• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.202-206
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• 2008

Antifungal activity of Korean and Chinese lichen-forming fungi (LFF) was evaluated against plant pathogenic fungus of Colletotrichum acutatum, causal agent of anthracnose on hot pepper. This is the first attempt to evaluate antifungal activity of LFF, instead of lichen thalli, against C. acutatum. Total 100 LFF were isolated from the lichens with discharged spore method or tissue culture method. Among the 100 isolates, 8 LFF showed more than 50% of inhibition rates of mycelial growth of the target pathogen. Especially, Lecanora argentata was highly effective in inhibition of mycelial growth of C. accutatum at the rate of 68%. Antifungal activity of other LFF was in the order of Cetrelia japonica (61.4%), Ramalina conduplicans (59.5%), Umbilicaria esculenta (59.5%), Ramalina litoralis (56.7%), Cetrelia braunsiana (56.5%), Nephromopsis pallescensn (56.1%), and Parmelia simplicior (53.8%). Among the tested LFF, 61 isolates of LFF exhibited moderate antifungal activity against the target pathogen at the inhibition rates from 30 to 50%. Antifungal activity of the LFF against C. acutatum was variable at the species level rather than genus level of LFF. This study suggests that LFF can be served as a promising bioresource to develop novel biofungicides.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.176-179
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• 2010

The effect of plant hormones on the growth of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) was evaluated. The use of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and indole-3-butyric acid resulted in a 99% and 57% increase in dry weight of the lichen-forming fungus Nephromopsis ornata. The results suggest that some plant hormones can be used as inducers or stimulators of LFF growth for large-scale culture.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1189-1197
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• 2017

Lichen-forming fungi are known to have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammation, and anti proliferative effects. However, the immunosuppressive effects of Bryoria sp. extract (BSE) have not previously been investigated. In this study, the inhibitory activity of BSE on the proliferation of $CD8^+$ T cells and the mixed lymphocytes reaction (MLR) was evaluated in vitro. BSE was non-toxic in spleen cells and suppressed the growth of splenocytes induced by anti-CD3. The suppressed cell population in spleen cells consisted of $CD8^+$ T cells and their proliferation was inhibited by the treatment with BSE. This extract significantly suppressed the IL-2 associated with T cell growth and $IFN-{\gamma}$ as the $CD8^+$ T cell marker. Furthermore, BSE reduced the expression of the IL-2 receptor alpha chain ($IL-2R{\alpha}$) on $CD8^+$ T cells and CD86 on dendritic cells by acting as antigen-presenting cells. Finally, the MLR produced by the co-culture of C57BL/6 and MMC-treated BALB/c was suppressed by BSE. IL-2, $IFN-{\gamma}$, and CD69 on $CD8^+$ T cells in MLR condition were inhibited by BSE. These results indicate that BSE inhibits the MLR via the suppression of $IL-2R{\alpha}$ expression in $CD8^+$ T cells. BSE has the potential to be developed as an anti-immunosuppression agent for organ transplants.