• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.909-917
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• 2016

The shiitake mushroom industry has suffered from Camptomyia (gall midges) pest, which feeds on the mycelium of shiitake mushroom during its cultivation. It has been postulated that fungal damage of shiitake bed-logs is associated with infestation by the insect pest, but this is not well understood. To understand the fungal damage associated with Camptomyia pest, various Trichoderma species were isolated, identified, and characterized. In addition to two previously known Trichoderma species, T. citrinoviride and T. deliquescens, two other Trichoderma species, T. harzianum and T. atroviride, were newly identified from the pestinfested bed-log samples obtained at three mushroom farms in Cheonan, Korea. Among these four species, T. harzianum was the most evident. The results of a chromogenic media-based assay for extracellular enzymes showed that these four species have the ability to produce amylase, carboxyl-methyl cellulase, avicelase, pectinase, and ß-glucosidase, thus indicating that they can degrade wood components. A dual culture assay on PDA indicated that T. harzianum, T. atroviride, and T. citrinoviride were antagonistic against the mycelial growth of a shiitake strain (Lentinula edodes). Inoculation tests on shiitake bed-logs revealed that all four species were able to damage the wood of bed-logs. Our results provide evidence that the four green mold species are the causal agents involved in fungal damage of shiitake bed-logs infested by Camptomyia pest.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.236-241
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• 2008

The colonization of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices BEG110 in the soil caused a decrease in disease severity in cucumber plants after fungal inoculation with Colletotrichum orbiculare. In order to illustrate the resistance mechanism mediated by G. intraradices BEG110, infection patterns caused by C. orbiculare in the leaves of cucumber plants and the host cellular responses were characterized. These properties were characterized using transmission electron microscopy on the leaves of cucumber plants grown in soil colonized with G. intraradices BEG110. In the untreated plants, inter- and intra-cellular fungal hyphae were observed throughout the leaf tissues during both the biotrophic and necrotrophic phases of infection. The cytoplasm of fungal hyphae appeared intact during the biotrophic phase, suggesting no defense response against the fungus. However, several typical resistance responses were observed in the plants when treated with G. intraradices BEG110 including the formation of sheaths around the intracellular hyphae or a thickening of host cell walls. These observations suggest that the resistance mediated by G. intraradices BEG110 most often occurs in the symplast of the host cells rather than in the apoplast. In addition, this resistance is similar to those mediated by biotic inducers such as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.364-372
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• 2012

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causing bacterial leaf blight disease in rice produces and secretes Hpa1 protein that belongs to harpin protein family. Previously it was reported that Hpa1 induced defense responses when it was produced in tobacco. In this study, we expressed hpa1 gene in rice and Arabidopsis to examine the effects of Hpa1 expression on disease resistance to both fungal and bacterial pathogens. Expression of hpa1 gene in rice enhanced disease resistance to both X. oryzae pv. oryzae and Magnaporthe grisea. Interestingly, individual transgenic rice plants could be divided into four groups, depending on responses to both pathogens. hpa1 expression in Arabidopsis also enhanced disease resistance to both Botrytis cineria and Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. To examine genes that are up-regulated in the transgenic rice plants after inoculation with X. oryzae pv. oryzae, known defense-related genes were assessed, and also microarray analysis with the Rice 5 K DNA chip was performed. Interestingly, expression of OsACS1 gene, which was found as the gene that showed the highest induction, was induced earlier and stronger than that in the wild type plant. These results indicate that hpa1 expression in the diverse plant species, including monocot and dicot, can enhance disease resistance to both fungal and bacterial plant pathogens.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.469-480
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• 2016

Bacterial wilt and grey mould in tomato plants are economically destructive bacterial and fungal diseases caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. Various approaches including chemical and biological controls have been attempted to arrest the tomato diseases so far. In this study, in vitro growths of bacterial R. solanacearum and fungal B. cinerea were evaluated using four different vitamins including thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and menadione (vitamin K3). In planta efficacies of the four vitamin treatments on tomato protection against both diseases were also demonstrated. All four vitamins showed different in vitro antibacterial activities against R. solanacearum in dose-dependent manners. However, treatment with 2 mM thiamine was only effective in reducing bacterial wilt of detached tomato leaves without phytotoxicity under lower disease pressure ($10^6$ colony-forming unit [cfu]/ml). Treatment with the vitamins also differentially reduced in vitro conidial germination and mycelial growth of B. cinerea . The four vitamins slightly reduced the conidial germination, and thiamine, pyridoxine and menadione inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea. Menadione began to drastically suppress the conidial germination and mycelial growth by 5 and 0.5 mM, respectively. Grey mould symptoms on the inoculated tomato leaves were significantly reduced by pyridoxine and menadione pretreatments one day prior to the fungal challenge inoculation. These findings suggest that disease-specific vitamin treatment will be integrated for eco-friendly management of tomato bacterial wilt and grey mould.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.351-360
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• 2023

Citrus melanose, caused by Diaporthe citri, has been one of the serious diseases, and chemical fungicides were used for protection in many citrus orchards of Jeju Island. Establishing a disinfectant resistance management system and reducing pesticide usage would be important for contributing to safe agricultural production. In this study, monitoring of chemical resistance was performed with 40 representative D. citri isolates from many citrus orchards in Jeju Island. Four different fungicides, kresoxim-methyl, benomyl, fluazinam, and prochloraz manganese, with seven different concentrations were tested in vitro by growing the mycelium of the fungal isolates on the artificial medium potato dextrose agar. Among the 40 fungal isolates, 12 isolates were investigated as resistant to kresoxim-methyl which could not inhibit the mycelium growth to more than 50%. Especially isolate NEL21-2 was also resistant against benomyl, whose hyphae grew well even on the highest chemical concentration. However, any chemical resistance of fungal isolates was found against neither fluazinam nor prochloraz manganese. On the other hand, in vivo bio-testing of some resistant isolates was performed against both kresoxim-methyl and benomyl on young citrus leaves. Typical melanose symptoms developed on the citrus leaves pre-treated with both agrochemicals after inoculation with the resistant isolates. However, no or less symptoms were observed when the susceptible isolates were inoculated. Based on these results, it was suggested that some resistant isolates of D. citri occurred against both systemic fungicides, which may be valuable to build a strategy for protecting citrus disease.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.77-88
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• 1999

