• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.476-490
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• 2021

Global temperatures are steadily increasing, leading to significant changes in microbial diversity and ecology. In the present study, we isolated high-temperature-growing fungi and fungi-like group (Oomycota) strains from freshwater environments of Korea and identified them based on cultural, morphological, and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. As a result, we introduce Saksenaea (Fungi) isolates as a new species, Saksenaea longicolla sp. nov. and record Phytophthora chlamydospora and P. lagoariana (Oomycota) new to Korea. In the growth experiments, they exhibited high-temperature tolerance, which can grow at 35-40 ℃ but become inactive at 4 ℃ and below. This study confirms the presence of high-temperature-tolerant fungi and oomycetes in Korea and suggests that the Korean climate conditions are changing in favor of these species. This indicates that climate warming is altering microbial distributions in freshwater environments.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.505-510
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• 2018

Peronospora is the largest genus of the order Peronosporales (Oomycota) and contains more than 550 accepted species, which causes downy mildew on many economically important crops. During a survey of downy mildew flora in Korea, a previously unreported species of Peronospora has been found on Corydalis ambigua. Based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological analyses, the causal agent was identified as Peronospora bulbocapni. This is the first report of Peronospora bulbocapni occurring on Corydalis ambigua in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.278-282
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• 2024

In November 2021, sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) plants with typical downy mildew symptom were observed in Korea. Based on morphological characteristics of sporangiophores and sporangia, combined with molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA and cox2 mtDNA regions, the causal pathogen was identified as Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Oomycota). This is the first report of downy mildew caused by P. cubensis on L. aegyptiaca in Korea. Given that P. cubensis exhibits high disease incidence and severity on many Cucurbitaceae crops, it could pose a significant threat to sponge gourd cultivation.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.304-312
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• 2020

Over the past 15 years, downy mildew became the most destructive foliar disease in cultivated Impatiens species (Balsaminaceae) worldwide. A previous study had revealed that the causal agent was not Plasmopara obducens (Oomycota, Peronosporales) but Plasmopara destructor on Impatiens walleriana, and Plasmopara velutina on Impatiens balsamina. This hints to a relatively high degree of specialization of Plasmopara on Balsaminaceae. Therefore, it was the aim of the present study to perform multigene phylogenetic analysis and detailed morphological investigation for several Korean downy mildew samples parasitic to cultivated I. walleriana, and I. balsamina, but also to a northeast Asian wild plant, Impatiens textori. It was revealed that I. textori harbors a new species, which is introduced and described here as Plasmopara elegantissima.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2017

The genus Peronospora, an obligate biotrophic group belonging to Oomycota, causes serious damage to a variety of wild and ornamental plants, as well as cultivated crops, such as beet, rose, spinach, and tobacco. To investigate the diversity of Peronospora species parasitic to Stellaria and Pseudostellaria (Caryophyllaceae) plants in Korea, we performed a morphological analysis on dried herbarium specimens and molecular phylogenetic inferences based on internal transcribed spacer rDNA and cox2 mitochondrial DNA sequences. As a result, it was confirmed that there are four species of Peronospora parasitic to specific species of Stellaria and Pseudostellaria, all of which were hitherto unrecorded in Korea: P. alsinearum (ex Stellaria media), P. stellariae-aquaticae (ex Stellaria aquatica), P. stellariae-uliginosae (ex Stellaria alsine), and P. pseudostellariae (ex Pseudostellaria palibiniana). In addition, Peronospora specimens parasitic to Pseudostellaria davidii differed morphologically from P. pseudostellariae owing to the large and ellipsoidal conidia; this morphological discrepancy was also validated by the high genetic divergence between the two species. Peronospora casparyi sp. nov. is described and illustrated here.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.331-340
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• 2020

