• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2015

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms inhabiting living plant tissues without causing apparent harm to the host. They are drawing increasing attention due to their ability to produce various bioactive compounds as well as their effects on host growth and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. As a first step to assess biodiversity of plant associated fungi in Korea and the following evaluation on diverse biological activities, we are collecting endophytic fungi from plant in wild followed by systematic long-term storage in liquid nitrogen. Molecular identification using ITS sequences was also incorporated for pure culture by hyphal tip isolation. As of April 2015, about 1,400 fungal strains had been isolated from about 170 plant taxa. Fungal isolates belonging to Pleosporales, Diaporthales, Glomerellales, Hypocreales, and Xylariales were the most abundant. These collections are being used for several complementary researches, including screening of isolates with novel bioactive compounds or conferring drought stress resistance, phylogenetic and genomic study. Genome sequencing was performed for 3 isolates, one Xylaria sp. strain JS573 producing griseofulvin, an antifungal compound, and two Fusarium spp. strains JS626 and JS1030, which are assumed to be new species found in Korea. More detailed analysis on these genomes will be presented. These collections and genome informations will serve as invaluable resources for identifying novel bioactive materials in addition to expand our knowledge on fungal biodiversity.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.1293-1301
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• 2003

A species of facultative photo-organotrophic, purple, non-sulfur bacterium was isolated from the 47 point at west and south coast of Korea in September 2001. Separated 13 samples of changes with red color under 28-32$^{\circ}C$, 3000 lux, anaerobe conditions for 7 days cultivated in basal medium. For pure isolation from 13 samples, we used agar-shake tube method (0.4 ％ agar) and separated 5 strains through 13-repetition test. EGH-24 and EGH-30 was identified as the same strain through the RAPD(Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA)-PCR of strain EGH-9, EGH-13, EGH-23, EGH-24, EGH-30. Four isolates cultivated in synthesis wastewater for wastewater biodegradation test. EGH-24 was selected with efficient wastwater treating strain. Based on the results obtained from morphology, nutrient requirements, major bacteriochlorophyll content, 16S-rDNA phylogenetic analysis, EGH-24 strain may be identified as a new strain of the genus Rhodobacter and named Rhodobacter sp. EGH-24.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2004

Nickel(II) compounds are carcinogenic metals which induce genotoxicity and oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species. In search of new molecular pathways toward understanding the molecular mechanism of nickel(II)-induced carcinogensis, we performed mRNA differential display analysis using total RNA extracted from nickel(II) acetate-treated normal rat kidney cells (NRK-52E). Cells were exposed for 3 days to 160 and 240 uM nickel(II) concentrations. cDNAs corresponding to mRNAs for which expression levels were altered by nickel(II) were isolated, sequenced, and followed by a GenBank Blast homology search. Specificity of differential expression of cDNAs was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Two of them (SH3BGRL3 and FHIT) were down-regulated and one (metallothionein) was up-regulated by nickel(II) treatment. The expression of these mRNAs were nickel(II) concentration-dependent. The levels of FHIT and metallothionein proteins were also consistent with the results for mRNAs. Overall, although the fundamental questions related to function of these genes in nickel(II)-mediated carcinogenicity are not answered, our study suggests that they can be interesting candidates for studies of molecular mechanisms of nickel(II) carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.732-739
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• 2014

We describe the development of a polymerase chain reaction method for the rapid, precise, and specific detection of the Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) K3a race, the bacterial blight pathogen of rice. The specific primer set was designed to amplify a genomic locus derived from an amplified fragment length polymorphism specific for the K3a race. The 1,024 bp amplicon was generated from the DNA of 13 isolates of Xoo K3a races out of 119 isolates of other races, pathovars, and Xanthomonas species. The assay does not require isolated bacterial cells or DNA extraction. Moreover, the pathogen was quickly detected in rice leaf 2 days after inoculation with bacteria and at a distance of 8 cm from the rice leaf 5 days later. The results suggest that this PCR-based assay will be a useful and powerful tool for the detection and identification of the Xoo K3a race in rice plants as well as for early diagnosis of infection in paddy fields.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2017

