Introgression of Herbicide-Resistant Gene from Genetically Modified Brassica napus L. to Brassica rapa through Backcrossing.

Interspecific hybridization between two different Brassicaceae species, namely Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis (♀) (AA, 2n = 2x = 20) and genetically modified Brassica napus (♂) (AACC, 2n = 4x = 38), was performed to study the transmission of a herbicide resistance gene from a tetraploid to a diploid Brassica species. Initially, four different GM B. napus lines were used for hybridization with B. rapa via hand pollination. Among the F1 hybrids, the cross involving the B. rapa (♀) × GM B. napus (♂) TG#39 line exhibited the highest recorded crossability index of 14.7 ± 5.7. However, subsequent backcross progenies (BC1, BC2, and BC3) displayed notably lower crossability indices. The F1 plants displayed morphological characteristics more aligned with the male parent B. napus, with significant segregation observed in the BC1 generation upon backcrossing with the recurrent parent B. rapa. By the BC2 and BC3 generations, the progeny stabilized, manifesting traits from both parents to varying degrees. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a substantial reduction in chromosome numbers, particularly in backcrossing progenies. BC1 plants typically exhibited 21-25 chromosomes, while BC2 progenies showed 21-22 chromosomes, and by the BC3 generation, stability was achieved with an average of 20 chromosomes. SSR marker analysis confirmed the progressive reduction of C-genome regions, retaining minimal C-genome-specific bands throughout successive backcrossing. Despite the extensive elimination of C-genome-specific genomic regions, the glyphosate resistance gene from the male parent B. napus was introgressed into BC3 progenies, suggesting that the glyphosate resistance gene located and introgressed in A-chromosome/genome regions of the Brassica plants.

Marginal and internal discrepancies associated with carbon digital light synthesis additively manufactured interim crowns.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The carbon digital light synthesis (DLS) or continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) technology is an innovative additive manufacturing technology using oxygen-inhibited photopolymerization to create a continuous liquid interface of unpolymerized resin between the growing component and the exposure window. This interface eliminates the need for an incremental layer-by-layer approach, allowing for continuous creation and increased printing speed. However, the internal and marginal discrepancies associated with this new technology remain unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the marginal and internal discrepancies by using the silicone replica technique of interim crowns fabricated by 3 different manufacturing technologies: direct light processing (DLP), DLS, and milling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A mandibular first molar was prepared, and a crown was designed with a computer-aided design (CAD) software program. The standard tessellation language (STL) file was used to create 30 crowns from the DLP, DLS, milling technologies (n=10). The gap discrepancy was determined using the silicone replica approach, with 50 measurements made with a ×70 microscope for each specimen for the marginal and internal gaps. The data were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Tukey HSD post hoc test (α=.05). RESULTS: The DLS group had the least marginal discrepancy compared with the DLP and milling groups (P<.001). The DLP group showed the highest internal discrepancy followed by the DLS and milling groups (P=.038). No significant difference was found between DLS and milling in terms of internal discrepancy (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: The manufacturing technique had a significant effect on both internal and marginal discrepancies. The DLS technology showed the smallest marginal discrepancies.

Discrimination of Brassica juncea Varieties Using Visible Near-Infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Methods.

Brown mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) is an important oilseed crop that is mostly used to produce edible oils, industrial oils, modified lipids and biofuels in subtropical nations. Due to its higher level of commercial use, the species has a huge array of varieties/cultivars. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of visible near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy in combination with multiple chemometric approaches for distinguishing four B. juncea varieties in Korea. The spectra from the leaves of four different growth stages of four B. juncea varieties were measured in the Vis-NIR range of 325-1075 nm with a stepping of 1.5 nm in reflectance mode. For effective discrimination, the spectral data were preprocessed using three distinct approaches, and eight different chemometric analyses were utilized. After the detection of outliers, the samples were split into two groups, one serving as a calibration set and the other as a validation set. When numerous preprocessing and chemometric approaches were applied for discriminating, the combination of standard normal variate and deep learning had the highest classification accuracy in all the growth stages achieved up to 100%. Similarly, few other chemometrics also yielded 100% classification accuracy, namely, support vector machine, generalized linear model, and the random forest. Of all the chemometric preprocessing methods, Savitzky-Golay filter smoothing provided the best and most convincing discrimination. The findings imply that chemometric methods combined with handheld Vis-NIR spectroscopy can be utilized as an efficient tool for differentiating B. juncea varieties in the field in all the growth stages.

