• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.685-691
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• 2022

Plants produce chemicals of immense diversity that provide great opportunities for development of new antifungal compounds. In search for environment-friendly alternatives to the fungicide of current use, we screened plant extracts obtained from more than eight hundred plant materials collected in Korea for their antifungal activity against the model plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. This initial screening identified antifungal activities from the eleven plant extract samples, among which nine showed reproducibility in the follow-up screening. These nine samples were able to suppress not only M. oryzae but also other fungal pathogens. Interestingly, the plant extracts obtained from Actinostemma lobatum comprised five out of eight samples, and were the most effective in their antifungal activity. We found that butanol fraction of the A. lobatum extract is the most potent. Identification and characterization of antifungal substances in the A. lobatum extracts would provide the promising lead compounds for new fungicide.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 1985

A severe infection on pepper fruits by a black mold fungus was observed in the fields, Suweon. Conidia of Alternaria sp. were isolated from the infected fruits. Based on the morphological characters and size of the conidia, the fungus was identified as Alrernaria alternata (Fries) Keissler. The single spore isolates of A. alternata were weakly or not pathogenic on non-wounded pepper fruits, but highly virulent on fruits wounded with sandpaper or heated-glass rod. The infection on the wounded fruits were more severe on red fruits than on immature green ones. No visible infection was found on leaves and stems when 60-day-old plants of pepper were inoculated with the fungus. In July of 1984, the field losses of pepper fruits caused by black mold were $2.0\~22.5\%$ in Suweon.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.130-133
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• 2004

Leaf blight and fruit rot of sweet persimmon (cv. Fuyu) caused by Pestalotia diospyri were observed during the growing season and postharvest such as storage and transport, respectively. Typical symptoms on leaves developed with small brown spots and were later reddish brown colors. In the storage fruit, the white mycelial mats formed between fruit and calyx. The pathogenic fungus was isolated from infected fruits and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Colony color of the fungus was white at first on PDA. Conidia were ovoid or fusiform, 5 cells, middle 3 cells were olive, upper and lower 2 cells were colorless, and their size were $16{\sim}22\;{\times}\;6{\sim}8\;{\mu}m$. They had were $2{\sim}3$ appendage at basal cell and size $9{\sim}18\;{\mu}m$. Based on the cultural and mycological characteristics and pathogenicity test on host plants and fruits, the fungus was identified as Pestalotia diospyri Syd.&P. Syd. This is the first report on the leaf blight and fruit rot of sweet persimmon caused by Pestalotia diospyri in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.473-482
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• 2019

Rice blast disease, caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most important diseases in rice production. PAS (period circadian protein, aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator protein, single-minded protein) domains are known to be involved in signal transduction pathways, but their functional roles have not been well studied in fungi. In this study, targeted gene deletion was carried out to investigate the functional roles of the PAS-containing gene MoPAS1 (MGG_02665) in M. oryzae. The deletion mutant ΔMopas1 exhibited easily wettable mycelia, reduced conidiation, and defects in appressorium formation and disease development compared to the wild type and complemented transformant. Exogenous cAMP restored appressorium formation in ΔMopas1, but the shape of the restored appressorium was irregular, indicating that MoPAS1 is involved in sensing the hydrophobic surface. To examine the expression and localization of MoPAS1 in M. oryzae during appressorium development and plant infection, we constructed a MoPAS1:GFP fusion construct. MoPAS1:GFP was observed in conidia and germ tubes at 0 and 2 h post-infection (hpi) on hydrophobic cover slips. By 8 hpi, most of the GFP signal was observed in the appressoria. During invasive growth in host cells, MoPAS1:GFP was found to be fully expressed in not only the appressoria but also invasive hyphae, suggesting that MoPAS may contribute to disease development in host cells. These results expand our knowledge of the roles of PAS-containing regulatory genes in the plant-pathogenic fungus M. oryzae.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.2
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• pp.332-335
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• 2015

Taphrina wiesneri, a pathogen of cherry witches' broom, is highly pathogenic to Prunus yedoensis Matsumura which are widely planted in parks and streets in South Korea. In order to control the disease, it is crucial to know the life cycle of the fungus. We attempted to detect the fungus tentatively overwintering in shoots and branches of cherry trees both having witches' broom and healthy before flowering and leafing in spring using PCR with species-specific primer set (TwITSF and TwITSR). Genomic DNAs were extracted from the symptomatic and the asymptomatic shoots or branches. Results indicated that T. wiesneri is present in leaf buds and inner bark not only in symptomatic branches but also in the asymptomatic branches in diseased trees. However, the fungus was not detected in flower buds of the symptomatic trees and any samples of healthy trees.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.622-627
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• 2012

