• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.441-454
• /
• 2021

Fungal diseases including anthracnose, stem rot, blight, wilting, and root rot of crops are caused by phytopathogens such as Colletotrichum species, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phytophthora species, and Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani which threaten the production of chili pepper. In this study, to identify biological control agents (BCAs) of phytopathogenic fungi, potentially useful Bacillus species were isolated from the field soils. We screened out five Bacillus strains with antagonistic capacity that are efficiently inhibiting the growth of phytopathogenic fungi. Bacillus species were characterized by the production of extracellular enzymes, siderophores, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Furthermore, the influence of bacterial strains on the plant growth promoting activity and seedling vigor index were assessed using Brassica juncea as a model plant. Inoculation with Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 significantly increased the length of B. juncea shoots and roots by 45.6% and 52.0%, respectively. Among the bacterial isolates, Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 showed the superior enzyme activities, antagonistic capacity and plant growth promoting effects. Based on the experimental results, Bacillus subtilis SRCM 121379 (GenBank accession no. NR027552) was finally selected as a BCA candidate.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.582-592
• /
• 2012

Microorganisms present in the rhizosphere soil plays a vital role in improving the plant growth and soil fertility. Many kinds of fertilizers including chemical and organic has been approached to improve the productivity. Though some of them showed significant improvement in yield, they failed to maintain the soil properties. Rather they negatively affected soil eventually, the land became unsuitable for agricultural. To overcome these problems, microorganisms have been used as effective alternative. For past few decades, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been used as effective inoculants to enhance the plant growth and productivity. PGPR improves the plant growth and helps the plant to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses. AM fungi are known to colonize roots of plants and they increase the plant nutrient uptake. Spore associated bacteria (SAB) are attached to spore wall or hyphae and known to increase the AMF germination and root colonization but their mechanism of interaction is poorly known. Better understanding the interactions among AMF, SAB and PGPR are necessary to enhance the quality of inoculants as a biofertilizers. In this paper, current knowledge about the interactions between fungi and bacteria are reviewed and discussed about AMF spore associated bacteria.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
• /
• 1997.06a
• /
• pp.47-55
• /
• 1997

Plant growth promoting fungi(PGPF) obtained from zoysiagrass rhizosphere offer dual advantages - induse systemic disease resistance response in cucumber to C. orbiculare infection and cause enhancement of plant growth and increase yield. PGPF protected plants either by colonizing roots or by their metabolites. PGPF offer an advantage by protecting plants for more than 9 weeks and 6 week in the greenhouse and field. PGPF-induced plants limited pathogen spore germination and decreased the number of infection hyphae on the leaf, and increased lignification at places of attempted pathogen infection, thus reducing the pathogen spread. PGPF elicited increased activities of chitinascs, glucanases, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase to C. orbiculare infection in cucumber plants. The role of PGPF in elevating cucumber defense response to pathogen infection suggests potential application of PGPF as biological control agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.11
• /
• pp.1680-1687
• /
• 2020

Fungal endophytes are symbiotic microorganisms that are often found in asymptomatic plants. This study describes the genetic diversity of the fungal endophytes isolated from the roots of plants sampled from the west coast of Korea. Five halophytic plant species, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda australis, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda glauca Bunge, and Phragmites australis, were collected from a salt marsh in Gochang and used to isolate and identify culturable, root-associated endophytic fungi. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 was used as the DNA barcode for the classification of these specimens. In total, 156 isolates of the fungal strains were identified and categorized into 23 genera and two phyla (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), with Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes as the predominant classes. The genus Alternaria accounted for the largest number of strains, followed by Cladosporium and Fusarium. The highest diversity index was obtained from the endophytic fungal group associated with the plant P. australis. Waito-C rice seedlings were treated with the fungal culture filtrates to analyze their plant growth-promoting capacity. A bioassay of the Sm-3-7-5 fungal strain isolated from S. maritima confirmed that it had the highest plant growth-promoting capacity. Molecular identification of the Sm-3-7-5 strain revealed that it belongs to Alternaria alternata and is a producer of gibberellins. These findings provided a fundamental basis for understanding the symbiotic interactions between plants and fungi.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 2006.04a
• /
• pp.480-481
• /
• 2006

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.71-76
• /
• 2015

Aquatic plant Hydrocharis dubia (Blume) Backer was collected from the Dalsung wetland in Daegu. Sixteen endophytic fungi with different colony morphologies were isolated from the roots of aquatic plants. Waito-c rice (WR) seedlings were treated with fungal culture filtrates (FCF) for screening plant growth-promoting activity. In the results, HD1008 strain isolated from aquatic plant showed highest plant growth-promoting activity. The FCF of HD1008 strain was analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Analysis of the FCF of HD1008 strain found that it contained gibberellins (GA) ($GA_1$, 1.2 ng/100 mL; $GA_4$, 5 ng/100 mL). Phylogenetic tree of HD1008 strain was constructed by partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial beta-tubulin gene sequences. Therefore, we describe HD1008 strain as a new gibberellin-producing Penicillium trzebinskii based on morphological and molecular characteristics.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.87-91
• /
• 2015

