• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.143-154
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• 2022

Plant secondary metabolites play an important role in insect-plant interactions. Herbivorous insects have various strategies to cope with the plant defensive compounds. Polyphagous insects feed on a wide variety of plant species, and their detoxification mechanisms are more complex since they tend to respond to a large array of different plant-derived chemicals. Alternatively, oligophagous insects specialize on only a few related plant species and may be expected to have a more efficient form of adaptation. This adaptation could involve either the production of large quantities of enzymes to detoxify their defensive compounds or the sequestration of the compounds or their metabolites. The oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, is a specialist herbivore, feeding on a few plants of Solanaceae, such as tobacco and hot pepper. Understanding its host-plant adaptation not provides an important insight on physiology, ecology and evolution of specialist herbivores, but also gives a clue to develop management strategies of the pest species such as H. assulta. This paper briefly reviews the specialist, H. assulta, focusing on its host range, larval associations with the host plants, and detoxification mechanisms to nicotine and capsaicin, two characteristic defensive compounds derived from its two major host plants, tobacco and hot pepper, respectively. It summarizes the relevant research over the last half century and provides a future perspective on this subject.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2014

In this study, the community structures of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in rhizospheres of Camellia japonica and neighboring woody plants in Wando, Korea were investigated. Rhizospheres of C. japonica and other woody plants were dominated by the same species, Acaulospora mellea, but Shannon's index, species richness and total spore numbers of the AMF communities were higher in non-C. japonica than in neighboring plants. Regardless of host plant species, the frequency of A. mellea was significantly high comparing with other AMF species. The community similarity of AMF within C. japonica was significantly higher than between C. japonica and neighboring plants or neighboring plants (p<0.005). Results showed that AM fungal communities in rhizospheres of C. japonica have unique community structure and are different from that of neighboring host plants, suggesting that community structure of AMF could be influenced by host plant species.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.137-148
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• 2021

Plant RNA viruses are one of the most destructive pathogens that cause a significant loss in crop production worldwide. They have evolved with high genetic diversity and adaptability due to the short replication cycle and high mutation rate during genome replication, which are characteristics of RNA viruses. Plant RNA viruses exist as quasispecies with high genetic diversity; thereby, a rapid population transition with new fitness can occur due to selective pressure resulting from environmental changes. Plant resistance can act as selective pressure and affect the fitness of the virus, which may lead to the emergence of resistance-breaking variants. In this paper, we introduced the evolutionary perspectives of plant RNA viruses and the driving forces in their evolution. Based on this, we discussed the mechanism of the emergence of variant viruses that overcome plant resistance. In addition, strategies for deploying plant resistance to viral diseases and improving resistance durability were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.2
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• pp.305-308
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• 2012

The box tree pyralid, Glyphodes perspectalis, was reared on an artificial diet based on dried powder of box tree leaves, Buxus microphylla var. koreana, and INSECTA F-II (Nihon Nosan Co., Ltd) at a ratio of 3:7 (w:w) and analyzed in their developmental characteristics from $1^{st}$ to $4^{th}$ generation. The developmental period of larva reared on artificial diet was longer than that of larva reared on host plant. Significant difference in larval period was also observed between $1^{st}$ and other generation groups. Pupation rate was the highest in $4^{th}$ generation followed by $3^{rd}$, $2^{nd}$, $1^{st}$ and host plant group. Significant difference in pupal period was noted between $1^{st}$ and 3rd generation group. Emergence rate was the highest in $4^{th}$ generation group followed by $3^{rd}$, host plant, $1^{st}$ and $2^{nd}$ generation group. There is a significant difference in male and female size between $1^{st}$ and $4^{th}$ generation group. Our result indicated that stable rearing of box tree pyralid through the year is possible by artificial diet, and the best adaptation to artificial diet was achieved at $4^{th}$ generation.