• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.195-199
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• 2003

Pink root of onion occurred in the fields of the Onion Experimental Station and in the main onion cultivation area in Korea in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The casual fungus of pink root was isolated only from apricot agar. Formation of pycnidia and pycnidiospores of the fungus was highest in alternating cycles of 12 hours near ultraviolet light and 12 hours in dark condition. Its morphological characteristics and pigment formation on water agar were identical with that of Pyrenochaeta terrestris. The optimum temperature for the growth of the fungus and disease development was $25-28^{\circ}C$. When onion seeds were inoculated with the spore suspension, incubated in test-tube and sown in potted soil, disease symptoms developed in onion roots 7 and 30 days after inoculation.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.120-123
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• 1987

Four types of spore trap (Kim's original, improved Kim's original, Yoshino's original and mixed type of Kim's and Yoshino's original) were evaluated for their efficacy to "estimate the amount of spores released from leaf blast lesions under the natural conditions. It was found that all four types had one or two defects in allowance for adequate sporulation/release, spore catch or spore counting. Thus, an improved type of spore trap was devised considering that it could cover the defects mentioned above. As a result, newly developed spore trap was quite satisfactory in above mentioned aspects and it could be used for pursuit of spore release phase under the natural conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Inter-cellular communication via diffusible small molecules is a defining character not only of multicellular forms of life but also of single-celled organisms. A large number of bacterial genes are regulated by the change of chemical milieu mediated by the local population density of its own species or others. The cell density-dependent "autoinducer" molecules regulate the expression of those genes involved in genetic competence, biofilm formation and persistence, virulence, sporulation, bioluminescence, antibiotic production, and many others. Recent innovations in recombinant DNA technology and micro-/nano-fluidics systems render the genetic circuitry responsible for cell-to-cell communication feasible to and malleable via synthetic biological approaches. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular biology of bacterial intercellular communication and the novel experimental protocols and platforms used to investigate this phenomenon. A particular emphasis is given to the genetic regulatory circuits that provide the standard building blocks which constitute the syntax of the biochemical communication network. Thus, this review gives focus to the engineering principles necessary for rewiring bacterial chemo-communication for various applications, ranging from population-level gene expression control to the study of host-pathogen interactions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1563-1567
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• 2007

AfsKav is a eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinase, required for sporulation and avermectin production in Streptomyces avermitilis. In terms of their ability to complement SJW4001 (${\Delta}afsK$-av), afsK-av mutants T165A and T168A were not functional, whereas mutants T165D and T168D retained their ability, indicating that Thr-165 and Thr-168 are the phosphorylation sites required for the role of AfsKav. Expression of the S-adenosylmethione synthetase gene promoted avermectin production in the wild-type S. avermitilis, yet not in the mutant harboring T168D or T165D, demonstrating that tandem phosphorylation on Thr-165 and Thr-168 in AfsKav is the mechanism modulating avermectin production in response to S-adenosylmethione accumulation in S. avermitilis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1884-1889
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• 2008

The ${\beta}$-lactamase inhibitory protein, BLIP-II, found in the culture supernatant of Streptomyces exfoliatus SMF19, shows no discernible sequence identity with other ${\beta}$-lactamase inhibitory proteins identified in Streptomyces spp. A null mutant of the gene encoding BLIP-II (bliB::$hyg^r$) showed a bald appearance on solid media. Although BLIP-II was initially isolated from the supernatant of submerged cultures, sites of BLIP-II accumulation were seen in the cell envelope. Mutation of bliB was also associated with changes in the formation of septa and condensation of the chromosomal DNA associated with sporulation. The bliB mutant exhibited infrequent septa, showing dispersed chromosomal DNA throughout the mycelium, whereas the condensed chromosomes of the wild-type were separated by regularly spaced septa giving the appearance of a string of beads. Therefore, on the basis of these results, it is suggested that BLIP-II is a regulator of morphological differentiation in S. exfoliatus SMF19.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.183-188
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• 1992

