• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2012

In the present study, an attempt to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of fungal endophytes inhabiting $Emblica$ $officinalis$ has been made keeping in view the medicinal importance of the selected host plant in Indian traditional practices. A total of four endophytic fungi belonging to Phylum Ascomycetes were isolated from different parts of the plant which were characterized morphologically and by using rDNA-internal transcribed spacer. The most frequently isolated endophyte was $Phomopsis$ sp. The antioxidant activity by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay, and total phenol were evaluated using ethanolic extract of endophytic fungi. DPPH activities in all the ethanolic extract increased with the increase in concentrations. Endophytes, $Phomopsis$ sp. and $Xylaria$ sp. showed highest antioxidant activity and also had the higher levels of phenolics. Antimicrobial activity of fungal extract were tested against four bacteria namely, $Escherichia$ $coli$ MTCC730, $Enteroccocus$ $faecalis$ MTCC2729, $Salmonella$ $enterica$ ser. $paratyphi$ MTCC735 and $Streptococcus$ $pyogenes$ MTCC1925, and the fungus $Candida$ $albicans$ MTCC183. In general, the fungal extracts inhibited the growth of test organisms except $E.$ $coli$.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2010

The cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway plays a major role in growth, sexual differentiation, and virulence factor synthesis of pathogenic fungi. In Cryptococcus neoformans, perturbation of the cAMP pathway, such as a deletion in the gene encoding adenylyl cyclase (CAC1), causes defects in the production of virulence factors, including capsule and melanin production, as well as mating. Previously, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of the Ras- and cAMP- pathway mutants, which revealed 163 potential cAMP-regulated genes (38 genes at a 2-fold cutoff). The present study characterized the role of one of the cAMP pathway-dependent genes (serotype A identification number CNAG_ 06576.2). The expression patterns were confirmed by Northern blot analysis and the gene was designated cAMP-regulated gene 1 (CAR1). Interestingly, deletion of CAR1 did not affect biosynthesis of any virulence factors and the mating process, unlike the cAMP-signaling deficient cac1$\Delta$ mutant. Furthermore, the car1$\Delta$ mutant exhibited wild-type levels of the stress-response phenotype against diverse environmental cues, indicating that Car1, albeit regulated by the cAMP-pathway, is not essential to confer a cAMP-dependent phenotype in C. neoformans.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2004

The fungal species of Rhizopus oryzae 2062 has the capacity to carry out a single stage fermentation process for lactic acid production from potato starch wastewater. Starch hydrolysis, reducing sugar accumulation, biomass formation, and lactic acid production were affected with variations in pH, temperature, and starch source and concentration. A growth condition with starch concentration approximately 20 g/ L at pH 6.0 and 30$^{\circ}C$ was favourable for starch fermentation, resulting in a lactic acid yield of 78.3%∼85.5% associated with 1.5∼2.0 g/L fungal biomass produced in 36 h of fermentation.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2018

Bacterial species, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Lactobacillus species (L. sp.5-1), are known to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Metarhizium anisopliae is a pathogenic fungal species which causes fatal damage to P. brevitarsis populations. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory effect of B. amyloliquefaciens and L. sp. 5-1 on M. anisopliae induced fatality rates in P. brevitarsis. Samples of M. anisopliae-infected sawdust were treated with strain B. amyloliquefaciens KACC10116, strain L. sp. 5-1 KACC19351, and a combination of the two. P. brevitarsis were fed treated sawdust samples, and their subsequent fatality rate was monitored. The fatality rate fell below 1.5% after 10 days and decreased by approximately 40% after 15 days. On average, the fatality rate decreased by 20%, compared to the control. The difference in the decrease in fatality rate between B. amyloliquefaciens treatment and L. sp. 5-1 treatment was not significant. Results indicate that both strains exhibit high anti-fungal activity, which may be useful in environmental purification efforts. These strains may be used for effective prevention of fungal infection in P. brevitarsis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.514-517
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• 2002

To investigate oleic acid biodegradation, 47 fungal strains were tested with modified Czapek Dox broth media containing oleic acid, and their biodegradative activities were assayed by measuring the release of $[^14C]CO_2$ from the $^14C-$labeled oleic acid. After 72 h of cultivation, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Alternaria species metabolized approximately $25\%\;to\;35\%$ of the supplied oleic acid. The relationship between the fungal degradation of oleic acid and the fungal growth was also examined using 7 strains of Aspergillus niger. A. niger. YMC 0100 and YMC 0322 degraded about $26\%$ of the oleic acid after 72 h, while their germination ratios were more than $30\%$.

