• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2006

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been used as biological control agents for control of various agro-forest insect pests, and are especially effective against soil-dwelling insect pests. Effect of soil moisture on pathogenicity of commercial EPNs for white grub control was evaluated in laboratory, pots, and golf courses. Pathogenicity of EPNs in sand column was variable depending on depth, soil moisture, and EPN species or strain. All tested EPNs (Heterorhabditis sp. GSNUH1, Heterorhabditis sp. GSNUH2, Steinernema carpocapsae GSN1, and S. longicaudum Nonsan strain) showed similar pathogenicity against the bait insect, great wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larva at 2 cm deep at a given soil moisture. However, pathogenicity of the Heterorhabditis sp. GSNUH1 strain was decreased with increasing soil moisture. Pathogenicity of S. carpocapsae GSN1 strain was the lowest in 3% soil moisture (v/w) at 7 cm depth. However, there was no difference in pathogenicity between Heterorhabditis sp. GSNUH2 and S. longicaudum Nonsan strain. Although pathogenicity of Heterorhabditis sp. KCTC 0991BP strain showed no difference against the 2nd instar of Exomala orientalis, that of the S. carpocapsae GSN1 strain was decreased in the laboratory depending on soil moisture. Highly pathogenic strain EPN, Heterorhabditis sp. KCTC 0991BP strain, showed higher pathogenicity at 100 mm irrigation than non-irrigation or 10 mm irrigation. However, poor pathogenic strain EPN, S. carpocapsae GSN1 strain, was not different in pathogenicity from the 2nd instar of Exomala orientalis in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) depending on irrigation amount in the pot. Pathogenicity of EPNs in field experiment at the tee of Ulsan golf club showed a similar trend to that in the pot experiment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.486-491
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• 2001

The pathogenicity for one hundred strains of domestic and foreign Y. enterocolitica was tested with HEp-2 cell invasion method as a reference. The serotyping, biotyping, PCR and esculin hydrolyis, salicin fermentation, pyrazinamidase activity, indole production, xylose fermentation, CRMOX and autoagglutination were compared to determine the possibility of pathogenic detection method. According to the test results, serotyping was limited to verify pathogenicity, however, biotyping was quite related to pathogenicity up to 99%. The biotype 1A strains were non-pathogenic, while all strains of biotype $1B{\sim}4$ showed pathogenicity with the exception of one strain belonged to type 1B. The esculin and salicin test results were completely close and correlated to pathogenicity up to 99%. The HEp-2 cell invasion and pyrazinamidase test were related to pathogenicity by 95%. Biochemical tests such as D-xylose fermentation, CRMOX agar test and autoagglutination in broth were effective as a support test. It is strongly recommended that sequencial esculin test and PCR test could be done to verify pathogenicity of Y. enterocolitica as the easiest and accurate procedure.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.210-215
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• 2001

The phenotype of Rhizoctonia solani KR-13 was randomly segregated to both melanin-producing (M+) and non-producing (M-) types through successive cultures on PDA. M+type with dark melanin showed strong pathogenicity to rice and self-anastomosis. Meanwhile, M- type with white or less-melanized mycelia showed very weak pathogenicity and non-self-anastomosis. Melanin production of R. solani was affected by incubation temperature in both M+ and M- types, but not by light treatment. The application of tricyclazole, an inhibitor of fungal melanin biosynthesis, showed no controlling effect on R. solani causing rice sheath blight. Results of this study showed that melanization of mycelia of R. solani is an important pathogenicity factor in rice.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2009

Cytochalasin E (CE) is a secondary metabolite secreted by Rosellinia necatrix, caused by white root rot, and has toxicity to apple as a toxin during disease progress. This study was conducted to demonstrate the relationship between the production of CE and its pathogenicity. CE producing isolates and non-producing isolates of R. nectatrix were isolated from the mycerial mat of diseased roots and was detected on that using a TLC and HPLC analysis and in vivo pathogenicity test. CE non-producing isolates were not pathogenic to apple roots and not detected CE by TLC and HPLC analysis. It was shown that the production of CE was related to the pathogenicity of R. nectatrix.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 1997

This study was conducted to observe the effects of pesticides on the pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae isolated from Korea. Spomlation of entomopathogenic fungi in SMAY medium that mixed different concentrations of pesticides was similar to control in metalaxyl and tolclofos- methyl treatment but in half recommanded treatment of fenitrothion and mepronil very poor spomlation was showed. Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi dipped in all tested pesticide solution for 1 to 5hr was 100% pathogenicity of M. aniropliae in the pesticide treated chinese cabage fields were similar to control, Bt, teflubenzuron, metalaxyl, and carbofuran treatment but alachlol was below 80%. Pathogenicity and persistence of entomopathogenic fungi in turfgrass when pesticides were posttreatmented were continued to 4 months in iprodione+thiram and tolclofos-methyl treated plots but those of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae was losted in fenitrothion pathogenicity and persistence of in mepronil were nil M. anisopliae from 3 months after treatment.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.555-565
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• 2021

