• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.760-764
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity of three different forms of silver nanoparticles against the unidentified ambrosia fungus Raffaelea sp., which has been responsible for the mortality of a large number of oak trees in Korea. Growth of fungi in the presence of silver nanoparticles was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. We also assessed the effectiveness of combining the different forms of nanoparticles. Microscopic observation revealed that silver nanoparticles caused detrimental effects not only on fungal hyphae but also on conidial germination.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2008

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides forms an appressorium, a specialized infection structure, to infect its hosts. Among 400 and 600 culture filtrates from fungi and class Actinomycetes, six methanol extracts (A5005, A5314, A5387, A5560, A5597, and A5598) from the class Actinomycetes significantly inhibited appressorium formation in C. gloeosporioides infecting pepper fruits in a dose-dependent manner, while conidial germination was slightly enhanced. Two (A5005 and A5560) of them also exhibited distinctive inhibitory effect on the disease progress of pepper anthracnose. Water fractions of both culture filtrates also specifically inhibited appressorium formation in C. gloeosporioides and pepper anthracnose disease. Inhibition of appressorium formation by culture filtrate of A5005 was partially restored by the exogenous calcium. This results suggests that chemicals within A5005 extents its biological activity through disturbance of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ regulation during prepenetration morphogenesis by C. gloeosporioides. Together, cell-based and target-oriented screening system used in this study should be applicable for other plant pathogenic fungi prerequisite appressorium formation to infect their hosts.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 1998

The production of Korean ginseng, one of the most important medicinal root crops, is limited by many factors including soil sickness, root rots in fields as well as during storage prior to consumption. Although much research has been conducted on the diseases in field condition, little information is available on the control of postharvest roots rots. To obtain better management strategy of postharvest root rots in ginseng, biological control using antagonistic bacteria was attempted. Of 208 bacteria obtained form suppressive soil samples, 4 were selected based on the inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of two major causal fungi for postharvest root rots in ginseng, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium solani. The culture filtrates of these bacterial antagonists greatly inhibited the conidial germination of both pathogenic fungi and produced abnormal morphology such as swollen germ tubes in F. solani and vacuolation of nongerminated conidia in B. cinerea. The population levels of bacterial antagonists on the ginseng roots were gradually increased up to 8 days of incubation. Postharvest root rots of ginseng caused by f. solani and B. cinerea were controlled in dipping tests in the ranges of 60∼80% by antagonistic Bacillus spp. obtained from suppressive soil. These results suggest that biological control using these antagonistic bacteria would be an alternative strategy to control postharvest root rots in ginseng.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2020

The genome of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae contains several types of transposable elements (TEs), and some TEs cause genetic variation that allows M. oryzae to evade host detection. We studied how five abundant TEs in rice pathogens, Pot3, Pot2, MAGGY, Line-like element (MGL) and Mg-SINE, are expressed under diverse conditions related to growth, development, and stress. Expression of Pot3 and Pot2 was activated in germinated conidia and mycelia treated with tricyclazole. Retrotransposon MAGGY was highly expressed in appressoria and tricyclazole-treated mycelia. MAGGY and Pot2 were also activated during the early and late stages of perithecia development. MGL was up-regulated in conidia and during conidial germination but not during appressorium formation. No noticeable expression of Mg-SINE was observed under most conditions. Our results should help investigate if and how condition-specific expressions of some TEs contribute to the biology and evolution of M. oryzae.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.180-183
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• 2001

A corynespora leaf spot of pepper, which has not been reported previously in Korea, occurred severely at the major pepper cultivation area of Chinju, Gyeongnam province in 2001. Infection rate ranged from 48.2 to 84.7% in eight fields surveyed. The causal fungus was identified as Corynespora cassicola based on the following cultural and morphological characteristics. The fungi grew well on potato dextrose agar, showing gray to brown color with cultural age. Conidia formed solitary or catenary were obclavate to cylindrical in shape, and pale olivaceous brown or brown in color. They had 420 pseudoseptate and isthmus, and measured 42.7-197.6 x 9.3-$23.5\mu\textrm{m}$. Septate conidiophores were pale to light brown in color, and measured 116.5-836.0 x 4.2-$11.0\mu\textrm{m}$. Conidia germinated as a bi-polar type. Optimal temperature for mycelial growth and conidial germination was $30^{\circ}$ and 25-$30^{\circ}$, respectively. The fungus showed strong pathogenicity to pepper plant, and the symtoms on pepper by the artificial inoculation were similar to those observed in the field. This is the first report on the corynespora leaf spot on pepper (Capsium annuum) caused by Corynespora cassicola in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.284-287
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• 2002

