• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.186-190
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar endophytic fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant community structure in experimental microcosms containing an assemblage of five species of plants (Oenothera odorata, Plantago asiatica, Trifolium repens, Isodon japonicas and Aster yomena). Leaves of Sasa borealis, Potentilia fragarioides, and Viola mandshurica were collected in Chungbuk, Korea. Endophytic fungi were isolated from the surface sterilized leaves and identified to species level using molecular and morphological techniques. Four isolates of the endophytic fungi were inoculated to the leaves of host plants in the microcosms. Also, three species of AMF spores were extracted from pure cultures and the mixture of the three species inoculated to the roots of the plants. After four months of growth in a green house, effects of both symbiotic fungi on plant species diversity, community composition and productivity were examined. The plant species diversity showed significant differences with inoculation of the symbiotic fungi. Results indicate that AMF significantly affect plant productivity and plant community structure.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-29
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• 2022

Hypocreales is one of the largest orders within the class Sordariomycetes in Ascomycota. Several species of this order are cosmopolitan and have a broad range of habitats. Here, we isolated several fungal strains from environmental samples, including freshwater sediment and plant litter. The strains were identified via molecular and phylogenetic analyses of rDNA and other DNA markers, such as TUB, RPB2, and EF1. The morphological characteristics of the fungi were investigated using microscopy, and culture characteristics were assessed from their growth on several media. We identified 17 species previously unrecorded in Korea: Dactylonectria hordeicola, Flavocillium bifurcatum, Fusarium luffae, Ilyonectria ilicicola, Ilyonectria qitaiheensis, Ilyonectria robusta, Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Nectria ulmicola, Neonectria lugdunensis, Ovicillium oosporum, Pseudonectria foliicola, Sarocladium spinificis, Scolecofusarium ciliatum, Trichoderma appalachiense, Trichoderma subviride, Trichoderma taiwanense, and Trichoderma tsugarense.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.68-72
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• 2006

The hemolmyph and whole body of insect, Bombyx mori, Allomyrina dichotoma and Neotocia brevitarsi, conspicuously inhibited the mycelial growth of several plant pathogenic fungi. The hemolymph of 1087 strain among the 16 strains of B. mori has inhibition activities against the 3 species of fungi, Alternaria panax, Collctotrichum gloeosporioides, and Pyricularia oryzae. The whole body of B. mori was more effective than the hemolymph as a inhibitor on fungi growth. The antifungal activity of B. mori was variable to the fungi species. In addition, A. dichotoma and N. brevitarsi showed antifungal activities against the same fungi as did B. mori. These data showed that the insect has potent antifungal activity. Whereas, the level of activities were differ according to the fungal species. This finding underlines that the possibility of the insect can be use of the agent as a inhibitor against the plant pathogenic fungi.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.13-13
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• 2016

