• Mycobiology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.100-102
• /
• 2007

Pet dogs have been considered to be involved in the contamination of indoor air by serving as a source of providing molds at houses. Currently, information on the molds originated from pet dogs is rarely available in Korea. The present study was carried out to obtain basic information on the fungi present on pet dogs. For this, fungal isolation was performed to the skin and hairs of 70 pet dogs at different houses and veterinary hospitals. A total of 44 fungal isolates were obtained from skin (27 isolates) and hairs (17 isolates) of the dogs investigated. Based on the observation of microstructures and colony morphology, and the ITS rDNA sequence analysis, the fungal isolates were identified at the level of genus. The identified isolates belong to the genera of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Chrysosporium, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, and Trichoderma. Among these genera, Aspergillus (25%), Cladosporium (23%) and Penicillium (20.5%) were 3 major genera. 63% of the 44 isolates showed color changes on dermatophyte test medium (DTM). When we tested the growth ability of 44 isolates at $37^{\circ}C$, 45% of the isolates were able to grow. These results show that pet dogs could carry fungi having a potentiality of affecting on human health.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.117-121
• /
• 2013

Single or co-inoculation of phosphate solubilizing bacterial and fungal strains (Burkholderia anthina and Aspergillus awamori respectively) was performed separately to assess their synergistic and antagonistic interactions and the potential to be used as bio-inoculants. Co-inoculation was found to release the highest content of soluble phosphorus (1253 ${\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) into the medium, followed by single inoculation of fungal strain (1214 ${\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) and bacterial strain (997 ${\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$). However, there was no significant difference between single inoculation of fungal strain and co-inoculation of fungal and bacterial strain in terms of the phosphorous release. The highest pH reduction, organic acid production and glucose consumption were observed in the sole A. awamori inoculated culture medium. According to the plant growth promotion bioassays, co-inoculation of the microbial strains resulted in 21% and 43% higher shoot and root growth of the mung bean seedlings respectively as compared to the respective controls. Therefore, co-inoculation of B. anthina and A. awamori showed better performance in stimulating plant growth than that in inoculation of each strain alone. However, assessment period of the present study being short, we recommend in engaging further experimentation under field conditions in order to test the suitability of the strains to be used as bio-inoculants.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.183-196
• /
• 2023

Recently, the morphological and molecular features of five stain fungi infecting rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), namely Paecilomyces maximus, Paecilomyces formosus, Penicillium crustosum, Paecilomyces lecythidis and Aspergillus chevalieri, have been studied. Prior to this study, the authors revealed that catechin from gambir (Uncaria gambir) could inhibit the growth of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, and it was important to determine the bioactivity of the aforementioned agent against A. chevalieri. The efficacy of the biocidal agent was examined using a laboratory wooden block test. Rubberwood blocks, 8 mm in thickness, 20 mm in width, and 30 mm in length, were impregnated with catechin solution at concentrations of 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15% (w/v) using the vacuum-pressure method, and their bioactivity was monitored over three weeks through visual and scanning electron microscope assessment of fungal growth as well as the discoloration intensity of the wood samples. The results showed that catechin treatment increased the resistance of wood samples to A. chevalieri. Overall, the higher the catechin concentration, the lower the fungal growth. The lowest fungal growth was observed in the wood samples treated with 12% and 15% catechin (score of 0), demonstrating no discoloration. In contrast, the fungal growth score of the untreated wood samples reached 4, indicating severe discoloration. Catechins appear to be adequate biofungicides against stain fungi in rubberwood.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 1992