Characteristics and Fitness Analysis through Interspecific Hybrid Progenies of Transgenic Brassica napus and B. rapa L. ssp.

Interspecific hybridization between transgenic crops and their wild relatives is a major concern for transgene dispersal in the environment. Under controlled conditions, artificial hand pollination experiments were performed in order to assess the hybridization potential and the fitness of interspecific hybrids between Brassica rapa and genetically modified (GM) Brassica napus. Initially, six subspecies of B. rapa were hybridized with GM B. napus through hand pollination. In the resulting F1 hybrids, the combination of B. rapa ssp. narinosa (♀) × GM B. napus (♂) had the highest crossability index (16.9 ± 2.6). However, the F1 selfing progenies of B. rapa ssp. rapa (♀) × GM B. napus were found to be more effective in producing viable future generations with the highest crossability index (1.6 ± 0.69) compared to other subspecies. Consequently, they were used for the generation of F2 and F3 progenies. The 18 different morphological characteristics among the parental cross-combinations and F1 hybrid progenies were measured and visualized through hierarchical clustering. Different generations were found to be grouped based on their different morphological characteristics. The chromosome numbers among the interspecific hybrids ranged from 2n = 29 to 2n = 40. Furthermore, the SSR markers revealed the presence of genomic portions in the hybrids in comparison with their parental lines. There is a high possibility of transgene flow between GM B. napus and B. rapa. The study concluded that the interspecific hybrids between B. napus and B. rapa can be viable and can actively hybridize up to F3 generations and more. This suggests that the GM B. napus can disperse the transgene into B. rapa, and that it can pass through for several generations by hand pollination in a greenhouse environment.

Interspecific Hybridization of Transgenic Brassica napus and Brassica rapa-An Overview.

In nature, interspecific hybridization occurs frequently and can contribute to the production of new species or the introgression of beneficial adaptive features between species. It has great potential in agricultural systems to boost the process of targeted crop improvement. In the advent of genetically modified (GM) crops, it has a disadvantage that it involves the transgene escaping to unintended plants, which could result in non-specific weedy crops. Several crop species in the Brassica genus have close kinship: canola (Brassica napus) is an ancestral hybrid of B. rapa and B. oleracea and mustard species such as B. juncea, B. carinata, and B. nigra share common genomes. Hence, intraspecific hybridization among the Brassica species is most common, especially between B. napus and B. rapa. In general, interspecific hybrids cause numerous genetic and phenotypic changes in the parental lines. Consequently, their fitness and reproductive ability are also highly varied. In this review, we discuss the interspecific hybridization and reciprocal hybridization studies of B. napus and B. rapa and their potential in the controlled environment. Further, we address the fate of transgenes (herbicide resistance) and their ability to transfer to their progenies or generations. This could help us to understand the environmental influence of interspecific hybrids and how to effectively manage their transgene escape in the future.

A Review of the Unintentional Release of Feral Genetically Modified Rapeseed into the Environment.

Globally, the cultivation area of genetically modified (GM) crops is increasing dramatically. Despite their well-known benefits, they may also pose many risks to agriculture and the environment. Among the various GM crops, GM rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is widely cultivated, mainly for oil production. At the same time, B. napus possesses a number of characteristics, including the ability to form feral populations and act as small-seeded weeds, and has a high potential for hybridization with other species. In this review, we provide an overview of the commercialization, approval status, and cultivation of GM rapeseed, as well as the status of the feral rapeseed populations. In addition, we highlight the case studies on the unintentional environmental release of GM rapeseed during transportation in several countries. Previous studies suggest that the main reason for the unintentional release is seed spillage during transport/importing of rapeseed in both GM rapeseed-cultivating and -non-cultivating countries. Despite the fact that incidents of unintentional release have been recorded often, there have been no reports of serious detrimental consequences. However, since rapeseed has a high potential for hybridization, the possibilities of gene flow within the genus, especially with B. rapa, are relatively significant, and considering their weedy properties, effective management methods are needed. Hence, we recommend that specific programs be used for the effective monitoring of environmental releases of GM rapeseed as well as management to avoid environmental and agricultural perturbations.

