• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.33-39
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• 2001

An isolate of the indigenous fungus Pythium myriotylum was isolated from Monochoria vaginalis in Yusung, Korea in year 2000 and evaluated potential as a biocontrol agent in laboratory and greenhouse. P. myriotylum MD2 grew in a wide range of temperature regimes and the optimal growth temperature was $35^{\circ}C$. The fungus was highly pathogenic to Monochoria vaginalis at 30 to $35^{\circ}C$. Several weeds such as Rotala, indica, Lindernia procumbens, Ludwigia prostrata, Cyperus difformis, Scirpus juncoides, Aneilema keisak were also susceptible to the fungus, but Echinochloa crus-galli was not. The fungus affected the growth of rice seed germinated, but not to rice seedlings of 1- to 3-leaf stage. A total of 12 rice cultivars (3- to 4-leaf stage) tested showed no disease symptoms when inoculated with the fungus. Eleven crops, including Chinese cabbage, corn, soybean except wheat were immune to the infection of the fungi. These data suggest that P. myriotylum MD2 has a potential as a mycoherbicide to control weeds in paddy fields.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2007

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSARs) on the fungicidal activity against damping-off (Pythium ultimum) with N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide and N-phenyl-2-thienylsulfonamide analogues (1-34) were studied quantitatively using CoMFA (comparative molecular field analysis) and CoMSIA (comparative molecular similarity indeces analysis) methodologies. On the whole, the statistical qualities of CoMSIA models with field fit alignment (FF1-FF5) were slightly higher than that of atom based fit alignment (AF1-AF5) but, the deviations of statistical quality between two alignments in case of CoMFA models were slightly lower. The statistical results of CoMFA and CoMSIA model showed that the optimized CoMSIA model (FF1: $r_{cv.}^2\;(q^2)=0.674$ & $r_{ncv.}^2=0.964$) for damping-off is better predictability and fitness for fungicidal activities than CoMFA model (AF5: $r_{cv.}^2\;(q^2)=0.616$ & $r_{ncv.}^2=0.930$). The fungicidal activities according to the information of the CoMSIA (FF1) model were dependence upon the electrostatic and hydrophobic field of the N-phenylbenzene sulfonamide analogues. Therefore, from the results of graphical analyses on the contour maps with CoMSIA (FF3) model, it is expected that the characters of R4-substituent on the N-phenyl ring as hydrophobic and hydrogen bond acceptor will be contributed to the fungicidal activity against damping-off.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 1994

The number of colonies often decreased more than would be expected in a dilution from 1:50 to 1:100; however, a lack of agreement between the dilution series and the number of colonies obtained also occurred at higher dilutions. In the experiments with each soil subsample, there was sometimes poor agreement between the number of colonies obtained at the same dilution from the A and B subsamples. However, repeated 1:50 dilutions of soil suspensions of subsamples A and B yielded similar numbers of colonies. In the second experiment series conducted with a second composite soil sample, the number of colonies obtained from each soil subsample decreased following air drying. The results suggest that it was difficult to obtain a uniform distribution of Pythium propagules in the two sugarcane field soils tested. The high number of propagules detected at the 1:50 dilution could have been due to hyphal fragments or connected hyphal swellings that separated during the final mixing or during plating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.88.1-88
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• 2003

Antogonistic bacteria against Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium spp., causing serious damage to golf course grasses, were isolated from the top soil of several golf courses in Korea. The isolate of Limk0102 was selected as the biological agent by characterization of antifungal activity, large scale preparation, fungicides tolerance and ecological fitness to the targe environment. The isolate was identified as Bacillus subtilis by biochemical and physiological characterization, and 165 rDNA sequence analysis. The bacterial agent was formulated as a granule type by seeding it on fine sand. The formulated agent showed high recovery rate (more than 10$\^$8/ cells/g sand) even after 6 month-storage at room temperature with similar antifungal activity with that of original cells. In vitro, the biological agent successfully exhibited antagonistic performance on bentgrass inoculated with R. solani or Pythium spp. isolated from the diseased grasses on golf courses. Field evaluation on disease control activity and ecological fitness of the agent is now under going on several golf courses.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 1999

