• BMB Reports
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.271-276
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• 2009

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L). Lam.) is relatively tolerant to unfavorable growth conditions such as drought, yet has not been exploited to provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of drought stress tolerance. We obtained 983 high-quality expressed sequence tags of 100 bp or longer (average length of 700 bp) from cDNA libraries of detached white fibrous root tissues by subjecting them to dehydration for 6 h. The 431 cDNAs were each assigned a function by alignment using the BLASTX algorithm. Among them, three genes associated with various abiotic stresses and nine genes not previously associated with drought stress were selected for expression pattern analysis through detailed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The direct and indirect relationships of the 12 genes with drought tolerance mechanisms were ascertained at different developmental stages and under various stress conditions.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.53-58
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• 2002

Adverse environmental conditions such as drought, high salt and cold/freezing are major factors that reduces crop productivity worldwide. According to a survey, 50-80% of the maximum potential yield is lost by these "environmental or abiotic stresses", which is approximately ten times higher than the loss by biotic stresses. Thus, improving stress-tolerance of crop plants is an important way to improve agricultural productivity, In order to develop such stress-tolerant crop plants, we set out to identify key stress signaling components that can be used to develop commercially viable crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Our primary focus so far has been on the identification of transcription factors that regulate stress responsive gene expression, especially those involved in ABA-mediated stress response. Be sessile, plants have the unique capability to adapt themselves to the abiotic stresses. This adaptive capability is largely dependent on the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), whose level increases under various stress conditions, triggering adaptive response. Central to the response is ABA-regulated gene expression, which ultimately leads to physiological changes at the whole plant level. Thus, once identified, it would be possible to enhance stress tolerance of crop plants by manipulating the expression of the factors that mediate ABA-dependent stress response. Here, we present our work on the isolation and functional characterization of the transcription factors.n factors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.582-593
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• 2022

Among abiotic stresses in plants, drought and chilling stresses reduce the supply of moisture to plant tissues, inhibit photosynthesis, and severely reduce plant growth and yield. Thus, the application of water stress-tolerant agents can be a useful strategy to maintain plant growth under abiotic stresses. This study assessed the effect of exogenous bio-based 2,3-butanediol (BDO) application on drought and chilling response in tomato and turfgrass, and expression levels of several plant signaling pathway-related gene transcripts. Bio-based 2,3-BDOs were formulated to levo-2,3-BDO 0.9% soluble concentrate (levo 0.9% SL) and meso-2,3-BDO 9% SL (meso 9% SL). Under drought and chilling stress conditions, the application of levo 0.9% SL in creeping bentgrass and meso 9% SL in tomato plants significantly reduced the deleterious effects of abiotic stresses. Interestingly, pretreatment with levo-2,3-BDO in creeping bentgrass and meso-2,3-BDO in tomato plants enhanced JA and SA signaling pathway-related gene transcript expression levels in different ways. In addition, all tomato plants treated with acibenzolar-S-methyl (as a positive control) withered completely under chilling stress, whereas 2,3-BDO-treated tomato plants exhibited excellent cold tolerance. According to our findings, bio-based 2,3-BDO isomers as sustainable water stress-tolerant agents, levo- and meso-2,3-BDOs, could enhance tolerance to drought and/or chilling stresses in various plants through somewhat different molecular activities without any side effects.

• 한국작물학회지
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• 제60권4호
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• pp.401-411
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• 2015

