• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.410-416
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• 2023

Fungi are cosmopolitan and they occupy diverse niches as consumers, producers, and decomposers. They play critical roles in the environment by enabling nutrient cycling and generating a plethora of secondary metabolites. This study aimed to identify and characterize fungal strains isolated from diverse sources on Muui Island, Republic of Korea. In 2023, a total of 86 fungal strains were collected and examined. Investigation of the morphological features and phylogenetic analyses of multiple barcode loci identified one putative novel species and two species previously unrecorded in the Republic of Korea: Colletotrichum sp., Colletotrichum guizhouense, and Fusarium brachygibbosum. This study provides a comprehensive description of their molecular phylogenies and morphological characteristics. These findings will contribute to the existing knowledge about fungal species in the Republic of Korea and future research on the fungal diversity on Muui Island.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.100-108
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• 2014

Twelve plant species were collected from the east coast of Korea to identify culturable endophytes present in their roots. The fungal internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8SrRNA-ITS2) was used as a DNA barcode for identification of fungi. A total of 194 fungal strains were identified and categorized into 31 genera. The genus Penicillium accounted for the largest number of strains, followed by the genus Aspergillus. Furthermore, using 5 statistical methods, the diversity indices of the fungi were calculated at the genus level. After comprehensive evaluation, the endophytic fungal group from Phragmites australis ranked highest in diversity analyses. Several strains responsible for plant growth and survival (Penicillium citrinum, P. funiculosum, P. janthinellum, P. restrictum, and P. simplicissimum), were also identified. This study provides basic data on the sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between coastal plants and fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1680-1687
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• 2020

Fungal endophytes are symbiotic microorganisms that are often found in asymptomatic plants. This study describes the genetic diversity of the fungal endophytes isolated from the roots of plants sampled from the west coast of Korea. Five halophytic plant species, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda australis, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda glauca Bunge, and Phragmites australis, were collected from a salt marsh in Gochang and used to isolate and identify culturable, root-associated endophytic fungi. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 was used as the DNA barcode for the classification of these specimens. In total, 156 isolates of the fungal strains were identified and categorized into 23 genera and two phyla (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), with Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes as the predominant classes. The genus Alternaria accounted for the largest number of strains, followed by Cladosporium and Fusarium. The highest diversity index was obtained from the endophytic fungal group associated with the plant P. australis. Waito-C rice seedlings were treated with the fungal culture filtrates to analyze their plant growth-promoting capacity. A bioassay of the Sm-3-7-5 fungal strain isolated from S. maritima confirmed that it had the highest plant growth-promoting capacity. Molecular identification of the Sm-3-7-5 strain revealed that it belongs to Alternaria alternata and is a producer of gibberellins. These findings provided a fundamental basis for understanding the symbiotic interactions between plants and fungi.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2022

Two new records of Scleroderma species from South Korea are described here. Comprehensive taxonomic studies of Scleroderma specimens were conducted at the Korea National Arboretum. Based on morphological and molecular data (fungal barcode sequences), two new records (S. laeve and S. nastii) were confirmed. Herein, morphological descriptions, including Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of basidiospore ornamentation, and a taxonomic key of Korean Scleroderma species are provided.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.304-312
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• 2022

Boxwood is a representative ornamental shrub that is widely used in landscaping horticulture. After pruning, damaged leaves or stems of boxwoods are unavoidably vulnerable to infection by various plant pathogens. Several boxwood diseases caused by fungi, such as Volutella blight and Macrophoma leaf spot, have been reported worldwide including Republic of Korea. In this study, we isolated and identified fungal pathogens of boxwood diseases that occurred in Korea and characterized their morphological and taxonomic characteristics. Boxwood samples showing blight symptoms were collected in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and the putative fungal pathogens Pseudonectria buxi, P. foliicola, and Neofusicoccum buxi were successfully identified. Investigation of the morphological features of the field isolates, including mycelial growth and conidial morphology, and phylogenetic analysis of multiple DNA barcode loci revealed that there were some morphological and genetic variations among isolates, but all of the analyzed isolates were closely related to the corresponding reference strains. We also found that P. foliicola strains were more virulent than P. buxi, and the N. buxi strains isolated in this study were weak pathogens or saprophytes. The results of our study will contribute to the development of control strategies for boxwood diseases caused by fungi and accelerate research on the complex ecology of boxwood diseases.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.29-29
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• 2014

