• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2022

Penicillium vietnamense sp. nov. was isolated from Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam in June 2017. It is phylogenetically distinct from the sister species of Penicillium section Charlesia series Indica based on multi-locus sequence typing results using internal transcribed spacer, large subunit ribosomal RNA, b-tubulin, calmodulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit regions. It showed strong growth on Czapek yeast autolysate agar at 37 ℃, a strong acid production on Creatine sucrose agar, and produced short stipes, small vesicles, and subglobose to globose conidia delicately roughened with very short ridges. As the first novel marine fungi species described from Vietnam and discovered in a unique environment, the data could be significant for understanding the taxonomy and geographical distribution of marine fungi in tropical coastal systems such as Vietnam.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2011

Fusarium verticillioides (teleomorph: Gibberella moniliformis), a member of the Gibberellea fujikuroi species complex, causes rots of corn stalks and ears, and produces a group of mycotoxins known as fumonisins that are harmful to animals and humans. Here, we focus on the development of a species-specific PCR primer set for differentiating F. verticillioides from other fumonisin-producing Fusarium species belonging to the species complex, such as F. proliferatum, F. fujikuroi, and F. subglutinans that are frequently associated with corn. The specific primers (RVERT1 and RVERT2) derived from the nucleotide sequences of RNA polymerase II beta subunit (RPB2) gene amplified a 208 bp-DNA fragment from only F. verticillioides isolates among the potential fumonisin-producing species examined; all of these isolates were shown to carry FUM1 required for fumonisin biosynthesis. The PCR detection limit using this specific primer set was approximately 0.125 pg/${\mu}l$ genomic DNA of F. verticillioides. In addition, the F. verticillioides-specfic fragment was successfully amplified from genomic DNAs of corn samples contaminated with Fusarium spp. This primer set would provide a useful tool for the detection and differentiation of potential fumonisin-producing F. verticillioides strains in cereal samples.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.140-145
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• 2016

Genes in multicellular organisms are transcribed in development, differentiation, or tissue-specific manners. The transcription of genes is activated by enhancers, which are transcription regulatory elements located at long distances from the genes. Recent studies have reported that noncoding RNAs are transcribed from active enhancers by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II); these are called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). eRNAs are transcribed bi-directionally from the enhancer core, and are capped on the 5’ end but not spliced or polyadenylated on the 3’ end. The transcription of eRNAs requires the binding of transcription activators on the enhancer and associates positively with the transcription of the target gene. The transcriptional inhibition of eRNAs or the removal of eRNA transcripts results in the transcriptional repression of the coding gene. The transcriptional procedure of eRNAs causes enhancer- specific histone modifications, such as histone H3K4me1/2. eRNA transcripts directly interact with Mediator and Rad21, a cohesin subunit, generating a chromatin loop structure between the enhancer and the promoter of the target gene. The recruitment of RNA Pol II into the promoter and its elongation through the coding region are facilitated by eRNAs. Here, we will review the features of eRNAs, and discuss the mechanism of eRNA transcription and the roles of eRNAs in the transcriptional activation of target genes.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2018

Three fungal strains belonging to the class Sordariomycetes, namely BH-06, 17-039 and BE12-1, were isolated from soils in Korea and identified as Chaunopycnis alba, Myrothecium cinctum and Humicola olivacea, respectively. These species were confirmed according to their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships determined based on internal transcribed spacer regions, as well as large subunit, small subunit, ${\beta}$-Tubulin and RNA polymerase II largest subunit sequences of ribosomal DNA. These three species are the first members of the Sordariomycetes reported in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.196-200
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• 2016

Symptoms of summer patch were observed on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cv. "Midnight II" from mid-June in 2015 in Seoul, Korea. The symptoms appeared as leaf blight, root rot, and frog-eye patch, which are typical of summer patch. To identify the causal agent of these symptoms, a pathogen was isolated from diseased leaves and roots, and the cultural, morphological, and phylogenetic characteristics were analyzed. The isolate reached 50-60 mm on potato dextrose agar (PDA) after 10 days as a white-grey mycelium with septa, and became olive-green or brown from the center. Phialide-like structures were observed at the ends of hyphae, and conidia were rarely observed. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted based on large subunit (LSU) and RNA polymerase II large subunit (RPB1) sequences. According to this analysis, the isolated pathogen was confirmed to be Magnaporthiopsis poae. In a pathogenicity test, summer patch symptoms were observed at 20 days after inoculation using the same grass cultivar. This is the first report of summer patch disease caused by M. poae on cool season grass in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.624-629
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• 2017

