• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.181-190
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• 1990

The growth and biochemical activities of Chlorella fusca were studied in the presence of different concentrations of either filtrates or mycelial mats of Saprolegnia ferax and Pythium graminicola. Low concentrations of both fungal filtrates exerted increase in total count, dry weight and in the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates and nitrogen content. High concentrations showed inhibitory effect on both growth and biochemical activities of Chlorella fusca. Supplementation with different concentrations of dry mycelial mats of either fungi the culture of Chlorella showed elevation in biomass, dry weight, and biosynthesis of carbohydrates and nitrogen content especially at low concentrations. The contents of photosynthetic pigment were inhibited only at low concentrations. Neither the culture filtrate of Pythium nor Saprolegnia had cellulolytic activity, although polygalacturonase enzymes were detected, whereas chloroform-extract of both fungal filtrates showed blue spots under long wave light (366 nm).

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2017

Chlorella is one of the microorganisms which can live autotrophically by their own photosynthesis. It was previously revealed that pre-treatment of Chlorella fusca caused a suppression of appressorium formation on the cucumber leaves after inoculation with Colletothrichum orbiculare. In this study, the ultrastructures of C. orbiculare on the cucumber leaves pretreated with C. fusca were observed using both scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The SEM images revealed that most fungal conidia and hyphae were attached with lots of C. fusca cells. Also, the conidia could germinate but not form appressorium, which is necessary to penetrate into host tissue. These observations suggested that C. fusca adjoined to the fungus may play a role in suppression of the appressorium formation. On the other hand, the observations of TEM showed no remarkable cytological differences on the ultrastructures of the intracellular hyphae between in the pre-treated and untreated leaves. It seemed that the fungus could grow in the pre-treated plant tissues as in the untreated one. Based on these observations, it is suggested that the suppression of appressorium on the leaf surfaces by the C. fusca cells may be a main cause of the reduction of the anthracnose disease.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.453-459
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• 1996

Cellulase was purified from marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, to homogeneity by using chromatographic methods. Purified enzyme is an endo-${\beta}$-1,4 glucanase and shows a strong hydrolytic activity against carboxymethyl (CM) -cellulose. The physicochemical parameters of enzyme activity were determined. The molecular weight of the purified protein was approximately 62 kDa as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzymatic capability to digest cellulose of Chlorella cell wall was compared with that of other well known cellulases from Thermomonospora fusca. Experiments involving Chlorella digestion indicated that CM-cellulase from marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, could digest Chlorella very efficiently while cellulase purified from Thermomonospora fusca did not. From the result here, we propose that the cellulolytic system from marine rotifer is responsible for the hydrolysis of cellulosic wall of Chlorella, probing that rotifer digests Chlorella as a major live food.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.257-263
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• 2016

Chlorella is known as chlorophyceae which can live autotrophically by photosynthesis, promote the growth of plants and suppress some plant diseases. However, a few researches in inhibition mechanism of plant diseases by chlorella have been carried out. In this study cucumber leaves pre-treated with Chlorella fusca suspension were investigated whether anthracnose by Colletotrichum orbiculare is suppressed or not. Furthermore, in order to illustrate how the algae can restrain the antracnose, the infection structures of C. orbiculare were observed on the cucumber leaves pre-treated with the algae. Consequently, appressorium formation rate was apparently reduced in the cucumber leaves pre-treated with C. fusca compared to untreated control one. Also, the numbers of conidia found at the inoculation sites were significantly reduced compared to untreated one. On the other hand, on the leaves pre-treated with $Benomyl^{(R)}$ appressorium formation were decreased remarkably and numbers of conidia were also reduced similar with those pre-treated with C. fusca. Based on these results, it was revealed that occurrence of anthracnose can be suppressed by C. fusca pre-treatment and suggested that biochmical or structural hinderance by C. fusca resulting in the decline of appressorium formation on the leave surfaces may play an important role in the disease suppression.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.567-574
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of freshwater alga, Chlorella fusca on the improvement of growth and qualities in organic spinach and Chinese chives farm. The average height of Chinese chives treated with the chlorella was 3.7 cm smaller than that of the untreated. The leaf width and fresh weight of Chinese chives treated with the chlorella was 0.5 mm wider and 30.3 g heavier than that of the untreated. The commercialization and yield of Chinese chives treated with the chlorella was 11.9% and 18.3%, respectively higher than that of the untreated. Also, the disease severity of gray mold disease of Chinese chives treated with the chlorella was reduced by more than 24.2% when compared with the untreated. The thickness and number of spinach leaves treated with chlorella was 27.9% and 41.8%, respectively higher than that of the untreated. The fresh weight and yield of the spinach treated with the chlorella was 63.6% and 31.5%, respectively higher than that of the untreated. Moreover, the mineral content of K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, and Mn were recorded higher in the spinach treated with chlorella compared with that of untreated. The results indicated that the freshwater alga, Chlorella fusca is efficient and economical biostimulant in improving plant growth and quality of Chinese chives and spinach in organic farm.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2018

