• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.238-248
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• 2017

Pokkah Boeng is a serious disease of sugarcane, which can lead to devastating yield losses in crop-producing regions, including southern China. However, there is still uncertainty about the causal agent of the disease. Our aim was to isolate and characterize the pathogen through morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses. We isolated sugarcane-colonizing fungi in Fujian, China. Isolated fungi were first assessed for their cell wall degrading enzyme capabilities, and five isolates were identified for further analysis. Internal transcribed spacer sequencing revealed that these five strains are Fusarium, Alternaria, Phoma, Phomopsis, and Epicoccum. The Fusarium isolate was further identified as F. verticillioides after Calmodulin and EF-$1{\alpha}$ gene sequencing and microscopic morphology study. Pathogenicity assay confirmed that F. verticillioides was directly responsible for disease on sugarcane. Co-inoculation of F. verticillioides with other isolated fungi did not lead to a significant difference in disease severity, refuting the idea that other cellulolytic fungi can increase disease severity as an endophyte. This is the first report characterizing pathogenic F. verticillioides on sugarcane in southern China.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2015

The three endophytes, Blastophysa rhizopus, Bolbocoleon piliferum, Ulvella leptochaete, were isolated in a laboratory culture from a Grateloupia lanceolata thallus collected in Jeju. Effects of temperature and irradiance on growth and infection of the three species, were examined. Based on the unialgal cultures, their growth was examined under six temperatures (9, 13, 17, 21, 25, $29^{\circ}C$) and two irradiance levels (60, $100{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Also, infection experiments to the five hosts (Ulva intestinalis, Scytosiphon lomentaria, Gracilaria verimiculophylla, Chondrus ocellatus, and Grateloupia elliptica) with three endophytes were carried out under four temperatures (10, 15, 20, $25^{\circ}C$) and two irradiance levels (60, $100{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). In culture of the endophytes, optimum growth was found in $100{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$ in combination with $21^{\circ}C$. At the end of infection experiment, endophytes were observed at all the hosts. Among three endophytes, U. leptochaete was the most common at the five hosts. However, we did not observe any endophytes at all hosts tested under $10^{\circ}C$ condition. Based on this result, it appears that temperature acts as a limiting factor to infection of the three species.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.287-294
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• 2007

Endophytic fungi were isolated from surface sterilized root tissues of Aralia elata and Aralia continentalis, collected from farmer's field in Chungnam province, Republic of Korea, in 2005. Based on ITS sequence analysis, 24 fungal genera were characterized from 359 isolates, belonging to 22 Ascomycota, 1 Glomeromycota and 1 Oomycota. Strumella, Rhizopycnis and Entrophospora in A. elata and Rhizopycnis and Leptosphaeria in A. continentalis were the most abundant taxa. Out of 24 genera, Entrophospora, Leptodontidium, Neoplaconema, Paraconiothyrium, Rhizopycnis, Strumella and Tumularia were new to Korea. A total of 110 isolates were tested for antifungal activities against six plant pathogenic fungi. Out of these, 39 isolates showed antifungal activity against at least one plant pathogenic fungi. Four isolates of Pyrenochaeta, 1 isolate of Entrophospora and 1 unidentified fungus strongly inhibited the growth of six plant pathogenic fungi.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2016

Paclitaxel (taxol) has long been used as a potent anticancer agent for the treatment of many cancers. Ever since the fungal species Taxomyces andreanae was first shown to produce taxol in 1993, many endophytic fungal species have been recognized as taxol accumulators. In this study, we analyzed the taxol-producing capacity of different Colletotrichum spp. to determine the distribution of a taxol biosynthetic gene within this genus. Distribution of the taxadiene synthase (TS) gene, which cyclizes geranylgeranyl diphosphate to produce taxadiene, was analyzed in 12 Colletotrichum spp., of which 8 were found to contain the unique skeletal core structure of paclitaxel. However, distribution of the gene was not limited to closely related species. The production of taxol by Colletotrichum dematium, which causes pepper anthracnose, depended on the method in which the fungus was stored, with the highest production being in samples stored under mineral oil. Based on its distribution among Colletotrichum spp., the TS gene was either integrated into or deleted from the bacterial genome in a species-specific manner. In addition to their taxol-producing capacity, the simple genome structure and easy gene manipulation of these endophytic fungal species make them valuable resources for identifying genes in the taxol biosynthetic pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.108-110
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• 2009

