• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1311-1319
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• 2016

Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) invades Brassicaceae and causes black spot disease, significantly lowering productivity. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and their upstream kinases, including MAPK kinases (MAPKKs) and MAPKK kinases (MAPKKK), comprise one of the most important signaling pathways determining the pathogenicity of diverse plant pathogens. The AbSte7 gene in the genome of A. brassicicola was predicted to be a homolog of yeast Ste7, a MAPKK; therefore, the function was characterized by generating null mutant strains with a gene replacement method. AbSte7 replacement mutants (RMs) had a slower growth rate and altered colony morphology compared with the wild-type strain. Disruption of the AbSte7 gene resulted in defects in conidiation and melanin accumulation. AbSte7 was also involved in the resistance pathways in salt and oxidative stress, working to negatively regulate salt tolerance and positively regulate oxidative stress. Pathogenicity assays revealed that AbSte7 RMs could not infect intact cabbage leaves, but only formed very small lesions in wounded leaves, whereas typical lesions appeared on both intact and wounded leaves inoculated with the wild-type strain. As the first studied MAPKK in A. brassicicola, these data strongly suggest that the AbSte7 gene is an essential element for the growth, development, and pathogenicity of A. brassicicola.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.259-268
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• 1992

Fifty-three actinomycetes antagonistic to Phytophthora capsici and Magnaporthe grisea were isolated from rhizosphere soils in six pepper-growing areas and ashore soils. Thirty-two antagonistic actinomycetes, showing inhibition zone larger than 5 mm, were classified into 20 groups according to their colony morphology and color. The antagonistic activity against P. capsici greatly varied, which showed inhibition zone sizes in the ranges from 5.7 to 17.5 mm on V-8 juice agar and from 2.5 to 17 mm on tryptic soy agar. The antagonistic activity of some actinomycetes tested was remarkably different between the two test media. The antagonists showed a relatively broad antifungal spectrum, but their antibacterial activity was negligible, except for Pseudomonas solanacearum. Butanol extracts of culture filtrates from antagonistic actinomycetes inhibited mycelial growth of P. capsici and M. grisea, thereby confirming strongly antibiotic production in culture. Culture filtrates of some antagonistic actinomycetes completely inhibited Phytophthora blight in pepper plants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2016

The most economically important species used in a wide range of fermentation industries throughout Asia belong to Aspergillus section Flavi, which are morphologically and phylogenetically indistinguishable, with a few being toxigenic and therefore a major concern. They are frequently isolated from Korean fermentation starters, such as nuruk and meju. The growing popularity of traditional Korean alcoholic beverages has led to a demand for their quality enhancement, therefore requiring selection of efficient non-toxigenic strains to assist effective fermentation. This study was performed to classify the most efficient strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from various types of traditional wheat nuruk, based on a polyphasic approach involving molecular and biochemical evaluation. A total of 69 strains were isolated based on colony morphology and identified as Aspergillus oryzae/flavus based on internal transcribed spacer and calmodulin gene sequencing. Interestingly, none were toxigenic based on PCR amplification of intergenic regions of the aflatoxin cluster genes norB-cypA and the absence of aflatoxin in the culture supernatants by thin-layer chromatography analysis. Saccharification capability of the isolates, assessed through ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase activities, revealed that two isolates, TNA24 and TNA15, showed the highest levels of activity. Although the degrees of variation in ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase activities among the isolates were higher, there were only slight differences in acid protease activity among the isolates with two, TNA28 and TNA36, showing the highest activities. Furthermore, statistical analyses showed that ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity was positively correlated with glucoamylase activity (p < 0.001), and therefore screening for either was sufficient to predict the saccharifying capacity of the Aspergillus strain.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2017

As a subset study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea in 2014, a total of 34 bacterial strains assigned to the phylum Actinobacteria were isolated from various environmental samples collected from activate sludge, biotite, freshwater, gut of marine organisms, mud flat, sediment, soil, spent mushroom compost and sea water. On the basis of high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and a tight phylogenetic association with the closest species, it was revealed that each strain was assigned to independent and previously described bacterial species, with the exception of one isolate. There is no official report that these 34 species included in the phylum Actinobacteria have been described in Korea: 6 species of 5 genera in the order Corynebacteriales, 1 species of 1 genus in the order Frankiales, 2 species of 2 genera in the Micromonosporales, 14 species of 10 genera in Micrococcales, 2 species of 2 genera in the Propionibacteriales, 1 species of 1 genus in the Pseudonocardiales, 4 species of 2 genera in the Streptomycetales, 2 species of 2 genera in the Streptosporangiales and 1 species of 1 genus in the Solirubrobacterales. Gram reaction, cell and colony morphology, pigmentation, physiological characteristics, isolation sources and strain IDs are described in the section of species description.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.141-153
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• 2017

During an investigation of the biodiversity of bacterial species in Korea, we discovered many indigenous prokaryotic species. A total of 39 bacterial strains in the class Alphaproteobacteria were isolated from various environmental samples collected from marine organisms, sea water, fresh water, tap water, mud flats, activated sludge, mineral water, tidal flats, soil and decayed plants. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>98.7%) and formation of robust phylogenetic clades with the most closely related species, it was determined that each strain belonged to each independent and predefined bacterial species. There is no official report that any of these 39 Alphaproteobacteria species have been described in Korea. Specifically, 18 species in 11 genera in the order Sphingomonadales, 11 species in 10 genera in the order Rhizobiales, two species in two genera in the order Caulobacterales, six species in six genera in the order Rhodobacterales and two species in two genera in the order Rhodospirillales were found in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are described in the species description section.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2017

