• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.33-39
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• 2001

An isolate of the indigenous fungus Pythium myriotylum was isolated from Monochoria vaginalis in Yusung, Korea in year 2000 and evaluated potential as a biocontrol agent in laboratory and greenhouse. P. myriotylum MD2 grew in a wide range of temperature regimes and the optimal growth temperature was $35^{\circ}C$. The fungus was highly pathogenic to Monochoria vaginalis at 30 to $35^{\circ}C$. Several weeds such as Rotala, indica, Lindernia procumbens, Ludwigia prostrata, Cyperus difformis, Scirpus juncoides, Aneilema keisak were also susceptible to the fungus, but Echinochloa crus-galli was not. The fungus affected the growth of rice seed germinated, but not to rice seedlings of 1- to 3-leaf stage. A total of 12 rice cultivars (3- to 4-leaf stage) tested showed no disease symptoms when inoculated with the fungus. Eleven crops, including Chinese cabbage, corn, soybean except wheat were immune to the infection of the fungi. These data suggest that P. myriotylum MD2 has a potential as a mycoherbicide to control weeds in paddy fields.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2019

Fungi produce various secondary metabolites that have beneficial and harmful effects on other organisms. Those bioactive metabolites have been explored as potential medicinal and antimicrobial resources. However, the activities of the culture filtrate (CF) and metabolites of whiterot fungus (Schizophyllum commune) have been underexplored. In this study, we assayed the antimicrobial activities of CF obtained from white-rot fungus against various plant pathogens and evaluated its efficacy for controlling anthracnose and gray mold in pepper plants. The CF inhibited the mycelial growth of various fungal plant pathogens, but not of bacterial pathogens. Diluted concentrations of CF significantly suppressed the severity of anthracnose and gray mold in pepper fruits. Furthermore, the incidence of anthracnose in field conditions was reduced by treatment with a 12.5% dilution of CF. The active compound responsible for the antifungal and disease control activity was identified and verified as schizostatin. Our results indicate that the CF of white-rot fungus can be used as an eco-friendly natural product against fungal plant pathogens. Moreover, the compound, schizostatin could be used as a biochemical resource or precursor for development as a pesticide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the control of plant diseases using CF and active compound from white-rot fungus. We discussed the controversial antagonistic activity of schizostatin and believe that the CF of white-rot fungus or its active compound, schizostatin, could be used as a biochemical pesticide against fungal diseases such as anthracnose and gray mold in many vegetables.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Epicoccum purpurascens stain 5615 AUMC was investigated for its biocontrol activity against root rot disease caused by Pythium irregulare. E. purpurascens greenhouse pathogenicity tests using three leguminous plants indicated that the fungus was nonpathogenic under the test conditions. The germination rate of the three species of legume seeds treated with a E. purpurascens homogenate increased significantly compared with the seeds infested with P. irregulare. No root rot symptoms were observed on seeds treated with E. purpurascens, and seedlings appeared more vigorous when compared with the non-treated control. A significant increase in seedling growth parameters (seedling length and fresh and dry weights) was observed in seedlings treated with E. purpurascens compared to pathogen-treated seedlings. Pre-treating the seeds with the bioagent fungus was more efficient for protecting seeds against the root rot disease caused by P. irregulare than waiting for disease dispersal before intervention. To determine whether E. purpurascens produced known anti-fungal compounds, an acetone extract of the fungus was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The extract revealed a high percentage of the cinnamic acid derivative (trimethylsiloxy) cinnamic acid methyl ester. The E. purpurascens isolate grew more rapidly than the P. irregulare pathogen in a dual culture on potato dextrose agar nutrient medium, although the two fungi grew similarly when cultured separately. This result may indicate antagonism via antibiosis or competition.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2011

