• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2007

We identified two alternatively spliced variants of the peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) receptor protein Pex5ps in monocot (rice, wheat, and barley) but not in dicot (Arabidopsis and tobacco) plants. We characterized the molecular and functional differences between the rice (Oryza sativa) Pex5 splicing variants OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS. There is only a single-copy of OsPEX5 in the rice genome and RT-PCR analysis points to alternative splicing of the transcripts. Putative light-responsive cis-elements were identified in the 5' region flanking OsPEX5L and Northern blot analysis demonstrated that this region affected light-dependent expression of OsPEX5 transcription. Using the pex5-deficient yeast mutant Scpex5, we showed that OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS are able to restore translocation of a model PTS1 protein (GFP-SKL) into peroxisomes. OsPex5pL and OsPex5pS formed homo-complexes via specific interaction domains, and interacted with each other and OsPex14p to form hetero-complexes. Although overexpression of OsPex5pL in the Arabidopsis pex5 mutant (Atpex5) rescued the mutant phenotype, overexpression of OsPex5pS only resulted in partial recovery.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.526-532
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• 2005

A lectin with in-vitro anticancer activity against established human cancer cell lines has been purified by affinity chromatography on asialofetuin-linked amino activated silica beads from the tubers of Arisaema tortuosum, popularly known as Himalayan Cobra lily, a monocot plant from the family Araceae. The bound Arisaema tortuosum lectin (ATL) was eluted with glycine-HCl buffer, pH 2.5. ATL was effectively inhibited by asialofetuin, a complex desialylated serum glycoprotein as well as by N-acetyl-D-lactosamine, a disaccharide. It gave a single band corresponding to a subunit molecular weight of 13.5 kDa in SDS-PAGE, pH 8.8 both under reducing and non reducing conditions. When subjected to gel-filtration on Biogel P-200, it was found to have a molecular weight of 54 kDa, suggesting a homotetramer structure, in which individual polypeptides are not bound to each other with disulfide bonds. ATL is a glycoprotein with 0.9% carbohydrate content, stable up to $55^{\circ}C$ and at pH 2 to 10. The lectin had no requirement for divalent metal ions i.e. $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ for its activity. However, as reported for other monocot lectins, ATL gave multiple bands in isoelectric focusing and Native PAGE, pH 8.3. The lectin was found to inhibit in vitro proliferation of human cancer cell lines HT29, SiHa and OVCAR-5.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2012

In this study, we investigated the genetic variation in the general of monocot model plant (rice) in response to various ionizing irradiations including gamma-ray, ion beam and cosmic-ray. The non-irradiated and three irradiated (200 Gy of gamma-ray and 40 Gy of ion beam and cosmic-ray) plants were analyzed by AFLP technique using capillary electrophoresis with ABI3130xl genetic analyzer. The 29 primer combinations tested produced polymorphism results showing a total of 2,238 bands with fragments sizes ranged from 30 bp to 600 bp. The number of polymorphism generated by each primer combinations was varied significantly, ranging from 2 (M-CAC/E-ACG) to 158 (M-CAT/E-AGG) with an average of 77 bands. Polymorphic peaks were detected as 1,269 with an average of 44 per primer combinations. By UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic clustering) analysis method, the clusters were divided into non-irradiated sample and three irradiated samples at a similarity coefficient of 0.41 and three irradiation samples was subdivided into cosmic-ray and two irradiation samples (200 Gy of gamma-ray and 40 Gy of ion beam) at similarity coefficient of 0.48. Similarity coefficient values ranged from 0.41 to 0.55.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.427-434
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• 2011

This study characterized the full range of vegetation in a upland wetland (marshland) in Korea. Classified community types were used to describe vegetation at the marshland and adjacent areas. The communities contained 44 species of vascular plants and all species were identified into four plant community types. The Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense type and Lespedeza cyrtobotrya type had a high representation infacultative upland species (FU) and obligate upland species (OU), respectively. The monocot type was dominant in marshland by Miscanthuns saccharifloruc and contained 14 species. Together the three areas contained four species, with the strongest indicator species being Ranunculus acris var. nipponicus, Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense, Hemerocallis fulva, and Miscanthuns sinensis var. purpurascens. Shannon-Weaver index of diversity also varied among the community types (F = 18.9, df = 2), with the types FU having significantly higher value (3.467) than the others (1.125 for type FW and 1.239 for type OU).

