• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.608-615
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• 2023

The morphological features of germling cells were examined to identify an unspecified resting cyst (described as Cochlodinium cf. polykrikoides-like resting cyst) in the Korean coastal area. LSU rRNA gene sequences were also obtained from a strain established from the germling cells. The resting cysts isolated from Korean coastal sediment were characterized as being brown in color, having a large dark-red body, and fibrous lobed ornaments. The germling cells were ellipsoidal with an irregular outline and had an open comma-shaped ASC (apical structure complex), a wide and deep cingulum, and a deep sulcus. These morphological features were consistent with those of previously described harmful dinoflagellate Pseudocochlodinium profundisulcus. The molecular phylogeny revealed that the germling cells and P. profundisulcus were conspecific. Based on these morphological and phylogenetic data, this study documents the occurrence of P. profundisulcus in a Korean coastal area for the first time.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.175-183
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• 2004

The dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamiyavanichii Balech, a producer of toxins causing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), has recently been considered as one of main organisms responsible for toxication of shellfish in Japan. In this study, A. tamiyavanichii was subjected to a molecular phylogenetic analysis inferred from 28S rDNA D1-D2 sequences and a species-specific LSU rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide DNA probe was designed to identify A. tamiyavanichii using the whole cell-FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization). The sequences of the 28S rDNA D1-D2 region of A. tamiyavanichii showed no difference from A. cohorticular AF1746l4 (present name A. tamiyavanichii) and formed a distinct clade from the 'tamarensis species complex'. The probe, TAMID2, reacted specifically with A. tamiyavanichii cultured cells, without any cross-reaction with other species belonging to the same genus, including A. tamarense, A. catenella, A. affine, A. fraterculus, A. insuetum and A. pseudogonyaulax. In a test of cross-reactivity with a field sample, TAMID2 reacted consistently with only A. tamiyavanichii, indicating that the present protocol involving the TAMID2 probe might be useful for detecting toxic A. tamiyavanichii in a simple and rapid manner.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2022

The germination characteristics of the resting cysts of Pheopolykrikos hartmannii collected from the southern coastal sediments of Korea were studied at different temperature conditions, and the morphology and phylogeny of the germlings were examined. The resting cysts of Ph. hartmannii were round and characterized by a red accumulation body and many arrow-like spines and could germinate at temperature of 10 to 30℃. High germination rates (>90%) were observed at 15 and 20℃, indicating that the resting cysts could act as seed populations for the bloom initiation of Ph. hartmannii in Korean coastal waters in early summer or early fall. The morphology of the germlings was generally consistent with the previous description, and an apical groove characterized by a fully enclosed loop was observed. Phylogenetic analysis based on large SubUnit (LSU) rRNA gene sequences revealed that the germlings shared an identical sequence with the Korean and American isolates of Ph. hartmannii and was a sister clade of Polykrikos species.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.184-194
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• 2020

Macrofungi play important roles in forest ecology as wood decayers, symbionts, and pathogens of living trees. For the effective forest management, it is imperative to have a comprehensive overview of macrofungi diversity in specific areas. As a part of the National Institute of Biological Resources projects for discovering indigenous fungi in Korea, we collected macrofungi in Gayasan National Park from 2017 to 2018. These specimens were identified based on morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) or the nuclear large subunit rRNA (LSU) region. We discovered 17 macrofungi new to Korea: Butyrea japonica, Ceriporia nanlingensis, Coltricia weii, Coltriciella subglobosa, Crepidotus crocophyllus, Cylindrobasidium laeve, Fulvoderma scaurum, Laetiporus cremeiporus, Lentinellus castoreus, Leucogyrophana mollusca, Marasmius insolitus, Nidularia deformis, Phaeophlebiopsis peniophoroides, Phanerochaete angustocystidiata, Phlebiopsis pilatii, Postia coeruleivirens, and Tengioboletus fujianensis. We described their detailed morphological characteristics.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.545-553
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• 2021

In 2021, seven yeast strains were isolated from earthworm (Eisenia andrei) gut samples collected from the Nanji Water Regeneration Center in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. A total of seven yeasts were isolated, of which three strains have not been previously reported in Korea. To identify the yeasts, pairwise sequence comparisons of large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences were performed using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). Assimilation test and cell morphology analysis were performed using the API 20C AUX kit and phase contrast microscope, respectively. Five of the seven strains were assigned to the genus Candida of the order Saccharomycetales of the class Saccharomycetes, and two to the genus Apiotrichum of the order Trichosporonales of the class Tremellomycetes. The yeast strain Candida sojae E2 belongs to the family Debaryomycetaceae, and Apiotrichum laibachii E8 and A. laibachii E9 belong to the family Trichosporonaceae. All strains were cultured in yeast mold agar for three days and showed different colony forms. C. sojae E2 was round and entire shaped, while A. laibachii E8 and A. laibachii E9 was round and convex shaped. This study focuses on the description of the three yeast strains that have not been officially reported in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2022