Bacteriophages infecting Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch, have been proven to be effective for the prevention and control of this disease. However, the occurrence of bacteriophage-resistant bacteria is one of hurdles in phage biocontrol and the understanding of phage resistance in this bacterium is an essential step. In this study, we aim to investigate possible phage resistance of A. citrulli and relationship between phage resistance and pathogenicity, and to isolate and characterize the genes involved in these phenomena. A phage-resistant and less-virulent mutant named as AC-17-G1 was isolated among 3,264 A. citrulli Tn5 mutants through serial spot assays and plaque assays followed by pathogenicity test using seed coating method. The mutant has the integrated Tn5 in the middle of a cupin protein gene. This mutant recovered its pathogenicity and phage sensitivity by complementation with corresponding wild-type gene. Site-directed mutation of this gene from wild-type by CRISPR/Cas9 system resulted in the loss of pathogenicity and acquisition of phage resistance. The growth of AC-17-G1 in King's B medium was much less than the wild-type, but the growth turned into normal in the medium supplemented with D-mannose 6-phosphate or D-fructose 6-phosphate indicating the cupin protein functions as a phosphomannos isomerase. Sodium dodecyl sulfa analysis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extracted from the mutant was smaller than that from wild-type. All these data suggest that the cupin protein is a phosphomannos isomerase involved in LPS synthesis, and LPS is an important determinant of pathogenicity and phage susceptibility of A. citrulli.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2024

Erwinia pyrifoliae is a gram-negative bacterial pathogen that commonly causes black shoot blight in pear and apple tree. Although the pathogenicity of this bacterial species is very similar to E. amylovora, there is no specific explanation of its pathogenic genes and mechanisms. In this study, our investigation into E. pyrifoliae pathogenicity involved generating seven YKB12327 mutant strains using Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. Observations revealed weakened growth rate and loss of pathogenicity in these mutants. Whole-genome sequencing and alignment analysis identified transposon insertions within the coding sequences of five strains and in the intergenic region of two strains. Annotation analysis elucidated genes directly or indirectly associated with pathogenicity. Notably, mutant strain MT16 displayed a transposon insertion mutation in the cyclic-di-GMP phosphodiesterase (pdeF) gene, a key player in bacterial signaling, governing microbial behavior and adaptation to environmental changes. Our findings provide insights into the genetic regulation of E. pyrifoliae pathogenicity, suggesting potential avenues for further research aimed at understanding and controlling this bacterial pathogen by targeting pdeF to mitigate apple black shoot blight disease.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.62-69
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• 2007

Twenty-nine isolates of Fusarium solani, originally isolated from diseased cotton roots in Egypt, were evaluated for their ability to cause symptoms on four genetically diverse cotton cultivars. Analysis of variance showed highly significant variance among cultivars, and isolates as well as the isolate x genotype interactions were highly significant(p < 0.0001). Although most isolates showed intermediate pathogenicity, there were two groups of isolates that showed significant differences in pathogenicity on all four cultivars. None of the cultivars were found to be immune to any of the isolates. On all cultivars, there were strong significant positive correlations between dry weight and each of preemergence damping-off, survival, and plant height. Considering 75% similarity in virulence, two groups comprising a total of 29 isolates were recognized. Ninety-three percent of the isolates have the same pathogenicity patterns with consistently low pathogenicity, and narrow diversity of virulence. Isolates Fs4 and Fs5 shared the same distinct overall virulence spectrum with consistently high pathogenicity. There was no clear-cut relationship between virulence of the isolates based on reaction pattern on 4 cultivars and each of host genotype, previous crop, and geographic origin.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.38-47
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• 2016

The ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola (synonym Zymoseptoria tritici) is an important pathogen of wheat causing economically significant losses. The primary nutritional mode of this fungus is thought to be hemibiotrophic. This pathogenic lifestyle is associated with an early biotrophic stage of nutrient uptake followed by a necrotrophic stage aided possibly by production of a toxin or reactive oxygen species (ROS). In many other fungi, the genes CREA and AREA are important during the biotrophic stage of infection, while the NOXa gene product is important during necrotrophic growth. To test the hypothesis that these genes are important for pathogenicity of M. graminicola, we employed an over-expression strategy for the selected target genes CREA, AREA, and NOXa, which might function as regulators of nutrient acquisition or ROS generation. Increased expressions of CREA, AREA, and NOXa in M. graminicola were confirmed via quantitative real-time PCR and strains were subsequently assayed for pathogenicity. Among them, the NOXa over-expression strain, NO2, resulted in significantly increased virulence. Moreover, instead of the usual filamentous growth, we observed a predominance of yeast-like growth of NO2 which was correlated with ROS production. Our data indicate that ROS generation via NOXa is important to pathogenicity as well as development in M. graminicola.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2019

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades in fungi are ubiquitously conserved signaling pathways that regulate stress responses, vegetative growth, pathogenicity, and many other developmental processes. Previously, we reported that the AbSte7 gene, which encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) in Alternaria brassicicola, plays a central role in pathogenicity against host cabbage plants. In this research, we further characterized the role of AbSte7 in the pathogenicity of this fungus using ${\Delta}AbSte7$ mutants. Disruption of the AbSte7 gene of A. brassicicola reduced accumulation of metabolites toxic to the host plant in liquid culture media. The ${\Delta}AbSte7$ mutants could not efficiently detoxify cruciferous phytoalexin brassinin, possibly due to reduced expression of the brassinin hydrolase gene involved in detoxifying brassinin. Disruption of the AbSte7 gene also severely impaired fungal detoxification of reactive oxygen species. AbSte7 gene disruption reduced the enzymatic activity of cell walldegrading enzymes, including cellulase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, pectin methylesterase, polymethyl-galacturonase, and polygalacturonic acid transeliminase, during host plant infection. Altogether, the data strongly suggest the MAPKK gene AbSte7 plays a pivotal role in A. brassicicola during host infection by regulating multiple steps, and thus increasing pathogenicity and inhibiting host defenses.