• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.172-173
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• 1998

A research collection of Pseudomons solanacearum bacteria, a pathogen causing ‘bacteria wilt’ disease of more than 265 plant species, represented for northern provinces of Vietnam has recently been established and was saved for examination of antifungal activity in their culture fluids. All strains used in this work have been isolated from infected tomato, potato, and groundnut collected from production fields and they express different levels of virulence on their host plants. Cell-free culture fluids of these strains were tested for antifungal activity (to inhibit growth of mycelium and to destroy germination tube of fungal spores) on a number of fungi that either infect or associate with vegetable crops of Solanaceae family (tomato, potato, pepers...), fruit plants (banana), and even well-known by Vietnamese traditional medicine herbal plants belonging to Trifoliatus, Schefflera, Homalomena and Panax genera (Araliaceae family) of which roots are used as a resource of the herbal material. The antifungal activity was found in nearly all strains tested. Result of study on chitin, CMC, tween 80 and casein degradation abilities of the latter suggested that antifungal activity of positively-found strains may be due to their ability of extracelluar chitinase's excretion that destroy fungal cell wall.

• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2007

To evaluate which dye is effective in a plate assay for detecting extracellular cellulase activity produced by fungi, four chromogenic dyes including remazol brilliant blue, phenol red, congo red, and tryphan blue, were compared using chromagepic media. For the comparison, 19 fungal species belonging to three phyla, ascomycota, basidiomycota, and zygomycota were inoculated onto yeast nitrogen-based media containing different carbon substrates such as cellulose (carboxylmethyl and avicel types) and cellobiose labeled with each of the four dyes. Overall, the formation of clear zone on agar media resulting from the degradation of the substrates by the enzymes secreted from the test fungi was most apparent with media containing congo red. The detection frequency of cellulase activity was also most high on congo red-supplemented media. The results of this study showed that congo red is better dye than other three dyes in, a plate assay for, fungal enzyme detection.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2003

Laccase, lignin- and manganese peroxidase are implicated in the lignin degradation. The nucleotide sequences of four copper-binding domains in fungal laccases, and heme-binding domains of lignin- and manganese peroxidases are well conserved, and therefore these short fragments can be used for the PCR for the gene amplification. We synthesized several PCR primers according to their sequences, and run PCR to amplifiy the lignin degrading genes of Trametes versicolor isolated in Korea. PCR products were cloned with pGEM-T vector in order to determine their nucleotide sequences. A laccase fragment (1.3 kb) showed 65-97％ homologies, lignin peroxidase fragment (185 bp) showed 80-95％ homologies, and manganese peroxidase fragment (443 bp) showed 61-83％ homologies when compared with other white-rot fungal enzymes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.637-644
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• 2021

Malassezia is the most abundant genus in the fungal microflora found on human skin, and it is associated with various skin diseases. Among the 18 different species of Malassezia that have been identified to date, M. restricta and M. globosa are the most predominant fungal species found on human skin. Several studies have suggested a possible link between Malassezia and skin disorders. However, our knowledge on the physiology and pathogenesis of Malassezia in human body is still limited. Malassezia is unable to synthesize fatty acids; hence, it uptakes external fatty acids as a nutrient source for survival, a characteristic compensated by the secretion of lipases and degradation of sebum to produce and uptake external fatty acids. Although it has been reported that the activity of secreted lipases may contribute to pathogenesis of Malassezia, majority of the data were indirect evidences; therefore, enzymes' role in the pathogenesis of Malassezia infections is still largely unknown. This review focuses on the recent advances on Malassezia in the context of an emerging interest for lipases and summarizes the existing knowledge on Malassezia, diseases associated with the fungus, and the role of the reported lipases in its physiology and pathogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.767-772
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• 2008

