• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.506-518
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• 2020

Background: Red-skin root of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) significantly reduces the quality and limits the production of ginseng in China. The disease has long been thought to be a noninfectious physiological disease, except one report that proved it was an infectious disease. However, the causal agents have not been successfully determined. In the present study, we were to reveal the pathogens that cause red-skin disease. Methods: Ginseng roots with red-skin root symptoms were collected from commercial fields in Northeast China. Fungi were isolated from the lesion and identified based on morphological characters along with multilocus sequence analyses on internal transcription spacer, β-tubulin (tub2), histone H3 (his3), and translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α). Pathogens were confirmed by inoculating the isolates in ginseng roots. Results: A total of 230 isolates were obtained from 209 disease samples. These isolates were classified into 12 species, including Dactylonectria sp., D. hordeicola, Fusarium acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. solani, F. torulosum, Ilyonectria mors-panacis, I. robusta, Rhexocercosporidium panacis, and three novel species I. changbaiensis, I. communis, and I. qitaiheensis. Among them, I. communis, I. robusta, and F. solani had the highest isolation frequencies, being 36.1%, 20.9%, and 23.9%, respectively. All these species isolated were pathogenic to ginseng roots and caused red-skin root disease under appropriate condition. Conclusion: Fungal complex is the causal agent of red-skin root in P. ginseng.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2015

Three specimens of larvae (5.2~7.8 mm in standard length (SL)), of the family Scombridae, were collected from the southeastern waters off Jeju Island in August, 2014. These specimens were identified to Katsuwonus pelamis have melanophores distributed on the 1st dorsal-fin spines and post ventral margin on caudal peduncle. An analysis of the cytochrome oxidase submit I (COI) sequences (652 base pairs) of mitochondrial DNA showed that our specimens must be K. pelamis, because their sequences were concordant with those of the adult K. pelamis (genetic distance= 0.000~0.002), followed by Auxis rochei (genetic distance= 0.061~0.063) and Euthynnus affinis (genetic distance= 0.077~0.079). During the larval stage, K. pelamis differed from Thunnus spp. species in melanophores distribution period of 1st dorsal-fin spines, lower jaws and ventral margin on caudal peduncle. In conclusion, occurrence of K. pelamis larvae means Korean waters are potential spawning ground of K. pelamis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.774-780
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• 2009

Flammulina velutipes is a popular edible basidiomycete mushroom found in East Asia and is commonly known as winter mushroom. Mushroom development showing dramatic morphological changes by different environmental factors is scientifically and commercially interesting. To create a genetic database and isolate genes regulated during mushroom development, cDNA libraries were constructed from three developmental stages of mycelium, primordium, and fruit body in F. velutipes. We generated a total of 5,431 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from randomly selected clones from the three cDNA libraries. Of these, 3,332 different unique genes (unigenes) were consistent with 2,442 (73%) singlets and 890 (27%) contigs. This corresponds to a redundancy of 39%. Using a homology search in the gene ontology database, the EST unigenes were classified into the three categories of molecular function (28%), biological process (29%), and cellular component (6%). Comparative analysis found great variations in the unigene expression pattern among the three different unigene sets generated from the cDNA libraries of mycelium, primordium, and fruit body. The 19-34% of total unigenes were unique to each unigene set and only 3% were shared among all three unigene sets. The unique and common representation in F. velutipes unigenes from the three different cDNA libraries suggests great differential gene expression profiles during the different developmental stages of F. velutipes mushroom.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2012

Intestinal giant-cystic disease (IGCD) of the Israel carp (Cyprinus carpio nudus) has been recognized as one of the most serious diseases afflicting inland farmed fish in the Republic of Korea, and Thelohanellus kitauei has been identified as the causative agent of the disease. Until now, studies concerning IGCD caused by T. kitauei in the Israel carp have been limited to morphological and histopathological examinations. However, these types of diagnostic examinations are relatively time-consuming, and the infection frequently cannot be detected in its early stages. In this study, we cloned the full-length 18S rRNA gene of T. kitauei isolated from diseased Israel carps, and carried out molecular identification by comparing the sequence with those of other myxosporeans. Moreover, conventional PCR and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) using oligonucleotide primers for the amplification of 18S rRNA gene fragment were established for further use as methods for rapid diagnosis of IGCD. Our results demonstrated that both the conventional PCR and real-time quantitative PCR systems applied herein are effective for rapid detection of T. kitauei spores in fish tissues and environmental water.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2009