Eighteen endophytic fungi with different colony morphologies were isolated from the roots of Nymphoides peltata growing in the Dalsung wetland. The fungal culture filtrates of the endophytic fungi were treated to Waito-c rice seedling to evaluate their plant growth-promoting activities. Culture filtrate of Y2H0002 fungal strain promoted the growth of the Waito-c rice seedlings. This strain was identified on the basis of sequences of the partial internal transcribed spacer region and the partial beta-tubulin gene. Upon chromatographic analysis of the culture filtrate of Y2H0002 strain, the gibberellins (GAs: $GA_1$, $GA_3$, and $GA_4$) were detected and quantified. Molecular and morphological studies identified the Y2H0002 strain as belonging to Aspergillus clavatus. These results indicated that A. clavatus improves the growth of plants and produces various GAs, and may participate in the growth of plants under diverse environmental conditions.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.637-649
• /
• 2011

Soil microorganisms play a major role in improving soil fertility and plant health. Symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a key component of the soil microbial populations. AMF form a mutualistic association with the host plant and exert a positive influence on its growth and nutrient uptake. The establishment of mycorrhizal symbioses with the host plant can positively be influenced by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria through various mechanisms such as increased spore germination and hyphal permeability in plant roots. Though there are evidences that combined interactions between AMF and PGPR can promote the plant growth however mechanisms of these interactions are poorly understood. Better understanding of the interactions between AMF and other microorganisms is necessary for maintaining soil fertility and enhancing crop production. This paper reviews current knowledge concerning the interactions between AMF and PGPR with plants and discusses on enhanced nutrient availability, biocontrol, abiotic stress tolerance and phytoremediation in sustainable agriculture.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 2013

In this study, plant samples of five species were collected from the Dokdo islands in South Korea. Plant samples such as Asparagus schoberioides, Corydalis platycarpa, Festuca rubra, Sedum oryzifolium, and Setaria viridis were collected from the Dongdo and Seodo. Endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the roots of five plants from the Dokdo islands. Thirty-three fungal strains were isolated from these native plants. All the endophytic fungi were analyzed by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing (ITS containing ITS1, 5.8s, and the ITS2 region). Waito-c rice seedlings were treated with fungal culture filtrates to test their plant growth-promoting activity. A bioassay of the D-So-1-1 fungal strain isolated from S. oryzifolium confirmed that it has the highest plant growth-promoting activity. All the endophytic fungi belong to four orders: Eurotiales (86%), Capnodiales (3%), Hypocreales (4%), and Incertae sedis (7%). The endophytic fungi were classified as Ascomycota, which contained Aspergillus (12%), Cladosporium (3%), Eurotium (3%), Fusarium (18%), Microsphaeropsis (6%), and Penicillium (58%) at the genus level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.11
• /
• pp.1549-1556
• /
• 2012

Endophytic fungi were isolated from roots of six halophytes in Suncheon Bay. The endophytic fungi of 35 species isolated from halophytes were identified by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) containing the ITS1, 5.8s, and ITS2 regions. All fungal strains were analyzed to diversity at the genus level. Fungal culture filtrates (FCF) of endophytic fungi were treated to Waito-c rice (WR) seedling for plant growth-promoting verification. It was confirmed that fungal strain Sj-2-2 provided plant growth promotion (PGP) to WR seedling. Then, PGP of Suaeda japonica was confirmed by treating culture filtrate of Sj-2-2. As a result, it was verified that culture filtrate of Sj-2-2 had more advanced PGP than positive control when treated to S. japonica. The secondary metabolites involved in culture filtrate of Sj-2-2 were identified by HPLC and GC-MS SIM analysis. The presence of physiologically bioactive gibberellins (GAs) and other inactive GAs in culture filtrate of Sj-2-2 was detected. The molecular analysis of sequences of Sj-2-2 showed the similarity to Penicillium sp. of 99% homology. The PGP of Sj-2-2 as well as symbiosis between endophytic fungi and halophytes growing naturally in salt marsh was confirmed. Sj-2-2 was identified as a new fungal strain producing GAs by molecular analysis of sequences. Consequently, the Sj-2-2 fungal strain was named as Penicillium sp. Sj-2-2. In this study, the diversity of endophytic fungi isolated from roots of halophytes in salt marsh and the PGP of a new gibberellin-producing fungal strain were confirmed.