• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.94-105
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• 1993

The genus Cordyceps known as an insect parasite forms a sclerotium in insect bodies and then produces perithecia on the single or multiple stromata produced from sclerotium. Collected Cordyceps were identified into 5 species: Cordyceps militaris, C. nutans, Cordyceps sphecocephala, Isaria japonica, and Torrubiella sp. The fruit bodies of Cordyceps in petri-dish cover were fixed by tape and put the lid on water agar plates to isolate these collected Cordyceps. The germinated spores were transferred from water agar to Potato dextrose agar(PDA) after six hours. Mycelial growth of C. nutans and C. militaris was the most successful on Hamada media and was also good on Complete media and PDA. Mannose as a carbon source was good for two species and Glutamic acid as a nitrogen source was satisfactory to C. militaris and Asparagine gave a good result to C. nutans. C. militaris and C. nutans showed similar mycelial growth rate on the media that contained thiamine-HCI, biotine or nicotinic acid as a vitamine. When conidia of C. nutans were inoculated to insects, mortality was high in Artogeia napi L, Hemiptera, Plutella xylostella and 50% in Orthoptera, 12% in Acantholyda posticalise M, but not Agelastica coerulea B. in Aphididae, C. nutans was collected from only Hemiptera in nature, but killing effect on other insects was proved. Mycelial growth and fruit-body formation were good on the media that consist of rice powder 5g, wheat flour 5g, water 100ml, but formed fruit-body was not complete stromata but a mass of conidia according to results of observing microscope.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2012

The fruiting body of Cordyceps is derived from the pupa or larva of insects infected by the entomopathogenic fungi Cordyceps. The fruiting body has been used as an anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. The biochemical characteristics of protease isolated from Cordyceps nutans were investigated in this study. The culturing period for production of protease by C. nutans was 10days. The acidity was pH 7.0, and the temperature was $25^{\circ}C$. The carbon and nitrogen sources for the production of the protease were glucose and yeast extract, respectively. The ratio of C/N was 2% glucose and 0.6% yeast extract. 0.06% $CuSO_4$ was used as the inorganic salt. The investigation into the acidity of the protease produced by C. nutans revealed that the optimal pH and temperature were pH 7.0 and $30^{\circ}C$. The stability of the protease was shown as pH 6.0~9.0 and $30{\sim}50^{\circ}C$. The investigation into the influence of the metal ions on the enzyme activation of C. nutans revealed that it was inhibited in $ZnSO_4$ and activated in $FeSO_4$.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2011

Cordyceps (vegetable wasp and plant worm), an entomopathogenic fungi, has been used as a herbal medicine in Asian countries since ancient times. Cordyceps nutans is common but there is little research on this species. This study investigated the optimal culture conditions of C. nutans and the inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cell treated culture broth. The optimal conditions for the mycelial growth were $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0-8.0. Mycelial growth was highest on mushroom complete medium (MCM), V8 juice agar (V8A), and yeast malt dextrose (YMD) medium. Mycelial growth on mushroom minimal medium (MMM) did not occur, so nutrient source was essential. Dextrose and sucrose as carbon sources, and ammonium citrate as a nitrogen source were satisfactory for mycelial growth. Cytotoxicity of C. nutans culture broth was not found in RAW 264.7 cells. C. nutans culture broth suppressed NO production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, our results provided the optimal conditions for cultivation of C. nutans and showed that C. nutans may have excellent physiological activities.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2005

Morphological characteristics of Cordyceps species and its allies collected in Korea were clarified. Through the survey conducted from June 1999 to October 2002 in 19 mountains in Korea, 667 samples of entomogenous fungi were collected. Cordyceps and its allies of 17 species of 5 genera were identified as Cordyceps gracilioides, C. japonica, C. longissima, C. martialis, C. militaris, C. myrmecophila, C. nutans, C. pruinosa, C. sphecocephala, C. tricentri, Hirsutella nutans, Paecilomyces cicadae, P. farinosus, P. tenuipes, Paecilomyces sp., Shimizuomyces paradoxa, Tilachlidiopsis nigra. The fungi with insect hosts have been collected mainly in the place of shade or mosses near brooks and streams that had high humidity. Overall the frequenct of fungal infection in natural ecosystem was relatively low as few as 10 collections per each species. However, many species were found in terms of the few number of colleciton sites with seasonal limitations. Occurrence of the fungi in Jeju island remote from inland of the Korean peninsula were diverse in their species due to the varied weather of vertical distribution following the altitude. Three most common species were C. nutans, P. tenuipes and C. militaris, mainly found early in August when the relative humidity and temperature were high, of which C. nutans occupied the highest frequency consisting of 65% in total collections. Neither variation in ascomata arrangement in stromata nor developement of secondary spores was recognizable, while the number, shape and colour of stromata varied with insect hosts and weather conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.23 no.1 s.72
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• pp.92-104
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• 1995

