• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.73.1-73
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• 2003

In order to cultivate watermelon on farm, grafting of the watermelon seedling to the watermelon stock is necessary because the watermelon root is less viable than the root of watermelon stock. Recently, commercially important watermelon varieties further require a resistant stock against especially CGMMV to control the heavy loss of the total yield of watermelon by CGMMV infection. Therefore, we have set out a project to develop a CGNEMV-resistant watermelon stock. We have successfully transformed dozens of watermelon stocks (gongdae) during last two years especially using a cDNA encoding the coat protein of CGMMV (cucumber green mottle mosaic virus). Recently we have tested levels of resistance of those watermelon stocks against CGMMV infection. For CGMMV inoculation, the leaves of one month old gongdae (T1) were rubbed by carborundum mixed with the CGMMV. A total of 140 plants (T1) were exposed to the CGMMV and we found that ten plants were completely resistant to virus infection. This is the first report that by genetic engineering a cucubitaceae crop resistant to CGMMV infection is ever developed. Further information will be provided in the poster.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2000

For large DNA fragment transformation in dicots and monocots, BIBAC2 vector system was applied to Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa L. cv. Jinmi as a model plant, respectively. For Arabidopsis, the Th1 gene in T23L3 BAC clone whose size is about 90 kb was used as the target gene source for transformation. Because T23L3 BAC clone was originally constructed in pBelloBAC11, the target gene was reconstructed into BIBAC2. As the results of reconstruction, 476 colonies were survived in selection medium containing 40 mg/L kanamycin. In colony hybridization analysis, 24 out of 476 colonies exhibited positive signals. In the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, 11 out of 24 positive clones exhibited the band at the location of 90 kb. In Southern hybridization, positive signal band at the location of 90 kb was observed in all 11 transformants. Using these verified clones, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was applied to Arabidopsis thaliana th1-201 mutant for genetic complementation test. Twelve thousands T$_1$ seeds were harvested, and antibiotic selection test is being analyzed to verify whether these seeds were transformed. for rice, COR356 that contains 150 kb human genomic DNA in a BIBAC2 vector was used as the target gene. As the results of transformation, 151 out of 210 co-cultivated calli were survived in selection medium containing 5 mg/L hygromycin, and 45 out of 151 survived calli were regenerated into plants. Transformation efficiency was 21.6%. Progeny test using 71 seeds is being analyzed now. These results provide the potential that large DNA fragments can be transferred into both dicots and monocot by Agrobacterium-mediate d transformation system.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.267-271
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• 2004

Transformed sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. cv. Yulmi) plants were developed from embryogenic calli following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A. tumefaciens strain EHA105/pCAMBIA2301 harboring genes for intron $\beta$-glucuronidase (GUS) and kanamycin resistance. Transient expression of GUS gene was found to be higher when embryogenic calli were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium for 2 days. The co-cultured embryogenic calli transferred to selective MS medium containing 1mg/L 2,4-D, 100mg/L kanamycin, and 400mg/L claforan. These embryogenic calli were subcultured to the same selection medium at 4 weeks interval. Kanamycin-resistant calli transferred to hormone-free MS medium with kanamycin gave rise to somatic embryos and then converted into plantlets in the same medium. Southern blot analysis confirmed that the GUS gene was inserted into the genome of the sweetpotato plants. A histochemical assay revealed that the GUS gene was preferentially expressed in the leaf, petiole, and vascular tissue and tip of root.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2007

The cost of conventional cultivation of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is very expensive, because shadow condition should be maintained during cultivation periods owing to inherently weak plant for high-temperature. Therefore, application of plant biotechnology may be possible to overcome these difficulties caused by conventional breeding of ginseng. Transgenic plants were produced via Agrobacterium tumefaciens Gv3101, both carrying the binary plasmid pBI121 mLPISO with nptII and Iso (isoprene synthase) gene. Integration of the transgenes into the P. ginseng nuclear genome was confirmed by PCR analysis using nptII primers and Iso primers. RT-PCR result also demonstrated the foreign isoprene synthase gene in three transgenic plant lines (T1, T3, and T5) which was expressed at the transcriptional level. When whole plants of transgenic ginseng were exposed to high temperature at $46^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, a non-transformed plant was wilted from heat shock, whereas a transgenic plant appeared to remain healthy. We suggest that the introduction of exogenous isoprene synthase is considered as alternative methods far generating thermotolerance ginseng.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.351-355
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• 1995

A truncated Polygalacturonase (PG) cDNA was fused in reverse orientation to the CaMV 35S promoter of the binary vector pCA643, and introduced into tomato cells by Agrobaderium - mediated transformation. Transformed cells were selected using kanamycin as select agent then regenerated into plants. After selfed, one transgenic line (T9), was germinated and grown on MS medium containing 1 mg/mL of kanamycin Genomic Southern analysis of a T9 progeny with labelled PG2 cDNA probe showed a single antisense PC fragment as well as the endogenous PG2 gene, suggesting that PC antisense gene was integrated into tomato genome. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the antisense RNA was produced from the transgene at much tiger level than the endogenous PG2 gene. Polygalacturonase activity analysis of the fruit from transgenic plants demonstrated that the antisense transgene expression caused 4 to 60% reduction of endogenous PG activity.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2005

