• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.350-353
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• 2001

In 2001, a black scab disease was observed in tea plant (Thea sinensis) cultivated in the hillsides of Hwngaemyon and Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam province, Korea. The disease symptoms initially appeared on leaves, green twigs and stems, showing small dark brown spots on the infected areas, which gradually expanded. A fungus was isolated from diseased leaves and green twigs. It grew readily on potato dextrose agar, forming dark green to dark gray colonies. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was about 20$^{\circ}C$. The diameter of growing hyphae was 3.5-5.8 $\mu\textrm{m}$. Conidia were ellipsoidal, ovoid or subspherical, and mostly one-celled but occasionally septate. The size of one-celled and septate conidia were 3.7-12.4${\times}$3.4-5.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and 9.3-18.7${\times}$3.8-7.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$, respectively. Conidia were formed in long branched chains on the erected conidiophores, which were dark brown in color and 28.9-218.3${\times}$3.0-6.1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in length. The fungus was identified as Cladosporium herbarum on the basis of its morphological characteristics. The black scab disease occurring in tea caused by Cladosporium herbarum has not been previously reported in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.130-137
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• 2007

A disease resistance related gene, MbR7, was identified in the wild apple species, Malus baccata. The MbR7 gene has a single open reading frame (ORF) of 3,288 nucleotides potentially encoding a 1,095-amino acid protein. Its deduced amino acid sequence resembles the N protein of tobacco and the NL27 gene of potato and has several motifs characteristic of a TIR-NBS-LRR R gene subclass. Ectopic expression of MbR7 in Arabidopsis enhanced the resistance against a virulent pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Microarray analysis confirmed the induction of defense-related gene expression in 35S::MbR7 heterologous Arabidopsis plants, indicating that the MbR7 gene likely activates a downstream resistance pathway without interaction with pathogens. Our results suggest that MbR7 can be a potential target gene in developing a new disease-resistant apple variety.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Epicoccum purpurascens stain 5615 AUMC was investigated for its biocontrol activity against root rot disease caused by Pythium irregulare. E. purpurascens greenhouse pathogenicity tests using three leguminous plants indicated that the fungus was nonpathogenic under the test conditions. The germination rate of the three species of legume seeds treated with a E. purpurascens homogenate increased significantly compared with the seeds infested with P. irregulare. No root rot symptoms were observed on seeds treated with E. purpurascens, and seedlings appeared more vigorous when compared with the non-treated control. A significant increase in seedling growth parameters (seedling length and fresh and dry weights) was observed in seedlings treated with E. purpurascens compared to pathogen-treated seedlings. Pre-treating the seeds with the bioagent fungus was more efficient for protecting seeds against the root rot disease caused by P. irregulare than waiting for disease dispersal before intervention. To determine whether E. purpurascens produced known anti-fungal compounds, an acetone extract of the fungus was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The extract revealed a high percentage of the cinnamic acid derivative (trimethylsiloxy) cinnamic acid methyl ester. The E. purpurascens isolate grew more rapidly than the P. irregulare pathogen in a dual culture on potato dextrose agar nutrient medium, although the two fungi grew similarly when cultured separately. This result may indicate antagonism via antibiosis or competition.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.345-347
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• 1999

A scab disease on eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Chukyang) in plastic film houses around Kimhae area in Korea during the winter season of 0998-1999. The disease started on leaves with small dark brown spots which were gradually expanded to 1 to 3 mm diameter lesions. Later, the central parts of the lesions became collapsed and detached to make holes. Dark brown mold was grown out of the lesions on the lower side of leaf. Numerous conidia were produced on the lower side of leaf. Numerous conidia were produced on the diseased leaves and appeared to be readily dispersed in the air. A fungus was isolated from the diseased leaves, and tested for Koch's postulates to prove the causal agent of the desease. The isolated fungus grew on potato dextrose agar, forming greenish black to pale brown colonies. Conidia were ellipsoidal, fusiform or subspherical, mostly one-celled but occasionally septated, and formed in long branched chains on the erected conidiophores which were pale olevaceous brown and variable in length between 12.4 and $393.4\mu\textrm{g}$. The fungus was identified as Cladosporium cucumerinum Ellis Arthur based on the above morphological characteristics examined. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and conidial formation was about 20 to $25^{\circ}$. In addition to cucumber, the fungus was also pathogenic to watermelon, pumpkin and oriental melon. This is the first report on the scab disease of eggplant in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-60
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• 2020