A rainbow trout Onchorhynchus mykiss farm located in Gangwon province, South Korea, experienced approximately 10% mortality in June 2017. Most diseased fish had a markedly distended, gas-filled stomach, and exhibited abnormal behavior at the water surface. In this study, we attempted to identify the cause of stomach distension syndrome in those rainbow trout. The stomach of most of the affected fish were full of unidentified gases and some exudate, and yeast was isolated from the stomach mucosa. Pure cultures of yeast were identified using a multilocus sequence typing scheme based on 18S rRNA, internal transcribed spacers, large subunit rRNA, and the gene encoding the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1). The RPB1 gene sequences were compared with those of related species available in a database. The yeast was identified as Scheffersomyces coipomoensis (Candida coipomoensis) based on sequence analyses. This is the first study to reveal that Sch. coipomoensis is a potential causative agent of stomach distension syndrome in farmed rainbow trout. Our results will be helpful for future related studies, and indicate that farmers and stakeholders should observe this emerging disease closely.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.191-201
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• 2013

Distinguishing individual Russula species has been difficult due to extensive phenotypic plasticity and obscure morphological and anatomical discontinuities. Due to highly similar macroscopic features, such as the presence of a red-cap, species identification within the Russula subgenus Amoenula is particularly difficult. Three species of the subgenus Amoneula have been reported in Korea. We used a combination of morphology and three molecular markers, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), and RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2), for identification and study of the genetic diversity of Russula subgenus Amoenula in Korea. We identified only two species in Korea (R. mariae and R. violeipes); these two species were indistinguishable according to morphology and LSU, but were found to be reciprocally monophyletic species using ITS and RPB2. The markers, ITS, LSU, and RPB2, have been tested in the past for use as DNA barcoding markers, and findings of our study suggest that ITS and RPB2 had the best performance for the Russula subgenus Amoneula.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.329-335
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• 2020

From 2008 to 2017, Korean azalea (Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense) showing angular, necrotic leaf spots were found in Jeju and Hongcheon, Korea. The lesions occurred frequently, detracting from the beauty of the glossy green leaves of the plant and causing premature defoliation. Therefore, to identify the fungus associated with the lesions, morphological characterization and molecular phylogenetic analysis of actin (Act), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nrDNA (LSU), and RNA polymerase II encoding the second largest subunit (RPB2) of the two representative isolates were performed. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the neighbor-joining method showed the isolates clustering in the Sphaerulina azaleae group. Therefore, the fungus associated with the angular leaf spots on the Korean azalea was identified as Sphaerulina azaleae.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.122-138
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• 2023

Elsinoë are plant pathogenic fungi that cause scabs, spotted anthracnose, and some morphological distortions on various plants, including woody plants, economically important crops, and ornamental plants. Taxonomical reexamination of Elsinoë species in Japan has not yet been conducted based on the modern species criteria. In this study, several Japanese isolates were reexamine based on the morphological and molecular-phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), large subunit gene (LSU)m and protein-coding gene such as RNA polymerase II subunit (rpb2) and Translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef). Japanese isolates were divided into four clades and three new species, Elsinoë hydrangeae, E. sumire, and E. tanashiensis were proposed. One species, Sphaceloma akebiae, was transferred to the genus Elsinoë.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2022

Endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the leaves of two conifer species (Juniperus rigida and Pinus densiflora) in Korea and identified on the basis of their morphological and molecular characteristics. Internal transcribed spacer and large subunit regions of rDNA were used for the phylogenetic analysis, and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes were analyzed depending on the species. Two fungal species that were previously unrecorded in Korea were identified: Acrodontium burrowsianum and Pestalotiopsis humicola. Their morphological and phylogenetic characteristics are described herein.