Our study aims to determine the metabolism and excretion of novel pulmonary-targeting docetaxel liposome (DTX-LP) using the in vitro and in vivo animal experimental models. The metabolism and excretion of DTX-LP and intravenous DTX (DTX-IN) in New Zealand rabbits were determined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We found DTX-LP and DTX-IN were similarly degraded in vitro by liver homogenates and microsomes, but not metabolized by lung homogenates. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry identified two shared DTX metabolites. The unconfirmed metabolite $M_{un}$ differed structurally from all DTX metabolites identified to date. DTX-LP likewise had a similar in vivo metabolism to DTX-IN. Conversely, DTX-LP showed significantly diminished excretion in rabbit feces or urine, approximately halving the cumulative excretion rates compared to DTX-IN. Liposomal delivery of DTX did not alter the in vitro or in vivo drug metabolism. Delayed excretion of pulmonary-targeting DTX-LP may greatly enhance the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the systemic toxicity in the chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer. The identification of $M_{un}$ may further suggest an alternative species-specific metabolic pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.23 no.2 s.73
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• pp.144-152
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• 1995

Through a floral study and resource investigation of Korean mushrooms during the year 1993, five species of Agaricales, Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformis (Bull.: Fr.) Sing.; Pholiota brunnescens A.H. Smith & K. Hesler; Coprinus angulatus Peck; Rhodophyllus bisporus Hongo; Suillus viscidipes Hongo and one form of Gasteromycetes, Lysurus mokusin (L.: Pers.) Fr.f. sinensis (Lloyd) Kobayashi, were found and described new to Korean flora. Pseudoclitocybe is described as an unrecorded genus to Korea. The color names cited are from Kornerup & Wanscher's Methuen Handbook of Colour (1984). All the specimens are deposited in the RDAGB's and ASIK's herbarium.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.301-308
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• 2004

The morphology of the apical pore complex, the first apical plate and the posterior sulcal plates in a new isolate of Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech from the Bay of Chinhae was compared with other that of toxic strains of A. tamarense previously isolated from Korean waters. Although this isolate was morphologically identical to these toxic strains, high performance liquid chromatography and mouse bioassay showed no evidence of toxin production. The nontoxic A. tamarense strain showed a strong positive binding activity with PNA lectin, indicating a high density of lactose and galactose residues on the cell surface, and in SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis a unique protein of about 21-kDa molecular sizes was observed. These findings demonstrate that the use of PNA and immunobioassay could be used to discriminate between toxic and nontoxic strains of A. tamarense.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.365-374
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• 2005

To find potential targets of novel antimicrobial agents, we identified essential genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae using comparative genomics and allelic replacement mutagenesis. We compared the genome of S. pneumoniae R6 with those of Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, and selected 693 candidate target genes with > 40% amino acid sequence identity to the corresponding genes in at least two of the other species. The 693 genes were disrupted and 133 were found to be essential for growth. Of these, 32 encoded proteins of unknown function, and we were able to identify orthologues of 22 of these genes by genomic comparisons. The experimental method used in this study is easy to perform, rapid and efficient for identifying essential genes of bacterial pathogens.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.188-192
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• 2016

A previously unrecorded fungus was isolated from the persimmon (Diospyros kaki) leaf phyllosphere in Korea. The isolated fungus was characterized by morphological and phylogenetic analyses. The typical morphological characteristics of Phialocephala piceae, including dark brown colonies and short, thick conidiophores, were observed on the isolated fungus. A phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) also confirmed the identification of the isolated fungal species as P. piceae. Therefore, this is the first report of P. piceae in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.373-382
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• 2020

Laccases (EC 1.10.3.2), a group of multi-copper oxidases (MCOs), play multiple biological functions and widely exist in many species. Fungal laccases have been extensively studied for their industrial applications, however, there was no database specially focused on fungal laccases. To provide a comparative genomics platform for fungal laccases, we have developed a comparative genomics platform for laccases and MCOs (http://laccase.riceblast.snu.ac. kr/). Based on protein domain profiles of characterized sequences, 3,571 laccases were predicted from 690 genomes including 253 fungi. The number of putative laccases and their properties exhibited dynamic distribution across the taxonomy. A total of 505 laccases from 68 genomes were selected and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. As a result, four clades comprised of nine subclades were phylogenetically grouped by their putative functions and analyzed at the sequence level. Our work would provide a workbench for putative laccases mainly focused on the fungal kingdom as well as a new perspective in the identification and classification of putative laccases and MCOs.