Insects constitute the largest and most diverse group of animals in the world. They also serve as the hosts or nutrient sources for an immense assemblage of pathogens, parasites, and predators. More than 700 fungal species from 100 genera have adopted an entomopathogenic lifestyle. Although entomopathogenic fungi were studied as only biocontrol agents against a variety of pests in various countries, it has been recently focused their additional roles in nature. They are antagonists to/against plant pathogens, endophytes, and possibly even plant growth promoting agents. The potential antimicrobial effect against fungal plant pathogens by an isolate of entomopathogenic fungi including Beauveria bassiana, Lecanicillium spp., and Isaria fumosorosea have been reported since late 1990s, but wasn't reported pathogenicity of the isolate against pests. Later, a Canadian Lecanicillium sp. isolate and L. longisporium isolated from Vertalec$^{(R)}$ showed simultaneous control effect against both aphid and cucumber powder mildew. Therefore, the antimicrobial activities of 342 fungi isolates collected from various regions and conditions in Korea were evaluated against plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea using dual culture technique on agar plate. As a result, 186 isolates (54.4%) shown the antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The culture filtrates of selected fungi completely suppressed the growth of the microorganisms, indicating that suppression was due to the presence of antimicrobial substances in the culture filtrate. Mode of action of these fungi against insect involves the attachment of conidia to the insect cuticle, followed by germination, cuticle penetration, and internal dissemination throughout the insect. During infection process, secreted enzymes, proteinous toxins, and/or secondary metabolites secreted by entomopathogenic fungi can be used to overcome the host immune system, modify host behavior, and defend host resources. Recently, secondary metabolites isolated from entomopathogenic fungi have been reported as potential bioactive substances. Generally, most of bioactive substances produced by entomopathogenic fungi have reported low molecular weight (lower than 1,000 g/mol) as peptide and, in contrast the high molecular weight fungal bioactive substances are rare. Most substances based on entomopathogenic fungi were shown antimicrobial activity with narrow control ranges. In our study we analyzed the antimicrobial substances having antagonistic effects to B. cinerea. Antimicrobial substances in our fungal culture filtrates showed high thermostability, high stability to proteolytic enzymes, and hydrophilicity and their molecular weights were differed from substance. In conclusion, entomopathogenic fungi showed pathogenicity against insect pests and culture filtrate of the fungi also shown to antimicrobial activity. In the future, we can use the entomopathogenic fungi and its secondary metabolites to control both insect pest control and plant pathogenic fungi simultaneously.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 1997

This experiment was conducted to test the control effect of methanol extracts of 10 medicinal plants on apple storage diseases caused by Botryosphaeria berengeriana, Glomerella cingulata and Penicillium expansum. Out of the 10 medicinal plants, methanol extracts of Coptis japonica and Anemarrhena asphodeloides inhibited effectively the mycelial growth of B. berengeriana, G. cingulata and P. expansum in vitro, for which the inhibition ratios of the two plant extracts were 100.0% and 89.3%, 73.7% and 94.1%, and 100.0% and 51.6%, respectively. Spore germination of the three fungi was inhibited 100% only by C. japonica extract, but only P. expansum was inhibited 100% by A. asphodeloides extract. No lesion was formed y the fungi at 5$^{\circ}C$ up to 2 weeks after inoculation. Lesion sizes produced by the three fungi at the temperature ranges of 1$0^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$ and infection of B. berengeriana and G. cingulata were inhibited by C. japonica extract, but not by A. asphodeloides extract, while no lesion was formed by the fungi at 5$^{\circ}C$. Infections of the fungi on apples were somewhat stimulated by A. asphodeloides extract.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.54-61
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• 2010

Antifungal and antioxidative activities of Phellodendron amurense extracts were investigated for use as a natural preservative. After separation of P. amurense into phloem, xylem, leaf and fruit each part was subjected to methanol extraction. Each MeOH extract was further fractionated with several solvents(n-hexane, methylene chloride and ethylacetate). Among the methanol extracts, extracts of phloem and leaf inhibited effectively the growth of mold fungi and rot fungi, respectively. Especially, ethylacetate fraction from phloem showed the highest growth inhibitory effects against fungi tested, such as P. citreonigrum H3, P. toxicarium H4, P. corylophilu H5, A. clavatus, P. osteatus, S. commune, and G. lucidum. The fractions of fruit, which had lower antifungal activities mostly than those of phloem, strongly inhibited rot fungi such as G. lucidum, T. versicolor, and T. palustris. Compared to ferulic acid which is well known antioxidant, ethylacetate fraction of fruit showed high antioxidative activities on concentration of 1 to $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in DPPH radical scavenging activity. As a result, antifungal and antioxidative activities of P. amurense suggest that its extract and fraction have a possibility as conservative of cultural heritage because it might get conservation effects against deteriorating microorganisms of cultural heritage.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.444-449
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• 2015

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in the rhizosphere and form symbiotic relationships with most terrestrial plant roots. In this study, four strains of Rhizophagus clarus were cultured and variations in their growth characteristics owing to functional diversity and resultant effects on host plant were investigated. Growth characteristics of the studied R. clarus strains varied significantly, suggesting that AMF retain high genetic variability at the intraspecies level despite asexual lineage. Furthermore, host plant growth response to the R. clarus strains showed that genetic variability in AMF could cause significant differences in the growth of the host plant, which prefers particular genetic types of fungal strains. These results suggest that the intraspecific genetic diversity of AMF could be result of similar selective pressure and may be expressed at a functional level.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2018