This experiment was carried out to compare the cultural characteristics of mycorrizal fungi associated with Pinus species, and to form mycorrhizal association with Pinus thunbergii by artificial inoculation of these fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi tested showed great variations in cultural characteristics. Most fungal isolates was best grown on MP medium, except PDA for Lepista sp.(Ln73/92). Hagem for Rhizopogon rubescens(FRI91017), and FDA for Paxillus sp.(Pa60/92). Optimum temperature for these fungi was $25^{\circ}C$, except $30^{\circ}C$ for Pisolithus tinctorius(FRI91004 and Pt1). The range of pH conditions favorable for these fungal isolates were also variable from weak acidic(pH5) to weak alkalic(pH8). Utilization of the carbon sources for these mycorrhizal fungi was different. Fructose, glucose, and maltose were all utilized well, while xylose was not utilized generally. Mycelial growth on the media supplemented with potassium nitrate was better than those on other media with urea, asparagine, or peptone as a nitrogen source, and the poor growth was observed on the media with urea. Pisolithus tinctorius(Pt1) among 7 mycorrhizal fungi artificially inoculated for the mycorrhizal synthesis on pinus thunbergii seedlings in the test tube containing a mixture of peat moss-vermiculite(2:1, v/v) formed mycorrhizae successfully after 3 months. P. tinctorius formed branched and unbranched roots covered with thick fungal mantle and radiating extemal hyphae. Mycorrhizal root cross-sectioned by hand, stained, and observed by Nomarski interference microscope showed typical characteristics of ectomycorrhizae: fungal mantle on epidermal cells and thick Hartig net hyphae around cortex cells.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.86 no.4
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• pp.466-475
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• 1997

I examined arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungus inoculation effects on the seedling growth of Korean ash tree(Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance), which distributes in fertile mesic soils, under a seven-day watering cycle of water stress and compost-added fertile conditions. Three Korea-native AM fungi were inoculated : an unidentified Glomus species, Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall and Scutellospora heterogama(Nicol. & Gerd) Walker & Sanders from disturbed forest soils. The effect of AM fungus inoculation on the seedling varied depending upon fungal species and soil conditions. AM formation was 27 to 65% by the Glomus without forming spores, 47 to 74% with about 10 spores per 20g soil by G. margarita and about 65% with 35 spores by S. heterogama. The soil conditions did not affect either AM or spore formation. The Glomus inoculation increased shoot N and P concentrations, but did not affect seedling growth. G. margarita increased shoot N and P, irrespective of soil conditions, in general, but S. heterogama increased N under water stress and Pin the control soil only. These two fungi significantly increased seedling growth in both control and water stress soils. Compost addition increased the growth of non-mycorrhizal seedlings and offset AM fungus inoculation effects. The relative field mycorrhizal dependency(RFMD) of the seedlings was significant only in control and water stress soils by over 40% in G. margarita or S. heterogama AM plants. Under water stress RFMD was the most evident in S. heterogama AM plants. I conclude that some AM fungi such as G, margarita and S. heterogama can broaden the niche of Korean ash seedlings to a water stress or nutrient poor site but less likely to more fertile sites.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.228-230
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• 2002

Anthracnose symptoms caused by Glomerella cingulata were observed on leaves and stems of gardenia in Sunchon, Jeonnam in Korea in 2000. Symptoms on infected plants typically appeared as irregularly circular, dark-brown ring spots and water-soaked brown lesions. Based on cultural and morphological characteristics, the fungus (G-00-03 isolate) from the diseased plants was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and its teleomorph stage was Glomerella cingulata. Healthy gardenia artificially inoculated with fungal spores showed anthracnose symptom 7 days after inoculation. This is the first report of gardenia anthracnose caused by Glomerella cingulata in Korea.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.139-149
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• 2010

The present study was carried out to elucidate whether an environmental strain of Cryptococcus neoformans (environmental C. neoformans) isolated from an environmental source in a park of Busan has an acute pathophysiological effect in rats. On the second day after peritoneal inoculation of environmental C. neoformans, adverse effects occurred from the viewpoint of hematology and biochemistry. Eosinophil damages and crystal formations were found in the blood. Disturbances in cytokines production were observed in the cerebral and pulmonary tissues. Fungal budding existed in the brain, lung, liver and kidney. Tissue injury findings such as inflammation, leukocyte infiltration, bleeding, or degeneration were found in the brain, lung, liver and kidney. The present data suggest that the environmental C. neoformans can cause systematically harmful effects even for short periods of infection (two days of cryptococcal infection) and the adverse effects are summarized as immune derangements and biochemical and/or histological dysfunction and injury on major organ such as the brain, lung, liver and kidney in the immunocompetent hosts. Further studies should be focused on comparing the differences between environmental and clinical strains of C. neoformans.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.265-267
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• 2012

Sleeping blight was observed on soybean plants grown in Yanggu, Suwon and Geumsan from 2005 to 2011. Symptoms developed on stems and pods of affected soybean plants. Five fungal isolates were obtained from the diseased plants and identified as Septogloeum sojae based on their morphological, cultural and molecular characteristics. Pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed on soybean plants by artificial inoculation. This is the first report of S. sojae causing sleeping blight in soybean plants in Korea.