• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2006

Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) have mutualistic symbiosis with plants and thus efforts have been placed on application of these symbiotic relationships to agricultural and environmental fields. In this study, AM fungi were collected from 25 sites growing with 16 host plant species in Korea and cultured with Sorghum bicolor in greenhouse condition. AM fungal spores were extracted and identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Using morphological characters, total 15 morpho-speices were identified. DNA was extracted from single spore of AM fungi and a partial region on 18S rDNA was amplified using nested PCR with AM fungal specific primers AML1/AML2. A total of 36 18S rDNA sequences were analyzed for phylogenetic analysis and 15 groups of AM fungi were identified using both morphological and molecular data of spores. Among the species, 4 species, Archaeospora leptoticha, Scutellospora castanea, S. cerradensis, S. weresubiae were described for the first time in Korea and two species in Glomus and a species in Gigaspora were not identified. Morphological and molecular identification of AM fungal spores in this study would help identify AM fungal community colonizing roots.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.415-424
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• 2012

Four species of ophichthid leptocephali were identified using 12S rDNA sequences, and their morphological descriptions were first provided based on six individuals (S1-S3,M1, and E1-E2) collected from the East Sea and the Korea Strait between September 2008 and October 2010. Mitochondrial 12S rDNA 859-861 base pairs of ophichthid leptocephali were compared with those of 16 ophichthids adult and 2 outgroups (Anguilla japonica and Conger myriaster). Leptocephali of S1 and E1 were very closely clustered with adult of Scolecenchelys borealis (D=0.002) and Echelus uropterus (D=0.000), respectively. However, leptocephali of S2-S3 andM1 were slightly far clustered with leptocephalus of S1 (D=0.006) and adult of Muraenichthys gymnopterus (0.034), respectively. We believe that S1 and E1 are S. borealis and E. uropterus, respectively, in which the former is unrecorded species in Korea. However, S2-S3 and M1 may be undescribed species belonging to genus Scolecenchelys and Muraenichthys, respectively, because total numbers of myomeres for S2-S3 (148-158) and M1 (151) were not consistent with total numbers of vertebrae or distribution for any adult of Scolecenchelys spp. and Muraenichthys spp. in the world. We propose the new Korean name 'Dong-hae-mul-baem' for S. borealis.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.157-160
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• 2010

Agaricus blazei Murill is a important medicinal mushroom for a powerful immune system builder and tonic. Currently, it is known about a new disease phenomenon that appears to be occurring on a number of mushroom farms. We described a straightforward approach in which molecular methods was used to survey the presence of potentially endo- and epiphytic bacteria infected with the Agaricus blazei. The 16S rDNA was amplified with universal eubacterial primers directly from pure cultures of Agaricus blazei mycelium and fruit body. The 16S rDNA sequences were almost identical (96 to 97% similarity), and phylogenetic analysis placed them in a single unique rRNA branch belong to the uncultural bacterium phylogroup. PCR detection of uncultural bacterium in the malformed tissues of Agaricus blazei were carried out by using 16S rRNA sequenced specific probe. It was strongly amplified at the malformed pileus region of fruit body and also spore print was impossible.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1522-1528
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• 2009

A marine bacterium was isolated from brown seaweeds for its ability to degrade alginate. Analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA sequence revealed that the strain belongs to Streptomyces like strain ALG-5 which was reported previously. New alginate lyase gene of Streptomyces sp. M3 was cloned by using PCR with the specific primers designed from homologous nucleotide sequences. The consensus sequences of N-terminal YXRSELREM and C-terminal YFKAGXYXQ were conserved in the M3 alginate lyase amino acid sequences. The homology model for the M3 alginate lyase showed a characteristic structure of $\beta$-jelly roll fold main domain like alyPG from Corynebacterium sp. ALY-1. The homogenate of the recombinant E. coli with the alginate lyase gene showed more degrading activity for polyguluronate block than polymannuronate block. The results from the multiple alignments and the homology modeling elucidated in the M3 alginate lyase can be classified into family PL-7.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.1 s.141
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• pp.1-9
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• 2007

The endosymbionts of 4 strains of Acanthamoeba(KA/E9, KA/E21, KA/E22, and KA/E23) isolated from the infected corneas of Korean patients were characterized via orcein stain, transmission electron microscopic examination, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Double membrane-bound, rod-shaped endosymbionts were distributed randomly throughout both the trophozoites and cysts of each of Acanthamoeba isolates. The endosymbionts of KA/E9, KA/E22, and KA/E23 were surrounded by electron-translucent areas. No lacunae-like structures were observed in the endosymbionts of KA/E21, the bacterial cell walls of which were studded with host ribosomes. Comparative analyses of the 16S rDNA sequences showed that the endosymbionts of KA/E9, KA/E22 and KA/E23 were closely related to Caedibacter caryophilus, whereas the KA/E21 endosymbiont was assigned to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides(CFB) phylum. In the 4 strains of Acanthamoeba, the hosts of the endosymbionts were identified as belonging to the Acanthamoeba castellanii complex, which corresponds to the T4 genotype. Acanthamoeba KA/E21 evidenced characteristics almost identical to those of KA/E6, with the exception of the existence of endosymbionts. The discovery of these endosymbionts from Acanthamoeba may prove essential to future studies focusing on interactions between the endosymbionts and the amoebic hosts.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1174-1179
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• 2014

