• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2000

The capability of higher ascomyceteous fungi to cause typical soft-rot decay for wood under laboratory conditions is reviewed and discussed. Fungi tested were extremely active in the decomposition of timbers. Scanning electron micrographs illustrated typical soft-rot decay pattern of higher wood decay ascomycetes, with the exception of H. trugodes that caused white-rot decay. Most of the fungi tested could be grouped as soft-rot fungi that showed typical soft-rot type II. Hypha confined primarily to the resin canals in softwoods or vessel elements in hardwoods and spread tracheid to tracheid via pits of cell wall to cell wall with mechanical force.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.33-45
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• 2022

To screen antagonistic fungi against plant pathogens, dual culture assay (DCA) and culture filtrate assay (CFA) were performed with unknown soil-born fungi. Among the different fungi isolated and screened from the soil, fungal isolate ANU-301 successfully inhibited growth of different plant pathogenic fungi, Colletotrichum acutatum, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum, in DCA and CFA. Morphological characteristics and rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis identified ANU-301 as Aspergillus terreus. Inoculation of tomato plants with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) induced severe wilting symptom; however, co-inoculation with ANU-301 significantly enhanced resistance of tomato plants against FOL. In addition, culture filtrate (CF) of ANU-301 not only showed bacterial growth inhibition activity against Dickeya chrysanthemi (Dc), but also demonstrated protective effect in potato tuber against soft rot disease. Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of CF of ANU-301 identified 2,4-bis(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)-phenol (MPP) as the most abundant compound. MPP inhibited growth of Dc, but not of FOL, in a dose-dependent manner, and protected potato tuber from the soft rot disease induced by Dc. In conclusion, Aspergillus terreus ANU-301 could be used and further tested as a potential biological control agent.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.13-18
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• 1994

Sapwood samples of pitch pine were treated with disodium octaborate alone by dip-diffusion, or in combination with water-repellent preservative(WRP) and methyl metacrylate(MMA). Treated samples were subjected to an accelerated leaching test for determining the improvement of leaching resistance and to soft rot and mold tests for evaluating the increase in bioefficacy, due to the addition of WRP and MMA applied as a second treatment. The addition of WRP and MMA retarded leaching of boron to some extent from treated samples and this retardation can be explained by improved water repellency of WRP and MMA treated samples. Borate /WRP and borate /MMA systems will not qualify borate treated wood for ground and fresh water contact use but may improve performance of borate treated wood in above-ground applications not subjected to continuous wetting conditions. Bioefficacy against soft rot fungi and mold fungi was improved by a second treatment with WRP. However, improvement in the performance of borate /MMA systems was not observed. Considering improvement in both resistance of leaching and bioefficacy against micro fungi by the treatment of WRP and MMA, simultaneously, the dual treatment of borate treated wood by MMA containing co-biocides might be believed as an ideal treatment system.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2006

The heartwood of cengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) is known to have a high degree of decay resistance by virtue of its high extractive content. After 30 years in ground contact an utility pole of this tropical hardwood was found to be degraded only in the surface layers by cavity-forming soft rot fungi. The present work was undertaken 1) to characterize the degradation of cengal heartwood from the aspect of ultrastructure and chemistry and 2) to investigate the correlation between soft rot decay and its extractive microdistribution in wood tissues. The chemical analysis of cengal heartwood revealed the presence of a high amount of extractives as well as lignin. The wood contained a relatively high amount of condensed lignin and the guaiacyl units. Microscopic observations revealed that vessels, fibers and parenchyma cells (both ray and axial parenchyma) all contained extractives in their lumina, but in variable amounts. The lumina of fibers and most axial parenchyma were completely or almost completely filled with the extractives. TEM micrographs showed that cell walls were also impregnated with extractives and that pit membranes connecting parenchyma cells were well coated and impregnated with extractives. However, fungal hyphae were present in the extractive masses localized in cell lumina, and indications were that the extractives did not completely inhibit fungal growth. The extent of cell wall degradation varied with tissue types. The fibers appeared to be more susceptible to decay than vessels and parenchyma. Middle lamella was the only cell wall region which remained intact in all cell types which were severely degraded. The microscopic observations suggested a close correlation between extractive microdistribution and the pattern and extent of cell wall degradation. In addition to the toxicity to fungi, the physical constraint of the extractive material present in cengal heartwood cells is likely to have a profound effect on the growth and path of invasion of colonizing fungi, thus conferring protection to wood by restricting fungal entry into cell walls. The presence of relatively high amount of condensed lignin is also likely to be a factor in the resistance of cengal heartwood to soft rot decay.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.257-263
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• 2001

