• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2022

Plant pathogens pose major threats on agriculture and horticulture, causing significant economic loss worldwide. Due to the continuous and excessive use of synthetic pesticides, emergence of pesticide resistant pathogens has become more frequent. Thus, there is a growing needs for environmentally-friendly and selective antimicrobial agents with a novel mode of action, which may be used in combination with conventional pesticides to delay development of pesticide resistance. In this study, we evaluated the potentials of lichen substances as novel biopesticides against eight bacterial and twelve fungal plant pathogens that have historically caused significant phytopathological problems in South Korea. Eight lichen substances of diverse chemical origins were extracted from axenic culture or dried specimen, and further purified for comparative analysis of their antimicrobial properties. Usnic acid and vulpinic acid exhibited strong antibacterial activities against Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. In addition, usnic acid and vulpinic acid were highly effective in the growth inhibition of fungal pathogens, such as Diaporthe eres, D. actinidiae, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Intriguingly, the growth of Rhizoctonia solani was specifically inhibited by lecanoric acid, indicating that lichen substances exhibit some degrees of selectivity to plant pathogens. These results suggested that lichen substance can be used as a selective biopesticide for controlling plant disease of agricultural and horticultural significance, minimizing possible emergence of pesticide resistant pathogens in fields.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2011

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterial biopesticide against insect pests, mainly lepidopterans. Spodoptera exigua and Plutella xylostella exhibit significant decreases in Bt susceptibility in late larval instars. To enhance Bt pathogenicity, we used a mixture treatment of Bt and other bacterial metabolites which possessed significant immunosuppressive activities. Mixtures of Bt with culture broths of Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) or Photorhabdus temperata ssp. temperata (Ptt) significantly enhanced the Bt pathogenicity against late larval instars. Different ratios of Bt to bacterial culture broth had significant pathogenicities against last instar P. xylostella and S. exigua. Five compounds identified from the bacterial culture broth also enhanced Bt pathogenicity. After determining the optimal ratios, the mixture was applied to cabbage infested by late instar P. xylostella or S. exigua in greenhouse conditions. A mixture of Bt and Xn culture broth killed 100% of both insect pests when it was sprayed twice, while Bt alone killed less than 80% or 60% of P. xylostella and S. exigua, respectively. Other Bt mixtures, including Ptt culture broth or bacterial metabolites, also significantly increased pathogenicity in the semi-field assays. These results demonstrated that the Bt mixtures collectively names "Bt-Plus" can be developed into potent biopesticides to increase the efficacy of Bt.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2012

In order to develop eco-friendly biopesticide, an entomopathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus temperata M1021 has been lyophilized via freeze-drying along with protective agents such as skim milk, starch, sodium alginate, glucose and sodium glutamate to protect cells from lysis. Freeze-drying powder of P. temperata M1021 containing 7% skim milk (w/v) showed highest survival rate of 63% among all the protective agents used in trials. Furthermore, the freeze-dried microbial powder showed 75% of survival rate after stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks at air contact conditions. Injection toxicity of the freeze-dried sample was tested against larvae of Galleria mellonella. A dose of $2.0{\times}10^1$ cells of P. temperata M1021 killed 100% of the G. mellonella larvae within 4 days after injection. Moreover, $2.0{\times}10^0$ cells caused 50% mortality within the 4 days after injection. Freeze-dried P. temperata M1021 strains exhibited effective insecticidal activity and could be a better candidate for being used as a biopesticide.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: The commercial biopesticides containing Chenopodium ambrosioides L. extracts which have been registered as one of the ingredients of the commercial biopesticide by the organic agriculture materials, and have been widely used in Republic of Korea. However, the quantitative analysis method of the active substances for the commercial biopesticides containing C. ambrosioides L. extract has not been conducted.METHODS AND RESULTS: To analyze the quantitative analysis of ascaridole, carvacrol, and p-cymene as active substances of C. ambrosioides L. extract, hydrophilic lipophilic balance cartridge was used for solid phase extraction. The active substances were analyzed by the gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The limit of quantitation values of ascaridole, carvacrol, and p-cymene were 10, 5, and 2 mg/L, and the recovery rates were 96.3, 84.0, and 82.5% in liquid products and 98.3, 99.1, and 97.3% in solid products, respectively. The total content of ascaridole, carvacrol, and p-cymene in the commercial biopesticides was ranged from 0.08 to 12.75%.CONCLUSION: From these results, this method was suitable for the quantitative analysis of the active substances of commercial biopesticides containing C. ambrosioides L. extract.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 2014

