Yong-Hwa Lee

Enhanced disease resistance in transgenic cabbage and tobacco expressing a glucose oxidase gene from Aspergillus niger

Abstract. A GO gene from Aspergillus niger was constitutively expressed under the CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic cabbage and tobacco plants. During the vegetative stage, the transgenic tobacco grew normally, whereas the transgenic cabbage showed significant growth retardation even though GO activity was higher in tobacco. The transgenic cabbage was sterile, producing a few seeds only. Seed set was also decreased in transgenic tobacco and the germination rate of the seeds was markedly reduced. In transgenic tobacco, the basal level of PR-1a mRNA was very low, implying that the PR gene was not turned on by the constitutive production of H2O2. There was a small increase in the PR-1a mRNA when leaf segments were treated with a high concentration of glucose that caused massive cell death of the tissues. T1 tobacco plants showed delayed disease symptoms to Phytophthora nicotianae infection. T2 homozygous lines of transgenic cabbage were tested for resistance to black rot disease. The development of leaf lesions by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris was significantly reduced in transgenic cabbage and the disease tolerance was positively associated with the GO activity in leaves.

Review of property and utilization of oil crop for biodiesel

Abstract The demand for fuel and energy resources continues to grow due to increased consumption and emerg-ing economies in all parts of the world. With this increase in demand, crude oil prices in the international market has jumped dramatically. Global warming, which is a conse-quence of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, has become scientific, social, and political concerns. To cope with global warming and energy crisis, cost-competitive biofuels are urgently needed. In addition, development of an infrastructure, which supplies energy stably and diversifies energy resources, as well as new cost-saving technologies should be developed to reduce the costs of producing biofuels. Due to high oleic acid content, rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.) is currently the potential feedstock for biodiesel production in temperate zone region and the production and use of rapeseed oil is already commercialized in Europe. In Korea double-cropping (rice and rapeseed) became more prevalent because it reduces competitions from land constraints. Pro-duction of rapeseed as a biodiesel feedstock may reduce the influence of rising oil prices and nation’s dependence on imported petroleum and increase job opportunities and farm incomes.

Nitrogen Fertilization on the Growth of Rape (Brassica napus L.) in Newly Reclaimed Land in Korea

This study was conducted to find out the optimum nitrogen application rate for the stable production of rape in the newly reclaimed land located at Gangwhal region of Saemangum reclaimed land in which the soil is sandy loam (Munpo series). There were five treatments of nitrogen fertilization from zero to 60% increment based on the standard fertilization of . The growth of rape (Sunmang) was not affected by salt content while soil salinity was increased at blossoming season of rape. Compared to yield of standard fertilization the yield and the content of oleic acid of rape were increased by 4~26% with the increasing additional nitrogen fertilizer. The results obtained from the growth and yield of rape in this study indicated that it was possible to cultivate rape in a newly reclaimed land if soil salinity was kept below .