The processes to determine the composition, dynamics, and activity of infection mechanisms by the rhizosphere microflora have attracted the interest of scientists from multiple disciplines although considerable progress of the infection pathways and plant-pathogen interactions by soil borne fungal pathogens have been made. Soilborne pathogens are confined within a three-dimensional matrix of mineral soil particles, pores, organic matter in various stages of decomposition and a biological component. Among the physical and chemical properties of soils soil texture and matric water potential may be the two most important factors that determine spread exudates by soil borne fungal pathogens, based on the size of the soil pores. Pathogenic invasion of plant roots involves complex molecular mechanisms which occur in the diffuse interface between the root and the soil created by root exudates. The initial infection by soilborne pathogens can be caused by enzymes which breakdown cell wall layers to penetrate the plant cell wall for the fungus. However, the fate and mobility of the exudates are less well understood. Therefore, it needs to develop methods to control disease caused by enzymes produced by the soilborne pathogens by verifying many other possible pathways and mechanisms of infection processes occurring in soils.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2021

White rot or stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most destructive fungal diseases that have become a serious threat to the successful cultivation of oilseed Brassicas. The study was designed with an aim to investigate the association between the pathogenic aggressiveness and pathogenicity determinants of this pathogen specifically in Brassica for the first time. For this, a total of 58 isolates of S. sclerotiorum from different geographical regions were collected and purified. These isolates were inoculated on a Brassica juncea cv. RL-1359 and they exhibited high level of variation in their disease progression. The isolates were grouped and then 24 isolates were selected for the biochemical analysis of pathogenicity determinants. The isolates varied significantly with respect to their total organic acids, oxalic acid production and pectin methyl esterase and polygalacturonase activity. The oxalic acid production corresponded to the disease progression of the isolates; the isolates with higher oxalic acid production were the more aggressive ones and vice-versa. This is, in our knowledge, the first study to establish a correlation between oxalic acid production and pathogenic aggressiveness of S. sclerotiorum on B. juncea. However, the pectinases' enzyme activity did not follow the trend as of disease progression. These suggest an indispensable role of oxalic acid in pathogenicity of the fungus and the potential to be used as biochemical marker for preliminary assessment of pathogenic aggressiveness of various isolates before incorporating them in a breeding program.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.33-39
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• 2001

An isolate of the indigenous fungus Pythium myriotylum was isolated from Monochoria vaginalis in Yusung, Korea in year 2000 and evaluated potential as a biocontrol agent in laboratory and greenhouse. P. myriotylum MD2 grew in a wide range of temperature regimes and the optimal growth temperature was $35^{\circ}C$. The fungus was highly pathogenic to Monochoria vaginalis at 30 to $35^{\circ}C$. Several weeds such as Rotala, indica, Lindernia procumbens, Ludwigia prostrata, Cyperus difformis, Scirpus juncoides, Aneilema keisak were also susceptible to the fungus, but Echinochloa crus-galli was not. The fungus affected the growth of rice seed germinated, but not to rice seedlings of 1- to 3-leaf stage. A total of 12 rice cultivars (3- to 4-leaf stage) tested showed no disease symptoms when inoculated with the fungus. Eleven crops, including Chinese cabbage, corn, soybean except wheat were immune to the infection of the fungi. These data suggest that P. myriotylum MD2 has a potential as a mycoherbicide to control weeds in paddy fields.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.217-220
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• 2003

A severe fruit rot of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki cv: Fuyu) was occurred during the storage and transport that infected with blue mold in Sweet Persimmon Experiment Station, Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Korea. Fruit surfaces were infected with the fungus first and the colonized fungus formed mycelial mats. From the point of infection, fruits become collapsed and mostly ruptured. The pathogenic fungus from infected fruits was isolated and cultured on PDA. Colony color of the fungus was white at frist than became green on Malt Extract Agar and Czapek Yeast Extract Agar. Conidia were ellipsoid subglobose and 2.6${\sim}$3.8 ${\times}$ 2.4${\sim}$3.8 ${\mu}m$ in size. Stipes were 86${\sim}$320 ${\times}$ 2.8${\sim}$4.3 ${\mu}m$ in size. Rami were 7.5${\sim}$32.6 ${\times}$ 2.6${\sim}$4.2 ${\mu}m$ in size, Ramuli were 12.4${\sim}$14.8 ${\times}$ 3.2${\sim}$3.8 ${\mu}m$ in size, Metulae were 8.9${\sim}$13.6 ${\times}$ 2.8${\sim}$4.6 ${\mu}m$ in size. Phialides were ampulliform, 8.2${\sim}$12.4 ${\times}$ 2.3${\sim}$3.6 ${\mu}m$ in size. Based on the cultural and mycological characteristics and pathogenecity test on host plants, the fungus was identified as s, This is the first report on the blue mold of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) caused by P. crustosum in Korea.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1270-1274
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• 2010

Malassezia is a pathogenic fungus that causes skin diseases, such as tinea versicolor, atopic dermatitis and fatal sepsis. We report the synthesis of a series of benzoxazole amides and evaluation of their antifungal activity against Malassezia furfur. Twelve benzoxazole amides were prepared through the cyclization of the substituted 2-hydroxy aniline with N-(bis-methylsulfanylmethylene) amides. Among the prepared compounds, the compounds 4a, 8b, 8c and 8d showed in vitro antifungal activity.