• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2004

An endophytic bacterial strain EB215 that was isolated from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) roots displayed a potent in vivo antifungal activity against Colletotrichum species. The strain was identified as Burkholderia cepacia based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, and 16S rDNA gene sequence. Optimal medium and incubation period for the production of antifungal substances by B. cepacia EB215 were nutrient broth (NB) and 3 days, respectively. An antifungal substance was isolated from the NB cultures of B. cepacia EB215 strain by centrifugation, n-hexane partitioning, silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC, and in vitro bioassay. Its chemical structure was determined to be pyrrolnitrin by mass and NMR spectral analyses. Pyrrolnitrin showed potent disease control efficacy of more than 90% against pepper anthracnose (Colletotrichum coccodes), cucumber anthracnose (Colletotrichum orbiculare), rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) and rice sheath blight (Corticium sasaki) even at a low concentration of $11.1\;{\mu}g/ml$. In addition, it effectively controlled the development of tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) at concentrations over $33.3\;{\mu}g/ml$. However, it had no antifungal activity against Phytophthora infestans on tomato plants. Further studies on the development of microbial fungicide using B. cepacia EB215 are in progress.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2005

In order to develop a new microbial fungicide using endophytic bacteria for the control of anthracnoses occurring on various crops, a total of 260 bacterial strains were isolated from fresh tissues of 5 plant species. After they were cultured in broth medium, their antifungal activities were tested for in vivo antifungal activity against cucumber anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare. As the results, liquid cultures of 28 strains showed potent antifungal activities more than $90\%$ against cucumber anthracnose. At 3-fold dilutions of liquid cultures, 18 strains inhibited the development of cucumber anthracnose of more than $70\%$. They were further tested for in vivo antifungal activity against red pepper anthracnose caused by C. coccodes and in vitro antifungal activity against C. acutatum, a fungal agent causing red pepper anthracnose. Among 18 strains, a bacterial strain EB215 isolated from cucumber roots displayed the most potent antifungal activity against Colletotrichum species. It was identified as Burkholderia cepacia based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, Biolog test and 16S rDNA gene sequence. It also controlled effectively the development of rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea), rice sheath blight (Corticium sasaki), tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Studies on the characterization of antifungal substances produced by B. cepacia EB215 are in progress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1223-1229
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• 2009

To construct a new recombinant strain of Bacillus velezensis that has antifungal and insecticidal activity via the expression of the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein, a B. thuringiensis expression vector (pHT1K-1Ac) was generated that contained the B. thuringiensis cry1Ac gene under the control of its endogenous promoter in a minimal E. coli-B. thuringiensis shuttle vector (pHT1K). This vector was introduced into a B. velezensis isolate that showed high antifungal activities against several plant diseases, including rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea), rice sheath blight (Rhizotonia solani), tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita), by electroporation. The recombinant B. velezensis strain was confirmed by PCR using cry1Ac-specific primers. Additionally, the recombinant strain produced a protein approximately 130 kDa in size and parasporal inclusion bodies similar to B. thuringiensis. The in vivo antifungal activity assay demonstrated that the activity of the recombinant B. velezensis strain was maintained at the same level as that of wild-type B. velezensis. Furthermore, it exhibited high insecticidal activity against a lepidopteran pest, Plutella xylostella, although its activity was lower than that of a recombinant B. thuringiensis strain, whereas wild-type B. velezensis strain did not show any insecticidal activity. These results suggest that this recombinant B. velezensis strain can be used to control harmful insect pests and fungal diseases simultaneously in one crop.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.333-344
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• 2018