Chemotactic responses of five motile saprophytic and one phytopathogenic bacteria e.g. Agrobacterium radiobacter, Bacillus subtilis, B. polymyxa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and Xanthomonas malvacearum towards exudate of Cochliobolus sativus conidia, Fusarium of oxysporum f. sp. ciceri chlamydospores, Macrophomina phaseolina sclerotia and Phytophthora drechsleri f. sp. cajani oospores were determined in vitro at different abiotic conditions. In general, a positive correlation (r=0.76 to 0.89; P=0.05) was observed between concentration of fungal exudates and attraction of bacterial cells. Similarly, a significant (P=0.05; r=+0.82 to 0.95) positive correlation was noticed between chemotactic response and incubation period. The chemotactic response of bacteria was greatly influenced by temperature and pH of the test fungal exudate. The optimum temperature for maximum chemotaxis was $25^{\circ}C$ for A. radiobacter, $30^{\circ}C$ for B. polymyxa, P. aerugionosa, P. fluorescens and X. malvacearum and $35^{\circ}C$ for B. subtilis. Fungal exudates maintained at pH 7 attracted maximum number of bacteria. The response of bacterial cells to exudates at pH 3 and 11 was not significantly (P=0.05) different than that to the buffer (control). Chemotaxis of bacteria was observed towards attractants (fungal propagules and their exudates) when they were kept apart and bridged with the capillaries filled with non-attractant (buffer) or attractant (exudate).

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.233-239
• /
• 2017

Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model organism that offers essential insights into developmental and cellular processes shared with humans, which has been adapted for large scale analysis of medically important microbes and to test the toxicity of heavy metals, industrial solvents and other poisonous substances. We here give a brief review of the use of the Drosophila model in medical mycology, discuss the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the opportunistic human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, and give a brief summary of what is known about the toxicity of some common fungal VOCs. Further, we discuss the use of VOC detection as an indirect indicator of fungal growth, including for early diagnosis of aspergillosis. Finally, we hypothesize that D. melanogaster has promise for investigating the role of VOCs synthesized by A. fumigatus as possible virulence factors.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.168-176
• /
• 2008

Recently damage of rice bakanae disease disseminated by infected seeds increased in paddy field in Korea. For controlling rice bakanae disease, the efficacy of 17 fungicides was assessed by 5 kinds of bioassay, spore germination test (SGT), mycelial growth test, detection test on Komada's medium (KDT), pouch test (PT) and greenhouse test (GT). Among ergosterol biosynthesis inhibiting fungicides, prochloraz showed a high controlling activity in all the assay systems while the others showed very low activity except for $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ of hexaconazole in GT and $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ of triflumizole in KDT. Although benomyl and the mixture of benomyl and thiram showed a good activity at 100 and $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ in SGT and PT, respectively, in GT they did a middle activity. Trifloxystrobin and kresoxim-methyl included in strobilurins showed a good activity even at $20\;{\mu}g/ml$ in KDT as well as a middle activity in SGT. Also a high activity not only at $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ in SGT but also at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ KDT was detected in thiram. The activity of fludioxonil was confirmed in SGT, KDT and PT. Based on these results, it is very important to determine a bioassay system, because the fungicidal activity against rice bakanae disease was fluctuated depending on a assay systems as well as the mechanism of fungicide.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.127-134
• /
• 2016

Background: Rhizospheric fungi play an essential role in the plantesoil ecosystem, affecting plant growth and health. In this study, we evaluated the fungal diversity in the rhizosphere soil of 2-yr-old healthy Panax notoginseng cultivated in Wenshan, China. Methods: Culture-independent Illumina MiSeq and culture-dependent techniques, combining molecular and morphological characteristics, were used to analyze the rhizospheric fungal diversity. A diffusion test was used to challenge the phytopathogens of P. notoginseng. Results: A total of 16,130 paired-end reads of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 were generated and clustered into 860 operational taxonomic units at 97% sequence similarity. All the operational taxonomic units were assigned to five phyla and 79 genera. Zygomycota (46.2%) and Ascomycota (37.8%) were the dominant taxa; Mortierella and unclassified Mortierellales accounted for a large proportion (44.9%) at genus level. The relative abundance of Fusarium and Phoma sequenceswas high, accounting for 12.9% and 5.5%, respectively. In total,113 fungal isolates were isolated from rhizosphere soil. They were assigned to five classes, eight orders (except for an Incertae sedis), 26 genera, and 43 species based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer. Fusarium was the most isolated genus with six species (24 isolates, 21.2%). The abundance of Phoma was also relatively high (8.0%). Thirteen isolates displayed antimicrobial activity against at least one test fungus. Conclusion: Our results suggest that diverse fungi including potential pathogenic ones exist in the rhizosphere soil of 2-yr-old P. notoginseng and that antagonistic isolates may be useful for biological control of pathogens.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.77-88
• /
• 1999