A soil bacterium which produces raw starch-digesting $\beta$-amylase in culture medium, has been screened from soils. One strain, isolated and identified as Bacillus polymyxa No. 26, was selected as a $\beta$-amylase producing bacterium. Morphological and biological characteristics of the strain were found to be similar to those of a strain belonging to B. polymyxa. The electron microscopic observations of the bacterial vegetative cells and sporulated cells were extensively done to know the corelation between the enzyme synthesis and sporulation. When the bacterium was cultured on the appropriate media (3% dextrin, 0.3% beef extract, 0.5% polypeptone, 1% yeast extract and 0.3% NaCl at pH 7.0 for 4 days) raw starch-digestible $\beta$-amylase was produced extracellularly. This strain produced 130 units of $\beta$-amylase per ml in a culture medium containing 3% dextrin at $30^\circ{C}$. This value is compared to those of other $\beta$-amylase-producing strains. The optimum pH and temperature for crude enzymes were pH 6.5 to 7.0 and $50^\circ{C}$, respectively. The enzymes were stable between pH 5.5 and 9.0 for 30 min at $45^\circ{C}$.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.165-168
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• 1985

Ethanol-soluble amino acids in healthy and powdery mildew-infected leaves of the susceptible cultivar Peruvian and the adult-plant-resistant cultivar Asse of spring barley were quantitatively analysed. At I day after inoculation, the levels of amino acids in the infected first leaves of the two cultivars were similar to those of comparable healthy controls. During sporulation, increases in amino acids were more pronounced in Peruvian than those in Asse. The changes in amino acid content in the infected first and fifth leaves were closely related to the number of colonies per leaf. The susceptible cultivar Peruvian showed higher amounts of amino acids in infected first and fifth leaves at all infection intensitives than did Asse.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2004

A disease causing severe leaf spots in pepper plants has been observed in northern Gyeongbuk and Gangwon provinces in Korea since 1994. The current study diagnosed the disease as gray leaf spot caused by Stemphylium solani Weber and S. lycopersici (Enjoji) Yamamoto, both of which are pathogenic in pepper and tomato plants. Although the disease has been found in almost all areas where peppers are grown, it is more severe in mountain terrains where the nights are cool. Both species of pathogenic fungi were found to sporu-late profusely on V-8 juice agar in plastic or Pyrex glass Petri dishes, although not in domestically-produced glass Petri dishes, when cultured at $20^{\circ}C$ under irradi-ation from a daylight fluorescent lamp with a 12-hour light and dark alternation. The domestically-produced glass Petri dishes, which are made of window glass, were found to block near ultraviolet wavelengths, around and below 300 nm, which explained why the fungi did not sporulate. However, sporulation decreased at above $25^{\circ}C$ and most isolates failed to sporulate above $27^{\circ}C$. The worst level of disease was obtained when the inoculated plants were incubated with a $15^{\circ}C$ night and $20^{\circ}C$ day temperature regime relative to 4 night/day temperature combinations (15/20, 20/25, 25/30, and 30/35$^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.151-156
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• 2004

Soil-borne fungal pathogens such as Verticillium and Rhizoctonia can colonize in the stem tissue of plant through root and lead to wilting symptoms of plant by blocking. water transportation. During the colonization of Rhizoctonia solani in the vascular tissue of tomato stems, particularly, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene induction pattern was cyclized showing peak induction at two different time points (10 and 80 h) after fungal spores inoculation in vivo. In leaves or roots, however, no such cycling pattern was observed. The first induction peak may be due to an initial sporulation events leading to a second induction peak by a proliferation of fungal spores to the upper stems or other tissues from an initial spore trapping sites. Tomato PAL gene was also dramatically induced by wounding, light illumination and mercury chloride treatment but was not cyclized. Mercury chloride showed the earliest induction with all tissues even at half an hour after treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.158-165
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• 1996

The signal transduction pathways through the RAS gene product and adenyl cyclease play a critical role in regulation of the cell cycle in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We examined the genetic relationship between the spt3 gene and ras/cAMP pathway. A mutation in the SPT3 gene suppressed cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase caused by either an inactivation of the RAS or CYR1 gene which encodes a yeast homologue of human ras proto-oncogene or adenyl cyclase, respectively. The phenotypes such as sporulation and heat shock resistancy, that resulted from a partial inactivation of the RAS or CYR1 genes, were also suppressed by the spt3 mutation. Expression of the SSA1 gene encoding one of th heat shock proteins (Hsp70) can be induced by heat shock or nitrogen starvation. Expression of this gene is derepressed in cry1-2 and spt3 mutants. The bcy 1 mutation repressed by the bcy1 mutation, but not in spt3 mutants. These results suggest that the SPT gene is involved in expression of genes that are affected by the RAS/cAMP pathway.