Chlorella, one single-cell green algae organism that lives autotrophically by photosynthesis, can directly suppress some plant diseases. The objective of this study was to determine whether pre-spraying with Chlorella fusca suspension could induce systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in cucumber plants against anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare. In order to illustrate SAR induced by algae, infection structures in host cells were observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Cytological changes as defense responses of host mesophyll cells such as accumulation of vesicles, formation of sheath around penetration hyphae, and thickness of cell wells adjoining with intracellular hyphae were demonstrated in cucumber leaves. Similar defense responses were also found in the plant pre-treated with DL-3-aminobutyric acid, another SAR priming agent. Images showed that defense response of host cells was scarcely observed in untreated leaf tissues. These cytological observations suggest that C. fusca could induce SAR against anthracnose in cucumber plants by activating defense responses of host cells.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Green algae (Chlorella spp.) has been widely used as a biofertilizer to improve the crop yield and quality. However, available information is not enough to verify the mechanism of green algae's beneficial impact on strawberry. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Chlorella fusca CHK005 application on the growth and nutrient status of strawberry plant and fruit characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 800 seedlings of strawberry variety 'Kuemsil' were planted. Once a week, C. fusca culture solution (1.0 × 10⁷ cells mL^-1) was applied into soil via irrigation in four different concentrations: no application (control), 1/1000 times (× 0.5), 1/500 times (× 1), and 1/250 times (× 2). Result showed that growth of strawberry plant was enhanced by Chlorella application and the highest impact on fresh weight (FW) and chlorophyll content of the plants were observed in × 2 treatment, followed by × 1, × 0.5, and control treatments. The phosphorus (P) concentration in the plant was significantly higher in × 1 and × 2 treatments compared to control. In case of fruit quality, sugar content (°Brix), hardness, and FW were lowest in control, but these values increased as application levels of Chlorella were higher. Also, P and K contents in the fruits increased with increasing the application levels and significant correlation between P content and oBrix in the fruits was found. CONCLUSION(S): Overall, Chlorella application seemed to improve plant growth and fruit quality by increasing the utilization efficiency of P and K in strawberries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.708-716
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to identify strawberry wilt pathogens and evaluate the efficacy of Chlorella fusca CHK0059 for improving plant growth and suppressing Fusarium wilt. We identified 10 isolates of wilt pathogens of non-pesticide Seolhyang strawberry plant, including Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, using morphological and molecular analysis. On the 15^th day after 0.4% CHK0059 treatment, the plant height of the untreated control strawberry plants was significantly greater than that of the CHK0059-treated strawberry plants. After 85 days, both treatments showed a similar tendency regarding the height of the strawberry plants. However, the thickness of strawberry leaves treated with the CHK0059 was found to be 1 mm thicker than that of the untreated control. The flowering percentage of the CHK0059 plants was also 40.2% higher on average than that of the untreated control. The chlorophyll content of strawberry leaves treated with the CHK0059 was also, on average, 6.63% higher than that of the untreated control. After 90 days of the CHK0059 treatment, the incidence of Fusarium wilt in the CHK0059-treated plants had reduced by 9.8% on average compared to the untreated control. The population density of F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae was also reduced by approximately 86.8% in the CHK0059-treated plants by comparison to the untreated control at 70 days after treatment. The results indicate that the microalga C. fusca CHK0059 is an efficient biological agent for improving strawberry plant growth and suppressing Fusarium wilt disease in organic strawberries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.862-868
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• 2022

Microalgae are photosynthetic cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms, mainly living in the water. In agriculture, numerous studies have been conducted to utilize microalgae as a biostimulant resource. Scenedesmus has been known to be one such microalga that can promote plant growth by secretion of auxin or cytokinin hormone analogs. However, no research has been performed on the effect of microalgae treatment on plant microbiota communities. This study was conducted to investigate the mode of action of microalgae as biostimulants in a plant microbiota perspective by using Scenedesmus sp. CHK0059 (also known as species Chlorella fusca), which has been well documented as a biostimulant for strawberries. The strawberry cultivar Keumsil was bred with Seolhyang and Maehyang as the parent cultivars. Using these three cultivars, microbiota communities were evaluated for changes in structural composition according to the CHK0059 treatment. CHK0059-treated Seolhyang, and CHK0059-untreated Maehyang were similar in microbial diversity in the endosphere. From a microbiota community perspective, the diversity change showed that CHK0059 was affected by the characteristics of the host. Conversely, when CHK0059 treatment was applied, populations of Streptomyces and Actinospica were observed in the crown endosphere.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.408-417
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• 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of an aquaponics system utilizing catfish recirculating water on the growth and water quality in lettuce and chicory cultivation. After 60 d of catfish cultivation in the BFT-AP, the survival rate was 96.0% and average weight gain was 178.5 g. The WGR grew by 241.4% and the SGR was 3.0%. A comparison between lettuce and chicory cultivation using BFT-AP and hydroponics revealed significant increases in shoot height, leaf count per week, and biomass of the cultivated lettuce and chicory. The SPAD values also increased significantly by 15.4-43.3%. Water quality analysis of the BFT-AP systems and crop cultivation beds showed significant differences, except for K and Na. The average NO₃^- concentration in the sediment pond was significantly higher at 45.3±1.0. Comparison of water temperature, pH, EC, DO, and ORP in the BFT-AP system and crop cultivation beds revealed similar monthly water temperatures from July to September. The pH in the catfish culture pond was 0.3-1.2 lower than that in the crop cultivation beds, and the EC was approximately 0.01- 0.03 dS/m lower in the catfish culture pond than the crop cultivation beds. The monthly average ORP in the catfish culture bed steadily increased to 479.9 mV in October. Bacillus velezensis (AFB2-2) and Chlorella fusca (CF) were applied to the biological activation bed; the population density of CF showed a continuous increase, whereas that of AFB2-2 decreased after 15 d and gradually increased thereafter. Thus, the application of the recirculating aquaponics cultivation technology with catfish (BFT) enhances catfish cultivation and promotes the growth of lettuce and chicory. Therefore, it is considered suitable for the environment-friendly cultivation of lettuce and chicory.