Selection of the optimal culture medium and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity against various phytopathogens were performed for four entomopathogenic fungal isolates with excellent insecticidal and antimicrobial activity against the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea). The optimal medium was selected by measuring the amount of blastospore production and the antifungal activity of the culture medium. On the basis of these experiments, GY medium was selected for Beauveria bassiana 2R-3-3-1 and Metarhizium anisopliae 4-2, SD3, and PDB medium for B. bassiana SD15. The antimicrobial activity test against other phytopathogens indicated that all four isolates showed high antifungal activities against Colletotrichum acutatum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. However, for Phytophthora capsici and C. fructicola, only M. anisopliae SD3 showed a high antifungal activity against P. capsici, and the other three isolates had little activity. Antibacterial activity against Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis was high in two isolates of M. anisopliae but not in two isolates of B. bassiana. Thus, it was confirmed that entomopathogenic fungi effective for pest control could be effectively used as a control agent for various plant diseases.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-324
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• 2004

Smoke rods were prepared for 2 insecticides and 5 fungicides using powdered rice chaff as a combustible carrier, and their burning characteristics were investigated. The distribution of active ingredient was investigated after the application of the granular smoke generator containing fenarimol in the connected vinyl plastic house growing cucumber. The protective effects of fungicide smoke generators were evaluated against cucumber gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and compared with commercial wettable powders. Smoke rods containing powdered rice chaff showed high smoking rates of AI that were higher than commercial smoke pellets. The deposition of fenarimol on the ground of vinyl plastic house was $26.2{\pm}7.7\;ng/cm^2$ when averaged from 9 sites, and application uniformity was found. Also, the protective effects of 5 fungicidal smoke rods against plant diseases were so similar to the commercial wettable powders with no phytotoxicity that smoke rod formulations containing rice chaff as a combustible carrier could be used as an effective formulation for pesticides.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.495-501
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• 2011

Bacterial strains were isolated from forest soils of Halla mountain, Jeju island in Korea. The soil samples were collected at each altitude of 100m from 1,000 m above sea level. Total 398 strains were isolated and tested for their physiological characteristics of antagonistic and proteolytic activities, and auxin production. Among the isolates, 172 strains were selected as antifungal strains showing antagonistic activity against at least one of 8 plant fungal pathogens (Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Collectotrichum acutatum, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora capsici, Pythium ultimum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). In addition 203 strains for proteolytic activity and 26 strains for auxin production were characterized for further study. Je28-4 (Rhodococcus sp.) were showed 80% of control value against tomato gray mold in vivo. Thus, it is suggested that soil bacteria isolated from forest soils of Halla mountain can be important sources of bioactive compounds for improving plant growth or promising biocontrol agents.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.157-169
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• 2014

Between 2010 and 2012, diseases and insect pests of sweet persimmon were surveyed at sweet persimmon export complexes and non-export orchards in Suncheon, Jeonnam Province; Jinju, Changwon (Dongeup and Bukmyeon), and Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province; and Ulzu, Ulsan. The following diseases were found in the sweet persimmon orchards: angular leaf spot (Cercospora kaki), anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum acutatum), circular leaf spot (Mycosphaerella nawae), powdery mildew (Phyllactinia kakicola), and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea). Circular leaf spot was the most frequent and serious disease, and C. gloeosporioides and C. acutatum were found on fruits. Thirty-three insect pest species that belonged to 32 genera of 20 families in 5 orders were found in the sweet persimmon orchards; the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, was also found in the surveyed orchards. Apolygus spinolae, Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli, and Adoxophyes orana were widely found in the surveyed orchards; Spodoptera litura and Homona magnanima were also recorded. Damage by insect pests was low, and the quarantine insect pests peach pyralid moth (Dichocrocis punctiferalis) and persimmon fruit moth (Stathmopoda masinissa) were rarely or not found in the sweet persimmon export complexes. In addition, other quarantine insect pests, such as persimmon false spider mite (Tenuipalpus zhizhilashviliae) and Japanese mealybug (Planococcus kraunhiae), were not detected. These quarantine insect pests were also not found in the sorting places, storage houses, and fruits for export; however, scale insects and two-spotted spider mites were found at a low rate. Although anthracnose (C. acutatum) infested fruit was found in the storage houses, only one in Jinju and Gimhae.