• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.85.2-86
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• 2003

Fusarium graminearum is an important pathogen of cereal crops in many areas of the world causing head blight and ear rot of small grains. In addition to serious economic losses, this fungus produces mycotoxins, such as trichothecenes and zearalenone on diseased crops and has been a potential threat to human and animal health. To massively identify pathogenesis-related genes from F. graminearum, two representative strains (SCKO4 from rice and Z03643 from wheat) were mutagenized using restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI). In total, 20,DOD REMI transformants have been collected from the two strains. So far, 63 mutants for several traits involved in disease development such as virulence, mycotoxin production, and sporulation have been selected from 3,000 REMI transformants. Now, selected mutants of interest have being genetically analyzed using a newly developed outcross method (See Jungkwan Lee et al poster). In addition, cloning and characterization of genomic DNA regions flanking the insertional site in the genome of the mutants are in progress.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.334-342
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• 2015

Two fumonisin-nonproducing strains of Fusarium verticillioides and their fumonisin producing progenitors were tested for aggressiveness toward maize, sorghum, rice, and beetroot seedlings grown under greenhouse conditions. None of the plants showed obvious disease symptoms after root dip inoculation. Fungal biomass was determined by species-specific real-time PCR. No significant (P = 0.05) differences in systemic colonization were detected between the wild type strains and mutants not producing fumonisins. F. verticillioides was not detected in any of the non-inoculated control plants. The fungus grew from roots to the first two internodes/leaves of maize, rice and beet regardless of fumonisin production. The systemic growth of F. verticillioides in sorghum was limited. The results showed that fumonisin production was not required for the infection of roots of maize, rice and beet by F. verticillioides.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.273-281
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• 2011

Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as scab, caused mainly by Fusarium graminearum is a devastating disease of wheat in regions that are warm and humid during flowering. In addition to significant yield and quality losses, the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol produced by the pathogen in infected wheat kernels is a serious problem for food and feed safety. Twenty- three Korean cultivars and "Sumai 3", which is a FHB-resistant Chinese cultivar were tested for Type I, Type II resistances of FHB. Three cultivars were identified as resistant in Type I assessment, and two cultivars were resistant in Type II assessment. Genetic variation and relationship among the cultivars were evaluated on the basis of 11 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and 29 Sequence Tagged Site (STS) markers that were linked to FHB resistance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) on chromosome 3BS. One SSR and 7 STS markers detected polymorphisms. Especially, using a STS marker (XSTS3B-57), 32.4% of the variation for Type II FHB resistance could be explained. Genetic relationship among Korean wheat cultivars was generally consistent with their released year. These markers on chromosome 3BS have the potential for accelerating the development of Korean wheat cultivars with improved Fusarium head blight resistance through the use of marker-assisted selection.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.96-101
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• 1995

To study the immunotoxicity of mouse injected with fungal mycotoxin, T-2 toxin (Fusarium mycotoxin) was treated to 6 week-old female C3H/He mouse and the body, organ weight and morphological change were investigated. The weights of body, liver and kidney of mouse injected the 2 mg/kg of toxin was decreased to 17, 20 and 3%, respectively, compared to control animal and the comsumption of feed was also decreased with lapsing the time. The fat dropleting phenomenon and destruction of Golgi apparatus in liver and histopathological changes of tissue and mitochondria in small intestine were found by scanning electron microscopic observation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2008

The productions of beauvericin and enniatins H, I, and MK1688 by Fusarium oxysporum KFCC 11363P were investigated on rice substrate at four temperatures (15, 20, 25, and $30^{\circ}C$) and three moisture contents (10, 20, and 40%). The largest amount of beauvericin ($718.0\;{\mu}g/g$) was produced at $25^{\circ}C$, and maximum levels of enniatin H ($781.9\;{\mu}g/g$), I ($725.8\;{\mu}g/g$), and MK1688 ($425.8\;{\mu}g/g$) were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) at the same temperature. The optimal moisture content for the production of beauvericin and enniatins H, I, and MK1688 was 40%, and the trace amounts of these toxins were observed at 10% moisture content. Sixty five grain samples (n=65) were tested for the monitoring of beauvericin. This mycotoxin was detected in six grain samples including three maize, two barley, and one wheat samples. The highest contamination level of beauvericin was observed in maize sample ($0.23\;{\mu}g/g$).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1128-1139
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• 2020