Prevalence of Folate Deficiency in Korean Women of Reproductive Age Using a Serum Folate Assay Traceable to the WHO International Standard.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate serum folate level in Korean women of reproductive age and to evaluate the prevalence of folate deficiency by age using different cutoffs. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data obtained with a serum folate assay traceable to World Health Organization international standard reference material 03/178. RESULTS: Between September 2017 and June 2019, data from a total of 8,380 Korean women aged 15 - 49 years were obtained. Mean (standard deviation) serum folate concentration for all women was 9.1 (6.7) ng/mL. Prevalence of folate deficiency using the cutoff of < 3 ng/mL was 6.2% and that for < 4 ng/mL was 14.9%. The prevalence of folate deficiency was higher in women of younger age (15 to < 25 years, even > 30% using the cutoff of 4 ng/mL) compared to other age groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that women aged 15 to < 25 years are at high risk of folate deficiency.

An Overview of Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Its Applications in the Detection of Genetically Modified Organisms.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has become a more popular approach for quantitative and qualitative analysis of feeds, foods and medicine in conjunction with an arsenal of chemometric tools. This was the foundation for the increased importance of NIRS in other fields, like genetics and transgenic monitoring. A considerable number of studies have utilized NIRS for the effective identification and discrimination of plants and foods, especially for the identification of genetically modified crops. Few previous reviews have elaborated on the applications of NIRS in agriculture and food, but there is no comprehensive review that compares the use of NIRS in the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This is particularly important because, in comparison to previous technologies such as PCR and ELISA, NIRS offers several advantages, such as speed (eliminating time-consuming procedures), non-destructive/non-invasive analysis, and is inexpensive in terms of cost and maintenance. More importantly, this technique has the potential to measure multiple quality components in GMOs with reliable accuracy. In this review, we brief about the fundamentals and versatile applications of NIRS for the effective identification of GMOs in the agricultural and food systems.

Validation of multiple equations for estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in Korean adults.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available for validation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) calculation (LDLcal) in the adult Korean population. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new equation for LDLcal and to compare it with previous such equations in a Korean population. METHODS: A new equation for LDLcal was developed (LDLChoi). LDLChoi and 11 other previously published equations were applied and compared with directly measured LDL concentration (LDLdirect) in a development cohort (population 1), an independent validation cohort in the same laboratory (population 2), and the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017 cohort (population 3). RESULTS: Among the 12 equations, the newly-developed equation (LDLChoi = total cholesterol - 0.87 x high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - 0.13 x triglycerides) had the highest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the lowest mean systemic difference and median absolute percentage error in populations 1 and 2 but not in population 3. Subgroup analysis showed good agreement between LDLChoi and LDLdirect (ICC > 0.75) in population 2, whose LDLdirect < 70 mg/dL. For samples with high triglycerides (> 400 mg/dL), equation accuracy varied. Categorization concordance according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria with the other 11 equations were less than 80%; that of LDLChoi was 87.6 and 87.4% in populations 1 and 2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Accuracy of 12 equations for LDLcal varied by cohort and subgroup based on LDLdirect and triglycerides. A laboratory-specific equation for LDLcal and/or LDLdirect may be needed for accurate evaluation of LDL status.

Dynamics of Bacterial Community Structure in the Rhizosphere and Root Nodule of Soybean: Impacts of Growth Stages and Varieties.

Bacterial communities in rhizosphere and root nodules have significant contributions to the growth and productivity of the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In this report, we analyzed the physiological properties and dynamics of bacterial community structure in rhizosphere and root nodules at different growth stages using BioLog EcoPlate and high-throughput sequencing technology, respectively. The BioLog assay found that the metabolic capability of rhizosphere is in increasing trend in the growth of soybeans as compared to the bulk soil. As a result of the Illumina sequencing analysis, the microbial community structure of rhizosphere and root nodules was found to be influenced by the variety and growth stage of the soybean. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria were the most abundant in rhizosphere at all growth stages, followed by Alphaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria, and the phylum Bacteroidetes showed the greatest change. But, in the root nodules Alphaproteobacteria were dominant. The results of the OTU analysis exhibited the dominance of Bradyrhizobium during the entire stage of growth, but the ratio of non-rhizobial bacteria showed an increasing trend as the soybean growth progressed. These findings revealed that bacterial community in the rhizosphere and root nodules changed according to both the variety and growth stages of soybean in the field.

