• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2018

This prospective study was aimed to detect acute and chronic ocular toxoplasmosis by comparison of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG antibody levels and IgG avidity test. One hundred and seventeen patients with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) who referred to the Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran were included in this study. Of the patients, 77 cases were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG, and 8 cases were positive for anti-T. gondii IgM. IgG avidity test revealed 11, 4, and 102 cases were low, intermediate, and high, respectively, and 6.8% and 9.4% of cases were positive for IgM and IgG avidity tests, respectively (P=0.632). Agreement (Kappa value) between paired tests IgG-IgM, IgG-IgG avidity, and IgM-IgG avidity was 0.080, 0.099, and 0.721, respectively (P<0.05). This study showed that conventional serologic tests (IgM and IgG levels) and IgG avidity correlate well each other and can be used to differentiate recent infections from old OT. It seems that reactivated old infections rather than recently acquired infections are majority of Iranian OT patients.

• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.215-222
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• 2005

Variability in growth and sporulation of five isolates of Arthrobotrys dactyloides was studied on five agar, 6 bran and 5 grain media. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) supported maximum growth of isolate A, C and E, while growth of isolate Band D was significantly lower on this medium. On Czapek's agar and yeast glucose agar media the differentiation in the isolates in relation to growth was poor than PDA. The other two media showed much poorer differentiation. On Czapek's agar medium, sporulation was recorded in isolate B only, whereas other isolates showed rare sporulation. Among the bran media, pea bran agar medium supported maximum growth of all the isolates except isolate B. Gram and rice bran agar media were next best. However, the growth of isolate B on the gram bran agar medium was more or less equal as other isolates. On pigeon pea bran agar medium, isolate E failed to grow while other isolates recorded poor growth. On lentil bran agar medium, only isolate Band D recorded little growth, whereas other isolates failed to grow. All the isolates recorded good sporulation on bran agar media except pigeon pea and lentil bran agar media. The grain agar media supported moderate to very good growth of all the isolates. In general isolate B remained slow growing on these media except gram grain and sorghum grain agar media on which growth of this isolate was comparable to other isolates. Sporulation in general, was good on all the grain agar media. Among different substrates screened, barley grain and pea bran were found superior to others for mass culture of isolate A of A. dactyloides.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.413-419
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• 2015

The present study determined and compared the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum strains infecting children living in 2 areas from Gabon with different malaria endemicity. Blood samples were collected from febrile children from 2008 to 2009 in 2 health centres from rural (Oyem) and urban (Owendo) areas. Genetic diversity was determined in P. falciparum isolates by analyzing the merozoite surface protein-1 (msp1) gene polymorphism using nested-PCR. Overall, 168 children with mild falciparum malaria were included. K1, Ro33, and Mad20 alleles were found in 110 (65.5%), 94 (55.9%), and 35 (20.8%) isolates, respectively, without difference according to the site (P>0.05). Allelic families' frequencies were comparable between children less than 5 years old from the 2 sites; while among the older children the proportions of Ro33 and Mad20 alleles were 1.7 to 2.0 fold higher at Oyem. Thirty-three different alleles were detected, 16 (48.5%) were common to both sites, and 10 out of the 17 specific alleles were found at Oyem. Furthermore, multiple infection carriers were frequent at Oyem (57.7% vs 42.2% at Owendo; P=0.04) where the complexity of infection was of 1.88 (${\pm}0.95$) higher compared to that found at Owendo ($1.55{\pm}0.75$). Extended genetic diversity of P. falciparum strains infecting Gabonese symptomatic children and high multiplicity of infections were observed in rural area. Alleles common to the 2 sites were frequent; the site-specific alleles predominated in the rural area. Such distribution of the alleles should be taken into accounts when designing MSP1 or MSP2 malaria vaccine.

