• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.207-210
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• 2008

Trichophyton erinacei is a dermatophyte pathogen that infects both humans and hedgehogs. A two-month old female four-toed hedgehog presented to the Chonbuk Animal Medical Center with pruritus, excoriation and crust on her face for ten days. The owner of the hedgehog also exhibited the clinical signs of scaly erythema with fine vesicles on her neck. A presumptive diagnosis of dermatophytosis was made based on the results of an acetate tape preparation in which hyphae and chains of arthroconidia were observed. The crusts from the lesions were then cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for identification. After 10 days of incubation, downy colored colonies that had a central umbo with a white granular surface and a yellow pigment ring in the reverse were observed. Microscopic analysis revealed the presence of numerous teardrop shaped microconidia singly attached to the sides of the hyphae. In addition, 2-6 roomed macroconidia that were somewhat irregular in shape and size were present, and abundant intermediate sized spores were observed between the micro and macro conidia. To confirm that the culture was T. erinacei, the internal transcribed spacer region of the 5.8S phase of the ribosomal RNA gene (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA) was amplified by PCR and then sequenced. A 679-base pair fragment of DNA was then compared with sequences in GenBank and found to be 99% homologous with sequences of T. erinacei (Z97997 and Z97996. The clinical signs were resolved after four weeks of treatment with oral and topical ketoconazole and chlorhexidine. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first case of T. erinacei isolated from a four-toed hedgehog in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.229-232
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• 2013

Sclerotium rot of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) occurred at the experimental field of Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services in July 2012. The typical symptoms included wilt, rot, and water-soaking on stems and fruits and severely infected plants eventually died. White mycelial mats spread over lesions, and then sclerotia were formed on fruit and near soil line. The sclerotia were globoid in shape, white to brown in color and 1-3 mm in size and the hyphal width was 4-8 ${\mu}m$. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and sclerotia formation on PDA was $30^{\circ}C$. The typical clamp connections were observed in the hyphae of the fungus grown on PDA. For further identification, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region was amplified and sequenced. On the basis of mycological characteristics, ITS rDNA region comparison, and pathogenicity to host plants, this fungus was identified as Sclerotium rolfsii Saccardo. This is the first report of sclerotium rot on cucumber caused by S. rolfsii in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.56-59
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• 2017

During growing season of 2011 to 2013, Sclerotinia rot symptoms consistently have been observed on basil in Yesan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do in Korea. The typical symptom formed initially brownish spot on leaf and stem, and then advancing margins, wilting the whole plant and blighting, eventually died. On the surface of diseased lesions was observed cottony, white, dense mat of mycelial growth, and sclerotia ($30-100{\mu}m$ diameter) formed on stem and leaf. Morphological and cultural characteristic on potato dextrose agar, color of colony was white and colorless chocolate, sclerotium of irregular shape of the oval was black and $5-50{\mu}m$ diameter in size. In pathogenicity test, necrosis and wilt of the inoculated stem were observed in all plants and the pathogen was reisolated from stems. On the basis of mycological characteristics, pathogenicity, and internal transcribed spacer rDNA sequence analysis, this fungus was identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. This is the first report of Sclerotinia rot on basil caused by S. sclerotiorum in Korea.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.271-280
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• 2017

Background: Soil microorganisms play key roles in nutrient cycling and are distributed throughout the soil profile. Currently, there is little information about the characteristics of the microbial communities along the soil depth because most studies focus on microorganisms inhabiting the soil surface. To better understand the functions and composition of microbial communities and the biogeochemical factors that shape them at different soil depths, we analyzed microbial activities and bacterial and fungal community composition in soils up to a 120 cm depth at a fallow field located in central Korea. To examine the vertical difference of microbial activities and community composition, ${\beta}$-1,4-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, ${\beta}$-1,4-xylosidase, ${\beta}$-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase activities were analyzed and barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes (bacteria) and internal transcribed spacer region (fungi) was conducted. Results: The activity of all the soil enzymes analyzed, along with soil C concentration, declined with soil depth. For example, acid phosphatase activity was $125.9({\pm}5.7({\pm}1SE))$, $30.9({\pm}0.9)$, $15.7({\pm}0.6)$, $6.7({\pm}0.9)$, and $3.3({\pm}0.3)nmol\;g^{-1}\;h^{-1}$ at 0-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm soil depths, respectively. Among the bacterial groups, the abundance of Proteobacteria (38.5, 23.2, 23.3, 26.1, and 17.5% at 0-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm soil depths, respectively) and Firmicutes (12.8, 11.3, 8.6, 4.3, and 0.4% at 0-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm soil depths, respectively) decreased with soil depth. On the other hand, the abundance of Ascomycota (51.2, 48.6, 65.7, 46.1, and 45.7% at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 cm depths, respectively), a dominant fungal group at this site, showed no clear trend along the soil profile. Conclusions: Our results show that soil C availability can determine soil enzyme activity at different soil depths and that bacterial communities have a clear trend along the soil depth at this study site. These metagenomics studies, along with other studies on microbial functions, are expected to enhance our understanding on the complexity of soil microbial communities and their relationship with biogeochemical factors.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.75-99
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• 2014

A small dinoflagellate, Ansanella granifera gen. et sp. nov., was isolated from estuarine and marine waters, and examined by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the identity of the sequences (3,663-bp product) of the small subunit (SSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2), and D1-D3 large subunit (LSU) rDNA were determined. This newly isolated, thin-walled dinoflagellate has a type E eyespot and a single elongated apical vesicle, and it is closely related to species belonging to the family Suessiaceae. A. granifera has 10-14 horizontal rows of amphiesmal vesicles, comparable to Biecheleria spp. and Biecheleriopsis adriatica, but greater in number than in other species of the family Suessiaceae. Unlike Biecheleria spp. and B. adriatica, A. granifera has grana-like thylakoids. Further, A. granifera lacks a nuclear fibrous connective, which is present in B. adriatica. B. adriatica and A. granifera also show a morphological difference in the shape of the margin of the cingulum. In A. granifera, the cingular margin formed a zigzag line, and in B. adriatica a straight line, especially on the dorsal side of the cell. The episome is conical with a round apex, whereas the hyposome is trapezoidal. Cells growing photosynthetically are $10.0-15.0{\mu}m$ long and $8.5-12.4{\mu}m$ wide. The cingulum is descending, the two ends displaced about its own width. Cells of A. granifera contain 5-8 peripheral chloroplasts, stalked pyrenoids, and a pusule system, but lack nuclear envelope chambers, a nuclear fibrous connective, lamellar body, rhizocysts, and a peduncle. The main accessory pigment is peridinin. The SSU, ITS regions, and D1-D3 LSU rDNA sequences differ by 1.2-7.4%, >8.8%, and >2.5%, respectively, from those of the other known genera in the order Suessiales. Moreover, the SSU rDNA sequence differed by 1-2% from that of the three most closely related species, Polarella glacialis, Pelagodinium bei, and Protodinium simplex. In addition, the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequence differed by 16-19% from that of the three most closely related species, Gymnodinium corii, Pr. simplex, and Pel. bei, and the LSU rDNA sequence differed by 3-4% from that of the three most closely related species, Protodinium sp. CCMP419, B. adriatica, and Gymnodinium sp. CCMP425. A. granifera had a 51-base pair fragment in domain D2 of the large subunit of ribosomal DNA, which is absent in the genus Biecheleria. In the phylogenetic tree based on the SSU and LSU sequences, A. granifera is located in the large clade of the family Suessiaceae, but it forms an independent clade.