Reference Interval for Korean Serum Folate Assay Traceable to the WHO International Standard.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the reference interval of serum folate concentration if using recently re-standardized assays traceable to the World Health Organization (WHO) international standard reference 03/178 in a Korean population. This study aimed to investigate serum folate levels in Korean subjects without macrocytic anemia or increased homocysteine, for the assessment of folate deficiency. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from Korean adults whose hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and serum total homocysteine values were within reference limits. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) serum folate level was 7.8 (5.4 - 12.6) ng/mL in men and 10.2 (6.9 - 15.6) ng/mL in women. The reference interval for serum folate (2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) ranged from 2.9 to 38.0 ng/ mL. From among 723 Korean adults, the lower limit of reference intervals of serum folate for folate deficiency, defined as the 2.5th percentile, was 2.9 ng/mL. The prevalence of folate deficiency was higher in men (6.5%) than in women (1.2%, p < 0.05) when a cutoff value of 3.0 ng/mL was applied. Using the cutoff value of 4 ng/mL for folate deficiency, which is in accordance with the instructions from the manufacturer of the new assay and the WHO 2012 guideline for homocysteine as a metabolic indicator before assay standardization, about 5% of subjects were reclassified as folate deficient. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that any change of reference limits using a re-standardized assay needs to be verified in clinical laboratories.

Test Utilization for Thyroglobulin and Anti-Thyroglobulin Antibody Assays in Korea.

BACKGROUND: When measuring thyroglobulin (Tg), simultaneous measurement of Tg autoantibodies (Ab) is recommended by clinical guidelines for follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancers after thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine ablation. We aimed to investigate test utilization of Tg and Tg Ab assays in local clinics and hospitals in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from the laboratory information system between November 6, 2017 and December 31, 2019. RESULTS: During the study period, 10,551 Tg tests were performed on 2,592 Korean adults from 97 local clinics and hospitals. Among them, 3,924 (37.2%) test results lacked concurrent Tg Ab assays, while 6,627 test results had concurrently measured Tg Ab, and 528 (8.0%) showed positive Tg Ab results, which could interfere with measurement of Tg concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide basic information regarding test utilization of Tg Ab assays to improve test utilization for accurate Tg measurement in Korean patients.

Time Points for Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulation Test Results in Korean Children.

The gold standard for the laboratory diagnosis of central precocious puberty is based on the measurement of luteinizing hormone (LH) after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation. We sought to investigate the laboratory data for GnRH stimulation testing using samples collected from Korean children at different time points. Sampling times were at the basal time point (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after GnRH stimulation. Pubertal response was defined as occurring when the peak LH concentration was 5 IU/L or more and rose to at least 2 times the basal LH concentration after GnRH stimulation. During the study period, 19,990 test results from 1958 Korean children (1841 females aged 1.3-8.9 years and 117 males aged 7.3-9.9 years) were obtained. Among the 1958 children, 1232 (62.9%) showed pubertal responses. The receiver operating characteristic curve that demonstrated the greatest area under the curve (AUC) among all examined time points was 45 min after GnRH stimulation in males (AUC 0.982, 95% CI 0.938-0.998) and 60 min in females (AUC 0.975, 95% CI 0.967-0.981). The combination of 45 min and 60 min showed the greatest AUC (0.996, 95% confidence interval 0.991-0.998), with a sensitivity level of 99.1% and a specificity of 100% for all children. The results of this study provide a possibility for a reduction in sampling time points (45 min and 60 min) to identify the presence of a pubertal response after GnRH stimulation in Korean children.

Discrimination of Transgenic Canola (Brassica napus L.) and their Hybrids with B. rapa using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Methods.