In this study, we isolated two novel chitinase producing bacterial strains from yellow loess samples collected from Jullanamdo province. The chitinase producing bacteria were isolated based on the zone size of clearance in the chitin agar plates. Both of them were gram positive, rod ($2{\sim}3{\times}0.3{\sim}0.4{\mu}m$), spore-forming, and motility positive. They were facultative anaerobic, catalase positive and hydrolyzed starch, gelatin, and casein. From the 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolates were labeled as Bacillus licheniformis KYLS-CU01 and B. licheniformis KYLS-CU02. The isolates showed higher extracellular chitinase activities than B. licheniformis ATCC 14580 as a control. The optimum temperature and pH for chitinase production were $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0, respectively. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the culture medium for efficient production of the chitinase. Under this optimal condition, 1.5 times higher chitinase activity of B. licheniformis KYLS-CU02 was obtained. Extracellular chitinases of the two isolates were purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation and anion-exchange DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The specific activities of purified chitinase from B. licheniformis KYLS-CU01 and B. licheniformis KYLS-CU02 were 7.65 and 5.21 U/mg protein, respectively. The molecular weights of the two purified chitinases were 59 kDa. Further, the purified chitinase of B. licheniformis KYLS-CU01 showed high antifungal activity against Fusarium sp.. In conclusion, these two bacterial isolates can be used as a biopesticide to control pathogenic fungi.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.217-222
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: Garlic (Allium sativum) contains polyphenols and sulfur compounds that are recognized as antioxidant, antithrombotic, anticancer, antibacterial, antimicrobial, nematicidal, and insecticidal activity. For this reason, the Environmentally-friendly Agriculture Promotion Act allowed the garlic extract as commercial biopesticide material for crop protection, nine commercial biopesticides containing A. sativum extract have been marketed in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: The determination of allylmethyl sulfide (AMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), and dipropyl sulfide (DPS) in biopesticides containing A. sativum extract was developed and validated by gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS) with head-space sampler. The developed method was validated, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) and recovery rates of AMS, DMDS, and DPS were 0.08, 0.32, and 0.09 mg/L and 90.3-91.3, 86.2-88.3, and 87.6-89.5%, respectively. From the nine commercial biopesticide samples, contents of AMS, DMDS, and DPS were analyzed using the developed method and results showed

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.165-169
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• 2016

The quantitative analytical method for the bioactive substance, 3-cyano-4-methoxy-N-methyl-2-pyridone (ricinine) and an index compound, ricinoleic acid in castor plant (Ricinus communis) extract or oil was developed. For the determination of a pyridone alkaloid compound, ricinine, successive cartridge cleanup method combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography was set up with $ENVI-Carb^{TM}$ (0.5 g) and $C_{18}$ SPE cartridges. Accuracy and precision were evaluated through fortification studies of one biopesticide (PE) at 10 and $100mg\;kg^{-1}$. Mean recoveries of ricinine were 98.7 and 96.0 % associated with less than 10 % RSD, respectively. For the determination of ricinoleic acid in castor extract and oil, saponification and methylation were optimized using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry. Recovery was more than 84.8 % associated with 6.2 % RSD after derivatization procedure. Both methodologies developed were applied to analyze real samples including three castor oil products and six commercially available biopesticides containing R. communis, collected at Korean market. The contents of ricinine and ricinoleic acid in most commercial biopesticides were less than the oil or extract contents indicated by label.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 2000

Spilarctia obliqua(Wlk.) is a serious pest of mulberry which is naturally affected by its nucleopolyhedrosis virus (SoNPV) in field conditions. The polyhedral occlusion bodies (POB's) were hexahedron under scanning and transmission electron microscope and measured 0.42${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 0.67 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diameter. The symptoms of NPV infected S. obliqua larvae resembled with that of other NPVs' infected lepidopterous larvae. The pathogenicity and potentiality of this virus against S. obliqua was tested in the laboratory conditions and the results showed 100% mortality in larvae inoculated with SoNPV at 6.23${\times}10^5$ POBs/ml. Therefore, SoNPV appears to have a high potential as a microbial biocontrol agent against S. obliqua larvae.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.198-204
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• 1999

Asymbiotic bacterium with highly effective toxins was isolated from entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema glaseri which has been widely used against various soil-inhabiting pests. The symbiont of S. glaseri was identified as Xenorhabdus nematophilus sp. by using several biochemical and physiological tests. When this strain was released into the hemolymph of insect larva, it produced highly toxic substances and killed the larva within 2 days. Two colony forms that differed n some biochemical characteristics were observed when cultures in vitro. Phase l colonies were mucid and difficult to be dispersed in liquid. Phase II was not mucoid and was easily dispersed in liquid. It did not adsorb neutral red or bromothymol blue. Rod-shaped cell size was highly variable between two phases, ranging 2-10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. It was also found that only infective-stage nematodes can carry only primary-phase Xenorhabdus in their intestine.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.216-218
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• 2014

Lysobacter antibiocus HS124 is a chitinase-producing rhizobacterium with proven capacities to suppress plant diseases. Bacterial cultures of L. antibioticus HS124 showed strong biocontrol efficacies against various plant diseases compared to those of bacterial cultures of Bacillus subtilis QST713 which is an active ingredient of a commercial biopesticide, Serenade. Here, we report the draft genome sequence and automated annotation of strain HS124. This draft genome sequence indicates the novelty of L. antibiocus HS124 and a subset of gene functions that may be related to its biocontrol activities.