• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.230-239
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• 2020

Previous studies have shown disrupted synaptic plasticity and neural activity in depression. Such alteration is strongly associated with disrupted synaptic structures. Chronic stress has been known to induce changes in dendritic structure in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but antidepressant effect on structure of these brain areas has been unclear. Here, the effects of imipramine on dendritic spine density and morphology in BLA and mPFC subregions of stressed mice were examined. Chronic restraint stress caused depressive-like behaviors such as enhanced social avoidance and despair level coincident with differential changes in dendritic spine structure. Chronic stress enhanced dendritic spine density in the lateral nucleus of BLA with no significant change in the basal nucleus of BLA, and altered the proportion of stubby or mushroom spines in both subregions. Conversely, in the apical and basal mPFC, chronic stress caused a significant reduction in spine density. The proportion of stubby or mushroom spines in these subregions overall reduced while the proportion of thin spines increased after repeated stress. Interestingly, most of these structural alterations by chronic stress were reversed by imipramine. In addition, structural changes caused by stress and blocking the changes by imipramine were corelated well with altered activation and expression of synaptic plasticity-promoting molecules such as phospho-CREB, phospho-CAMKII, and PSD-95. Collectively, our data suggest that imipramine modulates stress-induced changes in synaptic structure and synaptic plasticity-promoting molecules in a coordinated manner although structural and molecular alterations induced by stress are distinct in the BLA and mPFC.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.25 no.3 s.82
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• pp.161-166
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• 1997

Occurrence of Hypoxylon truncatum, known as a symbiont of white jelly mushroom, was first noted and described in Korea. Two stromatal forms reported in North American collections of H. truncatum sensu Miller were also observed in Korean collections. Based on evidences from other studies, polymorphic patterns seen in six enzyme digestions of nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of Korean isolates indicated that the two stromatal forms were genetically distinct. Because there was a clear association of stromatal morphology with genetic differences, the different stromatal forms might be different species. In addition, clear species concept on the species H. truncatum would provide aids in selecting proper strain for cultivation of white jelly mushrooms.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.345-353
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• 2020

As part of the mushroom surveys in the unexplored areas of Korea in 2019 and 2020, a phalloid fungus was found in a saline sand beach. The specimen was mainly characterized by its reticulate pileus and violet volva with well-developed rhizomorphs. Based on ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and morphological characteristics, the specimen was identified as Phallus hadriani. Additionally, a morphological comparison of closely related species was performed. This study describes for the first time the presence of P. hadriani in Korea.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2013

This study demonstrate that polymeric microspheres composed of poly (ethylene adipate) (PEA) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) can encapsulate and remarkably stabilize Broussonetia kazinoki root extract. We compared the long-term stability and the activity of Broussonetia kazinoki root extract in polymeric microspheres fabricated with different polymer ratio of PEA and PMMA. PMMA was incorporated to the PEA microsphere in order to reinforce the physical strength of microsphere, and there was no noticeable negative effect on the activity of Broussonetia kazinoki root extract. Optical microscope (OM), polarized microscope (PM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) results showed that PMMA incorporated microspheres were very spherical and had smoothsurface. On the other hand, PEA microspheres showed relatively irregular morphology due to the low physical strength of microspheres. Moreover, the mushroom tyrosinase activities were measured for testing the inhibitory activity of Broussonetia kazinoki root extract encapsulated in polymeric microspheres, and these microspheres showed the effective suppression of mushroom tyrosinase activity. Consequently, polymeric microspheres produced in this study may be beneficial for the research of improving stability and protecting labile substances incorporated into the polymeric microspheres.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.164-169
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• 1984

Interspecific heterokaryons were obtained between auxotrophic mutants of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus florida by polyethylene $glycol-Ca^{++}$ induced fusion of somatic protoplasts. The fusion products produced colonies of dense growing mycelium after 10-14 days culture on hypertonic Mushroom Minimal Medium. When they were transferred to Mushroom Minimal Medium plates, the sectors showed normal vegetative morphology but the colonies of irregular shape varied in growth rate. All of the colonies produced fruit body of normal pilei. Some heterokaryon colonies bearing none or only a small amounts of basidiospores were isolated. Fusion products, generally, gave higher basidiocarp yields than the parents.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.141-149
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• 2009

The sexual incompatibility system was investigated in the new strain Pleurotus ostreatus 'Miso'. Matings among monosporous progeny collected from fruiting bodies revealed that the new oyster mushroom is heterothallic and has a tetrapolar mating system. Single basidiospore isolates that did not have clamp connections were determined to be monokaryotic. Compatible parings of monokaryons were distinguishable macroscopically by the rapid growth and gross morphology to some extent but they were distinguished obviously by the presence of clamp connections from incompatible pairings under microscopic examination. Rarely dikaryotization was unidirectional with clamp connections only at the margin of one side of mating. In tetrapolarity of matings, four kinds of patterns, A1B1, A1B2, A2B1, and A2B2, were decided depending on compatibility tests in a parental strain with a mating factor of A1A2B1B2. The mating tests with the tester strains were performed for the detection of mating types on the rest of selected monokaryons.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.721-727
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• 2014

