Oligosaccharides and sucrose are very important nutritional components in soybean seeds. However, little information is available about their inheritance. We used molecular markers to identify the genomic regions significantly associated with the quantitative trait locus (QTL) that controls oligosaccharide and sucrose contents in segregating F2.10 RI lines. Two related, but independent, QTLs were identified for oligosaccharides --near marker satt546 on linkage group (LG) Dlb+W and satt278 on LG L. Four others, for sucrose content, were located at LG B1 (satt197), Dlb+W (satt546), and L (satt523 and satt278). Finally, we found two common QTLs, on LG Dlb+W and L, that are associated with both oligosaccharides and sucrose.

Pod dehiscence (PD) prior to harvest results in serious yield loss in soybean. Two linkage maps with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were independently constructed using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from Keunolkong (pod-dehiscent) £ Sinpaldalkong (pod-indehiscent) and Keunolkong £ Iksan 10 (pod-indehiscent). These soybean RIL populations were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conditioning resistance to PD. While a single major QTL on linkage group (LG) J explained 46% of phenotypic variation in PD in the Keunolkong £ Sinpaldalkong population with four minor QTLs, three minor QTLs were identiWed in the Keunolkong £ Iksan 10 population. Although these two populations share the pod dehiscent parent, no common QTL has been identiWed. In addition, epistatic interactions among three marker loci partially explained phenotypic variation in PD in both populations. The result of this study indicates that diVerent breeding strategies will be required for PD depending on genetic background.

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ObjectiveCapsaicin, a noxious stimulant and main component of the hot flavor of red peppers, has an analgesic effect when administered to humans. We investigated the expression of proopioimelanocortin (POMC) mRNA in the arcuate nucleus of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats after administering capsaicin, hypothesizing that administering capsaicin activates the central opioid system.MethodsSD rats were divided randomly into two groups; one group received a saline injection and the other received a capsaicin injection. The POMC mRNA level in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus was measured by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction at 0, 20, 40, 60, and 120 minutes after capsaicin administration.ResultsCapsaicin administration resulted in a significantly increased POMC mRNA level, compared to that in saline-treated rats at the 20-minute time point (t=-4.445, p=0.001). However, no significant group differences were observed at other times (t=-1.886, p=0.089; t= -0.973, p=0.353; t=-2.193, p=0.053 for 40, 60, and 120 minutes, respectively).ConclusionThe analgesic effect of capsaicin might be associated with increased activity of the cerebral opioid system. This finding suggests that capsaicin acted for nociception and analgesia and could affect alcohol-intake behavior, which might further imply that a food culture could affect drinking behavior.