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are well-known for their ability to improve plant growth and help plants withstand abiotic stress conditions. Unlike other fungi and bacteria, AMF cannot be stored, as they are obligate biotrophs. Long-term preservation of AMF spores is challenging and may lead to the loss of viability and efficiency. This study aimed to understand the effect of prolonged subculture of AMF species on the growth and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) from red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). AMF spores were mass-produced using different techniques and subcultured in pots with sorghum sudangrass as the host plant for 3 years. Experimental soil samples were collected from natural grassland. Five different AMF inocula were used in triplicate as treatments. After 70 days of growth, red pepper plants were harvested and plant dry weight, plant nutrient content, mycorrhizal colonization, AMF spore count, and soil glomalin content were determined. AMF-treated plants displayed higher dry weight than controls, with only fruit dry weight being significantly different. Similarly, significant differences in phosphorous and potassium contents of the above-ground plant parts were observed between mycorrhizal and control treatments. In addition, soil GRSP content was significantly higher in plants inoculated with Rhizophagus sp. and Gigaspora margarita. The increased plant growth and GRSP content suggest that AMF can be maintained for 3 years without losing their efficiency if subcultured regularly with different symbiotic host plants.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2023

Recently, the morphological and molecular features of five stain fungi infecting rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), namely Paecilomyces maximus, Paecilomyces formosus, Penicillium crustosum, Paecilomyces lecythidis and Aspergillus chevalieri, have been studied. Prior to this study, the authors revealed that catechin from gambir (Uncaria gambir) could inhibit the growth of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, and it was important to determine the bioactivity of the aforementioned agent against A. chevalieri. The efficacy of the biocidal agent was examined using a laboratory wooden block test. Rubberwood blocks, 8 mm in thickness, 20 mm in width, and 30 mm in length, were impregnated with catechin solution at concentrations of 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15% (w/v) using the vacuum-pressure method, and their bioactivity was monitored over three weeks through visual and scanning electron microscope assessment of fungal growth as well as the discoloration intensity of the wood samples. The results showed that catechin treatment increased the resistance of wood samples to A. chevalieri. Overall, the higher the catechin concentration, the lower the fungal growth. The lowest fungal growth was observed in the wood samples treated with 12% and 15% catechin (score of 0), demonstrating no discoloration. In contrast, the fungal growth score of the untreated wood samples reached 4, indicating severe discoloration. Catechins appear to be adequate biofungicides against stain fungi in rubberwood.

• Mycobiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.28-30
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• 2009

This study was aimed at evaluating the growth promoting effect of symbiotic algal polyol (ribitol) and plant hormones on the lichen-forming fungi (LFF), Ramalina farinacea (CH050010 and 40403) and Ramalina fastigiata. The addition of ribitol to basal (malt-yeast extract) medium enhanced the relative growth rates of all three LFF. R. farinacea (CH050010), R. farinacea (40403) and R. fastigiata (H06127) showed 35.3%, 29.0% and 29.3% higher growth rates, respectively, compared to the control. IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and TIBA (2,3,5-tridobenzoic acid) also increased growth rates of the LFF by 34 to 64% and 7 to 28%, respectively, compared to the control. The combination of ribitol with IBA or TIBA synergistically increased the growth of all LFF. For example, ribitol and IBA treatments increased growth rates of R. farinacea (CH050010), R. farinacea (40403) and R. fastigiata (H06127) by 79.4%, 40.3% and 72.8% in, respectively, compared to those grown on the basal medium. The stimulating effect of ribitol and IBA on the LFF growth induced vertical development of the fungal mass in culture. We suggest that lichen-forming fungal growth of Ramalina lichens can be stimulated aposymbiotically by supplementing polyols and plant hormones to the basal medium in the mass production of lichen secondary metabolites under large scale culture conditions.