• Mycobiology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 2002

The main aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of two biologically active compounds(Strom and F-760) in control of wheat root rot disease and its causal organisms. Fusarium graminearum, F. oxysporum, F. solani and Bipolaris sorokiniana were used as target organisms. In vitro, the two compounds showed fungicidal effect on all investigated pathogens resulted in suppression of radial growth and mycelial dry weight of them. Under greenhouse conditions, treatment of wheat grains with either Strom or F-760 before cultivation significantly reduced the percent of disease distribution as well as the mean disease rating of plants in both seedling and flowering stages. Fresh and dry weights of plants as well as water maintenance capacity were increased as the result of applying these compounds as seed dressing. Also data showed that the membrane stability of plants was injured as a result of infection with all investigated organisms, while this injury was alleviated when F-760 and Strom were applied. The $K^+$ efflux and the leakage of UV absorbing metabolites was stimulated with fungal infection. However, F-760 and Storm treatment partially retarded the stimulatory effect on leakage of $K^+$ and UV-absorbing metabolites of fungal infected plants. On the other side, the fungal infection had inhibitory effects on pigment fractions(chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids) biosynthesis in wheat leaves. This retarding effect was partially or completely alleviated as the grains were treated with the applied compounds.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2014

In 2009-2010, unusual symptoms were observed on Pleurotus eryngii grown in mushroom farms in Gyeongnam Province, Republic of Korea. One of the main symptoms was a cobweb-like growth of fungal mycelia over the surface of the mushroom. The colonies on the surface rapidly overwhelmed the mushrooms and developed several spores within 3-4 days. The colonized surface turned pale brown or yellow. The fruit body eventually turned dark brown and became rancid. Koch's postulates were completed by spraying and spotting using isolated strains. The phylogenetic tree obtained from the internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis showed that the isolated fungal pathogen corresponded to Cladobotryum mycophilum (99.5%). In the fungicide sensitivity tests, the $ED_{50}$ values for the isolate with respect to benomyl and carbendazim were from 0.29 to 0.31 ppm. Benzimidazole fungicides were most effective against C. mycophilum, a causal agent of cobweb disease in P. eryngii.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.460-464
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• 2013

dsRNA was found in malformed cultures of Lentinula edodes strain FMRI0339, one of the three most popular sawdust cultivated commercial strains of shiitake, and was also found in healthy-looking fruiting bodies and actively growing mycelia. Cloning of the partial genome of the dsRNA revealed the presence of the RdRp sequence of a novel L. edodes mycovirus (LeV), and sequence comparison of the cloned amplicon showed identical sequences sequence to known RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes of LeV found in strain HKA. The meiotic stability of dsRNA was examined by measuring the ratio of the presence of dsRNA among sexual monokaryotic progeny. More than 40% of the monokaryotic progeny still contained the dsRNA, indicating the persistence of dsRNA during sexual reproduction. Comparing the mycelia growth of monokaryotic progeny suggested that there appeared to be a tendency toward a lower frequency of virus incidence in actively growing progeny.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2009

Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast, forms a specialized infection structure, called an appressorium, which is crucial for penetration and infection of the host plant. Pharmacological data suggest that calcium/calmodulindependent signaling is involved in appressorium formation in this fungus. To understand the role of the calcium/calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase on appressorium formation at the molecular level, MCNA, a gene encoding the catalytic subunit of calcineurin, was functionally characterized in M. oryzae. Transformants expressing sense/antisense RNA of MCNA exhibited significant reductions in mycelial growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity. cDNA of MCNA functionally complemented a calcineurin disruptant strain (cmp1::LEU2 cmp2::HIS3) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These data suggest that calcineurin A plays important roles in signal transduction pathways involved in the infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity of M. oryzae.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 1994

This study was carried out to develop bioassay for detection of pesticide residues in agricultural products by using the soil microbial isolates sensitive to pesticides. One hundred bacterial isolates and eighty five fungal isolates were obtained from soil and their sensitivity to 10 ppm of several pesticides was examined in vitro. Five bacterial isolates and three fungal isolates were found sensitive to organochloride fungicide and two fungal isolates sensitive to organocopper fungicide. Among these isolates, B46, B93 and F67 were tested to find out the difference in sensitivity according to the methods of fungicide treatment. All of the isolates were found sensitive to 10 ppm of organochloride fungicides mixed directly in PDA. But they were found insensitive to the fungicide mixed in PDA after filtering through membrane filter. In case of organocopper fungicide, the isolates were found sensitive only when it was treated in PDA. And their sensitivity showed difference among various kinds of organochloride fungicides. B46 and B93 were employed to check the possibility as the agent for detection of the pesticidal residues in twenty eight agricultural products including rice. It was found that all samples had not residues because the samples did not inhibit the growth of isolates. When organochloride fungicides were applied to the above products, it was possible to detect the residues in fruits and vegetables at the concentration of 10 ppm, but not in starch-rich grains. B46 and B93 were identified as Bacillus sp. according to their bacterial characteristics in culture.