• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.247-251
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• 2016

Three aquatic fungi were isolated from samples of freshwater-deposited plant litter and foam collected in Samcheok, Gangwon-do, and Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. Based on their morphological characteristics and a phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region, the three isolates NNIBRFG329, NNIBRFG339, and NNIBRFG19 were confirmed as aquatic fungi: Articulospora tetracladia, Margaritispora aquatica, and Aquanectria penicillioides. These species were known as aquatic fungi but neither species has been previously reported in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.745-752
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• 2012

Compared to wide ranges of genetic variation of natural populations, very limited Miscanthus cultivar has been released. This study was the first report on the development of Miscanthus cultivar by means of radiation breeding. Seeds of M. sinensis were initially exposed to gamma rays of 250 Gy for 24 h, generated from a $^{60}Co$ gamma-irradiator. The irradiated seeds were sown and then the highly tiller-producing mutants were selected for this study. Biomass-related parameters including tiller number, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number were measured. Ploidy level and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were investigated to characterize the mutants compared to wild type (WT) Miscanthus. Plant height and tiller number were negatively related, where multi-tillering mutants were relatively short after 4 month growth. However stem diameter and leaf number were greater in mutants. All the materials used in this study were diploid, implying that the mutants with greater tiller numbers and stem diameter were not likely related to polyploidization. Based on the sequence of ITS regions, the mutants demonstrated base changes from the gamma irradiation where G+C content (%) was decreased in the ITS1, but increased in ITS2 when compared to WT sequence. ITS2 region was more variable than in ITS1 in the mutants, which collectively allows identification of the mutants from WT. Those mutants having enhanced tillers and allelic variations might be used as breeding materials for enhanced biomass-producing Miscanthus cultivars.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.471-478
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• 2014

Trichomonad species inhabit a variety of vertebrate hosts; however, their potential zoonotic transmission has not been clearly addressed, especially with regard to human infection. Twenty-one strains of trichomonads isolated from humans (5 isolates), pigs (6 isolates), rodents (6 isolates), a water buffalo (1 isolate), a cow (1 isolate), a goat (1 isolate), and a dog (1 isolate) were collected in Indonesia and molecularly characterized. The DNA sequences of the partial 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene or 5.8S rRNA gene locus with its flanking regions (internal transcribed spacer region, ITS1 and ITS2) were identified in various trichomonads; Simplicimonas sp., Hexamastix mitis, and Hypotrichomonas sp. from rodents, and Tetratrichomonas sp. and Trichomonas sp. from pigs. All of these species were not detected in humans, whereas Pentatrichomonas hominis was identified in humans, pigs, the dog, the water buffalo, the cow, and the goat. Even when using the high-resolution gene locus of the ITS regions, all P. hominis strains were genetically identical; thus zoonotic transmission between humans and these closely related mammals may be occurring in the area investigated. The detection of Simplicimonas sp. in rodents (Rattus exulans) and P. hominis in water buffalo in this study revealed newly recognized host adaptations and suggested the existence of remaining unrevealed ranges of hosts in the trichomonad species.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.439-445
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• 2015

Background : Correct identification of Panax species is important to ensure food quality, safety, authenticity and health for consumers. This paper describes a high resolution melting (HRM) analysis based method using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 5.8S ribosomal DNA barcoding regions as target (Bar-HRM) to obtain barcoding information for the major Panax species and to identify the origin of ginseng plant. Methods and Results : A PCR-based approach, Bar-HRM was developed to discriminate among Panax species. In this study, the ITS1, ITS2, and 5.8S rDNA genes were targeted for testing, since these have been identified as suitable genes for use in the identification of Panax species. The HRM analysis generated cluster patterns that were specific and sensitive enough to detect small sequence differences among the tested Panax species. Conclusion : The results of this study show that the HRM curve analysis of the ITS regions and 5.8S rDNA sequences is a simple, quick, and reproducible method. It can simultaneously identify three Panax species and screen for variants. Thus, ITS1HRM and 5.8SHRM primer sets can be used to distinguish among Panax species.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.61-63
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• 2016