Biodegradation of endocrine-disrupting phthalates [diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP)] was investigated with 10 white rot fungi isolated in Korea. When the fungal mycelia were added together with 100 mg/l of phthalate into yeast extract-malt extract-glucose (YMG) medium, Pleurotus ostreatus, Irpex lacteus, Polyporus brumalis, Merulius tremellosus, Trametes versicolor, and T. versicolor MrP1 and MrP13 (transformant of the Mn-repressed peroxidase gene of T. versicolor) could remove almost all of the 3 kinds of phthalates within 12 days of incubation. When the phthalates were added to 5-day pregrown fungal cultures, most fungi except I. lacteus showed the increased removal of the phthalates compared with those of the non-pregrown cultures. In both culture conditions, p. ostreatus showed the highest degradation rates for the 3 phthalates tested. BBP was degraded with the highest rates among the 3 phthalates by all fungal strains. Only 14.9% of 100 mg/I BBP was degraded by the supernatant of P. ostreatus culture in YMG medium in 4 days of incubation, but the washed or homogenized mycelium of P. ostreatus could remove 100% of BBP within 2 days even in distilled water, indicating that the initial BBP biodegradation by P. ostreatus may be attributed to mycelium-associated enzymes rather than extracellular enzymes. The biodegradation rate of BBP by the immobilized cells of P. ostreatus was almost same as that in the suspended culture. The estrogenic activity of 100 mg/I DMP decreased during biodegradation by P. ostreatus.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2014

Nuruk samples collected from various regions in Korea were investigated in terms of fungal contents and diversity. In measurement of colony forming unit (CFU) in Nuruk suspensions on DRBC agar, Nuruk samples MS4, MS8, and MS10 were among the highest fungal density, with $1,278.9{\pm}21.6$ (${\times}10^4$), $1,868.0{\pm}27.7$ (${\times}10^4$), and $775.1{\pm}19.2$ (${\times}10^4$) were among the samples showing the highest fungal density. CFU per 20 mg Nuruk, respectively. The majority of fungal components were yeasts, including Pichia anomala, P. kudriavzevii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, whereas Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus oryzae, the representative Nuruk fungi, were predominant only in the low fungal density Nuruks (MS2, MS5, and MS11). Saccharification capability of the fungal isolates was assessed by measurement of amylase activity in the culture broth. The highest amylase activity was found in A. niger and A. luchuensis, followed by S. fibuligera. A. oryzae and R. oryzae showed fair amylase activity but significantly lower than those of the three fungal species. R. oryzae was suggested to play an additional role in degradation of ${\beta}$-glucan in crop component of Nuruk since R. oryzae was the only fungus that showed ${\beta}$-glucanase activity among the fungal isolates. To confirm the safety of Nuruk, aflatoxigenicity of the isolated Aspergillus was estimated using the DNA markers norB-cypA, aflR, and omtA. All of the isolates turned out to be non-aflatoxigenic as evidenced by the deletion of gene markers, norB-cypA and aflR, and the absence of aflatoxin in the culture supernatants shown by TLC analysis.

• Mycobiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2009

The process of biodegradation in lingo-cellulosic materials is critically relevant to biospheric carbon. The study of this natural process has largely involved laboratory investigations, focused primarily on the biodegradation and recycling of agricultural by-products, generally using basidiomycetes species. In order to collect super white rot fungi and evaluate its ability to degrade lingo-cellulosic material, 35 fungal strains, collected from forests, humus soil, livestock manure, and dead trees, were screened for enzyme activities and their potential to decolorize the commercially used Poly-R 478 dye. In the laccase enzymatic analysis chemical test, 33 white rot fungi and 2 brown rot fungi were identified. The degradation ability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) according to the utilized environmental conditions was higher in the mushrooms grown in dead trees and fallen leaves than in the mushrooms grown in humus soil and livestock manure. Using Poly-R 478 dye to assess the PAH-degradation activity of the identified strains, four strains, including Agrocybe pediades, were selected. The activities of laccase, MnP, and Lip of the four strains with PAH-degrading ability were highest in Pleurotus incarnates. 87 fungal strains, collected from forests, humus soil, livestock manure, and dead trees, were screened for enzyme activities and their potential to decolorize the commercially used Poly-R 478 dye on solid media. Using Poly-R 478 dye to assess the PAHdegrading activity of the identified strains, it was determined that MKACC 51632 and 52492 strains evidenced superior activity in static and shaken liquid cultures. Subsequent screening on plates containing the polymeric dye poly R-478, the decolorization of which is correlated with lignin degradation, resulted in the selection of a strain of Coriolus versicolor, MKACC52492, for further study, primarily due to its rapid growth rate and profound ability to decolorize poly R-478 on solid media. Considering our findings using Poly-R 478 dye to evaluate the PAH-degrading activity of the identified strains, Coriolus versicolor, MKACC 52492 was selected as a favorable strain. Coriolus versicolor, which was collected from Mt. Yeogi in Suwon, was studied for the production of the lignin-modifying enzymes laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP).

