• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2012

A bacterial strain antagonistic to some fungal phytopathogens was isolated from the stem of a Persimmon tree in Yeongam, Korea. This bacterium was identified as Bacillus subtilis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and designated as B. subtilis GDYA-1. In in vivo experiment, the fermentation broth exhibited antifungal activities against Magnaporthe oryzae on rice plants, Phytophthora infestans on tomato plants, and Puccinia recondita on wheat plants. We isolated one antifungal compound and its chemical structure was determined by mass and $^1H$-NMR spectral data. The antifungal substance was identified as benzoic acid. It inhibited mycelial growth of M. oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and P. capsici with minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values, ranging from 62.5 to 125 ${\mu}g/ml$. Moreover, the substance effectively suppressed Phytophthora blight of red pepper caused by P. capsici in a pot experiment. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report on the antifungal activity of benzoic acid against phytopathogenic fungi. Benzoic acid and B. subtilis GDYA-1 may contribute to environmental-friendly protect crops from phytopathogenic fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1223-1229
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• 2009

To construct a new recombinant strain of Bacillus velezensis that has antifungal and insecticidal activity via the expression of the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein, a B. thuringiensis expression vector (pHT1K-1Ac) was generated that contained the B. thuringiensis cry1Ac gene under the control of its endogenous promoter in a minimal E. coli-B. thuringiensis shuttle vector (pHT1K). This vector was introduced into a B. velezensis isolate that showed high antifungal activities against several plant diseases, including rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea), rice sheath blight (Rhizotonia solani), tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita), by electroporation. The recombinant B. velezensis strain was confirmed by PCR using cry1Ac-specific primers. Additionally, the recombinant strain produced a protein approximately 130 kDa in size and parasporal inclusion bodies similar to B. thuringiensis. The in vivo antifungal activity assay demonstrated that the activity of the recombinant B. velezensis strain was maintained at the same level as that of wild-type B. velezensis. Furthermore, it exhibited high insecticidal activity against a lepidopteran pest, Plutella xylostella, although its activity was lower than that of a recombinant B. thuringiensis strain, whereas wild-type B. velezensis strain did not show any insecticidal activity. These results suggest that this recombinant B. velezensis strain can be used to control harmful insect pests and fungal diseases simultaneously in one crop.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.222-229
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• 2009

A Pseudomonas strain SG3 producing biosurfactant and showing antifungal and insecticidal activities was isolated from agricultural soil severely contaminated with machine oils. The antagonistic bacterium inhibited mycelial growth of all of the tested fungal pathogens. The fermentation broth of SG3 also effectively suppressed the development of various plant diseases including rice blast, tomato gray mold, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, barley powdery mildew and red pepper anthracnose. An antifungal substance was isolated from the fermentation broth of SG3 by ethyl acetate partitioning, silica gel column chromatography and preparative HPLC under the guide of bioassay. The chemical structure of the antifungal substance was determined to be rhamnolipid B by mass and NMR spectral analyses. The antifungal biosurfactant showed a potent in vivo antifungal activity against gray mold and late blight on tomato plants. In addition, rhamnolipid B inhibited mycelial growth of B. cinerea causing tomato gray mold and zoospore germination and mycelial growth of P. infestans causing tomato late blight. Pseudomonas sp. SG3 producing rhamnolipid B could be used as a new biocontrol agent for the control of plant diseases occurring on tomato plants.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.7-14
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• 2000

Methanol extracts from 21 grains were tested for fungicidal activities against six phytopathogenic fungi and for insecticidal activities toward five insect pests in a greenhouse. The efficacy varied with both the plant pathogen/insect pest and grain species used. Potent fungicidal activity at 5 mg/pot, were produced from extracts of Elymus sibiricus and Hordeum vulgare var. nudum against Pyricularia grisea and Erysiphe graminis and these of Sesamum indicum (W) and Triticum aestivum against Puccinia recondita and Erysiphe graminis. At 2,500 ppm, potent insecticidal activities were exhibited from the extracts of Fagopyrum esculentum against Myzus persicae and Ischaemum crassipes, and these of Oryzo sativa var. glutinosa, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica, Sorghum bicolor, and T. aestivum against Tetranychus urticae. All grain extracts revealed weak or no fungicidal and insecticidal effect against Phytophthora infestans, Plutella xylostella and Spodoptera litura. As a naturally occurring fungicide and insecticide, grain-derived materials described could be useful as new fungicidal and insecticidal products against phytopathogenic fungi and insect pests.