The antifungal activity of super reductive water (SRW) against plant pathogenic fungi was examined to extend its application to integrated pest management (IPM) for plant diseases. Diluted solutions ($\times$1/10, $\times$1/25, and $\times$1/50) of SRW inhibited fungal growth of kiwifruit soft rot pathogen, Diaporthe actinidiae, in a concentration dependent manner, When kiwifruits were inoculated on wounds with mycelium blocks, stock and diluted solutions successfully inhibited the disease development. In addition to the high pH of the SRW, fungistatic activity was also considered as the cause of the antifungal effect against the pathogen. Whereas conidial germination of Magnaporthe grisea was not affected by the diluted SRW solutions, appressorium formation was significantly inhibited in a concentration dependent manner, With little harmfulness to human health and environment SRW could be used to control plant pathogenic fungi, particularly appressorium-forming fungal pathogens.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.642-645
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• 1998

A severe pink mold rot on matured melon fruits occurred under a glass tunnel cultivation in Chinju at Kyeongasngnam-do Agricultural Research and Extention Services on May of 1998. Basal portion of the fruits toward blossom end was preferably infected and colonized by the fungus. The causal fungus consistently isolated from the lesions was identified as Trichothecium roseum based on following mycological characteristics. Conidia were hyaline or brightly colored, 2-celled, ovoid or elipsoid, characteristically held together zi-zag chains. Conidiophore was long, slender, simple, septate, bearing conidia-meristem arthrospores-apically, singly when young and successively by slight growth of conidiphore apex. Optimum temperature for mycelial growth and conidial germination was recorded at 20~$25^{\circ}C$. However, over 48% of the fungal conidia were germinated at 15$^{\circ}C$ and mycelial growth was only slightly slower than $25^{\circ}C$. The temperature profiles and high humidity available during the cultivation were considered favorable for the pathogen as showing 22% infection rate on matured melon fruits cv. Saros. This is the first report of pink mold rot of melon caused by T. roseum in Korea.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.651-653
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• 1998

A destructive anthracnose of safflower has severely occurred at Kyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extention Services in 1998. Incidence of the disease surveyed at 12 fields in Chinju, Sanchong and Hamyang was ranged fro 55.7 to 85.4%. Small irregular yellowish to brown spots appeared on all parts of the plant at initial infection stage and the spots enlarged or united into larger irregular to cylindrical black lesions with hollows. Above portions of infected stems were often blighted and pink colored conidial masses were colonized on the lesions. The causal fungus consistently isolated from the infected tissues were identified as Colletotrichum acutatum by following characteristics. The fungus grew well on PDA at 15~3$0^{\circ}C$ developing apricot to salmon color. Conidia were single-celled, colorless, fusiform and bisectioned and measured as 8~18$\times$3~5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Brownish appressoria were cylindrical or ovate and sized as 5~10$\times$4~8 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Optimum temperature for growth and germination of conidia was recorded at $25^{\circ}C$ and at least 6 hours were required for infection to the host plants. Over 90% conidia were germinated and all plants were infected by artificial inoculation by 24 hours at $25^{\circ}C$. This is the first report of safflower anthracnose caused by C. acutatum in Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.570-574
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• 2016

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen causing a major problem in the export and post-harvest of strawberries. Inappropriate use of fungicides leads to resistance among fungal pathogens. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the sensitivity of B. cinerea to various classes of fungicide and to determine the effectiveness of different concentrations of commonly used fungicides. We thus evaluated the effectiveness of six classes of fungicide in inhibiting the growth and development of this pathogen, namely, fludioxonil, iprodione, pyrimethanil, tebuconazole, fenpyrazamine, and boscalid. Fludioxonil was the most effective ($EC_{50}$ < $0.1{\mu}g/ml$), and pyrimethanil was the least effective ($EC_{50}=50{\mu}g/ml$), at inhibiting the mycelial growth of B. cinerea. Fenpyrazamine and pyrimethanil showed relatively low effectiveness in inhibiting the germination and conidial production of B. cinerea. Our results are useful for the management of B. cinerea and as a basis for monitoring the sensitivity of B. cinerea strains to fungicides.

• Mycobiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2011

Pepper anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species is one of the most important limiting factors for pepper production in Korea, its management being strongly dependent on chemicals. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibilities of using silver nanoparticles instead of commercial fungicides. In this study, we evaluated the effect of silver nanoparticles against pepper anthracnose under different culture conditions. Silver nanoparticles (WA-PR-WB13R) were applied at various concentrations to determine antifungal activities in vitro and in the field. The application of 100 ppm concentration of silver nanoparticles produced maximum inhibition of the growth of fungal hyphae as well as conidial germination in comparison to the control in vitro. In field trials, the inhibition of fungi was significantly high when silver nanoparticles were applied before disease outbreak on the plants. Scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the silver nanoparticles caused a detrimental effect on mycelial growth of Colletotrichum species.