Species of the genus Orobanche are parasitic flowering plants, holoparasites, which cling to the roots of green plants. Their tiny seeds (200 x $250\mu\textrm{m}$) germinate in response to chemical stimuli produced by host and some non-host plants. Successful contact with their host leads to development of haustoria for obtaining water and food. The shoots above the ground expose flowers and disseminate seeds. Several samples of Orobanche ramosa, O. crenata, O. cernua, and O. egyptiaca were collected from different localities in Jordan. These samples showed one of the following disease symptoms: dry rot at the base of the stem; general deterioration and expanded lesion from base upward; soft tissue maceration of stem; and black rot of flower parts with incomplete maturation of the ovary and seeds. Isolation from diseased stems and seeds was made on three different mycological media. Several fungi were isolated, mainly, Fusarium spp., Alternaria alternata, Rhizoctonia sp., Dendrophora sp., Chaetomium sp., and an ascomycetus fungus with a perithecium. Pathogenicity tests showed that Fusarium spp. and Alternaria alternata attacked healthy living tissue of Orobanche spikes. These fungi caused lesions of black soft rot and complete deterioration within 5-7 days. They also attacked Orobanche seeds, arresting their germination and causing maceration of non-germinated and germinated seeds after 5-7 days of incubation. Meanwhile, Dendrophora sp. and Chaetomium sp. caused limited lesion at first, but were able to colonize the tissue as it aged and senesced. This study showed the presence of a potential endogenous pathogenic fungi in Jordan, which can be investigated as a biological control for Orobanche.

• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.177-179
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• 2000

A soft rot of fruits caused by Rhizopus nigricans occurred on peach (Prunus persica var. vulgaris) in The Chinju City Agricultural Products Wholesale Marke during in summer season of 2000. The disease infection usually started from wounding after harvest fruits, and then moved to outside. At first, the lesions started with water soaked and rapidly softened and diseased area gradually expanded. In severely infected film house, the rate of infected fruits reached 65.2%. Numerous sporangiospores were produced on the diseased fruits. Most of the sporangiospores were appeared to be readily dispersed in the air. The mycelia grew surface of fruits and produced stolons. Colonies on potato dextrose agar at $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ white cottony at first becoming heavily speckled by the presence of sporangia and the browinish black at maturity, spreading rapidly by means of stolons fired at various points to the substrate by rhizoids. Sporangia were $85.3{\sim}243.5{\times}53.4{\sim}219.2\;{\mu}m$ in size and were globose or sub-globose with. somewhat flattened base. The color of sporangia was white at first and then turned black with many spores, and never over-hanging. Sporangiophores were $8.9{\sim}36.6\;{\mu}m$ in width, smooth-walled, non-septate, light brown, simple, long, arising in groups of $3{\sim}5$ from stolons opposite rhizoids. Sporangiospores was $9.7{\sim}24.8{\times}5.9{\sim}15.8\;{\mu}m$, irregular, round, oval, elongate, angular, and browinish-black streaked. Columella was $70.2{\times}149.7{\mu}m$. brownish gray, and umberella-shaped when dehisced. The causal organism was identified as. Rhizopus nigricans Lind on the basis of the morphiogical characteristics of the fungus. Rhizopus soft rot on peach (Prunus persica) caused by the fungi has not been reported in Korea. This is the first report of rhizopus soft rot on peach caused by Rhizopus nigricans in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.286-289
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• 2000

Mechanol extracts of three cold-tolerant eucalyptus trees-Eucalyptus darlympleana, E. gunnii and E. unigera were screened for antimicrobial activity against twenty two phyto-pathogenic fungi and six food-borne bacterial pathogens. E. unigera showed the antagonistic activity against all the tested pathogens. Among the tested fungal pathogens, Pythium species were highly sensitive to the leaf extracts. Especially, P. vanterpoolii, a causal agent of leaf blight in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris), was completely inhibited by the extracts. The eucalyptus extracts were also effective in inhibiting the fungal growth of Botrytis cinerea and Phomopsis sp. isolated from the lesions of kiwifruit soft rot during post-harvest storage. Escherichia coli O-157 was less sensitive to the inhibition than the other bacterial pathogens tested. It was likely that Gram positive bacteria-Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus mutans were more sensitive to the eucalyptus extracts than Gram negative bacteria-Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our findings suggest that the cold-tolerant eucalyptus species have antimicrobial properties that can serve the development of novel fungitoxic agents or food preservatives.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.321-324
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• 2000

