• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1915-1918
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• 2008

An entomopathogenic fungus was isolated from an infected aphid. The isolate conformed most closely to Lecanicillium attenuatum CBS 402.78 (AJ292434) based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of its 18S rDNA, and thus was designated L. attenuatum CNU-23. Laboratory and field evaluations of CNU-23 blastospores were carried out for the control of green peach aphids. The laboratory evaluations of CNU-23 revealed an aphid mortality of about 80% with an estimated $LT_{50}$ of 3.72 days after the application of CNU-23 at $1{\times}10^6$ blastospores/ml. Meanwhile, the field evaluations of CNU-23 performed on greenhouse pepper plants during the rainy season showed an aphid mortality ranging from 72% to 97%. Significant sporulation was observed in the aphids treated with CNU-23. Therefore, the results suggest that L. attenuatum CNU-23 can be used as a biocontrol agent for green peach aphids on greenhouse pepper plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1439-1446
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• 2009

Isocarbophos is a widely used organophosphorus insecticide that has caused environmental pollution in many areas. However, degradation of isocarbophos by pure cultures has not been extensively studied, and the degradation pathway has not been determined. In this paper, a highly effective isocarbophos-degrading strain, scl-2, was isolated from isocarbophos-polluted soil. The strain scl-2 was preliminarily identified as Arthrobacter sp. based on its morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties, as well as 16S rDNA analysis. The strain scl-2 could utilize isocarbophos as its sole source of carbon and phosphorus for growth. One hundred mg/l isocarbophos could be degraded to a non detectable level in 18 h by scl-2 in cell culture, and isofenphos-methyl, profenofos, and phosmet could also be degraded. During the degradation of isocarbophos, the metabolites isopropyl salicylate, salicylate, and gentisate were detected and identified based on MS/MS analysis and their retention times in HPLC. Transformation of gentisate to pyruvate and fumarate via maleylpyruvate and fumarylpyruvate was detected by assaying for the activities of gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (GDO) and maleylpyruvate isomerase. Therefore, we have identified the degradation pathway of isocarbophos in Arthrobacter sp. scl-2 for the first time. This study highlights an important potential use of the strain scl-2 for the cleanup of environmental contamination by isocarbophos and presents a mechanism of isocarbophos metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.373-380
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• 2013

A severe pink mold rot on matured asian pear (Pyrus serotina Rehder) fruit occurred in the organic farmers' orchard in Jinju, Korea in October, 2012. Decay of pear fruit appeared as a softened water-soaked symptom that was easily punctured by pressure. Later pink mycelium appeared on the surface of pear fruit and produced a mass of powdery pink conidia spores. Optimum temperature for mycelial growth of T. roseum was $25^{\circ}C$. Conidia showed hyaline, smooth, 2-celled, thick-walled with truncate bases, ellipsoidal to pyriform, and characteristically held together zig-zag chains and $10{\sim}22(34){\times}6{\sim}10(12){\mu}m$ in size. Conidiophore was erect, colorless, unbranched type, and 4-5 ${\mu}m$ width. On the basis of mycological characteristics, pathogenicity test, and molecular identification with the ITS region, the causal fungus was identified as Trichothecium roseum (Pers.) Link ex Gray.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2020

The third stage larvae (L3) of Anisakis typica were detected in 2 species of threadfin bream, Nemipterus hexodon and N. japonicus, from the Gulf of Thailand, and were morphologically and molecularly characterized. Total 100 threadfin breams, 50 Nemipterus hexodon and 50 N. japonicus, were examined with naked eyes after the opening of abdominal cavity with scissors. Almost all infected larvae remained alive and active even the fish were transported for 1-2 days. Anisakid larvae were exclusively distributed in the body cavity and rarely in the liver. The prevalence of A. typica L3 were 68.0% and 60.0% in N. hexodon and N. japonicus and their infection intensities were 3.5 and 4.2 per fish infected each. Morphological and morphometric analysis were performed by viewing specimens under both a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Interestingly, the protruded mucron of Anisakis typica under SEM showed a distinct cylindrical shape that differed from the cone shape of A. simplex. The protruded mucron could be used to identify A. typica L3 larvae in the future. A comparison of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA nucleotide sequences of these species revealed high blast scores with A. typica. Conclusively, it was confirmed that A. typica L3 are prevalent in threadfin breams from the Gulf of Thailand, and their morphological and molecular characters are something different from those of other anisakid larvae, including A. simplex and A. pegreffii.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2008

Eight distinct bacteria were isolated form diseased mycelia of the edible mushroom, Pleurotus eryngii. 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the isolates belonged to a variety of bacterial genera including Bacillus (LBS5), Enterobacter (LBS1), Sphingomonas (LBS8 and LBS10), Staphylococcus (LBS3, LBS4 and LBS9) and Moraxella (LBS6). Among them, 4 bacterial isolates including LBS1, LBS4, LBS5, and LBS9 evidenced growth inhibitory activity on the mushroom mycelia. The inhibitory activity on the growth of the mushroom fruiting bodies was evaluated by the treatment of the bacterial culture broth or the heat-treated cell-free supernatant of the broth. The treatment of the culture broths or the cell-free supernatants of LBS4 or LBS9 completely inhibited the formation of the fruiting body, thereby suggesting that the inhibitory agent is a heat-stable compound. In the case of LBS5, only the bacterial cell-containing culture broth was capable of inhibiting the formation of the fruiting body, whereas the cell-free supernatant did not, which suggests that an inhibitory agent generated by LBS5 is a protein or a heat-labile chemical compound, potentially a fungal cell wall-degrading enzyme. The culture broth of LBS1 was not inhibitory. However, its cell-free supernatant was capable of inhibiting the formation of fruiting bodies. This indicates that LBS1 may produce an inhibitory heat-stable chemical compound which is readily degraded by its own secreted enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.262-270
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• 2017

Yersinia enterocolitica is a well-known foodborne pathogen causing gastrointestinal infections worldwide. The strain Y. enterocolitica FORC_002 was isolated from the gill of flatfish (plaice) and its genome was sequenced. The genomic DNA consists of 4,837,317 bp with a GC content of 47.1%, and is predicted to contain 4,221 open reading frames, 81 tRNA genes, and 26 rRNA genes. Interestingly, genomic analysis revealed pathogenesis and host immune evasion-associated genes encoding guanylate cyclase (Yst), invasin (Ail and Inv), outer membrane protein (Yops), autotransporter adhesin A (YadA), RTX-like toxins, and a type III secretion system. In particular, guanylate cyclase is a heat-stable enterotoxin causing Yersinia-associated diarrhea, and RTX-like toxins are responsible for attachment to integrin on the target cell for cytotoxic action. This genome can be used to identify virulence factors that can be applied for the development of novel biomarkers for the rapid detection of this pathogen in foods.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.377-382
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• 2012

This study investigated the occurrence of sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci affecting cucumber, eggplant and red pepper, as well as sweet potato species, and its response to insecticides in Gyeonggi province from 2010 to 2011. Sweet potato whitefly is widespread throughout the southern part of Gyeonggi province. Most regional populations of B. tabaci belong to biotype Q having been reported in the south Korea since 2005, but in Goyang mixed populations of two biotypes (B and Q) were found. Survey results of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) disease that was vectored by B. tabaci indicated that this virus disease was not spread throughout the Gyeonggi province. Biotype Q of B. tabaci was found to be resistant to neonicotinoid insecticides, whereas biotype B was highly susceptible to them.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.337-343
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• 2020

During the extensive forays for discovering the biodiversity of phytopathogenic fungi in Korea, powdery mildew-affected purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) were frequently found. Since 2004, nine samples have been deposited in the Korea University Herbarium. The initial symptoms include white, evanescent mycelia and irregular patches on mature leaves. Mild symptoms in the form of discolored lesions are also noticed on the stem and petal of the affected plants. Based on the morphological characteristics of the anamorph and the phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences, the causal fungus was identified as Podosphaera xanthii. This is the first report that identifies the causal agent of powdery mildew disease affecting purple coneflower in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.288-295
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• 2020

Species of Laccaria (Hydnangiaceae, Agaricales, and Basidiomycota) are well-known ectomycorrhizal symbionts of a broad range of hosts. Laccaria species are characterized by brown, orange, or purple colored basidiocarps, and globose or oblong, echinulate and multinucleate basidiospores. While some Laccaria species are easily identified at the species level using only the morphological characteristics, others are hard to distinguish at the species level due to small differences in morphology. Heretofore, ten Laccaria species have been reported in Korea. While studying the fungal diversity in the National Parks of Korea, two new Laccaria species were discovered. Species identification was done based on molecular analyses (ITS, 28S rDNA, rpb2, and tef1), then were confirmed by their corresponding morphologies. The two newly discovered Laccaria species are proposed here as Laccaria macrobasidia and Laccaria griseolilacina. The unique morphological characters of L. macrobasidia that distinguish it from its closely related species are orange-brown colored basidiocarp, long basidia and the absence of cheilocystidia. L. griseolilacina is characterized by a light grayish lavender-colored pileus and the absence of cheilocystidia. Two new species are described and illustrated in the present paper.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.115-119
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• 2021

Sclerotinia rot was occurred on the leaf and stem of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. in greenhouse field of Pohang city of Gyeongbuk province in Korea. The typical symptom of the disease was light brown spot and tipburn on infected leaves. The colony of the isolated fungus was white to light gray in color. Asci were cylindrical shape and 75-240×5.9-17.3 ㎛ in size. Apothecia were cup-shaped with numerous asci and 0.5-0.9 cm in size. Ascospores were aseptate and ellipsoid in shape, and 8.4-10.7×4.8-5.8 ㎛ in size. Sclerotia formed on the plants and potato dextrose agar medium were globose to irregular in shape and black in color. Partial sequencing of rDNA of this isolate showed that it was 100% consistent with that of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. It was confirmed that the same lesion was formed by reinoculating this pathogen on a healthy P. japonicum Thunb. and the same strain was isolated. This is the first report on the Sclerotinia rot of P. japonicum Thunb. caused by S. sclerotiorum in Korea.