• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.373-378
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• 2021

In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from the leaves of evergreen woody plants in Hansando Island in South Korea. The fungal isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer and the large subunit regions of rDNA. It was confirmed that two endophytic fungal species, Muyocopron lithocarpi and Didymocyrtis cladoniicola, isolated in this study have not previously been reported in South Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.485-489
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• 2020

We found an unrecorded endophytic fungus, Dermea piceina J.W. Groves, isolated from alpine conifer Abies koreana. Until now only one Dermea species, D. cerasi, has been reported in Korea. In this study, we compared morphological characteristics and DNA sequences, including internal transcribed spacer and 28S ribosomal DNA, of D. piceina isolated from A. koreana with those of related species. Here, we present morphological and molecular characters of this fungus for the first time in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.493-500
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• 2021

Endophytic fungi are symbiotically related to plants and spend most of their life cycle within them. In nature, they have a crucial role in plant micro-ecosystem. They are harnessed for their bioactive compounds to counter human health problems and diseases. Endophytic Diaporthe sp. is a widely distributed fungal genus that has garnered much interest within the scientific community. A substantial number of secondary metabolites have been detected from Diaporthe sp. inhabited in various plants. As such, this minireview highlights the potential of Diaporthe sp. as a rich source of bioactive compounds by emphasizing on their diverse chemical entities and potent biological properties. The bioactive compounds produced are of significant importance to act as new lead compounds for drug discovery and development.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.173-181
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• 2022

Endophytic fungi were isolated from needle leaves of two conifer species in Korea. The fungal isolates were identified based on their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of their internal transcribed spacer and large-subunit rDNA regions. Three species of endophytic fungi, namely Celosporium laricicola, Neocatenulostroma germanicum, and Phaeophleospora eucalypticola were the first records in Korea. In this study, we reported the morphological and phylogenetic characteristics of these fungi.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.335-347
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• 2023

Sordariomycetes is the second largest class of Ascomycota, distributed throughout various habitat including terrestrial and aquatic environments and also existing as endophytes. We isolated endophytic fungal strains in Korea, identifying them based on their morphological characteristics and molecular analyses, using eight specific DNA regions for accurate genus identification. We identified five previously unrecorded endophytic fungal species in Korea: Chaetomium subaffine, Colletotrichum jiangxiense, Colletotrichum sydowii, Diaporthe vacuae and Neurospora tetraspora. In this study, we describe the morphological characteristics and present our phylogenetic analyses of these five fungal species.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.970-980
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• 2012

Native halophytes, such as Suaeda maritima, Limonium tetragonum, S. japonica, Zoysia sinica, and Phragmites australis were collected from the Muan salt marsh. Ninety endophytic fungi were isolated from the roots of the collected halophytes. Molecular insights inferred by internal transcribed spacer containing ITS1, 5.8s, and the ITS2 region showed that all the fungal strains belong to ten orders, i.e., Capnodiales (4.44%), Cystofilobasidiales (1.11%), Dothideales (3.33%), Eurotiales (53.33%), Glomerellales (3.33%), Hypocreales (8.89%), Mucorales (1.11%), Pleosporales (15.56%), Sordariales (1.11%), and Trichosphaeriales (1.11%). The rest (6.67%) of all fungal isolates were not identified. Ninety fungal strains were confirmed at the genus level, containing Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Cephalosporium, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Cryptococcus, Didymella, Dothideomycete, Emericellopsis, Epicoccum, Eupenicillium, Fusarium, Gibberella, Gongronella, Macrophoma, Microsphaeropsis, Nigrospora, Paecilomyces, Paraconiothyrium, Penicillium, Phaeomyces, Phoma, Pleosporales, Purpureocillium, and Talaromyces. Of all the endophytic fungi identified from the various halophytes, Aspergillus and Penicillium of Eurotiales had the highest abundance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1027-1036
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• 2020