This research was carried out to evaluate whether gamma ray is a useful tool for breeding new strains of mushrooms. For this research, 5 mutant groups, 20 strains of Hypsizigus marmoreus, 2 strains of Lyophyllum decastes, and 1 strain of Lyophyllum shimeji were used. Monokaryon spores from one variety of H. marmoreus were irradiated with 50~2,000 Gy of gamma ray. The propriety dose was 50~200 Gy for mutagenesis. Mutant monokaryon mycelia crossed each order to become dikaryon mycelia. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA were amplified using PCR, and the products were sequenced. The sequences of the ITS regions (16 partial rDNA, complete ITS1, 5.8 rDNA and partial rDNA) were analyzed by PCR, and strains of H. marmoreus, L. decastes, and L. shimeji were auto-sequenced. The lengths of the sequenced ITSs were 1,052~1,143 nucleotides. Genetic matrices were calculated using Nei-Li's genetic distance coefficient based on ITS sequence. The dissimilarities were 0~3.35% in strains of H. Hypsizigus. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on ITS sequences using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method. The phylogenetic tree revealed that 23 strains and 5 mutant groups were divided into 12 clusters; the mutant groups fell into different clusters. These results show that mushroom spores were mutated effectively by gamma ray; therefore, gamma ray could be a useful tool for breeding new strains of mushrooms.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.323-326
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• 2002

To detect whole ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the activated sludge, group-specific primers targeting the 16S-rRNA gene of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were used. The electrophoresis pattern of the PCR products seemed to produce a single band of approximately 1.0 k bp for the bacteria in activated sludge and Nitrosomonas europaea. No band was observed for nitrite-oxidizer Nitrobacter winogradskyi and heterotrophs such as Pseudomonas putida. Then direct measurement of the PCR product was made by fluorometry using the reagent Hoechist 33258, so that the fluorescent intensity was in proportional to the cell number of the sample up to 240. Total time required for the test was about 4 h including DNA extraction. The DNA fragments produced were cloned and their sequences showed high similarity to those of Nitrosomonas spp. This study showed the feasibility to detect ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and to esti-mate their population rapidly for the control of the nitrogen elimination process.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 1999

Fifty-eight strains showing different colony morphological characteristics on various media were isolated from marine coral (Plexauridae sp.) and ambient seawater near Mun-Sum, Cheju-Island in 1998. Bacterial diversity was studies by phylogenetic analysis of the partial 16S rRNA gene sequences. All isolates representing the bacterial domain included affiliates of the high G+C (59%) and los G+C (3%) subdivision of Gram positive bacteria, and the alpha (33%) and gamma (5%) subdivision of the Proteobacteria. The 16S rDNA sequence similarity of the isolates was in the 88.3 to 100% range (average, 95.6%) to reported sequence data. In the comparison of the isolates from marine coarl and ambient seawater, more diverse groups belonging to ${\alpha}$-Proteobacteria were preferentially obtained from seawater.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-16
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• 1999

Genetic variability was monitored by random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) in dicofol-susceptible (S), dicofol-resistant (R) and its reverse-selected (RS) strains of two-spotted spider mite, of Tetranychus urticae. Before the reverse-selection, RS strain, selected reversely from R strain, was 23-fold resistance ratio at {TEX}$LC_{50}${/TEX} to S strain. The resistance was started to in incline slowly to the resistance level of S strain after one year, and the resistance ratio was 4-fold in the 7 years after then. PCR-amplification of T. urticae DNA showed polymorphism in the amplifications with 12 primers in 100 kinds of arbitrary DNA sequences. RAPD amplification with primer OPR-12 (5`-ACAGGTGCGT-3`) showed amplified bands at 1,000 base pair in the S-and RS-strain, and at 350 base pair in R-strain. The results of polymorphism are genetic variabilities derived from development and selection of resistance in each strain. The peculiarly amplified fragments were guessed to participate in dicofol resistance. From the analysis of genetic similarity, it is inferred the gene composition of S-and RS-strain is much closer than that of R-strain.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.41-47
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• 2015

Objectives : Due to the morphological similarity of the pericarp and description of multi-species in National Pharmacopoeia of Korea and China, the Zanthoxylum Pericarpium is difficult to authenticate adulterant in species levels. Therefore, we introduced the sequence analysis of DNA barcode and identification of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) to establish a reliable tool for the distinction of Zanthoxylum Pericarpium from its adulterants. Methods : To analyze DNA barcode region, genomic DNA was extracted from twenty-four specimens of authentic Zanthoxylum species and inauthentic adulterant and the individual internal transcribed spacer regions (rDNA-ITS and ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene were amplified using ITS1, ITS2-S2F, and ITS4 primer. For identification of species-specific sequences, a comparative analysis was performed using entire DNA barcode sequences. Results : In comparison of four Zanthoxylum ITS2 sequences, we identified 16, 4, 6, and 4 distinct species-specific nucleotides enough to distinguish Z. schinifolium, Z. bungeanum, Z. piperitum, and Z. simulans, respectively. The sequence differences were available genetic marker to discriminate four species. Futhermore, phylogenetic relationship revealed a clear classification between different Zanthoxylum species showing 4 different clusters. These results indicated that comparative analysis of ITS2 DNA barcode was an useful genetic marker to authenticate Zanthoxylum Pericarpium in species levels. Conclusions : The marker nucleotides, enough to distinguish Z. schinifolium, Z. piperitum, Z. bungeanum, and Z. simulans, were obtained at 30 SNP marker nucleotides from ITS2 sequences. These differences could be used to authenticate official Zanthoxylum Pericarpium from its adulterants as well as discriminating each four species.