Citrus scab symptoms were observed on leaves of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) in open field of Citrus Research Institute, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science. Typical scab pustules were formed and they were elevated protuberances form and light brown to grey. The pathogens were isolated from the symptomatic leaves and then were identified to Elsinoë fawcettii by morphological characteristics, pathogenicity and PCR assay. The morphological characteristics of colonies formed very slow-growing, pulvinate, or raised and deeply fissured, gummy to mucoid or tomentose colonies on potato dextrose agar medium. The pathogens were pathogenic to leaves of Satsuma mandarin, lemon, sour orange and grapefruit with typical scab symptoms. In PCR assay, specific amplified of products of 717 bp with Efaw-1 and 384 bp with Efaw-2 were observed from trifoliate isolates and E. fawcettii as reference but not from E. australis. This is first report of trifoliate orange being positive for citrus scab disease.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2012

Four Cladobotryum isolates were collected from four different commercially grown mushroom types infected with cobweb disease in Cheongdo-gun and Chilgok-gun of Gyeongbuk Province, Korea in 2010. The isolates were identified as C. mycophilum from Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus eryngii, C. varium from Flammulina velutipes and Hypsizygus marmoreus. The cultural characteristics of the four isolates were investigated using potato dextrose agar (PDA) media under nine different temperatures ranging from $5{\sim}32^{\circ}C$. Rapid growth of the isolates to colony diameters of 47~82 mm was observed at conditions of $18{\sim}22^{\circ}C$. No growth was observed at $32^{\circ}C$. C. mycophilum produced a yellowish red pigment while C. varium produced a cream colored pigment after cultivation for 25 days on PDA. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and partial 28S rDNA from the four isolates confirmed they were C. mycophilum and C. varium. Cross pathogenicity tests revealed that the two isolates of C. mycophilum were highly pathogenic toward three mushroom types, but not toward H. marmoreus. The two isolates of C. varium were less pathogenic than those of C. mycophilum, but were pathogenic toward all mushroom types evaluated.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.606-611
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• 1998

An antagonistic bacterium, Pseudomonas flurorescens MC07 inhibited the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Phytophthora capsici in on potato dextrose agan (PDA) and other media. The strain MC07 conlonizes various plant roots and possesses antifungal activity. To determine the role of antifungal activity of the bacterium in disease suppression, a mutant Okm3-4 which lost its activity was isolated after screening 2,500 colonies generated by Omegon-Km insertions. The mutant Okm3-4 showed diminished growth inhibition of R. solani, P. ultimum, F. oxysporum, and Ph. capsici in vitro and had reduced suppressive effects on sesame damping.-off compared to the parental strain. In soils, accumulation of the pathogens by continuous cropping, 90% of sesame plants were killed by natural infection of damping-off whereas, only 29% of plants grown from seeds treated with MC07 were killed. On the other hand, 85% of plants died when sesame seeds were treated with the Okm3-4 cells. This indicated that antifungal activity of MC07 in vitro is directly responsible for the suppression of damping-off disease. Emergence rates of sesame seeds in pots containing diseased soil were 33%. However, MC07 treatments on seeds significantly improved emergence rates, which has similar effects of Benomyl treatment. The mutant Okm3-4 exhibited 53% of emergence rate. This indicated that antifungal activity of MC07 also affects the emergence rate of sesame seeds.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.217-221
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• 2009