한발은 환경 스트레스에 미치는 자연재해로서, 장기간에 걸쳐 강수량 및 수분공급이 저하되면 수분이 결핍되어 작물이 정상적인 생리활동을 할 수 없고, 생육 또한 불량하여 수량감소에 큰 영향을 미친다. 모든 작물들이 한발의 영향을 크게 받지만 어느 생육 단계에서 한발 스트레스를 받느냐에 따라서 피해가 달라진다. 일반적으로 옥수수는 한발 스트레스를 받으면 유묘기 형성, 영양 생장, 뿌리 발달, 광합성, 개화기, ASI, 종실 형성, 수량 등에 심각한 영향을 미치게 된다. 특히 영양생장에서 생식생장으로 전환되는 단계에 한발 스트헤스를 받으면 수꽃 및 화분 방출이 늦어지고, 출사기 및 옥수수 수염 발생도 늦어져 ASI가 증가하여 수정이 불가능 하거나 수정이 되더라도 배 발생 억제 및 방해를 받아 수량 감소의 큰 원인이 된다. 이러한 한발에 대한 피해를 줄이기 위해서 1980년대부터 최근까지 마커와 표현형이 연관된 유전체를 바탕으로 다량의 분자적 데이터 분석을 통한 옥수수 한발 내성 품종 선별 및 육종에 대한 많은 연구들이 진행되고 있다. 또한 최근에는 수량 등 다양한 유전자들이 관여하고 환경 스트레스에 영향을 받는 양적형질 QTL에 관한 많은 연구들이 수행되고 있으며, genomics 분야에서 신기술인 MAS를 이용하여 목표유전자 이입 및 선발을 통해 또 다른 육종 선발 도구로 활용되고 있다. 뿐만 아니라 유전자 조작기술을 이용한 한발 내성 특징을 가진 옥수수를 개발하여 제품으로 생산 및 판매되고 있다. 과거 전통적인 육종 방법은 자식계통의 표현형 분석과 특별 조합을 통한 계통으로부터 데이터를 분석하여 품종을 육성하였으나, 현재는 모든 작물의 유전체 전체를 이용한 데이터 베이스와 분자 마커 기술을 한발 내성 육종에 활용하여 다양한 연구가 이루어지고 있다. 이러한 분자적 육종 기술의 발달은 우수한 연구 결과를 도출 및 확보할 수 있으며, 옥수수 한발 내성 신품종 개발에 있어서 새로운 육종 기술로 적용할 수 있을 것이다.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.201-208
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• 2013

Drought stress is one of the major yield affecting factor for pepper plant. The effects of PGPRs were analyzed in relation with drought resistance. The PGPRs inoculated pepper plants tolerate the drought stress and survived as compared to non-inoculated pepper plants that died after 15 days of drought stress. Variations in protein and RNA accumulation patterns of inoculated and non-inoculated pepper plants subjected to drought conditions for 10 days were confirmed by two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and differential display PCR (DD-PCR), respectively. A total of six differentially expressed stress proteins were identified in the treated pepper plants by 2D-PAGE. Among the stress proteins, specific genes of Cadhn, VA, sHSP and CaPR-10 showed more than a 1.5-fold expressed in amount in B. licheniformis K11-treated drought pepper compared to untreated drought pepper. The changes in proteins and gene expression patterns were attributed to the B. licheniformis K11. Accordingly, auxin and ACC deaminase producing PGPR B. licheniformis K11 could reduce drought stress in drought affected regions without the need for overusing agrochemicals and chemical fertilizer. These results will contribute to the development of a microbial agent for organic farming by PGPR.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.142-148
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• 2017

Drought stress is one of the important factors that restrict the expansion of Hevea brasiliensis cultivation to non-traditional regions experiencing extreme weather conditions. Plants respond to drought stress by triggering expression of several drought responsive genes including transcription factors which in turn trigger expression of various downstream signalling pathways and adaptive networks. Expression of such drought responsive genes may revert back to their original level upon re-watering. However, no reports are available on such phenomenon in Hevea and hence, this study was initiated. For this purpose, NAC transcription factor (NAC tf) was chosen as candidate gene. Its expression levels were monitored under intermittent drought as well as irrigated conditions in two clones (RRII 105 and RRIM 600) of H. brasiliensis with contrasting tolerance level. Copy number of NAC tf was found similar in both the clones. Expression of NAC tf was found highly up-regulated in RRIM 600 (a relatively drought tolerant clone) than in RRII 105 (a relatively drought susceptible clone) throughout the drought incidences which upon re-watering, reached back to its original levels in both the clones. The study indicated the existence of an association between expression of NAC tf and drought tolerance trait exhibited by the tolerant clone RRIM 600. The study also proves the influence of drought and re-watering on the leaf photosynthesis and expression of NAC tf in H. brasiliensis.

• 한국초지조사료학회지
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.120-126
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to determine effects of phosphorus on lignification and carbohydrate metabolism in Kentucky bluegrass under drought stress. Drought stress was induced by reducing of water to plants in pots. Two types of phosphorus were applied as potassium phosphate (PO₄^3-; P) or potassium phosphonate (PO₃^3-; PA) in drought-stressed plants. Drought had significant negative effects on plant growth, as revealed by reduced biomass of shoot. Drought-induced increase of lignin content was concomitant with the increase of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Soluble sugar content was highly increased but fructan content was largely decreased by drought stress. However, the application of phosphorus was efficient to ameliorate the adverse effects of drought. PA application improved reduced shoot growth and relative water content, and inhibited lignification synthesis with a reduction of PAL activity. P or PA application maintained soluble sugar and fructan content at similar levels to controls under drought stress. These results indicate that phosphorus application may mitigate the drought stress by inhibiting the lignification and promoting the fructan assimilation.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.246-253
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• 2023

