• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.423-443
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• 2020

Freshwater fungi are a poly-phylogenetic group of taxonomically diverse organisms. In this study, we isolated diverse fungal strains from various environmental samples obtained from freshwaters in Korea. These strains were identified by performing molecular phylogenetic analyses of rDNA and/or other sequences (beta-tubulin, RNA polymerase II, and translation elongation factor 1). In addition, we examined their morphological characteristics microscopically and cultural characteristics using different media. We identified eleven unrecorded Pezizomycotina species: Cladosporium angulosum, Pseudorobillarda phragmitis, Paraconiothyrium estuarinum, Pseudopithomyces palmicola, Pyrenochaetopsis paucisetosa, Thelebolus globosus, Plagiostoma mejianum, Trichoderma cremeum, Fusarium tanahbumbuense, Coniochaeta endophytica, and Chaetomium tenue. Environmental samples obtained from different freshwater ecosystems in Korea could thus be a good source for isolating and investigating novel fungal species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2021

This study aimed to investigate the melanogenesis inhibitory activity of epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG) isolated from Polygonum amphibium L. ECG was isolated from the ethanol extract of P. amphibium L, and its chemical structure was determined using spectroscopic methods such as LC-ESI-MS, 1D-NMR, and UV spectroscopy. ECG inhibited the melanogenesis of B16F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Particularly, it decreased the melanin content by 27.4% at 200 µM concentration, compared with the control, in B16F10 cells, without causing cytotoxicity. It is noteworthy that the expression of three key proteins, including tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), TRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), involved in melanogenesis, is significantly inhibited by ECG. The ECG isolated in this study caused the inhibition of body pigmentation and tyrosinase activity in vivo in the zebrafish model. These results suggest that the ECG isolated from P. amphibium L. is an effective anti-melanogenesis agent.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.205-215
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• 2022

Penicillium pimiteouiense was discovered in South Korea during an investigation of fungal communities in soil collected from the Gyeongsangbuk-do province. In this study, we performed molecular analysis of this fungal isolate using internal transcribed spacer rDNA, β-tubulin, and Calmodulin gene sequences. We also performed morphological analysis using five agar media, potato dextrose, oatmeal, malt extract, czapek yeast extract, and yeast extract sucrose. In this study, the molecular and morphological analyses of P. pimiteouiense with detailed descriptions and figures has been carried out.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.308-324
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• 2023

This study investigated unrecorded freshwater bacterial species in Korea. Water and sediment samples were collected from the Nakdong River basin from 2020-2022. Bacterial isolates obtained through the conventional culture method with commercial media were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify unrecorded bacterial species. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the bacterial isolates revealed that a total of 44 bacterial isolates shared 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of more than 98.65%, with validly published bacterial species not reported in Korea yet. These isolates were phylogenetically assigned to 4 phyla, 7 classes, 21 orders, 33 families, and 42 genera. A total of 2, 6, 12, and 24 species belonged to phyla Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota, respectively. Here, we provide details of these 44 unrecorded bacterial species, including Gram staining, colony and cellular morphologies, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic position.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.280-282
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.283-285
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10b
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• pp.80-80
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• 2000

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2021

The climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.190.2-190
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• 2005

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2017

Wangsania, a new genus of Apiaceae from limestone areas and typified by W. insolens (Kitagawa) B.Y. Lee & J.O. Hyun, is described from Gangwon-do, Korea. Wangsania insolens was initially treated as Peucedanum insolens Kitagawa due to similarity with Peucedaunm cervaria, but it differs markedly in its unique morphological characters, such as rarely branched roots and a single basal leaf with 3 or -4 ternately dissected leaflets. These characters apparently represent apomorphies for Wangsania. The parsimony analysis of nuclaer ribosomal DNA ITS sequences revealed Wangsania to be not closely related to either Peucedanum or to any of 14 different tribes or clades within subfamily Apioideae.