Discriminating between eel species of the genus Anguilla using morphological characteristics can be problematic, particularly in the glass eel and elver stages. In this study, sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers were developed for the identification of Anguilla japoniea, Anguilla btcoior bicaor. Anguilla rostrata, and Anguilla anguilla. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments from A. japoniea (362 bp), A. bicolor bicctor (375 bp), A. rostrata (375 bp), and A. anguilla (375 bp) were isolated, sequenced, and converted to SCAR markers. The principal difference between the SCARs of A. japoniea and the three other species is the absence of a 13 bp deletion in the A. japoniea SCAR. Specific PCR primers amplified a 290 bp fragment for A. japoniea and 303 bp fragments for A. bicolor bicoior. A. rostrata, and A. anguilla. Restriction enzyme digestion with Taql, Mael, and Tru9l yielded PCR-RFLP patterns with differences that, when analyzed together, are sufficient for distinguishing each of the four eel species. In addition, RAPD fragments for A. japoniea (577 bp), A. bicoior bicoor (540 bp), A. rostrata (540 bp), and A. anguilla (509 bp) were also isolated and sequenced. The A. japoniea, A. bicoior blcoior. A. rostrata, and A. anguilla PCR products contain ten, nine, nine, and eight tandem repeats, respectively, of a 37 bp sequence. These results suggest that SCAR and PCR-RFLP markers and repeat numbers for specific loci will be useful for the identification of these four Anguilla eel species.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.38-47
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• 2022

Hymenodictyon orixensis (Roxb.) Mabberley (locally known as Bhutum in Bangladesh) is both an ecologically and economically valuable multipurpose tree species for afforestation and reforestation programs in Bangladesh. Seed germination and seedling development study of H. orixense were conducted to find out the response to different growing medium, e.g., polybag (15×10 cm (T₀) and 20×15 cm (T₁)), sand medium in propagator house (T₂), conventional nursery bed (T₃), and root trainer (T₄) in the Nursery. Consequently, germination behavior and seedling morphological parameters of H. orixense were assessed. The results revealed that the sand medium of the propagator house (T₂) provided the highest germination % (58.57±22.30) and the highest germination energy (11.43±2.43) followed by seedlings growing in 20×15 cm polybags (T1) containing forest topsoil and cow-dung at a ratio of 3:1. Except for germination energy, germination values, and germination capacity, other seed biology parameters, particularly imbibition, germination period, germination rate, and plant survival percent in T₁, T₂, T₃, and T₄ were significantly (p<0.05) different from T₀. Each phenotypic parameter of seedlings and dry matter of shoot and root significantly differed from control except root length (p<0.992). Based on this study, Polybags of 20×15 cm size are regarded as the best medium for quality seedling development of H. orixense. The nursery bed (T₃) had the lowest germination performance and developed more inferior quality seedlings. Thereby, 20×15 cm size of polybags with conventional soil and cow-dung media is recommended for maximum germination and to grow the quality seedlings of H. orixense in the Nursery.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.384-396
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• 2023

Colletotrichum acutatum species complex is one of the most important groups in the genus Colletotrichum with a high species diversity and a wide range of host plants. C. acutatum and related species have been collected from different plants and locations in Korea and deposited into the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC), National Institute of Agricultural Sciences since the 1990s. These fungal isolates were previously identified based mainly on morphological characteristics, and a limitation of molecular data was provided. To confirm the identification of species, 64 C. acutatum species complex isolates in KACC were used in this study for DNA sequence analyses of six loci: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS), betatubulin 2 (TUB2), histone-3 (HIS3), glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1), and actin (ACT). The molecular analysis revealed that they were identified in six different species of C. fioriniae (24 isolates), C. nymphaeae (21 isolates), C. scovillei (12 isolates), C. chrysanthemi (three isolates), C. lupini (two isolates), and C. godetiae (one isolate), and a novel species candidate. We compared the hosts of KACC isolates with "The List of Plant Diseases in Korea", previous reports in Korea and global reports and found that 23 combinations between hosts and pathogens could be newly reported in Korea after pathogenicity tests, and 12 of these have not been recorded in the world.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.383-387
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• 2023