In recent years, the rapid development of genetically modified (GM) technology has raised concerns about the safety of GM crops and foods for human health and the ecological environment. Gene flow from GM crops to other crops, especially in the Brassicaceae family, might pose a threat to the environment due to their weediness. Hence, finding reliable, quick, and low-cost methods to detect and monitor the presence of GM crops and crop products is important. In this study, we used visible near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy for the effective discrimination of GM and non-GM Brassica napus, B. rapa, and F1 hybrids (B. rapa X GM B. napus). Initially, Vis-NIR spectra were collected from the plants, and the spectra were preprocessed. A combination of different preprocessing methods (four methods) and various modeling approaches (eight methods) was used for effective discrimination. Among the different combinations, the Savitzky-Golay and Support Vector Machine combination was found to be an optimal model in the discrimination of GM, non-GM, and hybrid plants with the highest accuracy rate (100%). The use of a Convolutional Neural Network with Normalization resulted in 98.9%. The same higher accuracy was found in the use of Gradient Boosted Trees and Fast Large Margin approaches. Later, phenolic acid concentration among the different plants was assessed using GC-MS analysis. Partial least squares regression analysis of Vis-NIR spectra and biochemical characteristics showed significant correlations in their respective changes. The results showed that handheld Vis-NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analyses could be used for the effective discrimination of GM and non-GM B. napus, B. rapa, and F1 hybrids. Biochemical composition analysis can also be combined with the Vis-NIR spectra for efficient discrimination.

Test utilization for the diagnosis of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in local clinics in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines pertaining to diagnosing macrocytic anemia in association with vitamin B12 and folate deficiency recommend that vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid assays should be assessed concurrently due to their close relationship in metabolism. We aimed to investigate the completion of these assays in local clinics and hospitals without in-house clinical laboratories in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from the laboratory information system between September 25, 2017, and June 30, 2019, to investigate usage rates of vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid assays in patients with macrocytic anemia. RESULTS: During the study period, 14 894 Korean adults among 109 524 (13.6%) total hemoglobin-tested subjects underwent concurrent erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) tests. Among these 14,894 adults, 265 (1.2%) from 94 local clinics or hospitals without in-house clinical laboratories in Korea had macrocytic anemia. Furthermore, among these 265 adults, only one woman underwent serum vitamin B12 and folate assay and one man underwent serum homocysteine testing during the study period. No patients among the 265 individuals with macrocytic anemia received erythrocyte folate or methylmalonic acid testing (with either serum, plasma, random urine, or 24-hour collected urine). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide basic information regarding utilization rates of assays in association with vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Making more data available is expected to improve rates of testing in patients with macrocytic anemia in local clinics and hospitals without in-house clinical laboratories in Korea.

Preeclampsia Screening Using the Ratio of Soluble FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase-1 to Placental Growth Factor During Pregnancy in Pregnant Korean Women.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively investigated soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratios and screen-positive rates according to cutoff values for preeclampsia risk assessment based on the number of fetuses. METHODS: sFlt-1/PlGF ratios < 38.0 and < 53.0 were defined as low risk of preeclampsia (screen negative) for singleton and twin pregnancies, respectively. RESULTS: During the study period, 442 test results from 403 pregnant women (374 with singleton and 29 twin pregnancies) from 32 local clinics and hospitals were analyzed. The overall rate of positive preeclampsia screening was 25.1% and this rate was higher when gestational age was ≥ 34 weeks than when it was < 34 weeks (58.7% vs. 18.6%, p < 0.05). Among 34 women with follow-up results, a change in interpretation category was observed during the follow-up period at ≥ 4.8 weeks for singleton and ≥ 1.6 weeks for twin pregnancies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study may help to understand the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in pregnant Korean women.

Recent trends in seroprevalence of rubella in Korean women of childbearing age: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the immunity against rubella using the serological status of rubella-specific IgG antibodies (antirubella IgG) in Korean women of childbearing age (15-49 years). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Population-based cross-sectional study in South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Between January 2010 and December 2017, test results from Korean women aged 15-49 years who had visited an obstetric private clinic (nationwide institutions) and had requested rubella-specific IgG antibody tests from Green Cross Laboratories were obtained from the laboratory information system. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2017, antirubella IgG test results from 328 426 Korean women aged 15-49 years who had visited private obstetric clinics (1438 institutions nationwide) were retrospectively analysed by tested year, age, cohort and geographic regions. Over the 8-year study period, the rate of unimmunised women ranged from 7.8% to 9.7%. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models showed that the odds of being immune to rubella (positive and equivocal results of antirubella IgG test) were lower in 2017 compared with 2010, in women in their 40s, in a pre-catch-up cohort and in women living in Incheon, Busan, South Gyeongsang, North and South Jeolla and Jeju provinces (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In consideration of the factors associated with prevalence of women unimmunised to rubella, future public health efforts should be focused on catch-up activities. The results of this study could be used to strengthen disease control and prevent rubella, including a nationwide immunisation programme.

