• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2023

In this study, we isolated several fungal strains from filtered water and sediment collected from rivers and streams. The strains were identified by molecular phylogenetic analyses of rDNA sequences (internal transcribed spacer [ITS], large subunit of ribosomal DNA [LSU]). The morphological characteristics of the fungi were investigated using microscopy, and the culture characteristics of fungi grown on several media were examined. We identified four species previously unknown in South Korea, namely, Dissophora globulifera, Linnemannia exigua, Mortierella rishikesha and Umbelopsis autotrophica.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2016

Freshwater is a diverse and complex environment for fungi and provides several types of habitat including plant litter, sediment, and carcasses. We collected plant litter from the main stream and branch streams of Nakdong River, Sohancheon in Samcheok, and Geumoreum in Jeju. From several samples of plant litter, we isolated 8 fungal strains belonging to 4 Montagnulaceae species unrecorded in Korea: Paraconiothyrium archidendri, Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa, Paraphaeosphaeria michotii, and Paraphaeosphaeria viridescens. These fungi were identified by phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and examination of morphological characteristics. Montagnulaceae is known as one of the families in Pleosporales and includes coniothyrium-like fungi. In this study, we described phylogenetic analysis and mycological characteristics of these species, and this is the first report of these taxa in Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2022

The Ulvophyceae are a diverse group and most species are distributed in marine environments, however, a smaller diversity occurs in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Also, the diversity of species belonging to Ulvophyceae has been superficially investigated in Korea. Here, we identify two freshwater ulvophycean species based on the morphology, ultrastructural observation, and phylogenetic analysis. As a result, their taxonomic classifications are as follows: order Ulvales Blackman and Tansley, 1902 - family Kornmanniaceae Golden and Cole, 1986 - Lithotrichon pulchrum Darienko and Proschold 2017; order Ulotrichales Borzi, 1895 - family Tupiellaceae Skaloud and Leliaert, 2018 - Tupiella speciosa Darienko and Proschold 2017. The family Tupiellaceae and the two genera Lithotrichon and Tupiella are reported for the first time in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2022

It is essential that continual assessments of the impact of mine-derived water as a long-lasting burden on freshwater environments. Abundance-based evaluations of benthic macroinvertebrates have been conducted to evaluate anthropogenic disturbances and devise policies to reduce their impact. In this study, the status of a stream habitat was evaluated based on the body length and biomass weight of benthic macroinvertebrates of the family Baetidae. Following the renewal of the mining water treatment plant, the abundance of Baetidae assemblages recovered to a level comparable to that of a reference site. However, relatively low values were found for both body length and biomass weight in Baetidae species inhabiting the reddened streambed area, suggesting that the habitat has not yet been completely recovered despite the recovery of the abundance of the Baetidae assemblages. Therefore, continuous investigation and evaluation of this disturbed stream are necessary until their growth conditions of the habitat have functionally recovered.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.435-444
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• 2021

The genus Chroomonas is a group of blue-green colored cryptomonads. This study describes two freshwater Chroomonas species for the first time in South Korea: Chroomonas nordstedtii Hansgirg and Chroomonas coerulea (Geitler) Skuja. We examined the morphology and ultrastructure of these species by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. These two Chroomonas species were blue-green colored and ovate to oval-shaped. Chroomonas nordstedtii was characterized by two Maupas ovals with hexagonal periplast plates, whereas C. coerulea was characterized by one eyespot with rectangular periplast plates. A molecular phylogeny with data from nuclear SSU rRNA and chloroplast rbcL genes revealed that Korean C. nordstedtii formed a distinct clade with NIES-708, NIES-1004 from Japan, and UTEX 2779 from Colorado, USA, while C. coerulea formed a clade with ACOI 1366 from Portugal.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2019

In this study, effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) starvation on the cell growth and fatty acid (FA) production of newly isolated freshwater microalgae were investigated. The microalgae were identified as Chlorella sp. and Parachlorella sp. through 18S rRNA sequencing. Optimal culture temperature and light intensity were investigated using a high-throughput photobioreator, and the result was validated in 0.5 L bubble column photobioreactors using BG-11 without NaNO₃ and/or K₂HPO₄. Under nutrient starvation conditions, total FA contents of the microalgae were significantly changed rather than FA composition. Starvation of both N and P was most effective for increasing FA contents in Parachlorella sp (24.4±0.1%) whereas highest FA contents (42.6±1.8%) was achieved when only P was starved in Chlorella sp. among tested conditions. These results suggest an effective strategy for increasing FA production from microalgae using appropriate nutrient starvation.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2021

