A Novel Ethyl Formate Fumigation Strategy for Managing Yellow Tea Thrips () in Greenhouse Cultivated Mangoes and Post-Harvest Fruits.

The effects of climate change and shifting consumer preferences for tropical/subtropical mango fruits have accelerated their greenhouse cultivation in South Korea, which has consequently exacerbated the risk of unexpected or exotic insect pest outbreaks. This study used the pest risk analysis (PRA) of greenhouse-cultivated mangoes provided by the Animal & Plant Quarantine Agency in Korea to evaluate the potential of ethyl formate (EF) fumigation as a new pest management strategy against the yellow tea thrips (), which is considered a surrogate pest in the thrips group according to the PRA. The efficacy and phytotoxicity of EF were evaluated in greenhouse-cultivated mango tree (Irwin variety) and post-harvest mango fruit scenarios.

Gene Expression Analyses of Mutant (Enokitake Mushroom) with Clogging Phenomenon.

Regulation of proper gene expression is important for cellular and organismal survival, maintenance, and growth. Abnormal gene expression, even for a single critical gene, can thwart cellular integrity and normal physiology to cause diseases, aging, and death. Therefore, gene expression profiling serves as a powerful tool to understand the pathology of diseases and to cure them.

Multiple novel H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, South Korea, 2016.

We report the identification of novel highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of subtype H5N6, clade 2.3.4.

Overexpression of a Brassica rapa NGATHA gene in Arabidopsis thaliana negatively affects cell proliferation during lateral organ and root growth.

In an effort to elucidate biological functions of transcription factors of Brassica rapa L. (ssp. pekinensis), an NGATHA homolog, BrNGA1, that belongs to the B3-type transcription factor superfamily was identified and expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter.

The Arabidopsis GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR gene family performs an overlapping function in determining organ size as well as multiple developmental properties.

Previously, the GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR1 (GIF1)/ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) transcription coactivator gene, a member of a small gene family comprising three genes, was characterized as a positive regulator of cell proliferation in lateral organs, such as leaves and flowers, of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). As yet, it remains unclear how GIF1/AN3 affects the cell proliferation process. In this study, we demonstrate that the other members of the GIF gene family, GIF2 and GIF3, are also required for cell proliferation and lateral organ growth, as gif1, gif2, and gif3 mutations cause a synergistic reduction in cell numbers, leading to small lateral organs.

Analysis of sulfur and selenium assimilation in Astragalus plants with varying capacities to accumulate selenium.

Several Astragalus species have the ability to hyperaccumulate selenium (Se) when growing in their native habitat. Given that the biochemical properties of Se parallel those of sulfur (S), we examined the activity of key S assimilatory enzymes ATP sulfurylase (ATPS), APS reductase (APR), and serine acetyltransferase (SAT), as well as selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT), in eight Astragalus species with varying abilities to accumulate Se. Se hyperaccumulation was found to positively correlate with shoot accumulation of S-methylcysteine (MeCys) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), in addition to the level of SMT enzymatic activity.

Fabrication of photonic devices directly written within glass using a femtosecond laser.

We present a novel method for three-dimensional optical splitter that have U-grooves, which are used for fiber alignment, within a fused silica glass using near-IR femtosecond laser pulses. The fiber aligned optical splitter has a low insertion loss, less than 4 dB, including an intrinsic splitting loss of 3 dB and excess loss due to the passive alignment of a single-mode fiber. The output field pattern is presented, demonstrating the splitting ratio of the optical splitter is approximately 1:1.

Expression of Arabidopsis phytochelatin synthase 2 is too low to complement an AtPCS1-defective Cad1-3 mutant.

Phytochelatins play an important role in heavy metal detoxification in plants as well as in other organisms. The Arabidopsis thaliana mutant cad1-3 does not produce detectable levels of phytochelatins in response to cadmium stress. The hypersensitivity of cad1-3 to cadmium stress is attributed to a mutation in the phytochelatin synthase 1 (AtPCS1) gene.

A partially disarmed vir helper plasmid, pKYRT1, in conjunction with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyactic acid promotes emergence of regenerable transgenic somatic embryos from immature cotyledons of soybean.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain KYRT1 harboring the virulence helper plasmid pKYRT1 induces transgenic somatic embryos (SEs) at high frequency from infected immature soybean cotyledons. KYRT1 is derived from the highly oncogenic strain Chry5. However, pKYRT1 is not completely disarmed and still contains an entire T-right (T(R)) and a portion of T-left (T(L)).

Two critical factors are required for efficient transformation of multiple soybean cultivars: Agrobacterium strain and orientation of immature cotyledonary explant.

An efficient transformation system was developed for multiple soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.] cultivars using Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer.

Overexpression of Arabidopsis phytochelatin synthase paradoxically leads to hypersensitivity to cadmium stress.

Phytochelatin (PC) plays an important role in heavy metal detoxification in plants and other living organisms. Therefore, we overexpressed an Arabidopsis PC synthase (AtPCS1) in transgenic Arabidopsis with the goal of increasing PC synthesis, metal accumulation, and metal tolerance in these plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants were selected, designated pcs lines, and analyzed for tolerance to cadmium (Cd).