Ten species of Cordyceps species were collected throughout Kangwon province including Chuncheon Dongsanmyun KNU forest experiment from June to September, 1993. Collected Cordyceps species were identified as Cordyceps militaris, C. roseostromata, C. kyushuensis, C. scarabaeicola, Phytocordyceps ninchukiospora, C. nutans, Paecilomyces tenuipes, C. sphecocephala, Hymenostilbe odonatae, Torrubiella sp.. C. militaris, type species of Cordyceps species, was mainly formed on pupae of Lepidoptera and found after the rainy season around July. Fruiting body of C. roseostromata was morphologically similar to those of C. militaris, but relatively small in size and they were also found on lawn or pupa of Lepidoptera. Fruiting body of C. scarabaeicola was found on adult Scarabaeidae specifically and collect fruiting bodies of C. kyushuensis were on larva of moth. C. nutans and C. sphecocephala had host specificity on Hemiptera and Hymenoptera, respectively. Each species formed elliptical fertile part attach to the slim and carneous stalk and they were collected the most in specimen number through whole season of the summer. Ascospore of Phytocordyceps ninchukiospora on seed was characterized by two viable, multiseptate, fusiform units linked end-to-end by a long, filiform connective. Paecilomyces tenuipes, imperfect stage of the genus Cordyceps is multi-infective fungi that attack all stages of all groups of insects. Hymenostilbe odonatae attacks only adult Odonata and Torrubiella sp. formed on spider was difficult to collect because it was found the back side of leaf. As results of cultural test PDA medium showed the best mycelial growth. In the experiment of effect of the acidity inside of the media, C. militaris was good on pH 5, C. nutans and Phytocordyceps ninchukiospora were good on pH 6 and Paecilomyces tenuipes was on pH 7 and C. scarabaeicola was on pH 9. All isolates tested showed the best mycelial growth at $20^{\circ}C$. Morphologically similar isolates were used to analyze protein banding pattern among and within species. As a result, C. militaris, C. roseostromata and C. kyushuensis were clustered into close species and C. scarabaeicola and Phytocordyceps ninchukiospora were relatively distant from those species.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 1973

Two species of the family Clavicipitaceae, Cordyceps tricentri Yasuda and Cordyceps sphecocephala (Klotz) Mass. which have not been reported so far in Korea, were collected and identified. These are added to the list of three previously recorded species, Cordyceps sobolifera, C, militaris, and C. nutans.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.181-185
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• 2001

The morphological characteristics of newly isolated Cordyceps hepialidicola were characterized, and the phylogenetic relationships with other Cordyceps species were investigated using a sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The PCR product of 592 bp showed a homology of 92 and 91% with C. militaris and C. nutans, respectively, In an in vitro model using mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), a methanol extract of C. hepialidicola induced multiple cytokines, including IFN-${\gamma}$ IL-4, and IL-18. The extract also enhanced the percentages of the CD4$\^$+/ and CD8$\sub$+/ T cells in the healthy murine PBMCs to 56.1% and 13.0%,respectively. The percentages of CD4$\^$+/ and CD8$\^$+/ in the untreated controls were 28.4 and 7.3%, and concanavalin A-treated positive controls were 62.4 and 18.3%, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.25 no.4 s.83
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• pp.239-252
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• 1997

Thirty three entomopathogenic species belonging to twelve genus were collected throughout 16 collecting sites from 1990 to 1996. Among those collected species, 14 unrecorded species such as Cordyceps bifusispora, C. martialis, C. oxycephala, C. paludosa, C. pentatomi, C. rosea, C. ryogamiensis, Shimizuomyces paradoxa, Akanthomyces aculeatus, Polycephalomyces ramosus, Tilachlidiopsis nigra were added to Korean entomopathogenic species through this study. In nature, occurrence of Cordyceps nutans, C. sphecocephala and Paecilomyces tenuipes were from early June to late September. On the other hand, C. militaris, C. kyushuensis and C. pruinosa were mainly found from mid July to mid August when relative humidity are increased. Nine species of the genus Cordyceps including C. bifusispora and four deuteromycetous species were isolated. As a result of cultural test using six Cordyceps species, anamorph of C. militaris, C. kyushuensis were proved as Verticillium sp. C. pruinosa as Acremonium sp., C. sphecocephala as Hymenostilbe sp. and C. scarabaeicola as Beauveria sp., respectively.