Peanut plants showing mild wilt were found in fields of Iksan, Korea, in August 2021. The diseased peanut plants were collected, and the causal pathogens were isolated using potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The isolated IS-1 strain formed white mycelia on PDA, which turned black with age. Sclerotia were produced on the PDA and barley leaves laid on water agar 7 d after incubation at 30℃. The sequences of both the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and calmodulin gene of IS-1 showed a 100% similarity with that of Macrophomina phaseolina. A phylogenetic tree constructed using the ITS regions of fungal pathogens causing disease in peanut plants indicated that the IS-1 stain belongs to M. phaseolina. The inoculation of IS-1 sclerotia into peanut seedlings resulted in yellowing and wilt symptoms in aboveground plants and brown to dark rots in roots 35-40 d after inoculation. Overall, the morphological characteristics, molecular identification, and pathogenicity of IS-1 indicate that the causal pathogen is M. phaseolina. This is the first report of charcoal rot caused by M. phaseolina on peanut plants in Korea. Further study is needed to develop the control measures for charcoal rot in peanut plants.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2024

In August 2023, leaf spot disease was observed in peanuts in Cheongju-si, Korea. Leaf spots occurred at the leaf margins and the lesions gradually expanded. Diseased leaf areas were light or dark brown and irregular in shape. A fungal isolate was obtained from symptomatic leaf and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium at 25℃. An isolate was identified as Colletotrichum sojae based on morphological characteristics and sequences of the internal transcribed spacers, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, chitin synthase-1, actin, and 𝛽-tubulin genes. Pathogenicity tests were performed on peanut seedlings in a conidial suspension (1×10⁶ conidia/mL). Lesions were observed on the peanut leaf 5 d after inoculation. The pathogen was re-isolated from the lesions of the inoculated leaves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose on peanut caused by C. sojae in Korea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1971

The geotectonics and geomorphic structure of Korea resulted from the Song-rim Disturbance and the Daebo orogenic movements. Afterward this mountainous peninsula underwent several geological changes on a small scale, and it was also claimed that the steady rising of the elevated peneplain of the eastern coast and the submerging of the southwestern coastal area are largely due to the tilted block movement. These views have been generally accepted good in several ways, but they are limited in range or lacking in theoretical integration. The present writer investigated the geology of the Mt. Chi-ri-san and the Honam coal mining area for a geological map in 1965, respectively. The results of these studies convinced the present writer that the conventional views, which were based upon a theory of lateral pressure should be reconsidered in many respects, and more recent studies made it clear that the morphological development in the southwestern area can be better explained by the orogenic movement and rock control. The measurement of submerging speed of the western coastal area (Pak. Y. A., 1969) and a new account on the geology and tectonics of the Mid-central region of South Korea (Kim O.J., 1970) act as an encouragement to a new explanation. The present writer's researches on the extreme southwestern portion of the peninsula show that the steady submerging of this area cannot be attributed to a simple downthrown block phenomenon caused by block movement. It is no more than the result of the differential movement of uplifting in the eastern and western coastal areas and the rising of sea-level in the post-glacial period. This phenomenon could be easily explained by the comparison of the rate of rise in sea-level and amount of heat flow between Korea and other areas in the world. The existance of the erosional planes in the Sobaik-San ranges also provide an evidence of an upheaval in the western coast area. Though the Sobaik-San ranges largely follow the direction of the Sinian system. They consist of the numerous branches, whose trends run more or less differently from their main trend because of the disharmonic folding, are converged into Mt. Sobaik-San and Chupungryung. The undulation of the land is not wholely caused by orogenic movements, where as the present writer confirmed that the diversity of morphological development is the direct reflection of geological conditions such as rocks and processes which constitute the basic elements of geomorphic structure. An east-west directed mountain range which could be named as Hansan mountain range, was claimed to be oriented by the joint control. The geological conditions such as a special erosion and weathering of agglomerate and breccia tuff usually produce pot-hole like submarine features which cause the whirling phenomenon at the southwestern coast channel.