Evaluation of the Serum Mac-2 Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer Test used for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Liver Fibrosis and the Correlation of Mac-2 Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer with Hemoglobin A1c.

BACKGROUND: Our aims in this study were to evaluate the performance of the Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi), a liver fibrosis marker, using Sysmex HISCL following user verification guidelines before clinical use. We also evaluated the correlation between M2BPGi and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) because HbA1c is known as another biomarker associated with glycosylation. METHODS: The analytical performance of M2BPGi was verified following user verification guidelines by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. RESULTS: A qualitative, precision experiment for analyte concentrations near the cutoff was verified using quality control materials. The manufacturer's precision claims for the quantitative cutoff index were verified, with coefficients of variation in the range of 1.83 - 4.12%. HbA1c did not significantly contribute to M2BPGi in a multivariate analysis with an age factor. CONCLUSIONS: The analytical performance of M2BPGi in our results verify the manufacturer's claims. Clinical information and other findings, including HbA1c, are needed for clinical applications.

Characteristics Analysis of F1 Hybrids between Genetically Modified Brassica napus and B. rapa.

A number of studies have been conducted on hybridization between transgenic Brassica napus and B. rapa or backcross of F1 hybrid to their parents. However, trait changes must be analyzed to evaluate hybrid sustainability in nature. In the present study, B. rapa and transgenic (BrAGL20) B. napus were hybridized to verify the early flowering phenomenon of F1 hybrids, and F1 hybrid traits were analyzed to predict their impact on sustainability. Flowering of F1 hybrid has been induced slightly later than that of the transgenic B. napus, but flowering was available in the greenhouse without low temperature treatment to young plant, similar to the transgenic B. napus. It is because the BrAGL20 gene has been transferred from transgenic B. napus to F1 hybrid. The size of F1 hybrid seeds was intermediate between those of B. rapa and transgenic B. napus, and ~40% of F1 pollen exhibited abnormal size and morphology. The form of the F1 stomata was also intermediate between that of B. rapa and transgenic B. napus, and the number of stomata was close to the parental mean. Among various fatty acids, the content of erucic acid exhibited the greatest change, owing to the polymorphism of parental FATTY ACID ELONGASE 1 alleles. Furthermore, F2 hybrids could not be obtained. However, BC1 progeny were obtained by hand pollination of B. rapa with F1 hybrid pollen, with an outcrossing rate of 50%.

Effects of CaMSRB2-Expressing Transgenic Rice Cultivation on Soil Microbial Communities.

Although many studies on the effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on soil microorganisms have been carried out over the past decades, they have provided contradictory information, even for the same GM crop, owing to the diversity of the soil environments in which they were conducted. This inconsistency in results suggests that the effects of GM crops on soil microorganisms should be considered from many aspects. In this study, we investigated the effects of the GM drought-tolerant rice MSRB2-Bar-8, which expresses the CaMSRB2 gene, on soil microorganisms based on the culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. To this end, rhizosphere soils of GM and non-GM (IM) rice were analyzed for soil chemistry, population densities of soil microorganisms, and microbial community structure (using pyrosequencing technology) at three growth stages (seedling, tillering, and maturity). There was no significant difference in the soil chemistry between GM and non-GM rice. The microbial densities of the GM soils were found to be within the range of those of the non-GM rice. In the pyrosequencing analyses, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were dominant at the seedling stage, while Chloroflexi showed dominance over Proteobacteria at the maturity stage in both the GM and non-GM soils. An UPGMA dendrogram showed that the soil microbial communities were clustered by growth stage. Taken together, the results from this study suggest that the effects of MSRB2-Bar-8 cultivation on soil microorganisms are not significant.