• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.531-534
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• 2023

We report the draft genome sequence of the yeast strain Hormonema macrosporum POB-4, capable of producing the biosurfactant glycocholic acid, one of the bile acids. A majority of genes with known function were associated with metabolism and transport of amino acid and carbohydrate as well as secondary metabolites biosynthesis, transport, and catabolism. We observed genes of eleven C-N hydrolases and two CoA transferases which have been reported to be involved in the biosynthesis of glycocholic acid. Further experimental studies can help to elucidate the specific genes responsible for biosurfactant production in strain POB-4.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.35-35
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• 2017

How do plants take up water from soils especially when water is scarce in soils? Plants have a strategy to respond to water deficit to manage water necessary for their survival and growth. Plants regulate water transport inside them. Water flows inside the plant via (i) apoplastic pathway including xylem vessel and cell wall and (ii) cell-to-cell pathway including water channels sitting in cell membrane (aquaporins). Water transport across the root and leaf is explained by a composite transport model including those pathways. Modification of the components in those pathways to change their hydraulic conductivity can regulate water uptake and management. Apoplastic barrier is modified by producing Casparian band and suberin lamellae. These structures contain suberin known to be hydrophobic. Barley roots with more suberin content from the apoplast showed lower root hydraulic conductivity. Root hydraulic conductivity was measured by a root pressure probe. Plant root builds apoplastic barrier to prevent water loss into dry soil. Water transport in plant is also regulated in the cell-to-cell pathway via aquaporin, which has received a great attention after its discovery in early 1990s. Aquaporins in plants are known to open or close to regulate water transport in response to biotic and/or abiotic stresses including water deficit. Aquaporins in a corn leaf were opened by illumination in the beginning, however, closed in response to the following leaf water potential decrease. The evidence was provided by cell hydraulic conductivity measurement using a cell pressure probe. Changing the hydraulic conductivity of plant organ such as root and leaf has an impact not only on the speed of water transport across the plant but also on the water potential inside the plant, which means plant water uptake pattern from soil could be differentiated. This was demonstrated by a computer simulation with 3-D root structure having root hydraulic conductivity information and soil. The model study indicated that the root hydraulic conductivity plays an important role to determine the water uptake from soil with suboptimal water, although soil hydraulic conductivity also interplayed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.328-331
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• 2023

Genomic information of biotechnologically and industrially important microorganisms provides the basis for understanding their metabolic potential. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the Neodothiora populina-like yeast strain JAF-11 capable of producing biosurfactant myo-inositol lipids. The draft genome contained genes associated with secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including transport and metabolism of lipids, which are a major component of fungal surfactants. Identification of myo-inositol and acyl chain synthesis genes in the draft genome corresponded to the specific biosurfactant produced by strain JAF-11. Further experimental studies could help to elucidate the genes responsible for the production of biosurfactant by strain JAF-11.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2019

This study was designed to examine agro-healing services and programs provided and operated by farms in Korea. The results of the analysis of the agro-healing programs and operation of farms were as follows. The purpose of the operation of farms was to raise productivity by managing farms in a cooperative way through agricultural production, education and healing, and to raise income by processing and selling agricultural products. It was difficult to access farms by public transport and thus visitors had to use their own cars. The size of farms varied. The main resources utilized in the surveyed programs were plants, rural environments and landscapes, and agricultural products. The programs were conducted using resources that were commonly found in rural areas. Facilities on each farm were equipped with facilities (indoor and outdoor learning place, gardens, vegetable gardens, orchards, etc.) and convenience facilities (parking lots, drinking fountains, kiosks, etc.) to support program operation. However, facilities for the handicapped and accommodation facilities were insufficient. The programs operated on each farm utilized agricultural resources, farm produce, and rural resources and were classified into activities such as making, feeling, and growing. The average number of people who operated the family-centered program was 2-3, having qualifications such as welfare horticultural therapists, forest interpreters, experience instructors, and social workers. In addition, they had expertise in medicinal food, dietary life, and social welfare, and they also had essential expertise required to operate programs.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2016

Copper (Cu) is a necessary microelement for plants. However, high concentrations of Cu are toxic to plants that change the regulation of several stress-induced proteins. In this study, an annealing control primer (ACP) based approach was used to identify differentially expressed Cu-induced genes in alfalfa leaves. Two-week-old alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L.) were exposed to Cu for 6 h. Total RNAs were isolated from treated and control leaves followed by ACP-based PCR technique. Using GeneFishing ACPs, we obtained several genes those expression levels were induced by Cu. Finally, we identified several genes including UDP-glucuronic acid decarboxylase, transmembrane protein, small heat shock protein, C-type cytochrome biogenesis protein, mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate, and trans-2,3-enoyl-CoA reductase in alfalfa leaves. These identified genes have putative functions in cellular processes such as cell wall structural rearrangements, transduction, stress tolerance, heme transport, carbon and nitrogen assimilation, and lipid biosynthesis. Response of Cu-induced genes and their identification in alfalfa would be useful for molecular breeding to improve alfalfa with tolerance to heavy metals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.107-107
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• 2022

