Woon-Chul Shin

Creation of Resveratrol-Enriched Rice for the Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Diseases

Resveratrol has been clinically shown to possess a number of human health benefits. As a result, many attempts have been made to engineer resveratrol production in major cereal grains but have been largely unsuccessful. In this study, we report the creation of a transgenic rice plant that accumulates 1.9 µg resveratrol/g in its grain, surpassing the previously reported anti-metabolic syndrome activity of resveratrol through a synergistic interaction between the transgenic resveratrol and the endogenous properties of the rice. Consumption of our transgenic resveratrol-enriched rice significantly improved all aspects of metabolic syndrome and related diseases in animals fed a high-fat diet. Compared with the control animals, the resveratrol-enriched rice reduced body weight, blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol by 24.7%, 22%, 37.4%, 27%, and 59.6%, respectively. The resveratrol-enriched rice from our study may thus provide a safe and convenient means of preventing metabolic syndrome and related diseases without major lifestyle changes or the need for daily medications. These results also suggest that future transgenic plants could be improved if the synergistic interactions of the transgene with endogenous traits of the plant are considered in the experimental design.

Effects of allelic variations in starch synthesis-related genes on grain quality traits of Korean nonglutinous rice varieties under different temperature conditions

Influences of allelic variations in starch synthesis-related genes (SSRGs) on rice grain quality were examined. A total of 187 nonglutinous Korean rice varieties, consisting of 170 Japonica and 17 Tongil-type varieties, were grown in the field and in two greenhouse conditions. The percentages of head rice and chalky grains, amylose content, alkali digestion value, and rapid visco-analysis characteristics were evaluated in the three different environments. Among the 10 previously reported SSRG markers used in this study, seven were polymorphic, and four of those showed subspecies-specific allele distributions. Six out of the seven polymorphic SSRG markers were significantly associated with at least one grain quality trait (R2 > 0.1) across the three different environments. However, the association level and significance were markedly lower when the analysis was repeated using only the 170 Japonica varieties. Similarly, the significant associations between SSRG allelic variations and changes in grain quality traits under increased temperature were largely attributable to the biased allele frequency between the two subpopulations. Our results suggest that within Korean Japonica varieties, these 10 major SSRG loci have been highly fixed during breeding history and variations in grain quality traits might be influenced by other genetic factors.

Improvement of Selection Efficiency for Bacterial Blight Resistance Using SNP Marker in Rice

Discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including small insertions and deletions, is one of the hot topics in genetic research. The most common type of sequence variant consists of single base differences or small insertions and deletions at specific nucleotide positions. Significance of SNPs in rice is increasing for genetic research, positional cloning and molecular breeding. 170 lines and 194 lines derived from Sangjuchalbyeo/HR13721-53-3-1-3-3-2-2 Were used for Searching SNP markers related to bacterial blight resistance. Sangjuchalbyeo is susceptible to bacterial blight, but HR13721-53-3-1-3-3-2-2 has Xa1 gene resistant to bacterial blight. Individual lines were inoculated with race of bacterial blight and resistant or susceptible was evaluated after 3 weeks from inoculation. The genotypes of population were analysed by PCR-RFLP for SNP marker developing. The segregation of population showed almost 3:1, 1:1 ratio, respectively. Analysis of genotype using SNP marker is capable of confirming resistance for race and genotype through amplifying the gene using 16PFXal primer and digested the PCR product with Eco RV. There were close relation between resistance test for race and SNP marker genotype. Especially, DNA analysis using SNP marker is capable of judging homozygote/heterozygote in population compared with resistant test for Kl race. So, it seems to improve the selection efficiency in disease resistant breeding.

Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow between Glufosinate Ammonium-Tolerant GM and Non-GM Rice

To assess the risk of genetically modified (GM) rice on the agricultural ecosystem, agronomic characteristics, pollen longevity and outcrossing rate between GM (Iksan 483 and Milyang 204) and non-GM (their wild types and female parents) varieties were investigated using the bar gene as a tracer marker in paddy field. The agronomic characteristics of two GM rice were similar to their female-parents (non-GM rice) except heading date and 1,000 grain weight of Iksan 483, and they did not show a difference by the introgression of the bar gene as the genetic traits of rice varieties. Pollen viability was more than 90% just after shedding, and it was rapidly decreased below 50% at 5 minutes after shedding both GM and non-GM varieties. The Pollen longevity was lost after 30 minutes of anthesis. When the distance of gene flow from GM to non-GM rice detected to 6 m from the edge of GM rice plant, the maximum distance of pollen dispersal was 4.5m and 3.9m in Iksan 483 and Milyang 204, respectively, and that was increased in order of west, south, east, and north to the dominant wind direction, west-south. Mean outcrossing rate was very low as 0.003 and 0.001% within 1.5 m from the edge of Iksan 483 and Milyang 204, and the GM hybrids by the pollen dispersal did not detected over 4.5 m from the edge of GM rice plant. The results may help to establish the strategy which reduce the risk of pollen-mediated gene flow between GM and non-GM rice.

