Rural Development Administration

About: Rural Development Administration is a government organization based out in Jeonju, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Gene & Population. The organization has 4372 authors who have published 4919 publications receiving 94318 citations.

Rapid Measurement of Soybean Seed Viability Using Kernel-Based Multispectral Image Analysis.

Abstract: Viability is an important quality factor influencing seed germination and crop yield. Current seed-viability testing methods rely on conventional manual inspections, which use destructive, labor-intensive and time-consuming measurements. The aim of this study is to distinguish between viable and nonviable soybean seeds, using a near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique in a rapid and nondestructive manner. The data extracted from the NIR⁻HSI of viable and nonviable soybean seeds were analyzed using a partial least-squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) technique for classifying the viable and nonviable soybean seeds. Variable importance in projection (VIP) was used as a waveband selection method to develop a multispectral imaging model. Initially, the spectral profile of each pixel in the soybean seed images was subjected to PLS-DA analysis, which yielded a reasonable classification accuracy; however, the pixel-based classification method was not successful for high accuracy detection for nonviable seeds. Another viability detection method was then investigated: a kernel image threshold method with an optimum-detection-rate strategy. The kernel-based classification of seeds showed over 95% accuracy even when using only seven optimal wavebands selected through VIP. The results show that the proposed multispectral NIR imaging method is an effective and accurate nondestructive technique for the discrimination of soybean seed viability.

Functional analysis of three BrMYB28 transcription factors controlling the biosynthesis of glucosinolates in Brassica rapa

Abstract: Glucosinolates (GSLs) are secondary metabolites that have anticarcinogenic activity and play defense roles in plants of the Brassicaceae family. MYB28 is known as a transcription factor that regulates aliphatic GSL biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Brassicaceae plants have three orthologous copies of AtMYB28 derived from recent genome triplication. These BrMYB28 genes have a high level of sequence homology, with 81–87 % similarities in the coding DNA sequence compared to Arabidopsis. Overexpression of three paralogous BrMYB28 genes in transgenic Chinese cabbage increased the total GSL content in all T1 generation plants and in two inbred lines of homozygous T2 plants. The highest total GSL contents were detected in homozygous T2 lines overexpressing BrMYB28.1, which showed an approximate fivefold increase compared to that of nontransgenic plants. The homozygous T2 lines with overexpressed BrMYB28.1 also showed an increased content of aliphatic, indolic, and aromatic GSLs compared to that of nontransgenic plants. Furthermore, all of the three BrMYB28 genes were identified as negative regulators of BrAOP2 and positive regulators of BrGSL-OH in the homozygous T2 lines. These data indicate the regulatory mechanism of GSL biosynthesis in B. rapa is unlike that in A. thaliana. Our results will provide useful information for elucidating the regulatory mechanism of GSL biosynthesis in polyploid plants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11103-016-0437-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The optimized CO2-added ammonia explosion pretreatment for bioethanol production from rice straw.

Abstract: A CO2-added ammonia explosion pretreatment was performed for bioethanol production from rice straw. The pretreatment conditions, such as ammonia concentration, CO2 loading level, residence time, and temperature were optimized using response surface methodology. The response for optimization was defined as the glucose conversion rate. The optimized pretreatment conditions resulting in maximal glucose yield (93.6 %) were determined as 14.3 % of ammonia concentration, 2.2 MPa of CO2 loading level, 165.1 °C of temperature, and 69.8 min of residence time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that pretreatment of rice straw strongly increased the surface area and pore size, thus increasing enzymatic accessibility for enzymatic saccharification. Finally, an ethanol yield of 97 % was achieved via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Thus, the present study suggests that CO2-added ammonia pretreatment is an appropriate process for bioethanol production from rice straw.

Licochalcone A attenuates acne symptoms mediated by suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Abstract: Activation of the NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is critical for inducing inflammation and aggravating the development of acne lesions. We searched for available small-molecule inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome that could be topically administered for the treatment of acne. We found that licochalcone A, a chalconoid isolated from the root of Glycyrrhiza inflate, was an effective inhibitor for P. acnes-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Licochalcone A blocked P. acnes-induced production of caspase-1(p10) and IL-1β in primary mouse macrophages and human SZ95 sebocytes, indicating the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome. Licochalcone A suppressed P. acnes-induced ASC speck formation and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Topical application of licochalcone A to mouse ear skin attenuated P. acnes-induced skin inflammation as shown by histological assessment, ear thickness measurement, and inflammatory gene expression. Licochalcone A reduced caspase-1 activity and IL-1β production in mouse ear injected with P. acnes. This study demonstrated that licochalcone A is effective in the control of P. acnes-induced skin inflammation as an efficient inhibitor for NLRP3 inflammasome. Our study provides a new paradigm for the development of anti-acne therapy via targeting NLRP3 inflammasome.