The increase in atmospheric temperature due to climate change prolongs the period of exposure to high-temperature environments during rice cultivation. In particular, high-temperature during early seed development greatly affects on the productivity and quality of rice. The high temperature at this time not only affects the transport and distribution of assimilates from leaves to seeds and the accumulation of starch in the seeds, but also affects the leaves, which are the production organs of assimilates, and increases the consumption of assimilation products due to an increase in respiration. Therefore, in this study, rice was grown in temperature gradient chambers(TGC) to analyze the effects of high temperature on physiological responses, assimilate production, and changes in gene expression in rice leaves. Analysis of chlorophyll and sugar contents and RNA-seq experiments were performed using flag leaves collected under normal and elevated temperature conditions, respectively, during the early seed development stage, and then these results were comprehensively discussed.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2019

This paper aims to analysize the regional disparity of rural life service. In other words, analyzing the spatial distribution of the single-households elderly and service accessibility to public transportation, and the relationship between them in rural. The results of this study are as follows. First, there is a high concentration of the single-households elderly in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Jeollanam-do, and the distribution of them shows a tendency to cluster locally. Second, the vulnerability area of public transportation are concentrated on the myeon area. Third, The above-average proportion of vulnerable single-households elderly in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Jeollanam-do are concentrated on the myeon area. This result show that there is a positive correlation and high values are concentrated. This paper is expected to contribute to the regional development projects and effective implementation of rural polices.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2021

The characteristics of vibrational stress (shock and vibration) during transport and the possibility of damage to the packaged pears by functional PLA tray were investigated. And this study was conducted to analyze how environmental conditions by simulated transport environment affect quality factors such as weight loss (%) and soluble solid content (SSC, %), and firmness (bioyield strength, kPa) of packaged pears by PLA tray and Expanded PET foam pad (Group 1), EPE cushion cup pad and net (Group 2) for exporting. Pears with or without vibration stress were stored for 30 days at low temperatures (5 ± 0.8℃, 80 ± 5% relative humidity). There was the statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between pears with and without vibration stress for weight loss, soluble solid content, and firmness (bioyield strength) after 30 days storage. Vibration stress accelerated pear quality deterioration during storage, resulting in increased weight loss, soluble solids content, and reduced hardness. The firmness (bioyield strength) and weight changes of pears with PLA trays were smaller than those of conventional packaging box systems. It was determined that the firmness of agricultural products was a quality factor closely related to the storage period and that PLA could be applied.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.110-110
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• 2017

Stomata are the main gateways for water and air transport between leaves and the environment. Inward-rectifying potassium channels regulate photo-induced stomatal opening. Rice contains three inward rectifying shaker-like potassium channel proteins, OsKAT1, OsKAT2 and OsKAT3. Among these, only OsKAT2 is specifically expressed in guard cells. Here, we investigated the functions of OsKAT2 in stomatal regulation using three dominant negative mutant proteins, OsKAT2(T235R), OsKAT2(T285A) and OsKAT2(T285D), which are altered in amino acids in the channel pore and at a phosphorylation site. Yeast complementation and patch clamp assays showed that all three mutant proteins lost channel activity. However, among plants overexpressing these mutant proteins, only plants overexpressing OsKAT2(T235R) showed significantly less water loss than the control. Moreover, overexpression of this mutant protein led to delayed photo-induced stomatal opening and increased drought tolerance. Our results indicate that OsKAT2 is an inward-rectifying shaker-like potassium channel that mainly functions in stomatal opening. Interestingly, overexpression of OsKAT2(T235R) did not cause serious defects in growth or yield in rice, suggesting that OsKAT2 is a potential target for engineering plants with improved drought tolerance without yield penalty.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.613-620
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• 2012

Marbling from intramuscular fat is an important trait of meat quality and has an economic benefit for the beef industry. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) fine mapping was performed to identify the marbling trait in 266 Hanwoo steers using a 10K single nucleotide polymorphism panel with the combined linkage and linkage disequilibrium method. As a result, we found nine putative QTL regions for marbling: three on BTA6, two on BTA17, two on BTA22, and two on BTA29. We detected candidate genes for marbling within 1 cM of either side of the putative QTL regions. Additionally, to understand the functions of these candidate genes at the molecular level, we conducted a functional categorization using gene ontology and pathway analyses for those genes involved in lipid metabolism or fat deposition. In these putative QTL regions, we found 95 candidate genes for marbling. Using these candidate genes, we found five genes that had a direct interaction with the candidate genes. We also found SCARB1 as a putative candidate gene for marbling that involves fat deposition related to cholesterol transport.