• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.464-475
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• 2020

Acervus (Pyronemataceae, Pezizales) is a saprobic genus in Pezizomycetes, characterized by colored apothecia, subcylindrical to cylindrical asci and guttulate ascospores. We collected four Acervus samples from China and Thailand. Descriptions and illustrations are introduced for all fresh samples. One new record of A. globulosus from Thailand, one new species, A. rufus, two known species, A. epispartius and A. stipitatus from China are reported. Phylogenetic analysis based on five genes, the large subunit rRNA (LSU), the translation elongation factor-1 alpha (tef1-α), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb1), and the small subunit rRNA (SSU), revealed the distinct position of the new species. The new species is set apart by its red apothecia. A key to Acervus species is also given.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.523-531
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• 2020

This study focused on the isolation and characterization of wild yeasts in Korea. The yeasts were identified by phylogenetically analyzing the D1/D2 domains of the 26S rDNA regions. Consequently, we identified seven strains, NNIBRFG856, NNIBRFG3732, NNIBRFG3734, NNIBRFG3738, NNIBRFG3739, NNIBRFG5497, and NNIBRFG6049, which were confirmed to be Kabatiella microsticta, Pichia membranifaciens, Candida vartiovaarae, Candida sake, Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida railenensis, and Schwanniomyces polymorphus, respectively, all of them being new in Korea. Morphological and cultural characteristics of these yeast species were investigated. None of the strains formed ascospores or pseudomycelia. Moreover, these yeasts grew in a pH range of 4-8. NNIBRFG3732, NNIBRFG3738, NNIBRFG3739, NNIBRFG5497, and NNIBRFG6049 were halotolerant or halophilic, and NNIBRFG3732, NNIBRFG3734, and NNIBRFG6049 grew in vitamin-free medium. NNIBRFG3732, NIBRFG3739, and NNIBRFG6049 grew at 35 ℃, but not at 40 ℃.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2022

The genus Mitrula (Mitrulaceae, Helotiales), as also known as swamp beacons, inhabits submerged, decaying vegetation in standing or decaying needles, twigs, leaves, and shallow water. They play an important role in carbon cycling in some freshwater ecosystems. In the herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum (KH), seven Mitrula specimens were collected during mushroom forays in the period from 2019 to 2021. The Korean collections were found to be macromorphologically closely related to M. paludosa and M. elegans, but micro-morphologically they could be distinguished by characteristics of slightly narrower asci and aseptate ascospores. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 28S rDNA regions also revealed that our specimens were related to M. paludosa and M. elegans, but formed a distinct clade. Based on these results, we reported our specimens as new to science and discussed the phylogeny and diversity of Mitrula species.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.67-71
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• 2023

A powdery mildew (Erysiphaceae) has been continuously collected on the leaves of Lonicera harae in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, where this shrub is indigenous. Microscopic examination of the asexual morphs revealed that the current collections are differentiated from the all known Erysiphe species on Lonicera spp. by its longer conidiophores and longer conidia. Although the morphology of the chasmothecia is reminiscent of Erysiphe ehrenbergii and E. lonicerae, the specimens on L. harae differ from them in having smaller ascospores. A phylogenetic tree generated from a combined dataset of the internal transcribed spacer region and 28S rDNA gene sequences demonstrates that sequences obtained from three powdery mildew collections on L. harae clustered together as an independent species clade with high bootstrap values distant from other Erysiphe species on Lonicera, representing a species of its own. Based on morphological differences and molecular-phylogenetic results, the powdery mildew on L. harae is proposed as a new species, Erysiphe lonicerigena, and the holomorph of the fungus is described and illustrated in this study.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2012

Interest in commercial cultivation and product development of Cordyceps species has shown a recent increase. Due to its biochemical and pharmacological effects, Cordyceps militaris, commonly known as orange caterpillar fungus, is being investigated with great interest. Cultivation of C. militaris has been practiced on a large scale in order to fulfill a demand for scientific investigation and product development. Isolates of C. militaris can be easily established from both spores and tissue. For isolation of spores, ascospores released from mature stromata are trapped in sterile medium. Multi-ascospore isolates, as well as combinations of single ascospore strains, are used for production of fruiting bodies. Progeny ascospore strains can be isolated from artificial fruiting bodies, thus, the cycle of fruiting body production can be continued for a long period of time. In this study, we examined fruiting body production from multi-ascospore isolates and their progeny strains for three generations. $F_1$ progeny strains generally produced a larger number of fruiting bodies, compared with their mother multi-ascospore isolates; however, $F_2$ and $F_3$ progeny strains produced fewer fruiting bodies. Optimum preservation conditions could help to increase the vitality of the progeny strains. In order to retain the fruiting ability of the strains, further testing of various methods of preservation and different methods for isolation should be performed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.242-245
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• 2000

In 1999 and 2000, a rot of graft-cacti including Hylocereus trigonus (three-angled cactus), Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, and Chamaecereus silvestrii occurred in several greenhouses in major cactus-growing areas of Korea. Typical symptoms included a moist, light brown rot or a watery rot of the stems. A Colletotrichum sp. was isolated from the lesions. The fungus formed dark gray, dense or floccose colonies on potato dextrose agar, frequently forming many light pink acervuli often surrounded with setae. The hyaline, cylindrical conidia were one-celled with round ends. Appressoria were mostly semicircular or clavate. Thin-walled asci contained eight, one-celled, hyaline ascospores (biseriate in ascus). Ascopspores were strainht or curved, ellipsoidal or subcylindrical. Based on these characteristics, the fungus was identified as Glomerlla cingulata (anamorph : C. gloeosporioides). Wound inoculation of basal stems of the cactus by the mycelial plugs or conidia produced symptoms identical to those described above. Various cactus species were compared in susceptibility using stem disc inoculation. Cereus tetragonus, Eriocereus jusbertii, Myrtillocactus geomentrizans, and three-angled cacti from Mexico and Taiwan were susceptible, but C. peruvianus (Peruvian apple cactus) and Harrisia tortuosa not. This is the first report of G. cingulata causing stem rot of graft-cactus in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.75-81
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• 1998

The yeast strain 504D, isolated from salted shrimp soup, showed the best proteolytic activity under alkaline condition. The yeast formed vegetative cells in almost optimal media for yeasts, but formed only pseudohyphae in the MM medium containing citric acid and true hyphae in the MM medium containing N-acetylglucosamin and ${\beta}$-D-glucose. The yeast was classified as hemiascomycetes to form ascospores by sexual reproduction, and formed blastospores and athrospores by asexual reproduction. The yeast strain did not assimilate almost of the carbon sources, nitrate and nitrite, but some organic acids and alcohols. The fatty acids of whole cells were composed of 53.67% unsaturated fatty acids and 14.58% saturated, and, especially, C17:1 was observed in this strain but not in two control yeasts. However, almost of all results were very similar to the morphological and physiological characteristics of Yarrowia lipolytica KCCM 12495 and KCCM 35426, except for a little differences which are the composition of fatty acids and the manner of mycellium formation. Therefore, the isolated yeast strain 504D is identified as a Yarrowia lipolytica.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2016

This study focused on the isolation of wild yeasts from the soils of an herb park in Seoul, Korea, and characterization of unrecorded yeasts. Fifteen yeast strains of nine species were isolated and identified. Among them, strains of the Cryptococcus genus, such as Cryptococcus laurentii (2 strains), Cryptococcus saitoi (two strains), Cryptococcus podzolicus (2 strains), and Cryptococcus sp. (2 strains) were dominant. Candida boleticola SU14-2, Candida novakii SU6-2 and Cryptococcus podzolicus SU18-3 were also screened as newly recorded yeasts in Korea. Candida novakii SU6-2 formed ascospores and a pseudomycelium, and Candida boleticola SU14-2 grew well in the 5% NaCl-containing yeast extract-peptone-dextrose medium.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.359-365
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• 2012

We investigated leaf disease intensity of Kalopanax septemlobus (prickly castor oil tree) caused by the parasitic fungus Mycosphaerella acanthopanacis, in thirty natural host populations in the Japanese Archipelago. The disease intensity observed for individual trees were analyzed using a generalized additive model as a function of tree size, tree density, climatic terms and spatial trend surface. Individual tree size and conspecific tree density were shown to have significant negative and positive effects on disease intensity, respectively. The findings suggest that the probability of disease infection is partly determined by dispersal of infection agents (ascospores) from the fallen leaves on the ground, which can be enhanced by aggregation of host trees in a forest stand. Regional-scale spatial bias was also present in disease intensity; the populations in northern Japan and southern Kyushu were more severely infected by the fungus than those in southwestern Honshu and Shikoku. Regional variation of disease intensity was explained by both climatic factors and a trend surface term, with a latitudinal cline detected, which increases towards the north. Further research should be conducted in order to understand all of the factors generating the latitudinal cline detected in this study.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.307-314
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• 2018

The goal of this study was to investigate the microbiological characteristics of the ethanol-producing wild yeast, Aureobasidium pullulans P-1, isolated from flowers growing near the Yedang reservoir, Chungnam province, Korea, and in addition, to optimize its fermentation ability for the production of Makgeolli. A. pullulans P-1 was oval-shaped, and formed ascospores and pseudomycelium. The P-1 strain was a halophilic and sugar tolerant yeast which grew in 15% NaCl and 50% glucose-containing yeast extract-peptone-dextrose media. The P-1 strain was also resistant to 20% ethanol. Changes of the physicochemical properties during Makgeolli fermentation by A. pullulans P-1 were investigated. A maximum of 8.45% ethanol was obtained when a mixture of cooked rice, 150% water, and 35% ipguk per cooked rice was fermented by 5% A. pullulans P-1 culture broth at $25^{\circ}C$ for 10 days. Antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity in the Makgeolli ferment produced by A. pullulans P-1 reached a high of 71.1% after 10 days.