alone was not effective for multiplication of the species. Elongation and rooting were obtained when shoots were transferred onto growth regulator-free medium, and acclimatization rates from 70% to 81% were achieved depending on explant sources used. Plants were then successfully established in soil and showed normal phenotypes.