• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2022

Cornus officinalis plants that grow in several locations in Korea have been found to be infected with leaf spot disease. Symptoms include necrotic lesions, which are angular, irregularly shaped, vein-limited, and dark brown, on both sides of the leaves. The causal agent of the disease was identified to be Pseudocercospora cornicola based on the morphological characteristics of the fungus and molecular phylogenetic analysis of the obtained multi-locus DNA sequence data. This is the first report investigating P. cornicola found on C. officinalis in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2022

Sclerotinia rot symptoms were observed in stringy stonecrop (Sedum sarmentosum) plants growing in vinyl greenhouses in Yeoju and Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Korea, during disease surveys in spring 2019 and 2020. The initial symptoms were soft rot on stems and leaves at or above the soil line. Furthermore, the symptoms progressed upwards, and the infected plant parts exhibited white to grayish-yellow discoloration. The infestation of diseased plants in the vinyl greenhouses was 1-5% at the two locations examined. Eight isolates of Sclerotinia sp. were obtained from lesions of the diseased plants. The isolates were identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. In addition, artificial inoculation tested three isolates of S. sclerotiorum for pathogenicity on stringy stonecrop plants. All the tested isolates caused Sclerotinia rot symptoms in the inoculated plants. The symptoms were similar to those observed in plants from the vinyl greenhouses investigated. This study is the first report of S. sclerotiorum causing Sclerotinia rot in stringy stonecrop.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2023

From June to August 2021, we surveyed diseases affecting beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) plants in Cheolwon, Hoengseong, and Pyeongchang regions in Gangwon Province, Korea. We observed severe leaf spot symptoms, such as brown to dark circular or irregular spots on the leaves, in plants. Disease incidence in the plant leaves in the fields investigated at the three locations ranged from 1 to 80%. Five single-spore isolates of Phoma sp. were obtained from the diseased leaves and identified as Neocamarosporium betae based on their cultural, morphological, and molecular characteristics. Three isolates of N. betae were subsequently tested to confirm their pathogenicity in beet plants via artificial inoculation. The tested isolates caused leaf spot symptoms in the inoculated plants, similar to those observed in the plants in the investigated fields. Therefore, our findings revealed N. betae as the pathogen causing beet leaf spot in Korea.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2022

Two Pseudopolydora polychaetes, P. bassarginensis and P. reticulata, originally described from Peter the Great Bay in Russia and Taiwan, respectively, were recorded firstly in Korea with DNA information. Two species are known to have distinct morphological characteristics that are separated from other Pseudopolydora species. They are characterized by reticulate pigmentations on the dorsal sides of the anterior chaetigers, a longitudinal black band-like pigmentation on the caruncle, and black paired spots on the ventral sides of the anterior chaetigers. These two species can be distinguished morphologically from each other by the length of the caruncle. Methyl green staining pattern of the species is a good method for delimiting Pseudopolydora species. The partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA), and the nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) from Korean specimens of the two species were determined. The morphological descriptions and images of the two Pseudopolydora species are provided.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2016

Aster glehni Franchet et Schmidt is a compositae plant and has been known as a native specie in Ulleung Island, Korea. It is officially recognized as a regional specialty that grows only in this region. In 2014, brown and dark spots were observed on aster leaves in a forest research field, Jinju, Korea. A causal agent was isolated from the disease symptomatic leaves and identified as fungus Alternaria solani. Fungal morphological characteristics and molecular identification with internal transcribed spacer sequences were synchronized as A. solani. The isolated fungi reproduced the same disease symptoms when the fungus was artificially inoculated on healthy aster leaves. This is the first report that A. solani caused leaf blight disease in Aster glehni in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.176-182
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• 2023

Since the introduction of low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for patients at high risk of lung cancer, the detection rate of suspicious lung cancer has increased. In addition, there have been many advances in therapeutics targeting oncogenic drivers in non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, accurate pathological diagnosis of lung cancer, including molecular diagnosis, is increasingly important. This review examines the problems in the pathological diagnosis of suspected lung cancer. For successful pathological diagnosis of lung cancer, clinicians should determine the appropriate modality of the diagnostic procedure, considering individual patient characteristics, CT findings, and the possibility of complications. Furthermore, clinicians should make efforts to obtain a sufficient amount of tissue sample using non- or less-invasive procedures for pathological diagnosis and biomarker analysis.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.313-334
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• 2023

Mt. Taebaeksan extends from Gangwon-do Province (Taebaek-si, Youngwon-gu, and Jeongseon-gun) to Gyeongsangbuk-do Province (Bongwha-gun), South Korea. Indigenous fungi present in the park were investigated between 2019 and 2022. All collected specimens were identified to the species level based on their morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis using sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA. Among them, 17 species-Cyanosporus bifarius, Dacryobolus angiospermarum, Entoloma sericeum, Flammulina rossica, Fuscopostia leucomallella, Homophron helvolescens, Hygrophorus queletii, Hymenochaete huangshanensis, Inocybe albodiscoides, Lactarius fulvihirtipes, Lepiota ignivolvata, Physisporinus eminens, Ramaria gracilis, Russula albolutea, Russula cremicolor, Stropharia lignicola, and Tengioboletus subglutinosus-were newly recorded macromycota in Korea.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.271-280
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• 2016

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid tissues involved in chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and cancer. They exhibit almost all the characteristics of secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), which are associated with adaptive immune responses; as such, they contain organized B-cell follicles with germinal centers, distinct areas containing T cells and dendritic cells, high endothelial venules, and lymphatics. In this review, we briefly describe the formation of SLO, and describe the cellular subsets and molecular cues involved in the formation and maintenance of TLS. Finally, we discuss the associations of TLS with human diseases, especially autoimmune diseases, and the potential for therapeutic targeting.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2016

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that bridge innate and adaptive immune responses, thereby leading to immune activation. DCs have been known to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and nucleic acids via their pattern recognition receptors, which trigger signaling of their maturation and effector functions. Furthermore, DCs take up and process antigens as a form of peptide loaded on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and present them to T cells, which are responsible for the adaptive immune response. Conversely, DCs can also play a role in inducing immune suppression under specific circumstances. From this perspective, the role of DCs is related to tolerance rather than immunity. Immunologists refer to these special DCs as tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs). However, the definition of tolDCs is controversial, and there is limited information on their development and characteristics. In this review, we discuss the current concept of tolDCs, cutting-edge methods for generating tolDCs in vitro, and future applications of tolDCs, including clinical use.