The $NAD^+$-specific activity of a dual coenzyme-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH; EC 1.1.1.41) from the primitive fungus Pythium ultimum was investigated to elucidate the regulatory factors that may influence the intracellular distribution of carbon and the availability of intermediates, e.g. citrate, for fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition of $NAD^+$-IDH activity by diphospho- and triphosphonucleotides (ATP, ADP, and GTP) reflected the sensitivity of this enzyme to cellular energy charge even though monophosphonucleotides (AMP and GMP) had little effect on activity. NADPH, but not NADH, substantially inhibited $NAD^+$-IDH activity, showing noncompetitive inhibition with isocitrate. Oxalacetate and ${\alpha}$-ketoglutarate showed competitive inhibition with isocitrate, while citrate and cis-aconitate showed mixed-noncompetitive inhibition with isocitrate. Inhibition by these substances ranged from 29 to 46% at 10 mM. The inhibitory effect of oxalacetate was increased synergistically by glyoxylate, which alone caused 31% uncompetitive inhibition at 10 mM, and a mixture of the two substances at 1 mM each showed 98% inhibition of $NAD^+$-IDH activity. The regulation of $NAD^+$-IDH in Pythium ultimum seems to be a complex process involving mitochondrial metabolites. The addition of glyoxylate (3 mM) and oxalacetate (3 mM) to the culture medium resulted in the production of 49% more lipid by P. ultimum.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Epicoccum purpurascens stain 5615 AUMC was investigated for its biocontrol activity against root rot disease caused by Pythium irregulare. E. purpurascens greenhouse pathogenicity tests using three leguminous plants indicated that the fungus was nonpathogenic under the test conditions. The germination rate of the three species of legume seeds treated with a E. purpurascens homogenate increased significantly compared with the seeds infested with P. irregulare. No root rot symptoms were observed on seeds treated with E. purpurascens, and seedlings appeared more vigorous when compared with the non-treated control. A significant increase in seedling growth parameters (seedling length and fresh and dry weights) was observed in seedlings treated with E. purpurascens compared to pathogen-treated seedlings. Pre-treating the seeds with the bioagent fungus was more efficient for protecting seeds against the root rot disease caused by P. irregulare than waiting for disease dispersal before intervention. To determine whether E. purpurascens produced known anti-fungal compounds, an acetone extract of the fungus was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The extract revealed a high percentage of the cinnamic acid derivative (trimethylsiloxy) cinnamic acid methyl ester. The E. purpurascens isolate grew more rapidly than the P. irregulare pathogen in a dual culture on potato dextrose agar nutrient medium, although the two fungi grew similarly when cultured separately. This result may indicate antagonism via antibiosis or competition.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.58-62
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• 2008

Utilization of carbon sources by Bacillus cereus D324, a biological control agent, and Pythium species, which causes rice seedling disease, was studied with the objective of increasing the efficacy of biological control by providing the biological control agent with specific beneficial carbon sources. D-galactose, D-sorbitol, and D-mannitol were poor carbon sources for Pythium spp. growth but were good for B. cereus D324 growth. Growth in a growth chamber of rice seeds coated with B. cereus D324 amended with specific carbon sources, such as D-galactose and D-sorbitol, showed significantly enhanced seedling emergence compared to seeds coated only with B. cereus D324. Field trials showed that both seedling emergence and yield increased, when the above specific carbon sources were added to B. cereus D324 in seed coating formulations. This result indicated that amending seed coating formulations with specific carbon sources could significantly increase seedling emergence and yield in the field.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.135-135
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• 1998

To find an antagonist of Pythium ultimum, the causal agent of damping-off, numerous actinomycete strains were screened for in vitro inhibiting mycelial growth of the target fungus and producing bioactive metabolites. A strain identified as Streptomyces sp. G60655 was isolated and used for further antagonistic efficacy. The degree of antagonism between the fungus and G60655 was affected by the medium used. Furthermore, the preinoculation of the antagonist was found to be necessary to exhibit the maximum efficacy of antagonsim against the fungus. From the culture broth, a bioactive metabolite was detected and purified by solvent extraction, silica gel chromatography and preparative HPLC. The FAB-MS spectrum of the active compound showed a molecular ion peak at m/z 1101 (M + H)$\^$+/, suggesting the molecular weight of 1100. The UV absorptions at 242 and 323 nm indicated the presence of aromatic functions. The structure of this compound was identified as echinomycin, a depsipeptide antibiotic by spectroscopic studies including various NMR measurements. Echinomycin was inactive against several soil born fungi, but inhibited the mycelial growth of P. ultimum and its related oomycetous fungi.

• Plant Resources
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 1999

Sixteen isolates showing relatively strong antagonicity against the ginger rhizome rot pathogen, Pythium zingiberum, were selected among the 155 isolates from ginger rhizome surfaces and rhizospheres of ginger cultivation fields in Wanju, Chonbuk. The isolate, 'HB 26-5'showing the strongest antagonicity was finally selected by testing duration of inhibition effect and pathogenicity to ginger. The isolated antagonistic microorganism, 'HB 26-5' was rod shape, gram positive and formed endospore. The isolate produced acids utilizing glucose, arabinose, xylose and mannitol, and acetoin at VP test, and grew anaerobically. Temperature range for growth was from 10 to 4$0^{\circ}C$ . Reaction to catalase and gelatin, hydrolysis were positive, and casein hydrolysis and indol production were negative. Based on the mycological characters and the fatty acid composition, it was identified as Bacillus polymyxa. The pathogenicity test of isolated Bacillus polymyxa 'HB 26-5'on 22 crop cultivars resulted that only the lettuce was influenced in germination, and the others were not affected.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.176-181
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• 2010

Brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1), dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa), pythium blight (Pythium spp.), anthracnose (Colletotrichum graminicola), yellow patch (Rhizoctonia cerealis) and Zoysia patch (Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2) are the major turfgrasses diseases in Korea. In this study, 23 medicinal plant extracts were tested for antifungal activities against turfgrass pathogenic fungi. In paper disk diffusion method, 12 medicinal plant extracts, including Sophora flavescens, showed antifungal activity. Also, in the test of antifungal activity on media contained the extracts of S. flavescens, Curcuma longa, Rheum undulatum, Coptis chinensis and Asiasarum sieboldi showed above 80% inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth in 110 mg/10 ml concentration of the extracts. S. flavescens, in particularly, showed antifungal activity against the six turfgrass pathogenic fungi. The inhibition rate of S. homoeocarpa was 100% in 10 mg/10 ml, 5 mg/10 ml and 2 mg/10 ml concentrations of C. longa extract. In case of Pythium spp., the extracts of S. flavescens, R. undulatum and C. chinensis showed 100 % inhibition rate on the test media.