Within a comprehensive, widescale investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, 29 bacterial strains in the phylum Bacteroidetes were isolated from diverse environmental habitats that included soil, plant roots, natural caves, tidal flats, freshwater from lakes, and seawater. Based on their high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities (>99.1%) and the formation of robust phylogenetic clades with the closest type species, each strain likely belonged to an independent and predefined bacterial species. There are no publications or official reports of the isolation of these 29 species in Korea. Our study provides strong evidence that seven species in three genera in the order Cytophagales, 15 species in 13 genera in the order Flavobacteriales and seven species in five genera in the order Sphingobacteriales, all within the phylum Bacteriodetes, are new reports of bacterial species in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are described in the species description section.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2017

During a comprehensive investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total 31 bacterial strains assigned to the class Alphaproteobacteria were isolated from diverse environmental habitats including freshwater, seawater, brackish water, ginseng soil, plant roots, natural caves, and tidal flats. Based on their high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities(>99.1%) and formation of robust phylogenetic clades with the closest type species, each strain was assigned to an independent and predefined bacterial species. Because there were no published or official reports regarding the isolation of these 31 species in Korea, this study identified three species in two genera in the order Caulobacterales, 12 species in 10 genera in the order Rhodobacterales, three species in two genera in the order Rhizobiales, two species in two genera in the order Rhodospirillales and 11 species in seven genera, all in the order Sphingomonadaceae within the Alphaproteobacteria are reported as new alphaproteobacterial species in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are described in the species description section.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4271-4274
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• 2014

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step during embryonic morphogenesis and plays an important role in drug resistance and metastasis in diverse solid tumors. We previously reported that 48 h treatment of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin could induce EMT in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells. However, the long term effects of this transient drug treatment were unknown. In this study we found that after 48 h treatment with $0.1{\mu}g/ml$ doxorubicin, most cells died during next week, while a minor population of cells survived and formed colonies. We propagated the surviving cells in drug free medium and found that these long term cultured drug survival cells (abbreviated as ltDSCs) retained a mesenchymal-like cell morphology, and expressed high levels of EMT-related molecules such as vimentin, twist and ${\beta}$-catenin. The expression of chromatin reprogramming factors, Oct4 and c-myc, were also higher in ltDSCs than parental cells. We further demonstrated that the protein level of p300 was upregulated in ltDSCs, and inhibition of p300 by siRNA suppressed the expression of vimentin. Moreover, the ltDSCs had higher colony forming ability and were more drug resistant when compared to parental cells. Our results suggested that an epigenetic mechanism is involved in the EMT of ltDSCs.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.20 no.4 s.49
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• pp.183-190
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• 1981

Alternaria sesami, A. sesamicola, A. tenuis, A. longissima, Cercospora sesami, Cephalosporium sp., Corynespora cassiicola, Fusarium equiseti, F. moniliforme, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, Macrophomina phaseolina and Myrothecium roridum were detected from 40 seed samples of sesame. A sesami, A. sesamicola, A. tenuis and C. cassiicola were the predominant fungi. Except C. cassiicola, all fungi were almost completly reduced and wiped out the infection by pretreatment with chlorine. Plating components also indicate that C. cassiicola was well-established infections. Seedborne infection of C. cussiicola caused heavy seed rot and seedling mortality. Detailed description has been given on the habit character of C. cassiicola under stereoscopic microscope and the variation in colony character and spore morphology have been taken into account. In inoculation experiments, C. cassiicola produced severe leaf and stem spots and blights on sesame plants resulted in ultimate death of the plants. A. sesami, A. sesamicola A. longissima and C. sesami also produced mild to severe leaf spotting and leaf blight when suspension of their conidia were sprayed on to plants. In soil inoculation experiments, F. oxysporum and M. phaseolina were the most pathogenic causing seed rot and seedling blight.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.487-496
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• 1995

Previous studies have demonstrated that not all A. actinomycetemcomitans produced significant level of leukotoxic factor and its leukotoxicity have associated with serotype and genetic variation. Our aim was to investigate on the interrelationship between serotype and leukotoxicity of an A. actinomycetemcomitans consisting of 13 clinically well characterized. Korean isolates and to evaluate if particular virulent clonal types of A. actinomycetemcomitans are associated with periodontal disease. For this study, 13 strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans from 6 patients with periodontal disease were isolated and identified by using a selective medium(tryptic soy agar supplemented with 10% serum, $75{\mu}g$ of bacitracin and $5{\mu}g$ of vancomycin per ml) in 10% C02 incubator for 3days with routine Gram staining, colony morphology and biochemical test..For serotyping, antisera were prepared from reference strains of 5 serotypes. (ATCC 29523,Y4, SUNY aB 67, IDH 781, IDH 1705) and then ammonium sulfate precipitation, immunoabsorption and indirect immunofluoroscent procedures were done. For analysis of leukotoxicity, sonic extract of A. actinomycetemcomitans exposed to PMN, and trypan blue was stained for counting the cell viability. Finally Southern blot analyses of genomic DNA digested with the restriction enzyme Tag I was done and the Southern blots were hybridized with the 530bp fragment, termed delta 530, originating from the ltx promoter of strain 652 and deleted from strain JP2. Also ltxA-3.1 and SC2 probe from strain JP2 were hybridized with genomic DNA fragments. Results reveal that strains isolated showed approximately equal proportions of 3 serotypes(b, d, e) and serotype b was not detected. 2 patients harbored 2 different serotypes in the same disease site. The prevalence of leukotoxic strain was 23% and there was no relationship between serotype, leukotoxicity and clinical observations. Especially virulent clonal types of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitan (JP2 strain) could not found. Further studies are necessary on the genetic polymorphism of leukotoxin and its relations to clinical status.