Fludioxonil is derived from the antifungal compound pyrrolnitrin produced by Pseudomonas pyrrocinia and classified as a reduced-risk fungicide by the US EPA. The efficacy of fludioxonil for the control of lettuce gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea was evaluated under several conditions such as growth stages of host, inoculum concentrations, and amounts of potato dextrose broth (PDB) included in spore suspension of B. cinerea. At 4-leaf stage of lettuce plants, fludioxonil applied at 2 ${\mu}g$/ml was more effective for the control of gray mold than at 5- and 6-leaf stages. However, fludioxonil at more than 10 ${\mu}g$/ml provided similar control activity in all growth stages of lettuce tested. The fungicide (10 and 50 ${\mu}g$/ml) also gave excellent control of gray mold on lettuce seedlings inoculated with spore suspensions of B. cinerea ($2.5{\times}10^5$ to $2{\times}10^6$ spores/ml). But, control efficacy of fludioxonil (2 ${\mu}g$/ml) was negatively correlated with inoculum concentration. Addition of PDB in spore suspension of B. cinerea resulted in higher disease severity than non-treated control. By inoculating spore suspension including 0.5% PDB, the fungicide gave the most control activity on the disease, followed by 1% and 2% PDB. The results suggest that fludioxonil has potential to control gray mold of lettuce, but the fungicide at a concentration having moderate activity may represent low control efficacy on the disease under some conditions.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2024

A comprehensive survey of mungbean-growing areas was conducted to observe leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata. Alternaria leaf spot symptoms were observed on the leaves. Diversity of 50 genotypes of mungbean was assessed against A. alternata and data on pathological traits was subjected to cluster analysis. The results showed that genotypes of mungbean were grouped into four clusters based on resistance parameters under the influence of disease. The principal component biplot demonstrated that all the disease-related parameters (% disease incidence, % disease intensity, lesion area, and % of infection) were strongly correlated with each other. Alt a 1 gene that is precisely found in Alternaria species and is responsible for virulence and pathogenicity. Alt a 1 gene was amplified using gene specific primers. The isolated pathogen produced similar symptoms when inoculated on mungbean and tobacco. The sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, a 600 bp fragment amplified using specific primers, ITS1 and ITS2 showed 100% identity with A. alternata. Potato virus X (PVX) -based silencing vector expressing Alt a 1 gene was constructed to control this pathogen through RNA interference in tobacco. Out of 50 inoculated plants, 9 showed delayed onset of disease. Furthermore, to confirm our findings at molecular level semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used. Both phenotypic and molecular investigation indicated that RNAi induced through the VIGS vector was efficacious in resisting the pathogen in the model host, Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). To the best of our knowledge, this study has been reported for the first time.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2014

Phytophthora infestans was isolated from potato leaves collected from main potato producing areas in Korea during 2009-2011. In 2009, 99 isolates tested were all A1 mating type. Two of 64 isolates in 2010 and two of 78 isolates in 2011 were A2 mating type and they were found only in Miryang area. Among 99 isolates examined in 2009, 13.1% was resistant to metalaxyl, 3.1% was intermediate resistant and 83.8% was sensitive. In 2010, 19.4% of 62 isolates was resistant, 4.8% was intermediate and 75.8% was sensitive. Metalaxyl resistant, intermediate and sensitive isolates collected in 2011 were 23.1%, 9.0% and 67.9%, respectively. Metalaxyl resistant isolates increased mainly in winter cropping areas and seed potato producing areas where fungicides were sprayed more often. Frequencies of isolates showing minimum inhibition concentration of dimethomorph at $1.0-5.0{\mu}g/ml$ were 17.2% in 2009, 19.0% in 2010 and 15.4% in 2011. However, there was no evidence for occurrence of resistant isolate to dimethomorph because no isolate was able to grow at $5.0{\mu}g/ml$.