Since Darwin and Wallace introduced the concept on the evolution of species, scientists have been furiously debating what species are, and how to define them. This basic yet intriguing question has bothered us ever since, as communicating to fellow biologists about fungal species is the very cornerstone of mycology. For the species presently known, this has largely been accomplished via Latin binomials linked to morphology in the absence of DNA barcodes. In recent years mycologists have embraced the ribosomal ITS as official barcode region for Fungi, and this locus is also mainly used in environmental pyrosequencing studies. Furthermore, DNA data can now also be used to describe sterile species in the absence or lack of distinct morphological structures. Recent developments such as the registration of names in MycoBank, and linking the phenotype to the genotype, have significantly changed the face of fungal systematics. By employing the Consolidated Species Concept, incorporating genealogical concordance, ecology and morphology, robust species recognition is now possible. Several international initiatives have since built on these developments, such as the DNA barcoding of holdings of Biological Resource Centres, followed by the Genera of Fungi Project, aiming to recollect, and epitypify all type species of all genera. What these data have revealed, is that most genera are poly- and paraphyletic, and that morphological species normally encompass several genetic entities, which may be cryptic species. Once we provide a stable genetic backbone capturing our existing knowledge of the past 250 years, we will be able to accommodate novelties obtained via environmental sequencing platforms. Being able to communicate these species to other biologists in a clear manner that is DNA-based, will enable scientists to elucidate the importance, role and ecological interactions that these fungi have on our planet.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2014

Over five thousand higher fungal specimens were collected from 32 forest areas of Chungcheong and Gyeongsang province from 2012 to 2013. We obtained 513 strains and 3,120 ITS sequences. Mushrooms were first identified with macro- and micro-scopic characters, and their identification was confirmed on the basis of ITS sequences. Voucher specimens were designated for each species found in Korea. Construction of DNA barcoding Database is currently underway with sequences of 409 species. During the development of the database, some new species were recognized, along with several Korean new records. When the system has been completed, it will provide essential molecular information for metagenomic and phylogenetic researches for higher fungi.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2021

Auricularia (Auriculariaceae, Basidiomycota) is well-known jelly fungi, and most species are cultivated or utilized medicinally around the world. A total of 127 Auricularia specimens were collected during Korean mushroom forays by the Korea National Arboretum from 2008 to 2020. In this investigation, fungal barcode analysis and morphological examinations of 33 specimens were conducted and five Korean Auricularia species were identified. Of the species identified, A. americana, A. heimuer, and A. villosula were new to Korea, while A. auricula-judae which was previously identified in Korea, was not found. Herein, we discuss the Korean Auricularia species and provide a taxonomic key for their morphological identification.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2014

The wood decay fungi Antrodia P. Karst. play important ecological roles and have significant industrial and economic impacts as both wood degraders and sources of pharmaceutical and biotechnological products. Although each Antrodia species has distinct morphological characteristics, the misidentification rate is especially high due to their simple morphological characters. A combination of morphological and internal transcribed spacer region sequence analyses revealed that 27 of 89 specimens previously identified by morphology alone were correct, whereas 35 of these specimens were misidentified as other Antrodia species. We report here that seven Antrodia species exist in Korea (A. albida, A. heteromorpha, A. malicola, A. serialis, A. sinuosa, A. sitchensis, and A. xantha) and based on these specimens, we provide taxonomic descriptions of these species, except for A. serialis, which was only confirmed by isolate.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.521-526
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• 2019

During the 2014 survey of the mushroom flora of Gwangneung forest in South Korea, we collected two specimens of boletoid mushroom growing on a felled tree of Pinus koraiensis. These specimens were characterized by a light brown to reddish-brown pileus with appressed tomentum, pore surface bluing instantly when bruised, golden-yellow mycelium at the base of stipe, and lignicolous habitat. Both specimens were identified as Buchwaldoboletus lignicola, a rare basidiomycete, based on morphological characteristics and sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS; fungal barcode). Here, we describe these specimens and provide the first report of this genus in South Korea.