season of 2000. The disease infection usually started from flower, peduncle and young fruits, then moved to flower stalk, stem and leaves. At first, the lesions started with water-soaked, rapidly softened, and then the area gradually expanded. In severely affected film house, the rate of infected fruits reached to 28.6%. Numerous sporangiospores were formed on the diseased fruits, flower stalk, stem and leaves. Most of the sporangiospores were appeare to be rapidly dispersed in the air. The mycelia grew on the surface of host and formed stolons. Colonies on potato dextrose agar were cottony at first brownish black at maturity. Sporangia were 125.3${\times}$294.2 ${\mu}$m. globose or sub-globose with somewhat flattened base. White at first the black, many spored, and are never overhanging. Sporangiophores were 2.7-6.8${\times}$12.9-33.9 ${\mu}$m, smooth-walled, non-septate, light brown, simple, long, arising in groups of 3-5 from stolons opposite rhizoids. Sporangiophores were 8.6-21.1${\times}$6.41-1.7 ${\mu}$m, irregular, round, oval, elongate, angular and brownish-black streaked. Columella were 63.8${\times}$140.4 ${\mu}$m. brownish gray, umberella-shaped when dehisced. The causal organism was identified as Rhizopus stolonifer Lind on the basis of the morphological characteristics of the fungus. Rhizopus soft rot on squash (Cucurbita moschata) caused by the fungi has not been previously reported in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.322-327
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• 2008

Antifungal activities of natural substrances from Eucalyptus darlympleana, E. globules, E. gunnii and E. unigera were evaluated against postharvest pathogens of kiwifruits, Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Diaporthe actinidiae, to screen effective natural substances as an alternative to chemical fungicides. Methanol extract of the Eucalyptus trees showed strong antagonistic activity against the pathogenic fungi. Among them, E. unigera and E. darlympleana effectively inhibited mycelial growth of the pathogens. For chemical identification of the antifungal substances, the methanol extract of E. darlympleana leaves was successively partitioned with $CH_2Cl_2$, EtOAc, n-BuOH and $H_2O$. Among the fractions, $CH_2Cl_2$ and n-BuOH showed strong inhibitory activity of mycelial growth of the fungi. Five compounds were isolated from EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions subjected to $SiO_2$ column chromatography. Two phenolic compounds(gallic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) and three flavonoid compounds(quercetin, quercetin-3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-O-$\beta$-glucoside) were identified by $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopy. Among them, only gallic acid was found to be effective in mycelial growth and spore germination of B. cinerea at relatively high concentrations. The results suggest that gallic acid can be a safer and more acceptable alternative to current synthetic fungicides controlling soft rot decay of kiwifruit during postharvest storage.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.207-219
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• 2023

Soft rot is a widespread, catastrophic disease caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) that severely damages the production of Amorphophallus spp. This study evaluated the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities in Pcc-infected and uninfected plants of two species of Amorphophallus, A. muelleri and A. konjac. Principal component analysis showed that the samples formed different clusters according to the Pcc infection status, indicating that Pcc infection can cause a large number of changes in the bacterial and fungal communities in the Amorphophallus spp. rhizosphere soil. However, the response mechanisms of A. muelleri and A. konjac are different. There was little difference in the overall microbial species composition among the four treatments, but the relative abundances of core microbiome members were significantly different. The relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacillus, and Lysobacter were lower in infected A. konjac plants than in healthy plants; in contrast, those of infected A. muelleri plants were higher than those in healthy plants. For fungi, the relative abundances of Ascomycota and Fusarium in the rhizosphere of infected A. konjac plants were significantly higher than those of healthy plants, but those of infected A. muelleri plants were lower than those of healthy plants. The relative abundance of beneficial Penicillium fungi was lower in infected A. konjac plants than in healthy plants, and that of infected A. muelleri plants was higher than that of healthy plants. These findings can provide theoretical references for further functional research and utilization of Amorphophallus spp. rhizosphere microbial communities in the future.