• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.229-232
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• 2008

An isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), designated as Cas-CMV, was isolated from Chinese aster (Callistephus chinensis) showing severe mosaic symptom, and its properties was compared to the well-characterized Fny-CMV (subgroup IA) and As-CMV (subgroup IB) by host reaction in several indicator plants, dsRNA analysis, RT-PCR analysis, and restriction enzyme profile of the PCR products. Cas-CMV differed markedly in their host reaction to Fny-CMV or As-CMV in Cucurbita pepo cv. Black beauty. In the zucchini squash, all strains induced chlorotic spot on inoculated leaves and mosaic symptoms on upper leaves. However, symptoms induced by Cas-CMV were developed lethal necrosis on the young plants 15 to 20 days after inoculation. In experiments of dsRNA analysis and RT-PCR analysis, properties of Cas-CMV was come within subgroup I CMV. Moreover, restriction enzyme analysis using HindIII of the RT-PCR products showed that Cas-CMV belong to a member of CMV subgroup IA.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.71-75
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• 2008

An isolate of Peanut stunt virus (PSV), named as Tr-PSV, was isolated from white clover (Trifolium repens L) showing mosaic symptom. Tr-PSV systemically infected all plants tested in the Nicotiana spp. and induced local lesions on inoculated leaves of Chenopodium amaranticolor. However, Tr-PSV induced typical mosaic symptoms as ER-PSV on Vigna unguiculata 5 to 6 days after inoculation, while Fny-CMV used as a control virus of Cucumovirus produced local lesions on inoculated leaves. In dsRNA analysis, Tr-PSV consisted of four dsRNAs, but satellite RNA was not detected. The cDNA of coat protein gene of Tr-PSV was amplified by RT-PCR using a Cucumovirus-specific single pair primers that designed to amplify a DNA fragment of approximately 950 bp. By restriction mapping analysis using RFLP of the RT-PCR products and by serological properties of gel diffusion test, Tr-PSV belongs to a typical member of PSV subgroup I. This is the first report on the occurrence of PSV in white clover in Korea.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2019

Since the RNA interference (RNAi) had been discovered in many organisms, small non-coding RNA-mediated gene silencing technology, including RNAi have been widely applied to analysis of gene function, as well as crop improvement. Despite the usefulness of RNAi technology, RNAi transgenic crops have various potential environmental risks, including off-target and non-target effects. In this study, we developed methods that can be effectively applied to environmental risk assessment of RNAi transgenic crops and verified these methods in 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP rice transgenic plant we generated. Off-target genes, which can be non-specifically suppressed by the expression of dsRNAi_eGFP, were predicted by using the published web tool, pssRNAit, and verified by comparing their expressions between wild-type (WT) and 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP transgenic rice. Also, we verified the non-target effects of the 35S:: dsRNAi_eGFP plant by evaluating horizontal and vertical transfer of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) produced in the 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP plant into neighboring WT rice and rhizosphere microorganisms, respectively. Our results suggested that the methods we developed, could be widely applied to various RNAi transgenic crops for their environmental risk assessment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2008

RNA interference (RNAi) was performed on several essential genes in the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which causes pine wilt disease. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was delivered to larvae or adult worms by soaking, electroporation, or microinjection. Soaking and electroporation of L2-L3 stage worms in solutions containing dsRNA for essential genes induced over 25% lethality after 5 days, and gene-specific phenotypes were observed. This lethality agreed with significant reductions of the targeted transcripts, as assayed by reverse-transcription coupled with real time PCR. Microinjection was the most efficient route as measured by the hatching rate of F1 embryos, which was reduced by 46%. When adult worms were soaked in dsRNA, lethality was induced in the F1 larvae, revealing the persistence of knockdown phenotypes. The penetrance of the RNAi phenotypes for essential genes was relatively low but consistent, indicating that RNAi should be useful for studying the in vivo functions of B. xylophilus gene products.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 2016

A double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus was detected in malformed fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus strain ASI2792, one of bottle cultivated commercial strains of the edible oyster mushroom. The partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of the P. ostreatus ASI2792 mycovirus (PoV-ASI2792) was cloned, and a cDNA sequences alignment revealed that the sequence was identical to the RdRp gene of a known PoSV found in the P. ostreatus strain. To investigate the symptoms of PoV-ASI2792 infection by comparing the isogenic virus-free P. ostreatus strains with a virus-infected strain, isogenic virus-cured P. ostreatus strains were obtained by the mycelial fragmentation method for virus curing. The absence of virus was verified with gel electrophoresis after dsRNA-specific virus purification and Northern blot analysis using a partial RdRp cDNA of PoV-ASI2792. The growth rate and mycelial dry weight of virus-infected P. ostreatus strain with PoV-ASI2792 mycovirus were compared to those of three virus-free isogenic strains on 10 different media. The virus-cured strains showed distinctly higher mycelial growth rates and dry weights on all kinds of experimental culture media, with at least a 2.2-fold higher mycelial growth rate on mushroom complete media (MCM) and Hamada media, and a 2.7-fold higher mycelial dry weight on MCM and yeast-malt-glucose agar media than those of the virus-infected strain. These results suggest that the infection of PoV mycovirus has a deleterious effect on the vegetative growth of P. ostreatus.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2008

Introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into some cells or organisms results in degradation of its homologous mRNA, a process called RNA interference (RNAi). The dsRNAs are processed into short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that subsequently bind to the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), causing degradation of target mRNAs. Because of this sequence-specific ability to silence target genes, RNAi has been extensively used to study gene functions and has the potential to control disease pathogens or vectors. With this promise of RNAi to control pathogens and vectors, this paper reviews the current status of RNAi in protozoans, animal parasitic helminths and disease-transmitting vectors, such as insects. Many pathogens and vectors cause severe parasitic diseases in tropical regions and it is difficult to control once the host has been invaded. Intracellularly, RNAi can be highly effective in impeding parasitic development and proliferation within the host. To fully realize its potential as a means to control tropical diseases, appropriate delivery methods for RNAi should be developed, and possible off-target effects should be minimized for specific gene suppression. RNAi can also be utilized to reduce vector competence to interfere with disease transmission, as genes critical for pathogenesis of tropical diseases are knockdowned via RNAi.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2009

Translation initiation factor eIF1A performs essential functions in various initiation steps including 43S preinitiation complex formation in eukaryotes, and contains a highly conserved oligonucleotide-binding (OB) fold. In our previous study, we discovered that eIF1A possesses RNA annealing activity and forms a stable complex with double-stranded RNA. In this study, we initiated site-directed mutations in eIF1A to find the active sites for these biochemical activities and to investigate whether they are essential functions for yeast cell growth. A truncated protein, eIF1A($\Delta$T), devoid of both N- and C-terminal domains but containing an intact OB-fold exhibited RNA annealing activity. In contrast, all point mutations in OB-fold domain, except R57D, impaired both RNA annealing and dsRNA binding activities, indicating that the intact OB-fold domain is required for both activities. Viabilities of the mutant yeast cells were not correlated with RNA annealing activity but with the in vivo protein stabilities in the case of R57D and K94D.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2015

Insects are heterotherms that exhibit a close relationship between their ecology (especially temperature changes) and physiology. In the present study, selected genes associated with cell death and temperature were examined to determine gene expression in Bombyx mori in high and low temperature environments. We determined the amount of dsRNA, different concentrations of dsRNA, and different type of cells to set the conditions most efficient for RNAi. We then prepared dsRNA transcripts of the genes associated with cell death and temperature response. We analyzed cell damage via Trypan blue staining and found that cell viability was reduced after knockdown of these genes. The special transduced cell lines produced in the present study can be applied in various research fields. We also expect that these cell lines can be used as a research tool for the precise functional analysis of various genes.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 2009

Previously, we obtained the list of genes differentially expressed between GV and MII oocytes. Out of the list, we focused on functional analysis of Zap70 in the present study, because it has been known to be expressed only in immune cells. This is the first report about the expression and its function of Zap70 in the oocytes. Synthetic 475 bp Zap70 dsRNA was microinjected into the GV oocytes, and the oocytes were cultured in vitro. In addition to maturation rates, meiotic spindle and chromosome rearrangements, and changes in expression levels of transcripts of three kinases, Erk1/2, JNK, and p38, were determined. Zap70 is highly expressed in immature GV oocytes, and gradually decreased as oocyte matured. When dsRNA of Zap70 was injected into the GV oocytes, Zap70 mRNA specifically and completely decreased by 2 hr and its protein expression also decreased significantly. Absence of Zap70 resulted in maturation inhibition at meiosis I (57%) with abnormalities in meiotic spindle formation and chromosome rearrangement. Concurrently, mRNA expression of Erk2, JNK, and p38, were affected by Zap70 RNAi. Therefore, we concluded that Zap70 is involved in MI-MII transition by affecting expression of MAP kinases.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2001

An isolate of Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus(CMV) was isolated from Hydrangea macrophylla for. otaksa(Sieb. et Zucc. ) Wils. showing mosaic symptoms, and designated as Hm-CMV. Hm-CMV was characterized by the tests of host range, physical properties, serological properties, RNA and coat protein compositions, and reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Twelve species in 4 families were used in the host range test of Hm-CMV and could be differentiated from Y-CMV used as a control CMV by the ringspot and line pattern on inoculated leaves of several tobacco plants. Thevirus produced local lesions on inoculated leaves of Chenopodium amarticolor, C. quinoa and Vigna unguiculata. The physical properties of the virus were as follows; thermal inactivation point(TIP) was 60$\^{C}$, dilution end point (DEP) was 10$\^$-3/, and longevity in vitro (LIP) was 3∼4 days. Hm-CMV was serologically identical to Y-CMV. SDS-polyaciylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) showed one major protein band of about 28 kDa. In RNA or dsRNA analysis, Hm-CMV consisted of four RNA or dsRNA species, but satellite RNA was not detected. In RT-PCR using CMV-common primer and CMV subgroup I-specific primer, bothe amplified expected size of about 490 bp and 200 bp DNA fragments from Hm-CMV, respectively. Restriction enzyme analysis of the 490 bp RT-PCR products using EcoR I and Msp I showed that Hm-CMV belonged to CMV subgroup I. However, Hm-CMV could be differentiated from other CMV subgroup I isolates by RNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR).