• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

Fusarium verticillioides (teleomorph Gibberella moniliformis) is associated with maize worldwide causing ear rot and stalk rot, and produces fumonisins, a group of mycotoxins detrimental to humans and animals. While research tools are available, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with fungal virulence and fumonisin biosynthesis in F. verticillioides is still limited. One of the restraints that hampers F. verticillioides gene characterization is the fact that homologous recombination (HR) frequency is very low (<2%). Screening for a true gene knock-out mutant is a laborious process due to a high number of ectopic integrations. In this study, we generated a F. verticillioides mutant (SF41) deleted for FvKU70, a gene directly responsible for non-homologous end-joining mechanism, with the aim of improving HR frequency. Here, we demonstrate that FvKU70 deletion does not impact key Fverticillioides phenotypes, e.g., development, secondary metabolism, and virulence, while dramatically improving HR frequency. Significantly, we also confirmed that a high percentage (>85%) of the HR mutant strains harbor a desired mutation with no additional copy of the mutant allele inserted in the genome. We conclude that SF41 is suitable for use as a type strain when performing high-throughput gene function studies in F. verticillioides.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2010

Fusarium proliferatum is the causal agent of stalk and root rot disease of maize, foot rot disease of rice, basal and root rot disease of onion and knife cut disease of sugarcane in Iran. In recent years, incidence and severity of these diseases have been increased in Iran. Fifty seven F. proliferatum single-spore isolates collected from diseased maize, rice, onion and sugarcane plants at different areas were used to study genetic diversity by determination of vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Chlorate-resistant nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants were recovered from selected isolates of F. proliferatum and used in complementation tests. All isolates in which both nit1 and NitM (or nit3) mutants were recovered, demonstrated self-compatibility. Vegetative compatibility tests by pairing nit mutants identified 30 VCGs among 57 isolates. Twenty-three isolates belonged to singlemember VCGs and the remaining 34 isolates, belonged to other seven multimember VCGs. Segregation of F. proliferatum isolates obtained from various area and host plants into different VCGs in Iran is reported for the first time. In this study, none of isolates obtained from rice complemented with any other isolates from onion and sugarcane and, non complementation occurred between onion and sugarcane isolates. Also, only one complementation occurred between one isolate of maize and one isolate of sugarcane and rice. Thus, a correlation between VCGs grouping and host preferences was founded. It is concluded that natural populations of F. proliferatum in Iran are probably genetically divergent and include isolates representing a potential risk for disease development.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2003

Pink rot of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) occurred at Pyeongchang in Gangwon and at Bosung in Junnam province since 1999. The disease incidence in the surveyed areas was about 5% of harvested potatoes in 2002. Affected tubers showed a dull brown appearance and the lenticels and eyes on tubers turned dark brown. The cut surface of the diseased tuber colored faint pink and the entire surface of the diseased tuber becomes deep salmon pink within 30 min. The pathogen isolated from the diseased tubers was identified as Phytophthora erythroseptica based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Mycelial mat was fairly fluffy, rosette or stellate patterns and rounded or angular hyphal swellings were farmed in water, Temperature for mycelial growth was ranged from 5 to 3$0^{\circ}C$ and optimal temperature was $25^{\circ}C$. Non-papillate sporangia were persistent on stalk and ellipsoid, ovoid, obpyriform or distorted in shape, often with a constriction distal in the middle. Size of sporangia was 41.3~69.6$\times$26.8~47.4 (av, 55.5$\times$37.1) ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Sexuality of Phytophthora erythroseptica was homothallic. Oogonia were 30~46 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diameter and oospores were 28~35 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diameter, Elongated or cyclindrical antheridia were all amphigynous. This is the first report on potato pink rot caused by Phytophthora erythroseptica in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.301-312
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• 2019

Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal worldwide, spreading from Africa throughout the world. It is particularly important in the semi-arid tropics due to its drought tolerance, and when cultivated in Southeast Asia commonly occurs as a second crop during the dry season. We recovered Fusarium from sorghum in Thailand and found F. proliferatum, F. thapsinum and F. verticillioides most frequently, and intermittent isolates of F. sacchari and F. beomiforme. The relatively high frequencies of F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides, suggest mycotoxin contamination, particularly fumonisins and moniliformin, should be evaluated. Genetic variation within the three commonly recovered species was characterized with vegetative compatibility, mating type, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), and female fertility. Effective population number ($N_e$) was highest for F. verticillioides and lowest for F. thapsinum with values based on mating type allele frequencies higher than those based on female fertility. Based on AFLP genetic variation, the F. thapsinum populations were the most closely related, the F. verticillioides populations were the most distantly related, and the F. proliferatum populations were in an intermediate position. The genetic variation observed could result if F. thapsinum is introduced primarily with seed, while F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides could arrive with seed or be carried over from previous crops, e.g., rice or maize, which sorghum is following. Confirmation of species transmission patterns is needed to understand the agricultural systems in which sorghum is grown in Southeast Asia, which are quite different from the systems found in Africa, Australia, India and the Americas.

• 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.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 1985

Some interactions in various soil conditions, numbers of microbial populations, root rot disease development and rates of spore germiation in three different location of soils were investigated. The calcium and magnesium contents were higher in replanted fields of ginseng (Panax ginseng) at Goesan. Potassium contents were high in replanted field at Poonggi and textural class of the soils was silt loam except for silt clay loam in first cultured field of ginseng at Goesan. For the germination process of Fusarium solani, F. moniliforme, F. oxysporum, and Alternaria panax, the percentage germination of fungal spores was high in double distilled water and Pfeffer's solution as media, whereas the lower rate of germination of spores was observed in soil extracts. Numbers of bacteria were high in replanted field soil at Gumsan, and propagules of fungi in replanted fields at Gumsan and Poonggi were higher than other soils, but higher numbers of actinomycetes were found in the first cultured field of ginseng at Goesan and Poonggi. Fungistasis was induced by higher microbial populations present in soil that was initiated when amended with garlic stalk, crushed bean and ginseng leaves. On the other hand, there was no fungistasis in soil amended with wheat and barley straw, and this tendency was a little difference on the soil sample.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.15-15
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• 2014

Fusarium graminearum (teleomorph Gibberella zeae) is an important plant pathogen that causes head blight of major cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and rice, as well as causing ear and stalk rot on maize worldwide. Plant diseases caused by this fungus lead to severe yield losses and accumulation of harmful mycotoxins in infected cereals [1]. Fungi utilize spore production as a mean to rapidly avoid unfavorable environmental conditions and to amplify their population. Spores are produced sexually and asexually and their production is precisely controlled. Upstream developmental activators consist of fluffy genes have been known to orchestrate early induction of condiogenesis in a model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying conidiogenesis in F. graminearum, we characterized functions of the F. graminearum fluffy gene homologs [2]. We found that FlbD is conserved regulatory function for conidiogenesis in both A. nidulans and F. graminearum among five fluffy gene homologs. flbD deletion abolished conidia and perithecia production, suggesting that FlbD have global roles in hyphal differentiation processes in F. graminearum. We further identified and functionally characterized the ortholog of AbaA, which is involved in differentiation from vegetative hyphae to conidia and known to be absent in F. graminearum [3]. Deletion of abaA did not affect vegetative growth, sexual development, or virulence, but conidium production was completely abolished and thin hyphae grew from abnormally shaped phialides in abaA deletion mutants. Overexpression of abaA resulted in pleiotropic defects such as impaired sexual and asexual development, retarded conidium germination, and reduced trichothecene production. AbaA localized to the nuclei of phialides and terminal cells of mature conidia. Successful interspecies complementation using A. nidulans AbaA and the conserved AbaA-WetA pathway demonstrated that the molecular mechanisms responsible for AbaA activity are conserved in F. graminearum as they are in A. nidulans. F. graminearum ortholog of Aspergillus nidulans wetA has been shown to be involved in conidiogenesis and conidium maturation [4]. Deletion of F. graminearum wetA did not alter mycelial growth, sexual development, or virulence, but the wetA deletion mutants produced longer conidia with fewer septa, and the conidia were sensitive to acute stresses, such as oxidative stress and heat stress. Furthermore, the survival rate of aged conidia from the F. graminearum wetA deletion mutants was reduced. The wetA deletion resulted in vigorous generation of single-celled conidia through autophagy-dependent microcycle conidiation, indicating that WetA functions to maintain conidia dormancy by suppressing microcycle conidiation in F. graminearum. In A. nidulans, FlbB physically interacts with FlbD and FlbE, and the resulting FlbB/FlbE and FlbB/FlbD complexes induce the expression of flbD and brlA, respectively. BrlA is an activator of the AbaA-WetA pathway. AbaA and WetA are required for phialide formation and conidia maturation, respectively [5]. In F. graminearum, the AbaA-WetA pathway is similar to that of A. nidulans, except a brlA ortholog does not exist. Amongst the fluffy genes, only fgflbD has a conserved role for regulation of the AbaA-WetA pathway.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2013