Stachys sieboldii Miq. (SSM) and Acorus gramineus Soland. (AGS) have been used as traditional medicines for thousands of years in parts of Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan. Recent researches on SSM and AGS have documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, neurodegenerative disease effects. However, the toxicity and safety of SSM and AGS, and their mixture (medicinal herber mixture, MHMIX) were not confirmed. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the acute toxicity and safety of SSM, AGS and MHMIX. SSM, AGS and MHMIX were orally administered at a dose of 5,000 mg/kg in ICR mice. Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in the body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during the 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy. We also measured parameters of organ weight, clinical chemistry, and hematology. No dead and no clinical signs were found during the experiment period after administration of a single oral dose of SSM, AGS and MHMIX. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, or organ weight and no gross pathological findings in any treatment group. Therefore, LD50 value of SSM, AGS and MHMIX may be over 5,000 mg/kg and it may have no side toxic effect to ICR mice. The results on the single-dose toxicity of SSM, AGS and MHMIX indicate that it is not possible to reach oral dose levels related to death or dose levels with any harmful side effects.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.60-60
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• 2021

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the common diseases with 25% of prevalence globally, but there is no thera-peutic access available. Amomum villosum var. xanthioides (Wall. ex Baker) T.L.Wu & S.J.Chen (AX), which is a medicinal herb and traditionally used for treating digestive tract disorders in Asia countries. We aimed to examine pharmacological effects of ethyl acetate fraction of AX (AXEF) against ER stress-induced NASH mice model using C57/BL6J male mice by tunicamycin (TM, 2 mg/kg) injection focusing on the oxidative stress. Mice were orally administrated AXEF (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg), silymarin (50 mg/kg) or distilled water daily for 5 days, and outcomes for fatty liver, inflammation, and oxidative stress were measured in serum or liver tissue levels. AXEF drastically attenuated hepatic ER stress-induced NASH which were evidenced by decreases of li-pid droplet accumulations, serum liver enzymes, hepatic inflammations, and cell death signals in the hepatic tissue or serum levels. Interestingly, AXEF showed potent antioxidant effects by quenching of reactive oxidative stress and its final product of lipid peroxide in the hepatic tissue, specifically increase of metallothionein (MT). To confirm underlying actions of AXEF, we ob-served that AXEF increase MT1gene promoter activities in the physiological levels. Collectively, AXEF showed antioxidant properties on TM-induced ER stress of NASH by enhancement of MTs.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

This study examined the growth, fatty acid (FA) content, and carotenoids of a newly isolated freshwater microalga, Mychonastes sp. 246, in various culture media. The appropriate temperature and light intensity for culturing Mychonastes sp. 246 were determined as 18℃-22℃ and 200-250 µmol/m²/s using a high throughput photobioreactor. The microalgal cells were cultivated in 0.5 L bubble column photobioreactors using BG11, Bold's Basal media, and f/2 media. According to the growth results of the microalgae, BG11, among the tested media, showed the highest biomass concentrations (3.5 ± 0.1 g/L in 10 d). To enhance the biomass growth of the microalgae, the N:P ratio in BG11 was manipulated from 45:1 to 7:1 based on the stoichiometric cell composition. The biomass concentrations of Mychonastes sp. 246 grown on the manipulated BG11 (MBG) increased to 38% (4.6 ± 0.3 g/L in d) compared with the original BG11 (3.3 g/L). The FA content of the microalgae grown on the MBG was lower (8.4%) than that of the original BG11 (10.1%) while the FA compositions did not exhibit any significant differences. Furthermore, three kinds of carotenoids were identified in Mychonastes sp. 246, zeaxanthin, lutein, and β-carotene. These results suggest an effective strategy for increasing biomass concentrations, FA content, and carotenoids of microalgae by performing a simple N:P adjustment in the culture media.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2020

During an investigation of fungi of the order Mucorales from freshwater and sediment samples in Korea, we isolated six strains, NNIBRFG6649, NNIBRFG6255, NNIBRFG1498, CNUFC-YJ13, CNUFC-YR7, and NNIBRFG2739. The morphology and phylogeny of these strains were analyzed. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular data from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the isolates NNIBRFG6649 and NNIBRFG6255 were identified as Mucor abundans, and M. aligarensis, respectively. The isolates NNIBRFG1498 and CNUFC-YJ13 were identified as M. moelleri, whereas the isolates CNUFC-YR7 and NNIBRFG2739 were identified as M. heterogamus. To the best of our knowledge, M. abundans, M. aligarensis, M. moelleri, and M. heterogamus have not yet been reported in Korea.