This study was conducted to improve tocopherol (vitamin E) composition in soybean (Glycine max) by introducing a gamma-tocopherol methyl transferase (${\gamma}$-TMT) gene via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Immature cotyledon explants were cocultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Putative transgenic embryos were selected from immature cotyledons on MS medium supplemented with 40 mg/L 2,4-D containing 100 mg/L kanamycin, 500 mg/L carbenicillin and 250 mg/L cefotaxime. Plantlets were developed from somatic embryos, and then transferred to soil. Nineteen regenerated plantlets obtained on the selection medium from 1,460 cotyledons. However, only 9 plantlets were confirmed as transformed plants. Integration of the transgene into the soybean genomic DNA was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis. HPLC analysis showed that the content of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol in transgenic soybean seeds (AT-1) was approximately 4-fold higher than that of non-transgenic plants. Conclusively, we obtained the transgenic soybean having increased ${\alpha}$-tocopherol content by the overexpression of ${\gamma}$-TMT transgene.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.325-331
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• 2009

To efficiently express a gene of interest in transgenic plants, the choice of promoter is a crucial factor as it directly affects the expression of the transgene that will yield the desired phenotype. The Arabidopsis ${\beta}-carotene$ hydroxylase 1 gene (AtBch1) shows constitutive and ubiquitous expression and was thus selected as one of best candidates for constitutive promoter analysis by both in silico northern blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. To investigate AtBch1 promoter activity, the 1,981-bp 5'-upstream region of this gene was fused with ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ (GUS) and transformed into Arabidopsis. Through the molecular characterization of transgenic leaf tissues, the AtBch1 promoter generated strong activity that drives 1.8- and 2-fold higher GUS expression than the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (35S) promoter at the transcriptional and translational levels, respectively. Furthermore, the GUS enzyme activity driven by the AtBch1 promoter was 2.8-fold higher than that produced by the 35S promoter. By histochemical GUS staining, the ubiquitous expression of the AtBch1 promoter was observed in all tissues of Arabidopsis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis with different tissues further showed that this promoter serves as a strong constitutive driver of transgene expression in dicot plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2012

Glycosyltransferases are enzymes (EC 2.4) that catalyze the transfer of monosaccharide moieties from activated nucleotide sugar to a glycosyl acceptor molecule which can be a carbohydrate, glycoside, oligosaccharide, or a polysaccharide. In this study, a UDP-glucosyltransferase cDNA was isolated from Brassica rapa using a rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and subsequently named BrUGT. It has a full-length cDNA of 1,236 bp with 119 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR), a complete ORF of 834 bp encoding a polypeptide of 277 amino acids (31.19 kDa) and a 3'-UTR of 283 bp. BLASTX analysis hits a catalytic domain of Glycos_transf_1 super family (cl12012) that belongs to the Glycosyltransferases group 1 with tetratricopeptide (TPR) regions located between 165 to 350 bp. Expression analysis showed high mRNA transcripts in pistil, followed by petal, seed and calyx of flower. Moreover, expression analysis of BrUGT in Chinese cabbage seedlings under stresses of cold, salt, PEG, $H_2O_2$, drought and ABA showed elevated mRNA transcript. Furthermore, when BrUGT gene was transformed into rice using pUbi-1 promoter, overexpression was evident among the $T_1$ plants. This study provides insights into the function of BrUGT in plants.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2009

The full-length cDNA encoding Perilla frutescens limonene synthase (PFLS) (603 amino acids, GenBank accession no. D49368) was cloned. To elucidate the role of PFLS in gene regulation, we transiently transformed full-length PFLS into tobacco plants. PFLS mRNA was first detected in the intact leaves of the plants at 6 h, and the LS transcript level increased after 12 h in leaves treated with oxidative stress-related chemicals. The transient overexpression of PFLS resulted in increased transcription of NbPR1 and NbSIP in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Thus, our result confirmed that the infiltration of PFLS gene act as a transcriptional regulator of NbPR1 or NbSIP genes in the tobacco.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2006

Chloroplasts are believed to be descended from certain cyanobacteria, which were taken up by phagocytosis into a host cell and lived there in a symbiotic relationship. In contrast to the current static concept on the chloroplast genome, its dynamism has been recently demonstrated: the chloroplast genome is active in intramolecular homolgous recombination, producing subgenomic circles when it obtains homolgous sequences via genetic transformation. Chloroplast tranformation in higher plants provides many advantages over nuclear transformation that include higher expression levels of transgenes, polycistronic expression of transgenes, and maternal transmission of transgenes. Tobacco has been used as a model for chloroplast genetic transformation. However, it is recently possible to transform the chloroplasts of other major food and economic crops including rice, soybean, and cotton. Chloroplast-transformed crops will be able to replace bioreactors using microorganisms for production of value-added proteins in future.