• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.453-460
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• 2008

In the course of in vitro and in vivo screening for bioherbicidal agents, a hyphomycete fungus, Myrothecium sp. F0252 was selected as a candidate for the biocontrol of weeds. The isolate was identified as Myrothecium roridum Tode ex. Fries based on the morphological characteristics and 18S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis and registered as Myrothecium roridum F0252. In order to evaluate the in vitro effect of M. roridum F0252 on germination of ladino clover and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) seeds, spore solution of the fungus was employed in two concentrations, $6.5{\times}10^6$ and $2.5{\times}10^7$ spores per mL and then inoculated to the seeds. The fungal spores inhibited the seed germination, infected the seedlings, and caused an abnormal withering and inhibition of seedling growth. In addition, when the herbicidal activity of crude ethyl acetate extract from the liquid culture was assessed on a mini-plant, duck-weed (Lemna paucicostata (L.) Hegelm.), the extract showed high inhibitory effect at the level of $12.5{\mu}g$ per mL. On the other hand, in vivo herbicidal activity of M. roridum F0252 was evaluated by a whole plant spray method. M. roridum F0252 exhibited strong and broad-spectrum herbicidal activity. The herbicidal values ranged from 95-100% against 7 weeds, including Abutilon avicennae and Xanthium strumarium, and 70-80% against Digitaria sanguinalis and Sagittaria pygmaea. When the nutritional utilization (95 carbon sources) pattern of M. roridum F0252 was investigated, it varied with water activity ($a_w$) and temperature conditions, supplying good, basic information in regard to nutritional utilization for proper cultivation and formulation. Our results showed that M. roridum F0252 might be used as a potential biocontrol agent against weedy plants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 2006

Chestnut blight disease caused by Cryphonectria parasitica is widely distributed throughout chestnut tree plantations in Korea. We surveyed 65 sites located at 9 provinces in South Korea, and isolated 248 virulent and 3 hypovirulent strains of chestnut blight fungus. Hypovirulent strains had dsRNA virus in the cytoplasm, which is one of the typical characteristics of hypovirulent strains. In addition, they showed more characteristics of hypovirulent strains, i.e., suppressed conidiation, reduced pigmentation in colony color, and reduced phenol oxidase activity as well as reduced pathogenicity. Hypovirulent strains, KCPH-22, KCPH-135 and KCPH-136, had a genomic dsRNA band with the molecular weight of 12.7 kb, which is the L-dsRNA of CHV1. They also had a 2.7 kb defective dsRNA band. Single conidia isolated from hypovirulent strains were cultured and various phenotypes and absence of dsRNA bands were obtained from single conidial cultures, which means that hypovirulence transmission is unstable in asexual reproduction and variations in viral heredity by asexual reproduction. Biocontrol trial using hypovirulent strains was also carried out in the chestnut tree plantations, and canker expansion in the treated trees was stopped and healed by callus formation at the margin of the canker. These results show the potentials in successful biocontrol of chestnut blight if the vegetatively compatible hypovirulent strains could be directly used around the canker formed by compatible virulent strains.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2002

In vivo expression technology (IVET) has been developed to study bacterial gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium during host infection. The expression of selected genes by IVET has been elevated in vivo but not in vitro. The selected genes turned out to be important for bacterial virulence and/or pathogenicity. IVET depends on a synthetic operon with a promoterless transcriptional fusion between a selection marker gene and a reporter gene. The IVET approach has been successfully adapted in other bacterial pathogens and plant-associated bacteria using different selection markers. Pseudomonas putida suppresses citrus root rot caused by Phytophthora parasitica and enhances citrus seedling growth. The WET strategy was adapted based on a transcriptional fusion, pyrBC'-lacZ, in P. putida to study the bacterial traits important far biocontrol activities. Several genes appeared to be induced on P. parasitica hyphae and were found to be related with metabolism and regulation of gene expression. It is likely that the biocontrol strain took a metabolic advantage from the plant pathogenic fungus and then suppressed citrus root rot effectively. The result was parallel with those from the adaptation of IVET in P. fluorescens, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Interestingly, genes encoding components for type III secretion system have been identified as rhizosphere-induced genes in the PGPR strain. The type III secretion system may play a certain role during interaction with its counterpart plants. Application of IVET has been demonstrated in a wide range of bacteria. It is an important strategy to genetically understand complicated bacterial traits in the environment.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2021

The current social demand for organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches for farming, while ensuring the health and productivity of crops is increasing rapidly. Biocontrol agents are applied to crops to ensure biological control of plant pathogens. Research on the biological control of white root rot disease caused by a soil-borne pathogen, Rosellinia necatrix, is limited in pears compared to that in apple and avocado. This pathogenic fungus has an extensive host range, and symptoms of this disease include rotting of roots, yellowing and falling of leaves, wilting, and finally tree death. The severity of the disease caused by R. necatrix, makes it the most harmful fungal pathogen infecting the economical fruit tree species, such as pears, and is one of the main limiting factors in pear farming, with devastating effects on plant health and yield. In addition to agronomic and cultural practices, growers use chemical treatments to control the disease. However, rising public concern about environmental pollution and harmful effects of chemicals in humans and animals has facilitated the search for novel and environmentally friendly disease control methods. This review will briefly summarize the current status of biocontrol agents, ecofriendly methods, and possible approaches to control disease in pear orchards.

• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.180-184
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• 2000

In order to find an environment-friendly method to suppress astragal stem rot caused by the isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG 1 and AG 4, we tested an antagonistic fungus Gliocladium virens G1 was evaluated as a biocontrol agent and estimated inorganic compounds and organic materials were tested for their effect of the disease suppression. G. virens G1 effectively inhibited mycelial growth in a dual culture and caused mycelial lysis in the culture filtrate. No adverse effect was observed when examined for seed germination and seedling growth. Promoted seedling growth was observed with the seed treatment. Seeds of astragal plant were germinated higher in the sterile soil than the natural soil. Of 14 inorganics tested, alum, aluminum sulfate and calcium oxide significantly suppressed the mycelial growth and sclerotial germination. Milled pine bark and oak sawdust also suppressed the mycelial growth. Soil amended with 1% of G. virens G1 composted with pine bark (w/v) significantly controlled astragal stem rot in the glasshouse experiments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1217-1220
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• 2007

The saprophytic fungus Ulocladium atrum Preuss is a promising biological control agent for Botrytis cinerea in greenhouse- and field-grown crops. However, despite its known potent antifungal activity, no antifungal substance has yet been reported. In an effort to characterize the antifungal substance from U. atrum, we isolated an antibiotic peptide. Based on extensive spectroscopic analyses, its structure was established as a cyclopeptolide with a high portion of N-methylated amino acids, and its $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ chemical shifts were completely assigned based on extensive 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Compound 1 exhibited potent antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea and moderate activity against Alternaria alternate and Magnaporthe grisea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.245-249
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• 2023

Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), an invasive annual plant, poses a significant threat to the agricultural systems of many countries, including Korea. In 2020, leaf blight symptoms were observed in the prickly lettuce populations of various farms across Korea. Detailed morphological and molecular sequence analyses revealed that the disease was caused by the fungus, Curvularia intermedia. A pathogenicity test confirmed that the fungus can cause the same symptoms in healthy prickly lettuce, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. intermedia causing leaf blight on L. serriola in Korea, suggesting its potential as a biocontrol agent for this weed. However, further investigations are necessary to determine its ecological impact to prevent any non-target effects.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.395-404
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• 2018

Since the mass mortality of Quercus mongolica has been first reported in Gyeonggi province at 2004, the disease spread rapidly over Korean peninsula annually. Ambrosia beetle (Platypus koryoensis) was known as the insect vector of oak wilt fungus, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, and control methods of the disease had mainly been focused on eradication of insect vector. However, for the efficient management of the disease, combined control methods for both of the pathogenic fungus and insect vector are strongly required. As one of the efforts to suppress the pathogenic fungus, antifungal activities of Streptomyces isolated from oak forest soil were assayed in this study. Optimum culture condition for the selected isolates was also studied, As a result, Streptomyces blastmyceticus cultured in PDB (Potato Dextrose Broth) at $25^{\circ}C$ for 1 week showed the strongest antifungal activity against oak wilt fungus. Mycelial growth inhibition rates (MGIRs) of Streptomyces isolates were compared on culture media supplemented with heated and unheated culture filtrates of S. blastmyceticus. MGIRs on culture media with unheated culture filtrates were generally higher than those on culture media with heated culture filtrates. Antagonistic mechanism to get involved in the inhibition of hyphal growth and spore formation of the pathogen is due to the antifungal metabolites produced by Streptomyces. This study will provide the fundamental information in developing biocontrol agents for the environment-friendly management of oak wilt disease.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.506-511
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• 2019

We investigated the antifungal activities of an endophytic fungus identified as Acaromyces ingoldii, found on a loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) pine bolt in Louisiana during routine laboratory microbial isolations. The specific objectives were to determine the inhibitory properties of A. ingoldii secondary metabolites (crude extract) on the mycelial growth of a brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and a white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor, and to determine the effective concentration of A. ingoldii crude preparation against the two decay fungi in vitro. Results show the crude preparation of A. ingoldii from liquid culture possesses significant mycelial growth inhibitory properties that are concentration dependent against the brownrot and white-rot fungi evaluated. An increase in the concentration of A. ingoldii secondary metabolites significantly decreased the mycelial growth of both wood decay fungi. G. trabeum was more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the secondary metabolites than T. versicolor. Identification of specific A. ingoldii secondary metabolites, and analysis of their efficacy/specificity warrants further study. Findings from this work may provide the first indication of useful roles for Acaromyces species in a forest environment, and perhaps a future potential in the development of biocontrol-based wood preservation systems.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.415-421
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• 2003

A bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112, that is antagonistic against a red-pepper blight-causing fungus, Phytophthora capsici, was isolated from the local soil of Gyongju, Korea. This strain formed an orange-colored clear halo zone on chrome azurol S (CAS) blue agar, suggesting the production of a siderophore in addition to an antifungal antibiotic. The optimal culture conditions for siderophore production by P. fluorescens 2112 were 30-h cultivation at $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.5 in King's B medium. The presence of $20{\mu}g/ml\;of\;Fe^3+$ ion or EDDHA promoted the production of siderophore in King's B medium. The siderophore was purified from culture broth by CM-Sephadex C-25 and Sephadex G-25 column chromatographies. The UV spectra of the purified siderophore was the same as that of pyoverdins or pseudobactins. The molecular mass was 1,958 Da determined by FAB-rlass spectrometer, and the amino acid composition analysis showed that the purified siderophore consisted of glycine/threonine/serine/glutamic acid/alanine/lysine with the molar ratio of 3:2:1:1:1:1, DL-Threo-${\beta}$-hydroxyaspartic acid and $N^{\delta}$-hydroxyornithine, two of the essential constituents of pyoverdin, were also found. The purified siderophore pyoverdin showed strong in vitro and in vivo antagonistic activities against phytophthora blight-causing P. capsici. Especially in an in vivo pot test, the siderophore protected red-pepper Capsicum annum L. very well from the attack of P. capsici. These results indicated that the purified siderophore of P. fluorescens 2112 played a critical role in the biocontrol of the red-pepper blight disease, equivalent to treatment by P.fluorescens 2112 cells.