This experiment was carried out to compare the cultural characteristics of mycorrizal fungi associated with Pinus species, and to form mycorrhizal association with Pinus thunbergii by artificial inoculation of these fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi tested showed great variations in cultural characteristics. Most fungal isolates was best grown on MP medium, except PDA for Lepista sp.(Ln73/92). Hagem for Rhizopogon rubescens(FRI91017), and FDA for Paxillus sp.(Pa60/92). Optimum temperature for these fungi was $25^{\circ}C$, except $30^{\circ}C$ for Pisolithus tinctorius(FRI91004 and Pt1). The range of pH conditions favorable for these fungal isolates were also variable from weak acidic(pH5) to weak alkalic(pH8). Utilization of the carbon sources for these mycorrhizal fungi was different. Fructose, glucose, and maltose were all utilized well, while xylose was not utilized generally. Mycelial growth on the media supplemented with potassium nitrate was better than those on other media with urea, asparagine, or peptone as a nitrogen source, and the poor growth was observed on the media with urea. Pisolithus tinctorius(Pt1) among 7 mycorrhizal fungi artificially inoculated for the mycorrhizal synthesis on pinus thunbergii seedlings in the test tube containing a mixture of peat moss-vermiculite(2:1, v/v) formed mycorrhizae successfully after 3 months. P. tinctorius formed branched and unbranched roots covered with thick fungal mantle and radiating extemal hyphae. Mycorrhizal root cross-sectioned by hand, stained, and observed by Nomarski interference microscope showed typical characteristics of ectomycorrhizae: fungal mantle on epidermal cells and thick Hartig net hyphae around cortex cells.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.484-494
• /
• 2020

Oak wilt disease caused by Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae has emerged obviously in Korea. We selected antifungal isolates against R. quercus-mongolicae among 368 endophytic fungal isolates from different parts of oak and pine trees. The experiment was conducted in the primary and secondary screenings by dual culture test. The antifungal activity of the selected isolates was assessed in culture filtrate test based on the inhibition rates in mycelial growth, sporulation, and spore germination of oak wilt fungus. Five isolates, E089, E199, E282, E409 and E415, showed strong antifungal activity in culture filtrate test, and their antifungal activity decreased on the culture media supplemented with heated culture filtrate. Higher mycelial growth inhibitions on the unheated media were recorded in E409 (Colletotrichum acutatum), E089 (Daldinia childiae), E415 (Alternaria alternata) and E199 (Daldinia childiae) with the inhibition rates of 79.0%, 70.1%, 68.9% and 64.5%, respectively. These isolates also had the higher sporulation inhibitions on unheated media with the rates of 96.8%, 84.2%, 82.8% and 80.5%, respectively. The spore germination of the oak wilt fungus was completely inhibited by E282 (Nectria balsamea) on both unheated and heated media. These results showed that a higher number of potent antifungal isolates against oak wilt fungus was isolated from the petiole compared to the other parts. This study could contribute to the development of biological control approaches for the management of oak wilt disease caused by R. quercus-mongolicae.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.50-57
• /
• 2004

This study attempted to evaluate the water repellency and drying effectiveness of linseed oil treated-solid wood at high temperature by immersion. The moisture content of green wood (Pinus densiflora) sample (above 90%) was reduced about 10% after 6 hours treatment at 150℃. When the treated samples were cut into cross section along the length, it was observed that the linseed oil penetrated into up to 20% of the sample cross section area in all locations. However, a strength loss of the specimen was not detected. The pre-drilling before linseed oil treatment was effective in reducing the defects such as checks and splits, and improved the linseed oil penetration into all samples from the surfaces. The result of water absorption test of treated-wood showed that the water repellent efficacy of treated-wood was greater than that of the control. The anti-fungal activity of treated samples using five sap stains and thee decay fungi was not detected in broad-spectrum toxic mechanism. However, decay test using white rot fungi (Tyromyces palustris) and brown rot fungi (Trametes versicolor) showed that the treated sample has a decay resistance to these two fungi.