Salix gracilistyla is widely distributed along riversides in Korea and very good for biomass production by SRC because of its excellent germination ability, but it is necessary to measure drying tolerance for cultivation. The drought tolerance of S. gracilistyla was tested using cuttings, and growth and physiological analysis were performed after irrigation was stopped. The growth inhibition of S. gracilistyla was observed from the day irrigation was stopped, and the soil moisture content decreased to less than 10% on the 25th day after irrigation was stopped. Over 50% of the seedlings turned brown 25 days after watering was stopped. The chlorophyll content of S. gracilistyla decreased dramatically after 25 days of stopping of irrigation. RWC values were unchanged until day 12 after irrigation was stopped but decreased rapidly until day 21, but there was a slightly decreasing trend after that. RWL levels increased slightly during irrigation stops. The proline content of plants subjected to drought stress was 0.91-2.63 mg/0.05 g, 2.75 times higher than that of the control treatment. The sugar content of the drought stress treatment group was 29.77 to 350.66 mg/0.05 g, which increased 12.24 times that of the control treatment. As a result of this study, S. gracilistyla was found to have a drought tolerance almost comparable to that of evergreen broad-leaved trees growing on the land. This study is expected to contribute to the resource utilization S. gracilistyla, a native willow tree of Korea, and the mass production of biomass by SRC.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권5호
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• pp.413-422
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• 2018

Soybean transgenic plants with ectopically expressed AtABF3 were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and investigated the effects of AtABF3 expression on drought and salt tolerance. Stable Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation was carried based on the half-seed method (Paz et al. 2006). The integration of the transgene was confirmed from the genomic DNA of transformed soybean plants using PCR and the copy number of transgene was determined by Southern blotting using leaf samples from $T_2$ seedlings. In addition to genomic integration, the expression of the transgenes was analyzed by RT-PCR and most of the transgenic lines expressed the transgenes introduced. The chosen two transgenic lines (line #2 and #9) for further experiment showed the substantial drought stress tolerance by surviving even at the end of the 20-day of drought treatment. And the positive relationship between the levels of AtABF3 gene expression and drought-tolerance was confirmed by qRT-PCR and drought tolerance test. The stronger drought tolerance of transgenic lines seemed to be resulted from physiological changes. Transgenic lines #2 and #9 showed ion leakage at a significantly lower level (P < 0.01) than ${\underline{n}}on-{\underline{t}}ransgenic$ (NT) control. In addition, the chlorophyll contents of the leaves of transgenic lines were significantly higher (P < 0.01). The results indicated that their enhanced drought tolerance was due to the prevention of cell membrane damage and maintenance of chlorophyll content. Water loss by transpiration also slowly proceeded in transgenic plants. In microscopic observation, higher stomata closure was confirmed in transgenic lines. Especially, line #9 had 56% of completely closed stomata whereas only 16% were completely open. In subsequent salt tolerance test, the apparently enhanced salt tolerance of transgenic lines was measured in ion leakage rate and chlorophyll contents. Finally, the agronomic characteristics of ectopically expressed AtABF3 transgenic plants ($T_2$) compared to NT plants under regular watering (every 4 days) or low rate of watering condition (every 10 days) was investigated. When watered regularly, the plant height of drought-tolerant line (#9) was shorter than NT plants. However, under the drought condition, total seed weight of line #9 was significantly higher than in NT plants (P < 0.01). Moreover, the pods of NT plants showed severe withering, and most of the pods failed to set normal seeds. All the evidences in the study clearly suggested that overexpression of the AtABF3 gene conferred drought and salt tolerance in major crop soybean, especially under the growth condition of low watering.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.243-251
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• 2017

Plants have evolved to adapt to abiotic stresses, such as salt, cold, and drought stress. In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis of drought resistance mechanisms by constructing a gene co-expression network in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis L.). This drought stress co-expression network has 1,560 nodes, 4,731 edges, and 79 connected components. Based on genes that showed significant co-expression in the network, drought tolerance was associated with the induction of reactive oxygen species removal by raffinose family oligosaccharides and inositol metabolism. This network could be a useful tool for predicting the functions of genes involved in drought stress resistance in Chinese cabbage.