The composition of endophytic fungal species from Pinus koraiensis was studied in two areas (Yeongwol and Jincheon), Korea. To identify 113 isolates, rDNA ITS regions were sequenced. On the basis of the ITS sequence, Pestalotiopsis sp. was the most frequently isolated species in both areas. Pestalotiopsis sp. (68.5%) and Lambertella sp. (12.4%) were isolated frequently in Yeongwol, whereas Pestalotiopsis sp. (41.7%), Hypoxylon sp. (20.8%) and Phomopsis sp. (12.4%) were dominant in Jincheon. Hypoxylon sp. and Phomopsis sp. were not found in Yeongwol.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.150-159
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• 2017

This study analyzed the distribution of endophytic fungi in 3 coastal environments with different climatic, geographical, and geological characteristics: the volcanic islands of Dokdo, the East Sea, and the West Sea of Korea. The isolated fungal endophytes were characterized and analyzed with respect to the characteristics of their host environments. For this purpose, we selected common native coastal halophyte communities from three regions. Molecular identification of the fungal endophytes showed clear differences among the sampling sites and halophyte host species. Isolates were also characterized by growth at specific salinities or pH gradients, with reference to previous geographical, geological, and climate studies. Unlike the East Sea or West Sea isolates, some Dokdo Islands isolates showed endurable traits with growth in high salinity, and many showed growth under extremely alkaline conditions. A smaller proportion of West Sea coast isolates tolerate compared to the East Sea or Dokdo Islands isolates. These results suggest that these unique fungal biota developed through a close interaction between the host halophyte and their environment, even within the same halophyte species. Therefore, this study proposes the application of specific fungal resources for restoring sand dunes and salt-damaged agricultural lands and industrialization of halophytic plants.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.140-144
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• 2006

Four xanthones were isolated from mycelia of Emericella variecolor, an endophytic fungus isolated from the leaves of Croton oblongifolius. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis to be shamixanthone, 14-methoxytajixanthone-25-acetate, tajixanthone methanoate, and tajixanthone hydrate. All compounds were tested for cytotoxic activity against various human tumor cell lines including gastric carcinoma, colon carcinoma, breast carcinoma, human hepatocarcinoma, and lung carcinoma. The antitumor activities of these xanthones were compared with that of doxorubicin hydrochloride, a chemotherapeutic substance. All of them showed moderate activities and were selective against gastric carcinoma, colon carcinoma, and breast carcinoma. Only tajixanthone hydrate exhibited moderate activity against all cancer cell lines. Furthermore, under the test conditions it was found that 14-methoxytajixanthone-25-acetate and tajixanthone hydrate are almost as active as doxorubicin hydrochloride against gastric carcinoma (KATO3) and breast carcinoma (BT474).

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.255-260
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• 2010

Rusty root, the browning disease on ginseng, decreases quality and value. Recent studies indicated that endophytic bacteria could be a possible cause of rusty root. Actinomycetes antagonistic to the rusty-root-causing bacteria were isolated from soil. Twenty nine out of 932-isolates of Actinomycetes from soil showed antibacterial activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Pseudomonas veronii an endophytic isolate in ginseng. The strongest antibacterial strain(ATO4O104) was classified based on 16S rDNA sequence. The Actinomycetes strain, ATO4O104, isolated in soil of USA volcano national park was identified as Streptomyces adephospholyticus. To test plant toxicity, radish seeds were sprouted with the culture of S. adephospholyticus and it did not show any harmful effect. The butanol partition out of n-hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water partions showed the highest antibacterial activity.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.184-187
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• 2016

Endophytic fungi were isolated from surface-sterilized roots of a species of orchid, Oreorchis patens, in Korea. The isolated strains were identified based on morphological characteristics and sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of rDNA regions. Two species, Thelonectria veuillotiana and Phialocephala humicola, are first reported in Korea with their descriptions.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2018

We isolated endophytic fungal strains from the leaves of Abies koreana growing in Korea. The fungal strains were identified as Coleophoma parafusiformis and Coniochaeta ligniaria, based on morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and large subunit region of ribosomal DNA. These species have not been previously reported in Korea. In this study, we report the morphological characteristics and results of phylogenetic analysis of the two novel fungal strains.