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2005

Recent reports suggest that floral organs such as sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels are specified by quaternary MADS protein complexes with different combinations. The formation of quaternary complexes of ABCDE MADS proteins may be the molecular basis of ABCDE model for the floral organ development. The MADS complexes involved in each floral organ development seem to be conserved in at least dicot species although detailed molecular mechanism is slightly different depending on species. Even in monocot, at least rice, MADS complexes similar to those in dicot exist, suggesting that the floral organ specification by MADS protein complexes may be conserved in most of plants. The MADS protein complexes may have more specific recognition of target genes or more transcription activation ability than monomers or dimers, resulting in finely regulated floral organ development.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 1996

A clone, LCM1, which encodes calmodulin (CaM) was isolated and characterized from monocot lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) plants. The clone is 681 bps and contains the 447 bp coding region, 8 bp leader sequence, 210 bp 3'-untraslated region, and a poly(A) tail. The coding region of 149 amino acids encodes a protein of predicted Mr 17 kD. Comparison of the LCM1 amino acid sequence with other CaMs revealed that the protein is highly conserved among various living organisms. The expression level of calmodulin gene in lily was studied by RNA blot analysis. The LCM1 mRNA was present in all tissues tested. However, a higher level of calmodulin was observed in anther and floral bud. The level of calmodulin mRNA in anther was about 10 times higher than that in anther was about 10 times higher than that in vegetative tissues. The anther preferential expression of CaM in lily is currently investigated in dicot plants.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.256-261
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• 1997

Effect of a new postemergence herbicide carfentrazone-ethyl on controlling weeds in pear orchards was examined and compared with that of glyphosate and glufosinate. Herbicides tested were applied in mid June when weeds had reached at an average height of 15 to 20cm. The experimented orchards were infested mainly by dicots of Artemisia princeps, Chenopodium album, Polygonum hydropiper, Erigeron canadensis, Commelina cummunis, Calystegia japonica, and Amaranthus ascenders, and monocots of Echinochlor crus-galli, Digitaria sangunalis, Setaria viridis, and several sedges, Carfentrazone-ethyl alone effectively controlled dicot weeds in the orchards, but not monocot weeds. Especially, sedges were not adequately controlled by carfentrazone-ethyl alone at any application rates examined. Glyphosate or glufosinate was more effective to control monocot weeds than carfentrazone-ethyl, whereas carfentrazone-ethyl exhibited higher effect on dicot weeds than glyphosate or glufosinate. Carfentrazone-ethyl mixed with glyphosate of the half recommended rate exhibited a higher degree of weed control, especially of E. crus-galli, as compared to the herbicide mixture of carfentrazone-ethyl with glufosinate of the half recommended rate. However, no phytotocixity of the herbicides to pear trees was observed. Our results demonstrate that catfentrazone-ethyl is useful to reduce the application rates and to accelerate the weed controlling effect of glyphosate or glufosinate. Thus, carfentrazone-ethyl in combination with glyphosate or glufosinate can successfully be used to control the most important weeds in orchards.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.135-142
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• 2000

The activity of promoter sequences was evaluated in garlic cells using the $\beta$-glucuronidase (GUS) gene as a reporter. Histochemical GUS assay indicated transient GUS activity in leaf, callus and root cells 48 hours after particle bombardment transformation. Quantitative fluorometric assays in extracts of transformed leaves demonstrated that the CsVMV promoter induced the highest level of gene expression, which was, on average, ten fold the level induced by CaMV35S and by the Arabidopsis Act2 promoters and two fold the level expression observed with a construct containing a double CaMV35S plus the untranslated leader sequence from AMV. No activity or very low levels were observed when cells were transformed with plasmids rontaining the typical monocot promoters, Actl, from rice or the Ubi-1, from maize. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) was also tested as a marker gene for garlic transformation. Intense fluorescence was observed in leaf, callus and root cells transformed with a construct containing the gfp gene under control of the CaMV35 Promoter. No fluorescence was detected when the gfp was under control of the Ubi-1 promoter.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.439-447
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• 2013

Rice is a monocot gramineous crop, and one of the most important staple foods. Rice is considered a model species for most gramineous crops. Extensive research on rice has provided critical guidance for other crops, such as maize and wheat. In recent years, climate change and exacerbated soil degradation have resulted in a variety of abiotic stresses, such as greenhouse effects, lower temperatures, drought, floods, soil salinization and heavy metal pollution. As such, there is an extremely high demand for additional research, in order to address these negative factors. Studies have shown that the alternative splicing of many genes in rice is affected by stress conditions, suggesting that manipulation of the alternative splicing of specific genes may be an effective approach for rice to adapt to abiotic stress. With the advancement of microarrays, and more recently, next generation sequencing technology, several studies have shown that more than half of the genes in the rice genome undergo alternative splicing. This mini-review summarizes the latest progress in the research of splicing and alternative splicing in rice, compared to splicing in humans. Furthermore, we discuss how additional studies may change the landscape of investigation of rice functional genomics and genetically improved rice.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.258-264
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• 2008

Deschampsia antarctica is the only monocot that thrives in the tough conditions of the Antarctic region. It is an invaluable resource for the identification of genes associated with tolerance to various environmental pressures. In order to identify genes that are differentially regulated between greenhouse-grown and Antarctic field-grown plants, we initiated a detailed gene expression analysis. Antarctic plants were collected and greenhouse plants served as controls. Two different cDNA libraries were constructed with these plants. A total of 2,112 cDNA clones was sequenced and grouped into 1,199 unigene clusters consisting of 243 consensus and 956 singleton sequences. Using similarity searches against several public databases, we constructed a functional classification of the ESTs into categories such as genes related to responses to stimuli, as well as photosynthesis and metabolism. Real-time PCR analysis of various stress responsive genes revealed different patterns of regulation in the different environments, suggesting that these genes are involved in responses to specific environmental factors.