A fungal strain, designated KNUF-20-NI009, was isolated from soil collected from Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, Korea. The isolate showed cultural features typical of the genus Xenoroussoella. Colonies cultivated on malt extract agar were olivaceous-brown to pale olivaceous-white at the margins, with undersides of dark olivaceous to olivaceous-brown and a white margin. The conidia, with a size range of 2.7-5.1×1.6-3.3 ㎛ ($\bar{x}=3.6\times2.6{\mu}m$, n=50), were globoid to ellipsoid in shape, hyaline when immature, becoming light brown to golden-brown when mature, and characterized by 1 or 2 guttules. Multi-locus sequence analysis based on a combined dataset of internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), large subunit rDNA (LSU), small subunit rDNA (SSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α), and RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB2) sequences revealed KNUF-20-NI009 to be a strain of Xenoroussoella triseptata. This is the first report of this species in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2015

Tuak is a traditional alcoholic beverage, one of the most widely known in the North Sumateran region of Indonesia. It is produced by a spontaneous fermentation process through the application of one or more several kinds of wood bark or root, called raru (Xylocorpus wood bark or a variety of forest mangosteen), into the sap water of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) for 2−3 days. In this research, yeast that are potentially useful for ethanol production was isolated from Tuak and identified. Based on analysis of D1/D2 domain sequence of LSU (large subunit) rRNA genes, those isolated yeast strains, HT4, HT5, and HT10 were identified as Candida tropicalis. Fermentation test of these C. tropicalis isolates displayed an ability to produce 6.55% (v/v) and 4.58% ethanol at 30℃ and 42℃, respectively. These results indicated C. tropicalis isolates more rapidly utilize glucose and obtain higher levels of the production of ethanol at the higher temperature of 42℃ than S. cerevisiae, a common yeast used for bioethanol fermentation.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.183-194
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• 2022

Two fungal strains, designated KNUF-21-006 and KNUF-21-028, were isolated from soil samples collected from Gyeongbuk Province, Korea. The strain KNUF-21-006 was similar to other Pestalotiopsis species in terms of morphological characteristics, including whitish to pale brown mycelium, conidial shape, and size. The isolate had aerial hyphae that produced black fruiting bodies on the mycelium. The conidia were fusoid to ellipsoid, four-septate, and appendage-bearing. Phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF), and β-tubulin (TUB) gene sequences confirmed that the closest relationship of the isolate at the species level was with Pestalotiopsis clavata. The strain KNUF-21-028 exhibits similar morphological characteristics to other Botryotrichum species, including white aerial mycelium with sulcate and irregular margins, conidial shape, and size. The conidia were globose, single, and hyaline. Upon molecular analysis-using the ITS region, large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, and TUB gene sequences-the fungus was identified as Botryotrichum iranicum. This is the first record of these fungal species in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.657-665
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• 2023

The root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus spp. is the most important plantparasitic nematode due to its worldwide distribution, wide host ranges, and migratory endoparasitic characteristics. One population of Pratylenchus collected from the giant pussy willow (Salix chaenomeloides Kimura) in the Andong area as part of a nematode survey in Korea was characterized morphologically and by molecular methods. The analysis of morphological measurements and morphometric characteristics, as well as DNA sequencing of the rRNA large subunit (LSU) D2/D3 expansion segments and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequence, confirmed the identity of this population as P. hippeastri. This study is the first report of P. hippeastri associated with Salix chaenomeloides in Korea and worldwide. Further studies on distribution and pathogenicity in different P. hippeastri host crops, such as grapevines, strawberries, and apples, are necessary. The taxonomic keys to 16 Pratylenchus species in Korea are provided.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.450-463
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• 2020

The strains 17E-042, 17E-039, and NC13-171 belong to Ascomycota and were isolated from soil collected from Sancheong-gun and Yeongam-gun, Korea. The strain 17E-042 produced white mycelial colonies that developed a sienna color with a round margin on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and the reverse side developed a light sienna color. Morphologically, this strain was similar to the strains of Arthrinium phragmites and A. hydei, but the shorter conidial size of the newly identified strain (17E-042) was distinct. The strain 17E-039 produced macroconidia that were pale yellow to orange-brown, elongated-ellipsoid to oblong, round at both ends, primarily straight but sometimes slightly curved, 0-septate, thin-walled, and filled with numerous droplets, having diameters of 20.4-34.3 × 8.0-12.0 ㎛. And the strain NC13-171 formed hyaline to light brown chlamydospores, solitary or in a chain. Multigene phylogenetic analyses were conducted using sequence data obtained from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, 28S rDNA large subunit (LSU), β-tubulin (TUB2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), and RNA polymerase II large subunit (RPB2) genes. The results of molecular phylogeny, the detailed descriptions and illustrations of each species strongly support our proposal that these strains from soil in Korea be designated as Arthrinium minutisporum sp. nov. and two new records of Pezicula neosporulosa and Acrocalymma pterocarpi.