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 1993

The purpose of this study was to describe the micromorphological changes in Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) wood decayed by a major brown-rot fungus, Lentinus lepideus, using scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. At the end of the 12-week exposure to the fungus in soil block procedure(ASTM 1971), test blocks sustained 5.02% weight loss. The formation of bore hole by hyphae and penetration of hyphae through bordered pit were not observed. Instead, fungal hyphae appeared to penetrate axially tracheid luminar from the the ray cells via cross field pits. Hyphae were mainly found in lignin rich cell corner regions of tracheids, and also extensive degradation of tracheid wall occurred in this region. Extensive degradation of $S_2$ layer occurred without noticeable alteration of the $S_3$ layer, but warty layer and compound middle lamella remained relatively intact. Localized erosion, the characteristic of white rot, was observed in some cell wall and wall components including lignin were found to be decomposed.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.153-166
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• 2012

Decolourization potential of white rot fungal organism, coriolus versicolor, was investigated in a batch reactor, for textile dye industry wastewater. The influence of process parameters like pH, temperature, agitation speed and dye wastewater concentration on the decolourization of textile dye wastewater was examined by using Response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum decolourization was attained at: pH- 6.8, temperature - $27.9^{\circ}C$, agitation speed - 160 rpm and dye wastewater concentration - 1:2. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results it was found that, the linear effect of agitation speed and dye wastewater concentration were significant for the decolourization of textile dye wastewater. At these optimized condition, the maximum decolourization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction was found to be 64.4% and 79.8% respectively. Various external carbon sources were tried to enhance the decolourization of textile dye wastewater. It was observed that the addition of carbon source enhances the decolourization of textile dye wastewater. Kinetics of textile dye degradation process was studied by first order and diffusional model. From the results it was found that the degradation follows first order model with $R^2$ value of 0.9430.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1424-1433
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• 2019

DDT is a hydrophobic organic pollutant, which can be bio-accumulated in nature and have adverse consequences on the physical condition of humans and animals. This study investigated the relationship between the white-rot fungus Pleurotus eryngii and biosurfactant-producing bacterium Ralstonia pickettii associated with the degradation of DDT. The effects of R. pickettii on fungal development were examined using in vitro confrontation assay on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. R. pickettii culture was added to the P. eryngii culture at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 ml ($1ml{\approx}1.44{\times}10^{13}CFU$). After 7 d incubation, about 43% of the initial DDT ($12.5{\mu}M$) was degraded by the P. eryngii culture only. The augmentation of 7 ml of R. pickettii culture revealed a more highly optimized synergism with DDT degradation being approximately 78% and the ratio of optimization 1.06. According to the confrontational assay, R. pickettii promoted the growth of P. eryngii towards the bacterial colony, with no direct contact between the bacterial cells and mycelium (0.71 cm/day). DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane), DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethylene), and DDMU (1-chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethylene) were identified as metabolic products, indicating that the R. pickettii could enhance the DDT biodegradation by P. eryngii.