• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.200-204
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• 2013

Dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin is known to be present in some ascomycete fungi. To verify the type of melanin in Venturia nashicola that cause scab on pear, we investigated scytalone dehydratase (SD) gene, one of DHN melanin genes, from 11 isolates of V. nashicola from different provinces in Korea and Japan. Through PCR approach, 429 bp amplicon was produced from the 11 isolates and sequenced. All of the PCR-amplified sequences were determined as SD gene through GenBank database search. All the determined sequences were composed of an intron and two exons coding for 122 amino acids of SD. The homology of SD gene was 100% among the 11 isolates. Sequence identity of the predicted SD protein of 122 amino acids ranged 69 to 73% with other fungi. Our results proved that V. nashicola operates DHN melanin pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2009

The production of dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin is known to be essential factor for pathogenicity in Colletotrichum lagenarium. However, the genetic diversity of melanin genes was not much known among Colletotrichum spp. To investigate the variability of melanin gene in Colletotrichum spp. that cause anthracnose on diverse crops including tomato, we cloned and sequenced partial sd, one of DHN melanin genes encoding for scytalone dehydratase, from eight strains of C. coccodes, C. acutatum, C. truncatum C. caricae, and C. musae. The size of PCR-amplified sd ranged 437 bp to 545 bp. The nucleotide sequence identity of sd among the Colletotrichum strains tested varied from 49% to 99%. All of the PCR-amplified sd from eight strains contain an intron and have two exons coding for 122 amino acids. Overall, the size and nucleotide sequence of sd varied among the five Colletotrichum spp. Sequence identity of the predicted scytalone dehydratase protein of 122 amino acids ranged 50 to 99%. Phylogentic analysis based on the sd nucleotide sequences revealed that the five Colletotrichum spp. could be genetically divided.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2005

During last decade there has been noticeable progress in the research of the biology of sapstaining fungi that cause considerable economic losses to forest product industry. The researches generated broad ranges of knowledge on sapstaining fungi regarding their occurrence on conifer wood, taxonomy, nutrient physiology, pigmentation biochemistry and molecular biology, and biological control. Major problematic groups in the sapstain production are Ophiostoma, Ceratocystis, and Leptographium genera. With Ophiostoma as a model, it is found that the type of carbon source is important in the growth and pigment production of sapstaining fungi. The operation of dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN) melanin pathway for black to bluish pigment production has been confirmed in those cosmetic fungi both at biochemical and molecular levels. The development of albino technology using nutrition competition has been shown to be promising as an environmentally friendly biological control method for sapstain control.