Antagonistic rhizobacteria, more specifically fluorescent pseudomonads and certain species of Bacillus, are known as biocontrol agents of fungal root diseases of agronomic crops. In this study, 144 bacteria were isolated from cucumber rhizosphere and screened as potential biological control agents against Phytophthora drechsleri, the causal agent of cucumber root rot, in vitro condition. Non-volatile compounds of 23 isolates showed noticeable inhibition zone (> 30%) against P. drechsleri, whereas volatile compounds of 7 isolates could prevent more than 30% of the mycelial growth of the fungus. All promising isolates, except of Pseudomonas flourescens V69, promoted significantly plant growth under in vitro condition. P. flourescens CV69 and V11 exhibited the highest colonization on the root. Results of the greenhouse studies showed that a reduction in disease incidence by use of some strains, and particularly use of strains CV6 and V11 as a soil treatment, exhibited a reduction in disease incidence so that suppressed disease by 85.71 and 69.39% respectively. Pseudomonas flourescens CV6 significantly suppressed disease in comparison to Ridomil fungicide. The use of mixture bacterial strains in the soil inoculated by the fungus resulting in falling down the most of the plants which didn't show significant difference with infected control soils without bacteria.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 2018

Two-hundred and fifty-five strains of actinomycetes isolated from soil samples were screened for their antagonistic activities against four well-known wood decay fungi (WDF), including a brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum and three white rot fungi Donkioporia expansa, Trametes versicolor, and Schizophyllum commune. A dual culture assay using culture media supplemented with heated or unheated culture filtrates of selected bacterial strains was used for the detection of their antimicrobial activity against four WDF. It was shown that Streptomyces atratus, S. tsukiyonensis, and Streptomyces sp. greatly inhibited the mycelial growth of the WDF tested compared with the control. To evaluate the biocontrol efficacy of S. atratus, S. tsukiyonensis, and Streptomyces sp., wood blocks of Pinus densiflora inoculated with three selected Streptomyces isolates were tested for weight loss, compression strength (perpendicular or parallel to the grain), bending strength, and chemical component changes. Of these three isolates used, Streptomyces sp. exhibited higher inhibitory activity against WDF, especially G. trabeum, as observed in mechanical and chemical change analyses. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cell walls of the wood block treated with Streptomyces strains were thicker and collapsed to a lesser extent than those of the non-treated control. Taken together, our findings indicate that Streptomyces sp. exhibits the potential to be used as a biocontrol agent for wood decay brown rot fungus that causes severe damage to coniferous woods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.815-822
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• 2021

Indigenous fungus-feeding nematodes may adversely affect the growth and activity of introduced biocontrol fungi. Alginate pellets of the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum ThzID1-M3 and sclerotia of the fungal plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were added to nonsterile soil at a soil water potential of -50 or -1,000 kPa. The biomass of ThzID1-M3, nematode populations, and extent of colonization of sclerotia by ThzID1-M3 were monitored over time. The presence of ThzID1-M3 increased the nematode population under both moisture regimes (p < 0.05), and fungivores comprised 69-75% of the nematode population. By day 5, the biomass of ThzID1-M3b and its colonization of sclerotia increased and were strongly correlated (R² = 0.98), followed by a rapid reduction, under both regimes. At -50 kPa (the wetter of the two environments), fungal biomass and colonization by ThzID1-M3 were less, in the period from 5 to 20 days, while fungivores were more abundant. These results indicate that ThzID1-M3 stimulated the population growth of fungivorous nematodes, which in turn, reduced the biocontrol ability of the fungus to mycoparasitize sclerotia. However, colonization incidence reached 100% by day 5 and remained so for the experimental period under both regimes, although hyphal fragments disappeared by day 20. Our results suggest that indigenous fungivores are an important constraint for the biocontrol activity of introduced fungi, and sclerotia can provide spatial refuge for biocontrol fungi from the feeding activity of fungivorous nematodes.