Over recent years, it has become evident that food and agricultural products are easily contaminated by fungi of Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium due to rapid climate change, which is not only a global food quality concern but also a serious health concern. Owing to consumers' interest in health, resistance to preservatives such as propionic acid and sorbic acid (which have been used in the past) is increasing, so it is necessary to develop a substitute from natural materials. In this review, the role of lactic acid bacteria as a biological method for controlling the growth and toxin production of fungi was examined. According to recent studies, lactic acid bacteria effectively inhibit the growth of fungi through various metabolites such as organic acids with low molecular weight, reuterin, proteinaceous compounds, hydroxy fatty acids, and phenol compounds. Lactic acid bacteria effectively reduced mycotoxin production by fungi via adsorption of mycotoxin with lactic acid bacteria cell surface components, degradation of fungal mycotoxin, and inhibition of mycotoxin production. Lactic acid bacteria could be regarded as a potential anti-fungal and anti-mycotoxigenic material in the prevention of fungal contamination of food and agricultural products because lactic acid bacteria produce various kinds of potent metabolic compounds with anti-fungal activities.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.407-413
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• 2016

Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) causes Fusarium head blight in small grain cereals. To date, four species (F. graminearum, F. asiaticum, F. boothii, and F. meridionale ) belonging to FGSC frequently occur in Korean cereals. In addition, we first reported the occurrence of additional species (F. vorosii ) within FGSC, which was isolated from barley, corn, and rice in Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of the Fusarium isolates of this group using combined multigene sequences confirmed species identification. Moreover, the macroconidia produced by these isolates were morphologically similar to those of the F. vorosii holotype. Chemical analysis indicated that the F. vorosii isolates produced various trichothecenes such as nivalenol and deoxynivalenol with their acetyl derivatives along with zearalenone. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that all of the F. vorosii isolates examined were pathogenic on barley, corn, and rice with variation in aggressiveness. This study is the first report of F. vorosii in Korean cereals, their pathogenicity towards barley and corn, and their ability to produce trichothecenes and zearalenone.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.301-309
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• 2011

The filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum is an important cereal pathogen. Although quantitative realtime PCR (qRT-PCR) is commonly used to analyze the expression of important fungal genes, no detailed validation of reference genes for the normalization of qRT-PCR data has been performed in this fungus. Here, we evaluated 15 candidate genes as references, including those previously described as housekeeping genes and those selected from the whole transcriptome sequencing data. By a combination of three statistical algorithms (BestKeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder), the variation in the expression of these genes was assessed under different culture conditions that favored mycelial growth, sexual development, and trichothecene mycotoxin production. When favoring mycelial growth, GzFLO and GzUBH expression were most stable in complete medium. Both EF1A and GzRPS16 expression were relatively stable under all conditions on carrot agar, including mycelial growth and the subsequent perithecial induction stage. These two genes were also most stable during trichothecene production. For the combined data set, GzUBH and EF1A were selected as the most stable. Thus, these genes are suitable reference genes for accurate normalization of qRT-PCR data for gene expression analyses of F. graminearum and other related fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.967-974
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• 2016

Zearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that is produced by several Fusarium species, including Fusarium graminearum. One of the ZEA biosynthetic genes, ZEB2, encodes two isoforms of Zeb2 by alternative transcription, forming an activator (Zeb2L-Zeb2L homooligomer) and an inhibitor (Zeb2L-Zeb2S heterodimer) that directly regulate the ZEA biosynthetic genes in F. graminearum. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling regulates secondary metabolic processes in several filamentous fungi. In this study, we investigated the effects of the PKA signaling pathway on ZEA biosynthesis. Through functional analyses of PKA catalytic and regulatory subunits (CPKs and PKR), we found that the PKA pathway negatively regulates ZEA production. Genetic and biochemical evidence further demonstrated that the PKA pathway specifically represses ZEB2L transcription and also takes part in posttranscriptional regulation of ZEB2L during ZEA production. Our findings reveal the intriguing mechanism that the PKA pathway regulates secondary metabolite production by reprograming alternative transcription.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.417-422
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• 2008

Apicidin is a cyclic tetrapeptide produced by some Fusarium species and is known to inhibit Apicomplexan histone deacetylase. The goals of this study were to determine species identity of Fusarium isolate KCTC16676, an apicidin producer, to improve a method for apicidin extraction, and to test phytotoxicity of apicidin and its analogs. We compared sequences of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) gene in KCTC16676 with those from isolates representing diverse Fusarium species, which showed that KCTC16676 belongs to the F. semitectum-F. equiseti species complex. To enhance apicidin production, after culturing isolate KCTC16676 on a wheat medium for 3 weeks at $25^{\circ}C$, the culture was extracted with chloroform. Apicidins were purified through a reverse phase $C_{18}$ silica gel column, resulting in 5 g of apicidin, 200 mg of apicidin A, and 300 mg of apicidin $D_2$ from 4 kg of wheat cultures; this represents a significant yield improvement from a previous method, offers more materials to study the modes of its action, and facilitates the elucidation of the apicidin biosynthesis pathway. Apicidin and apicidin $D_2$ showed phytotoxicity on both seedlings and 2-week-old plants of diverse species, and weeds were more sensitive to apicidins than vegetables