Message from the President In accordance with the administrative reform policy of the Government, the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) was founded on April 1, 2001. NIAS was formed out of several pre- viously existing institutions, including the National Institute of Agrobiological Resources (NIAR) which has conducted plant science research with emphasis on genome level research and the National Institute of Sericultural and Entomological Science (NISES) which has conducted insect science research with emphasis on clarification of insect properties. In addition, several animal scientists in both the National Institute of Animal Industry and the National Institute of Animal Health joined the new institution. NIAS's roll is to conduct basic research in the field of life science of insects, animals and plants, to promote and accelerate technological innovation in the agricultural field and to contribute to the gener- ation of new bio-industries. Results from these research activities are expected to address expected future needs of society in these areas. To fulfill the mission of NIAS, it is necessary to conduct our research strategically and intensively. It is also nec- essary to report our research results and to receive worldwide evaluation. Therefore, we publish this Annual Report in new style to inform the interna- tional community of our research activities. We welcome comments and suggestions on our program. Masaki Iwabuchi President National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences Contents Message from the President Organization Topics of Research in This Year Genome and Biodiversity Research Division ¡Sequence analysis of rice chromosome 1.................................................................................................................. 1 ¡Restriction of a QTL region for backfat thickness to the pericentromeric long arm of swine chromosome 7 in a Meishan and Goettingen cross-population ......................................................... 2 ¡Identification and etiology of the causal organism of red stripe of rice.................................................................... 4 ¡Visualization of repeated sequences in liverwort sex chromosomes with their heterogeneous localization ............................................................................................................... 6 ¡Discovery of Fusarium species previously unreported from Japan, and reevaluation of the taxonomic characters of the false-head-forming Gibberella fujikuroi-species complex ................................................................................................................................. 7 ¡Isolation and identification of factors responsible for resistance to bruchid in rice bean (Vigna umbellata).......................................................................................................................... 8 ¡Piglets prodcution after transfer to recipients of blastocysts produced in vitro ........................................................ 9 Insect and Animal Sciences Division ¡ASABF-type antimicrobial peptides: a novel antibiotic agent against both prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathogens ...................................................................................................... 11 ¡Introduction of exogenous DNA into early chicken embryos by in vivo electroporation of stage X blastoderm .................................................................................................. 12 ¡Transient in vivo reporter gene assay for ecdysteroid actions in Bombyx mori silk gland using gene gun ....................................................................................................... 13 ¡Factors reducing cocoon filament quality in silkworm reared on an artificial diet during all instars....................... 14 ¡Detection method for follicle and oocyte normality based on MMP activity........................................................... 15 ¡Establishment of a c-myc-immortalized microglial cell line from TNF-α-deficient mice ....................................... 17 ¡Caveolae-associated vimentin is involved in adipocyte differentiation of bovine intramuscular preadipocyte (BIP) cells ............................................................................................ 18 ¡Development of techniques to record and analyze cardiac electrical activity of bovine fetuses .............................. 19 ¡Simple identification of five Orius species occurring in Japan using multiplex PCR.............................................. 21 ¡Novel insect primary culture method using a newly developed medium and extracellular matrix .................................................................................................................................... 22 ¡A new mulberry cultivar ‘Popberry’ suitable for fruit production............................................................................ 23 ¡Breeding of the silkworm race "Sericin-hope" secreting silk protein in which sericin is contained in high concentration.......................................................................................... 24 Plant Science Division ¡Release from post-transcriptional gene silencing by cell proliferation in transgenic Tobacco plants ................................................................................................................................................................. 26 ¡Development of a series of chromosome segment substitution lines and their utilization in the genetic analysis of quantitative traits in rice........................................................................................... 27 ¡Collection and functional annotation of rice full length cDNA clones and construction of a database ................... 28 ¡Crystallographic study of C-type lectin-like proteins from snake venom ................................................................ 29 ¡High precision NMR structure of the RING-H2 finger domain of EL 5, a rice protein in response to N-acetylchitooligosaccahride elicitor .................................................................. 30 ¡Two rice genes responsive to N-acetylchitooligosaccharide and gibberellin ........................................................... 31 ¡Critical amino acid residues for catalytic activity of CtpA, the carbxyl-terminal processing protease for the D1 protein of photosystem II ................................................................................ 32 ¡Regulatory and genetic mechanisms of photorespiration in C3-C4 intermediate photosynthesis ........................... 33 ¡Silencing of the tapetum-specific zinc-finger gene, TAZ1, causes premature degeneration of tapetum and pollen abortion in petunia ........................................................................................................ 35 ¡Alternative oxidase and stress resistance in plants ................................................................................................... 36 ¡Molecular cloning of rice chloride channel genes .................................................................................................... 37 ¡Construction of high-density HEGS (high efficiency genome scanning) genome maps of rice and barley in a short time, each by a single researcher ...................................................................................................... 38 ¡A novel method for targeting a transgene product to an ER-derived protein body (PB-I) in rice endosperm.............................................................................................................................................. 40 ¡Regulation of rice plant height by Gibberrelin 2-oxidase gene expression .............................................................. 41 ¡Transgenic rice plants expressing pig CYP2C49 for phytoremediation ................................................................... 42 ¡Mutation induction with gamma ray and ion beam irradiation in tartary buckwheat ............................................... 43 Research Activities Genome and Biodiversity Research Division 45 ¡Genome Research Department ................................................................................................................................. 46 ¡Genetic Diversity Department .................................................................................................................................. 51 ¡Genebank................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Insect and Animal Sciences Division 61 ¡Developmental Biology Department......................................................................................................................... 62 ¡Molecular Biology and Immunology Department .................................................................................................... 66 ¡Physiology and Genetic Regulation Department ...................................................................................................... 68 ¡Insect Genetics and Evolution Department............................................................................................................... 74 ¡Insect Biomaterial and Technology Department....................................................................................................... 78 ¡Insect Biotechnology and Sericology Department ..................................................................................................