This study has been conducted to investigate the effect of GA₃ solution dipping treatment after 1 days full bloom on spike growth and fruit quality at harvest of 'Campbell Early' grapevine. The fruit cluster growth(weight, length, width) and fruit stalk(diameter, length) at harvest were increased significantly by GA₃ 10 mg·L^-1 solution dipping treatment compared to control and another concentration. The berry growth (berry No, weight, length, diameter) at harvest showed no difference by treatment GA₃ concentration different. Spike weight was increased by GA₃ 5, 10, 20, mg·L^-1 treatment compared to control, but no difference GA₃ 40 mg·L^-1 treatment. The degree of compact berry, bloom, skin color and SSC at harvest by GA₃ solution dipping treatment were not significantly different from those of control. but increased seedlessness induction by GA₃ 10 mg·L^-1 treatment. The occurrence percent of berry cracking by GA₃ 5, 10, 20, 40 mg·L^-1 treatment significantly decreased. The bitter rot of berry harvest showed no difference by treatment GA₃ concentration different. Total spike length was increased by GA₃ 5, 10 mg·L^-1 treatment compared to control and GA₃ 20, 40 mg·L^-1 treatment. The spike length of 1st from 15th to position increased by GA₃ 10 mg·L^-1 treatment.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2001

'Shinil' pear cultivar (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) which was originated in a cross between 'Shinko' (non-patented, released in 1941) and 'Hosui' (non-patented, released in 1972) in 1978 was released as a middle season harvest variety. Its usual picking time coincided with 'Chuseok' season which is one of the most famous national holiday in Korea. The fruit showed high soluble solids content and good appearance. The cultivar was preliminarily selected in 1991, and its regional adaptability was evaluated in the name of 'Wonkyo Na-13' at 9 sites for four years from 1992, and finally selected and named in 1995. 'Shinil' is medium in tree vigor like 'Hosui' and spreading in tree habit as 'Niitaka', a leading cultivar in Korea, and consistently very productive. It has high resistance to black rot caused by Alternaria kikuchiana and pear necrotic spot caused by pear necrotic spot virus. Its full bloom is one day earlier than that of 'Niitaka' cultivar and harvest time is September 25 at Suwon area which is 3 days later than that of 'Hosui'. Fruit is round in shape with a deep medium stalk cavity and medium calyx basin and has attractive light yellow brown skin color. The fruit weight ranges between 300 and 400 g, which is similar to 'Chojuro', 'Shinko', and 'Hosui'. Soluble solid content is approximately at the level of 13-14 Brix, which is higher than that of 'Chojuro'. The flesh is cream-white, very juicy, and light grit with soft and fine texture.