Mushroom-derived ${\beta}$-glucan, a polysaccharide (GLP) isolated from the mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum, was previously shown to have inhibitory effects against tumor-bearing mice in vivo. We investigated the apoptotic effect of mushroom-derived ${\beta}$-glucan in a sarcoma-180 tumor cell- bearing mice model using an ELISA to determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) in the mice. The morphology of the tumor cells was assessed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). GLP was injected into the tumor-bearing mice at a dose (i.p.) of 20 mg/kg for 10 days. After 30 days, the tumor mass from the inguinal region was collected, weighed, and assayed using TEM and a TNF-${\alpha}$ ELISA kit. The tumors that developed in the mice treated with GLP were 71.4% smaller than those in the control group, showing the ability of GLP to inhibit tumor growth. The levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the serum of the sarcoma-180 bearing mice were 12 times greater than in the serum of the nonbearing tumor mice. An ultrastructural study demonstrated that the GLP-treated sarcoma-180 tumor cells were condensed, with rearranged chromatin. In addition, the marginated chromatin in nucleus induced the nuclear compartment, and there were many vacuolization in the cell. GLP could be an effective apoptosis-inducing compound in sarcoma-type cancers.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.235-241
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• 1988

This study was carried out to investigate some morphological characters of fruit bodies of Ganoderma lucidum and to classify the fungus on the bases of the genetic character. Some of the isolates of the fungus which originally have the kidney-shaped fruit bodies produced the antler-shaped fruit bodies on artificial media and the latter characters were inherited. Pattern of the pileus surface and thickness of the pileus of the fruit bodies were also considered to be hereditary. Although morphology of the pileus margin and fruiting mode of the fungus were variable among the isolates, they were greatly influenced by environment conditions. Ganoderma lucidum could be classified into two groups and four strains according to the morphology of the fruit bodies on artificial cultivation media. Electrophoretic patterns of esterase, peroxidase, leucine aminopeptidase(LAP) and proteins of fruit bodies and mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum showed high genetic variation. Isozyme patterns of esterase of the mushroom mycelia were applicable for the classification of strains of the fungus. Patterns of proteins, leucine aminopeptidase and peroxidase did not indicate any genetic relation among the fungus strains.

• Mycobiology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.74-80
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• 2003

Isolates of Trichoderma spp. collected from Pleurotus ostreatus and P. eryngii beds, which included loosened substrate compactness and development of green colour, were grouped into three species. The occurrence of different species of Trichoderma was as T. cf. virens(70.8%), T. longibrachiatum(16.7%) and T. harzianum(12.5%). The conidia of Trichoderma spp. were ellipsoidal, obovoid and phialides were bowling pins, lageniform and the length of phialides was $3.5{\sim}10.0{\times}1.3{\sim}3.3{\mu}m$. Phialides of T. cf. virens and T. harzianum were tending clustered, but it was solitary disposition in T. longibrachiatum. T. cf. virens was characterized by predominantly effuse conidiation, sparingly branched, and fertile to the apex and it was penicillate type. RAPD analysis could detect variability amongst three different species of Trichoderma using two newly designed URP-primers. However, intra-specific variation could not be detected in all the isolates except for rDNA sequence data classified Trichoderma isolates into three distinct groups representing three species. The profiles of rDNA sequences of isolates representing a species showed high similarity in T. cf. virens and T. harzianum. However, there was a variation in rDNA sequences of isolates representing T. longibrachiatum. The results of present study reveals that molecular techniques of RAPD and rDNA sequencing can greatly aid in classification based on morphology and precise identification of fast evolving species of Trichoderma.

• Mycobiology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2004

Molecular approaches, internal transcribed spacer(ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA, and Universal Rice Primer Polymerase Chain Reaction(URP-PCR) were used to investigate the genetic diversity, taxonomic complexity, and relationships of Trichoderma species in mushroom farms. Forty-one isolates of 13 Trichoderma spp. were used in this study and clustered into eight groups. The DNA fingerprint patterns and ITS1 region sequence alignment data showed similar results, but not in some species, such as T. virens, T. atroviride, T. harzianum, and T. aureoviride. Results of this study have proven that the morphology-based taxonomic system has some limitations in terms of classification. The data obtained in this study would be a good index for classifying indistinguishable Trichoderma strains.