• Proceedings of the Turfgrass Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.35-35
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• 2011

A large patch disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2(IV) is a serious problem in turfgrass sites including golf courses and sports fields in Korea. The objectives of this study were to isolate some antagonistic microorganisms and to explain some involving mechanisms. Initially single colonies which were formed from the filtrates of various soil samples were obtained from LB culture and then co-cultured with R.solani AG2-2(IV) on PDA plate to explore some antagonistic microbes against for large patch fungus, Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2(IV). Out of total 82 antagonistic isolates which commonly had inhibition effect on Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2(IV) mycelial growth, one candidate (YPIN22) showed the most antifungal effect, which was confirmed by the longest distance from the edge of bacterial colony to the mycelial edge of the Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2(IV) in the dual culture. A succeeding investigation was to test any potential effect of the isolate on growth inhibition of 5 other turfgrass pathogens including R. solani solani AG2-2(IIIB), P. ultimum, C. caudatum, C. lunata, and F.oxysporum. Preliminary result indicated that the new isolate YPIN22 was also found to have antagonistic potential on the growth inhibition of those turfgrass pathogenic fungi, which was explained by inhibition zones ranging from 8 to 22mm. A further explanation of some characteristics of the isolate YPIN22 will be discussed in detail.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.58-62
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• 2004

White root rot of wild white clover (Trifoliorum repens) caused by isolate BWC98-105 has been first reported in Korea. Typical symptoms on root include water-soaked and dark-brown rot, resulting in complete blight of the whole plant. The fungus grew well at $20-28^{\circ}C$ and produced abundant sclerotia at 10-15 days after full mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar. Sclerotia were brown to dark-brown in color and 1-3 mm in length. When white clover plants were inoculated with mycelial suspension ($10^5$ cfu/ml) of isolate BWC98-105, the plant shoots were killed within 4-6 days and the roots were completely blighted. Sclerotia were also formed on the surface of the root covered with whitish mycelia within 10-15 days in the field. All nine isolates developed high incidences of white root rot disease on white clover seedlings, of which the symptoms were similar to those observed in the fields. Hence, their pathogenicity was confirmed on white clover. The infection rate of the fungal isolates varied from 78.5% to 95.2%, among which BWC98-105 was the most virulent isolate. The weeding efficacy of the fungus was maintained until the following year, leading to a significant reduction of reshooting. The fungus was specifically parasitic to white clover, but not to four lawn species including zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) under greenhouse test. The fungus also had no response to some Gramineae species including rice, but caused little damage to five species of Leguminosae.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2021

The application of antagonistic fungi for plant protection has attracted considerable interest because they may potentially replace the use of chemical pesticides. Antipathogenic activities confirmed in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from microorganisms have potential to serve as biocontrol agents against pre- and post-harvest diseases. In the present study, we investigated Galactomyces fungi isolated from rotten leaves and the rhizosphere of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme). VOCs produced by Galactomyces fungi negatively affected the growth of phytopathogenic fungi and the survival of nematodes. Mycelial growths of all nine examined phytopathogenic fungi were inhibited on agar plate, although the inhibition was more intense in Athelia rolfsii JYC2163 and Cladosporium cladosporioides JYC2144 and relatively moderate in Fusarium sp. JYC2145. VOCs also efficiently suppressed the spore germination and mycelial growth of A. rolfsii JYC2163 on tomatoes. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibited higher mortality in 24 h in the presence of VOCs. These results suggest the broad-spectrum activity of Galactomyces fungi against various plant pathogens and the potential to use VOCs from Galactomyces as biocontrol agents.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.94-108
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• 2023

Termitomyces sp. that grow in symbiosis with fungus-farming Termites have medicinal properties. However, they are rare in nature, and their artificial culture is challenging. The expression of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and immune checkpoint molecules favor the growth of cancer cells. The study evaluated the optimal conditions for the artificial culture of Termitomyces and their inhibitory activity on AXL and immune checkpoint molecules in lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma cell lines. The culture of 45 strains of Termitomyces was compared. Five strains with marked growth rates were selected. Four of the selected strains form a single cluster by sequence analysis. The mycelium of 4 selected strains produces more fungal mass in potato dextrose broth than in a mixed media. The bark was the most appropriate solid substrate for Termitomyces mycelia culture. The mycelium of all five selected strains showed a higher growth rate under normal CO₂ conditions. The culture broth, methanol, and ethyl acetate of one selected strain (T-120) inhibited the mRNA relative expression of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and immune checkpoint molecules in cancer cell lines. Overall, these results suggest the potential usefulness of Termitomyces extracts as a coadjuvant therapy in malignant diseases.