Multiple Disease Resistant Early Maturing Rice Cultivar 'Joil' with High Grain Quality Adaptable to Early Transplanting Cultivation in the Southern Plain Area

Joil’ is a multiple disease resistant early maturing rice cultivar with high grain quality. ‘Joil’ was derived from a single cross between ‘Unbong37’ (cultivar name ‘Unmi’) and ‘HR23156-26-2-3-5’. ‘Unmi’ is an early maturing rice cultivar with high grain quality and resistance to rice blast and stripe virus. ‘HR23156-26-2-3-5’ is an early maturing elite rice line with lodging resistance and cold tolerance. ‘Joil’ was selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests. ‘Joil’ was an early maturing rice. The heading date of ‘Joil’ was July 16 in early transplanting cultivation, which was 2 days later than that of ‘Jopyeong’. ‘Joil’ was a lodging resistance rice with a short culm and showed better tolerance to viviparous germination than that of ‘Jopyeong’. ‘Joil’ was a multiple disease resistant rice with resistance against rice blast, bacterial blight, and stripe virus. ‘Joil’ showed higher yield in both early and late-transplanting cultivations than those of the standard rice cultivars ‘Jopyeong’ and ‘Geumo’. ‘Joil’ had enhanced grain quality under high temperature ripening conditions in early transplanting cultivation. The cooked rice had good grain appearance and taste attributes, and this cultivar had a higher head rice ratio than that of ‘Jopyeong’. ‘Joil’, a multiple disease resistant early maturing rice cultivar with high grain quality, would be suitable for early transplanting cultivation in the southern plain area (Registration No. 6792).

Bacterial Blight Resistant Mid-late Maturing Rice ‘Manbaek’ with High Grain Quality

‘Manbaek’ is a bacterial blight resistant mid-late maturing rice cultivar with high grain quality. ‘Manbeak’ was derived from anther culture using the backcross combination, Hopum*2/SR30075. ‘Hopum’ is a mid-late maturing rice cultivar with high grain quality and ‘SR30075’ is a pyramid line carrying three bacterial blight resistance genes. ‘Manbaek’ was selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests. ‘Manbeak’ carrying two bacterial blight resistance gene Xa3 and xa5 showed high-level and broad-spectrum resistance against bacterial blight. ‘Manbaek’ was resistant to K3a, mostly virulent race in Korea, and exhibited resistance reaction against 16 Korean bacterial blight isolates. ‘Manbaek’ was a mid-late maturing rice. The heading date of ‘Manbaek’ was August 19th, which was 5 days later than that of ‘Nampyeong’. Manbaek’ was a lodging-tolerant rice with short culm and dark green leaf. Due to the low viviparous germination, ‘Manbaek’ could be a useful material to prevent pre-harvest sprouting. ‘Mabeak’ was resistant to bacterial blight and rice stripe virus, but susceptible to other virus diseases and insect pests. The yield of ‘Manbaek’ was similar to ‘Nampyeong’. ‘Manbaek’ showed excellent grain appearance and good tastes of cooked rice, so that it could contribute to improving the quality of bacterial blight resistant cultivars. ‘Manbaek’, bacterial blight resistant cultivar with high grain quality, is suitable for the cultivation at bacterial blight prone area and has been utilized in the breeding programs for enhancing the resistance against bacterial blight (Registration No. 6069).

Impacts of Cropping Systems on the Distribution of Soil Microorganisms in Mid-mountainous Paddy

Soil microbes are widely well known to play an important role for sustainable agriculture in terms of crop healthy cultivation and environmental conservation. In this context, the distributional characteristics of soil microbes according to cropping systems were investigated under rice (R)-rice (R), rice (R)-barley (B)-rice (R), and soybean (S)-barley (B)-soybean (S) cropping condition to get basic informations for sustainable agriculture, where barley was grown for winter, in mid-mountainous loam paddy located at the altitude of 285 m above sea level in Sangju area from 2014 to 2015. Estimating from microbial communities by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) method, a total biomass of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi in R-B-R plot was 37% and 40% higher than that in S-B-S and R-R plots, respectively (p 5 (p < 0.05). While these microbes showed negative response to water stable aggregates of soil.

Effect of Seedling Raising Shelf Size on Seedling Growth of Rice

Rice seedling raising in shelf apparatus not only saves time but also reduces labor input. However. it sometimes gives weak seedling because of light shading during the seedling growth in shelf. To develop technology for healthy seedling growth in seedling raising shelf, the effect of seedling raising shelf width and Interlayer on seedling growth of rice(cv.Gumyoung) at 95 cm and 125 cm 1n width such as 35 cm, 50 cm and 65 cm Interlayer, respectively was investigated. The seedling quality of rice and occurrence of abnormal seedling on rice seedling were not greatly different in shelf widths, but those were significantly different among shelf Interlayers. As shelf hight was rising, the seedling quality of rice and occurrence of abnormal seedling on rice seedling were increasing and decreasing, respectively. And the rice seedling grown in the seedling raising shelf making with 95cm and 125cm in width by 50cm and 65cm in Interlayer gave better seedling quality and lower occurrence of abnormal seedling on the rice seedling than that grown in the conventional seeding raising shelf with 65cm in width by 20cm in Interlayer. The making shelf with 95cm in width by 65cm in Interlayer and that with 125cm in width by 65cm in Interlayer reduces the cost and expense for shelf body-making and re-moving of growing box etc. based on 1,000 boxes by 24~78% versus the conventional seedling shelf.