• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.522-526
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• 2014

Pyropia, economic red algae species, have been cultivated in Korea (referred to as 'gim'), Japan ('nori'), and China ('zicai') for over 300 years. Vegetable seaweed Pyropia species are sold in the public markets in various forms as commercial seafoods. In Korea, two kinds of Pyropia seafood made with species of Pyropia and Ulva (sea lettuce, referred to as 'parae') are also sold. These are referred to as 'parae-gim' (with Pyropia spp. and U. linza) and 'gamtaegim' (with Pyropia spp. and U. prolifera). There is currently no method for identifying the seaweed species that comprise Pyropia seafood products. Therefore, we developed novel molecular markers to identify Ulva species in commercial Pyropia seafoods. Based on rbcL molecular markers, we identified informative characteristics to discriminate U. linza and U. prolifera as seafood ingredients. Moreover, PCR with 3'-end mismatch primers successfully isolated the specific rbcL sequences of U. linza and U. prolifera from Pyropia seafoods. Therefore, our novel molecular markers will be useful for identifying the ingredient species of commercial seafoods.

• ALGAE
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2023

The oomycete pathogens Pythium porphyrae, causing red rot disease, and Olpidiopsis spp. causing Olpidiopsis-blight, cause serious economic losses to Pyropia sea farms in Korea. During the washing step for Pyropia processing, these pathogens proliferate rapidly, significantly reducing the quality of the final product. To develop non-acidic treatments for these pathogens, various calcium salts were tested against the infectivity of P. porphyrae and Olpidiopsis pyropiae on Pyropia gametophytes, and calcium propionate was the most effective. When Pyropia blades were immersed in 10 mM calcium propionate for 1 h after inoculation with the oomycete pathogen, infection rate of both oomycete pathogens on day 2 was significantly lower (7.1%) than control (>95%). Brief incubation of Pyropia blades in calcium propionate also reduced the spread of infection. The infected area of Pyropia thallus was reduced to 14.3% of the control in 2 days after treatment with 100 mM calcium propionate for 30 s. In field experiments conducted in actual aquaculture farms, it has been shown that a brief 30 s wash every two weeks with 100 mM calcium propionate can effectively reduce the spread of oomycetes throughout the entire culture period. The above results suggest that calcium propionate can be a useful means for controlling the spread of oomycetes not only during laver processing but also during aquaculture.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.524-529
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• 2020

Recently, several mutant laver Pyropia yezoensis strains were developed. In this study, control laver Pyropia yezoensis and its mutant Py500G were compared for their amino acid contents and antioxidative activities. There was no significant difference of total amino acid contents between wild-type and mutant Py500G, but mutant had higher free amino acid contents than wild-type. Also, total phenolic content was higher in mutant Py500G. Phycoerythrin and phycocyanin contents were higher in wild-type. But, antixoidative activities were shown to be higher in mutant Py500G. These results will be useful for the development of new cultivar of Pyropia.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.249-265
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• 2014

As with land crops, cultivated algae are affected by various diseases ranging from large outbreaks of a disease to chronic epiphytes, which may downgrade the value of the final product. The recent development of intensive and dense mariculture practices has enabled some new diseases to spread much faster than before. A new disease is reported almost every year, and the impact of diseases is expected to increase with environmental change, such as global warming. We observed the incidence of diseases in two Pyropia sea farms in Korea from 2011 to 2014, and estimated the economic loss caused by each disease. Serious damage is caused by the oomycete pathogens, Pythium porphyrae and Olpidiopsis spp., which decreased the productivity of the Pyropia sea farms. In Seocheon sea farms, an outbreak of Olpidiopsis spp. disease resulted in approximately US $1.6 million in loss, representing approximately 24.5% of total sales during the 2012-2013 season. The damage caused by green-spot disease was almost as serious as oomycete diseases. An outbreak of green-spot disease in the Seocheon sea farms resulted in approximately US $1.1 million in loss, representing 10.7% of total sales in the 2013-2014 season in this area. However, the causative agent of green-spot disease is still not confirmed. "Diatom felt" is regarded as a minor nuisance that does not cause serious damage in Pyropia; however, our case study showed that the economic loss caused by "diatom felt" might be as serious as that of oomycete diseases. Bacteria and cyanobacteria are indigenous members of epiphytic microbial community on Pyropia blades, but can become opportunistic pathogens under suitable environmental conditions, especially when Pyropia suffers from other diseases. A regular acid wash of the Pyropia cultivation nets is the most common treatment for all of the above mentioned diseases, and represents approximately 30% of the total cost in Pyropia sea farming. However, the acid wash is ineffective for some diseases, especially for Olpidiopsis and bacterial diseases.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2018

Foliose species of the Bangiaceae (Porphyra s. l.) are very important in Korean fisheries, and their taxonomy and ecophysiology have received much attention because of the potential for developing or improving aquaculture techniques. Although 20 species of foliose Bangiales have been listed from the Korean coast, some of them remain uncertain and need further comparative morphological studies with molecular comparison. In this study, we confirm the distribution of four Pyropia species from the east coast of Korea, Pyropia kinositae, P. moriensis, P. onoi, and P. retorta sp. nov., based on morphology and rbcL sequence data. Although P. onoi was listed in North Korea in old floral works, its occurrence on the east coast of South Korea is first revealed in this study based on molecular data. P. kinositae and P. moriensis, which were originally described from Hokkaido, Japan, are first reported on the east coast of Korea in this study. Pyropia retorta sp. nov. and P. yezonesis share a similar thallus color and narrow spermatangial patches in the upper portion of the frond, and they have a sympatric distribution. However, P. retorta can be distinguished by the curled or twisted thalli and by molecular data. The biogeographic pattern of the two native species, P. kinositae and P. retorta, suggests that the east coast of Korea may have been a place of refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and then recolonized to the northern part of Japan through the restored East Korean Warm Current after the LGM.

• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.247-263
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• 2015

We sequenced the rbcL gene in more than 100 collections of foliose Bangiales made in the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska Peninsula during the past 25 years. This work allows us to recognize four previously undescribed species, two in the genus Boreophyllum and two in Pyropia. Boreophyllum aleuticum appears to be endemic to the Aleutian Islands, whereas B. ambiguum is known to occur from the Yakutat area to the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. The two previously undescribed species of Pyropia are more broadly distributed. Pyropia taeniata, which was previously identified under the name Py. pseudolinearis, occurs from northern Southeast Alaska through the Aleutian Islands. Pyropia unabbottiae, which is sister to Py. abbottiae, occurs from southern Vancouver Island to Attu Island. Collections throughout the Aleutian Islands allow us to document the distribution of another dozen species of foliose Bangiales in this region, including Boreophyllum aestivale, Fuscifolium tasa, Pyropia fallax, Py. fucicola, Py. gardneri, Py. kurogii, Py. nereocystis, Py. pseudolanceolata, Py. torta, Wildemania amplissima, W. norrisii, and W. variegata. We were unable to confirm the occurrence of the following species previously recorded from the Aleutian Islands: Porphya ochotensis, Pyropia abbottiae, Py. perforata, Py. pseudolinearis, P. purpurea, P. umbilicalis, Py. yezoensis and Wildemania schizophylla. At least two undescribed filamentous Bangiales also occur in the Aleutian Islands.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

In this study, the proximate composition of Pyropia dentata was compared by the analysis of minerals and amino acids that were produced at Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do and at Wando and Jangheung, Jeollanam-do. Moisture, ash and crude proteins were analyzed using the AOAC method, and crude lipid was analyzed using the Soxhlet method, and inorganic analysis was performed using ICP-OES. Amino acid was used for the amino acid analyzer. The proximate composition analysis, moisture content, maximum values were displayed in Wando while the maximum content of ash appeared at Jangheung's Pyropia. Crude proteins was appeared at Seocheon's Pyropia and the maximum amount of crude lipid, carbohydrate was appeared in Wando's Pyropia. Inorganic analysis, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, zinc were analyzed from the Seocheon's Pyropia, however, cobalt, chromium, and nickel was not detected in Wando's Pyropia. For amino acid analysis, a total of 17 amino acids were detected: leucine, valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and the amount of alanine accounted for about 57 % of total amino acids(26.1-28.7 %). The proximate composition, minerals, and amino acid of Pyropia dentata were different depending on the coastal ecological habitats.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.982-988
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• 2021

Gamma irradiation is one of the simple methods used to induce mutagenesis. Therefore, it is widely used for the development of breeding lineages of plants and algae. In this study, it was developed a new variety of Pyropia yezoensis using gamma irradiation. It was applied a dose of 1 kGy and named the developed mutant Py1k. The blade with width of the mutant was narrower and the blade length was longer than those of the wild type. To further investigate the mutant, it was analyzed the nutrient composition and antioxidant activity. In comparison to those in the wild type, it was found a higher amino acid composition and marginally increased antioxidant activity in Py1k. Based on these results, it was suggests that our protocol can be utilized to develop Pyropia species with improved nutritional quality through gamma irradiation.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2017

Red rot disease has caused a major decline in Pyropia (Nori) crop production in Korea, Japan, and China. To date, only Pythium porphyrae (Pythiales, Oomycetes) has been reported as the pathogen causing red rot disease in Pyropia yezoensis (Rhodophyta, Bangiales). Recently, Pythium chondricola was isolated from the infected blades of Py. yezoensis during molecular analyses using the mitochondrial cox1 region. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity of P. chondricola as an algal pathogen of Py. yezoensis. Moreover, a new cox2 marker was developed with high specificity for Pythium species. Subsequent to re-inoculation, P. chondricola successfully infected Py. yezoensis blades, with the infected regions containing symptoms of red rot disease. A novel cox2 marker successfully isolated the cox2 region of Pythium species from the infected blades of Py. yezoensis collected from Pyropia aquaculture farms. cox2 sequences showed 100% identity with that of P. chondricola (KJ595354) and 98% similarity with that of P. porphyrae (KJ595377). The results of the pathogenicity test and molecular analysis confirm that P. chondricola is a new algal pathogen causing red rot disease in Pyropia species. Moreover, it could also suggest the presence of cryptic biodiversity among Korean Pythium species.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2018

Red algal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) can provide useful information on species identification. mtDNAs of Pyropia / Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) have shown diverse variation in their size and gene structure. In particular, the introns and intronic open reading frames found in the ribosomal RNA large subunit gene (rnl) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) significantly vary the mitochondrial genome size in Pyropia / Porphyra species. In this study, we examined the exon / intron structure of rnl and cox1 genes of Pyropia yezoensis at the intraspecific level. The combined data of rnl and cox1 genes exhibited 12 genotypes for 40 P. yezoensis strains, based on the existence of introns. These genotypes were more effective to identify P. yezoensis strains in comparison to the traditional DNA barcode cox1 marker (5 haplotypes). Therefore, the variation in gene structure of rnl and cox1 can be a novel molecular marker to discriminate the strains of Pyropia species.