Sclerotium rot disease on cowpea (Vigna sinensis King) was observed in the exhibition field of Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services in September 2015. Lesions were covered by white mycelial mats, and numerous sclerotia were formed on the stem near the soil line. The sclerotia were globoid in shape, 1~3 mm in size and white to brown in color. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and sclerotia formation on potato dextrose agar (PDA) was $30^{\circ}C$, with the hyphal width of $4{\sim}8{\mu}m$. For molecular identification, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region of the causal fungus was sequenced and analyzed. Based on the mycological characteristics, ITS rDNA sequence analysis, and pathogenicity test, this fungus was identified as Sclerotium rolfsii. This is the first report of sclerotium rot on cowpea caused by S. rolfsii in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2017

The leaves of two woody plant species, Pinus densiflora and Aronia melanocarpa, were collected in Korea, and endophytic fungi were isolated from these surface-sterilized leaves. The fungal isolates were identified based on their morphological characteristics and the results of the phylogenetic analysis involving nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), including 5.8S rDNA, D1/D2 regions of 28S rDNA, and ${\beta}-tubulin$ genes. Pestalotia lawsoniae and Zasmidium fructicola were isolated from Pinus densiflora, and three species, Pestalotiopsis chamaeropis, Pestalotiopsis jesteri, and Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum were isolated from Aronia melanocarpa. To the best of our knowledge, these species have not been previously reported in Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2006

Using internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region ribosomal DNA sequences from 9 strains of Microsporum canis and 5 strains of Microsporum gypseum isolated from dogs and a cat with dermatophytosis, we demonstrated the mutual phylogenetic relationship of these strains. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the ITS 1 gene fragments from the 9 strains of M canis had the 100% nucleotide sequence similarities and the 5 strains of M gypseum also had the 100% nucleotide sequence similarities. The phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the 9 strains of M canis formed a nested cluster with the reference strains of M canis originating from USA, Australia, Japan, and Europe. M canis were genetically distinct from the other reference strains of Microsporum spp, but M distortum, M equinum, and M. ferrugineum were genetically very close to M canis. M gypseum from a cluster in the phylogenetic tree with M canis as an outgroup. The molecular analysis of ITS 1 genes provided the useful information for the identification of these microsporum species and the understanding of their relationship.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2015

Hydrocharis dubia Backer and Salvinia natans All. were sampled from the Junam and Dongpan reservoirs, representative freshwater wetlands of Korea. A total of 19 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from hydrophytes native to the Junam wetlands and 5 strains were isolated from the Dongpan wetlands. Depending on phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, strains from Junam belonged to 11 genera and from Dongpan belonged to 5 genera. Fusarium, Phoma and Talaromyces were commonly distributed genera from two wetlands. The fungal diversity index showed clear differences between each wetlands or each host hydrophyte. Above all, the highest diversity value was observed from Salvinia natans All., which have been reported as promising biological resources as eutrophication controller in environmental ecology.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2012

The pear psylla, $Cacopsylla$ $pyricola$ (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a serious insect pest of commercial pear crops. The species, which resides on pear trees throughout its life cycle, is rapidly spreading in some regions of the world. The population genetic structure of the species collected from several pear orchards in Korea was studied to understand the nature of dispersal and field ecology of the species. The 658-bp region of mitochondrial COI gene and the 716-bp long complete internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA were sequenced. Unlike other previously studied insect pests, the COI-based genetic diversity of the pear psylla was extremely low (maximum sequence divergence of 0.15%). This finding allowed us to conclude that the species may have been introduced in Korea relatively recently. ITS2 sequence-based analyses of phylogeny, population differentiation, gene flow, and hierarchical population structure all concordantly suggested that the pear psylla populations in Korea are neither genetically isolated nor hampered for gene flow. These genetic data are concordant with the dispersal of an overwintering winterform morph outside the non-pear habitat in the fall.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.45-48
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• 2012

In early August of 2011, following a prolonged period of cool and moist weather, several trees of boxelder maple (Acer negundo) planted in Mt. Soyo located in Dongducheon, Korea, were found to be heavily damaged by premature defoliation with zonate leaf spot symptoms. Numerous number of cone-shaped, white sporophores (conidia) were observed on lesions of the abaxial leaf surface. The morphological characteristics of conidia are of typical Cristulariella moricola, which was supported by analyzing sequences of internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation in the condition of relative humidity 100% and $18{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. This is the first report of the occurrence of zonate leaf spot caused by infection of C. moricola on A. negundo in Korea.