The family Peronosporaceae, an obligate biotrophic group of Oomycota, causes downy mildew disease on many cultivated and ornamental plants such as beet, cucumber, grape, onion, rose, spinach, and sunflower. To investigate the diversity of Peronosporaceae species in Korea, we performed morphological analysis for dried plant herbariums with downy mildew infections by two largest genera, Peronospora and Plasmopara. As a result, it was confirmed that there are five species of Peronospora and two species of Plasmopara, which have been so far unrecorded in Korea, as well as rarely known in the world; Pl. angustiterminalis (ex Xanthium strumarium), Pl. siegesbeckiae (ex Siegesbeckia glabrescens), P. chenopodii-ambrosioidis (ex Chenopodium ambrosioides), P. chenopodii-ficifolii (ex Chenopodium ficifolium), P. clinopodii (ex Clinopodium cf. vulgare), P. elsholtziae (ex Elsholtzia ciliata), and P. lathyrina (ex Lathyrus japonicus). In addition, their phylogenetic relationship was inferred by molecular sequence analysis of ITS, LSU rDNA, and cox2 mtDNA. By rediscovering the seven missing species and barcoding their DNA sequences, this study provides valuable insights into the diversity and evolutionary studies of downy mildew pathogens.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.326-344
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• 2022

The fungal-like family Saprolegniaceae (Oomycota), also called "water mold," includes mostly aquatic saprophytes as well as notorious aquatic animal pathogens. Most studies on Saprolegniaceae have been biased toward pathogenic species that are important to aquaculture rather than saprotrophic species, despite the latter's crucial roles in carbon cycling of freshwater ecosystems. Few attempts have been made to study the diversity and ecology of Saprolegniaceae; thus, their ecological role is not well-known. During a survey of oomycetes between 2016 and 2021, we investigated the diversity and distribution of culturable Saprolegniaceae species in freshwater ecosystems of Korea. In the present study, members of Saprolegniaceae were isolated and identified at species level based on their cultural, morphological, and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, substrate preference and seasonal dynamics for each were examined. Most of the species were previously reported as animal pathogens; however, in the present study, they were often isolated from other freshwater substrates, such as plant debris, algae, water, and soil sediment. The relative abundance of Saprolegniaceae was higher in the cold to cool season than that in the warm to hot season of Korea. This study enhances our understanding of the diversity and ecological attributes of Saprolegniaceae in freshwater ecosystems.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.379-383
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• 2021

Lactuca serriola L. (syn. L. scariola L.), commonly known as prickly lettuce, invaded Korea in the late 1970s. The plant has since become widely naturalized and disruptive to native plant communities. In May 2020, downy mildew infections were observed on L. serriola in Gimje-si, Korea. Molecular phylogenetic and morphological analyses identified the causal agent as Bremia lactucae. This is the first report of B. lactucae infection on L. serriola in Korea.

• ALGAE
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2024

Oomycetes are ubiquitous heterotrophs of considerable economic and ecological importance. Lately their diversity in marine environments has been shown to be greatly underappreciated and many lineages of intracellular holocarpic parasites, infecting micro- and macro-algae, remain to be fully described taxonomically. Among them, pathogens of marine red algae have been studied extensively as they infect important seaweed crops. Throughout the 20th century, most intracellular, holocarpic biotrophic oomycetes that infect red algae have been assigned to the genus Olpidiopsis Cornu. However, 18S rRNA sequencing of Olpidiopsis saprolegniae, the species considered the generitype for Olpidiopsis, suggests that this genus is not closely related to the marine pathogens and that the latter requires a nomenclatural update. Here, we compile and reanalyze all recently published 18S rRNA sequence data for marine holocarpic oomycetes, with a particular focus on holocarpic pathogens of red algae. Their taxonomy has been revised twice over the past four years, with suggestions to transfer them first into the genus Pontisma and then Sirolpidium, and into a monogeneric order, Pontismatales. We show however, that previously published topologies and the proposed taxa Pontisma, Sirolpidium, and Pontismatales are unsupported. We highlight that name changes that are unfounded and premature create confusion in interested parties, especially concerning pathogens of marine red algae that infect important seaweed crops. We thus propose that the names of these holocarpic biotrophic parasites of red algae are retained temporarily, until a supported topology is produced with more genetic markers to enable the circumscription of species and higher-level taxa.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.235-239
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• 2018

Basil (Ocimum spp.) is a popular herb grown worldwide. During the past fifteen years, a downy mildew pathogen has caused considerable damage to basil cultivations. In August 2017, downy mildew disease symptoms were found on Basil Tree (or long foot Basil Tree), which was developed by the grafting of two basil varieties and is a continuous harvest plant with a woody trunk. The present study reports the occurrence of downy mildew disease in basil Tree and identifies the causal pathogen, as Peronospora belbahrii.