• Journal of Mycology and Infection
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.99-104
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• 2018

Background: Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum) is a zoophilic dermatophyte that causes ringworm in cattle and is prevalent worldwide. This dermatophyte may be responsible for various conditions, especially inflammatory skin lesions. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of T. verrucosum infections in southeastern Korea. Methods: A total of 34 patients who visited the Catholic Skin Clinic and the Kyungpook National University Hospital in Daegu, Korea from 2005 to 2017 were diagnosed with T. verrucosum infection. The diagnosis was confirmed using fungal culture. The data were based on a retrospective survey of the medical records. Results: The annual incidence of T. verrucosum infection was very low. There was no difference in the sexual incidence. T. verrucosum infection was most common among subjects in their fifties and sixties. The highest incidence was during the month of September. The arm was most frequently involved, followed by the face. This infection was predominant in patients living in rural areas. Conclusion: These clinicoepidemiological findings provide useful information for understanding the changes in the infection caused by T. verrucosum. In particular, it was interesting to note that the incidence was very low, majority of the affected subjects were in their fifties and sixties, and the most commonly affected site was the arm.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.14-16
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• 2009

Poria cocos is an importantant medical macrofungus,the sclerotium of Poria cocos has specific value as the drug material. There are few papers about its breeding and spawn rejuvenation. In this project, the protoplasts of cultivated strain T and wild strain L were prepared and treated separately by ultraviolet and heating, then fused with the PEG6000. The tural fusants were selected and identified by the affinity and ISSR analysis. 71 incompatibility strains between parents and reg regenerations were obtained from 118 regenerations by the affinity analysis. Five incompatibility strains were amplified with different primers, the results were showed that they had specific bands of both parents in the profile amplified with 3 primers, which proved these 5 strains were fusants by means of molecular biology marker. On the other hand, 25 strain were selected from 168 protoplast regenerations of cultivated strain T for cultivation experiment. The fresh sclerotium weight of these protoplast regenerations were better than the original strain.significantil 3 strains (T-1, T-4, T-7) increased respectively 118%, 73% and 73% than original strain. This method could be the effective in the rejuvenation Poria cocos.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.176-179
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• 2010

The effect of plant hormones on the growth of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) was evaluated. The use of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and indole-3-butyric acid resulted in a 99% and 57% increase in dry weight of the lichen-forming fungus Nephromopsis ornata. The results suggest that some plant hormones can be used as inducers or stimulators of LFF growth for large-scale culture.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2013

47 species was reported in the genus Marasmius in Republic of Korea up to now. 26 of total 47 species previously recorded from Korea were made up a list. Korean common names of 10 new species and 11 species newly recorded in Korea were introduced in study with synoptic key. These names were followed by the Romanization rule to express Korean common name.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.511-519
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• 2023

Red pine (Pinus densiflora) is a dominant tree species in Korean forests. The diversity of endophytic fungi was investigated by isolating fungi from different parts of a red pine tree during the fall and spring seasons. One hundred and fifty-two strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and classified into 42 species belonging to 29 genera. Among these, 74 (49%), 47 (31%) and 31 strains (20%) were isolated from branches, leaves, and stems, respectively. The most frequently isolated species were Daldinia childiae and Biscogniauxia maritima (28.9% and 9.8%, respectively). D. childiae was the dominant endophytic fungus on branches (20 strains) and leaves (19 strains). B. maritima was most frequently isolated from branches. The isolation frequencies on stems of B. maritima (6 strains) and D. childiae (5 strains) were also high. Fifty-seven isolates belonging to 19 species and 17 genera were isolated in the spring, and 95 strains belonging to 35 species and 24 genera were isolated in the fall. D. childiae was the most frequently isolated fungus in both spring and fall (21 and 23 strains, respectively). B. maritima was also frequently isolated in both spring (7 strains) and fall (8 strains).

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.125-128
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• 2015

Mattirolomyces terfezioides and Tricholoma bakamatsutake, commercially important mycorrhizal mushrooms, were found for the first time in the forests of Robinia pseudoacacia and Quercus mongolica of the Korean peninsula, respectively. Morphological and molecular characteristics were discussed in the paper. We have also given the Korean name to the fungi here.