Stipa purpurea is a unique and dominant herbaceous plant species in the alpine steppe and meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). In this work, we analyzed the composition and diversity of the culturable endophytic fungi in S. purpurea according to morphological and molecular identification. Then, we investigated the bioactivities of these fungi against plant pathogenic fungi and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) deaminase activities. A total of 323 fungal isolates were first isolated from S. purpurea, and 33 fungal taxa were identified by internal transcribed spacer primers and grouped into Ascomycota. The diversity of endophytic fungi in S. purpurea was significantly higher in roots as compared to leaves. In addition, more than 40% of the endophytic fungi carried the gene encoding for the ACCD gene. The antibiosis assay demonstrated that 29, 35, 28, 37 and 34 isolates (43.9, 53.1, 42.4, 56.1, and 51.5%) were antagonistic to five plant pathogenic fungi, respectively. Our study provided the first assessment of the diversity of culture-depending endophytic fungi of S. purpurea, demonstrated the potential application of ACCD activity and antifungal activities with potential benefits to the host plant, and contributed to high biomass production and adaptation of S. purpurea to an adverse environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.300-310
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• 2013

The coastal sand-dune plants of eight species; Argusia sibirica, Calystegia soldanella, Elymus mollis, Lithospermum zollingeri, Raphanus sativus, Salsola collina, Zoysia macrostachya, and Zoysia sinica were collected from the Shindu-ri coastal sand dune. Ninety-eight endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the roots of these plants, analyzed, and identified by sequences in their internal transcribed spacers (ITS) at the ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 regions. The diversity of endophytic fungi isolated from coastal sand-dune plants was confirmed with various diversity indices. The fungal strains belonged to thirteen orders: Capnodiales (3.09%), Eurotiales (70.10%), Glomerellales (1.03%), Helotiales (3.09%), Hypocreales (9.28%), Mortierellales (2.06%), Onygenales (1.03%), Ophiostomatales (1.03%), Pleosporales (1.03%), Polyporales (1.03%), Russulales (1.03%), Saccharomycetales (2.06%), and Xylariales (1.03%). Of the endophytic fungal strains collected, Penicillium (59.18% in Eurotiales) and Fusarium (5.10% in Hypocreales) were the most abundant in coastal sand-dune plants. The endophytic fungal strains isolated from C. soldanella were more diverse compared to strains from the other coastal sand-dune plants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1446-1457
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• 2016

Wetlands exhibit intermediate characteristics of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and the biodiversity is rich in these unique biological habitats. The symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi that inhabit these wetlands play an important role in natural resource management, biodiversity, and conservation. Accordingly, the mujechi, having academic value for the study of the natural environment, was investigated in terms of genetic diversity of endophytic fungi, which inhabit the roots of wild plants. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified to identify fungal strains. In total, 226 strains were isolated and categorized into three phyla, seven classes, 10 orders, 22 families, and 31 genera. In plants by endophytic fungi were classified in Isachne globosa (Ig) to 19 genera, Scirpus karuisawensis (Sk) to 11 genera, Utricularia racemosa (Ur) to 19 genera, and one incertae sedis, Eriocaulon decemflorum (Ed) to 11 genera. The fungal taxa was identified the genera Acephala (19.9%), Tolypocladium (16.3%), Neopestalotiopsis (11.5%), and Perenniporia (7.1%). The fungal group isolated from Isachne globosa (Ig) grew the largest number of isolated fungal strains. After comprehensive evaluation, the endophytic fungal group from Utricularia racemosa (Ur) ranked highest in diversity analyses. From the roots of wild plant in mujechi-neup, it confirmed the distribution and diversity of endophytic fungi. This study provides the basic data to understand fungal community structure in peat wetlands.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1619-1624
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• 2011

Endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the roots of six species plants in the Dokdo islands. Native plant samples, such as Artemisia japonica, Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum were isolated from Dongdo, and those such as Cyrtomium falcatum, Dianthus longicalyx and Tetragonia tetragonoides were isolated from Seodo. In total, thirty two fungal strains were isolated from these native plants. To identify the fungal strains, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS: containing ITS1, 5.8s and ITS2 region) regions was done with universal primers ITS1 and ITS4. Endophytic fungi of four species were isolated from A. japonica, eight species from C. album, three species from S. nigrum, three species from C. falcatum, three species from D. longicalyx and eleven species from T. tetragonoides. Culture filtrates (CF) of isolated endophytic fungi were used to treatwaito-c rice seedlings to test plant growth-promoting activity. As a result of bioassay, Ca-5-2-2 strain isolated from C. album expressed highest plant growth-promotion activity. Of all the endophytic fungi isolated, Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. and Aspergillus sp. were the most abundantly distributed fungal strains in the six plants used in this study.