• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.344-360
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• 2017

Zoysiagrasses are important turf plants used for school playgrounds, parks, golf courses, and sports fields. The two most popular zoysiagrass species are Zoysia japonica and Zoysia sinica. These are widely distributed across different growing zones and are morphologically distinguishable from each other; however, it is phenotypically difficult to differentiate those that grow along the coastal line from those in beach area habitats. A combination of morphological and molecular approaches is desirable to efficiently identify these two plant cultivars. In this study, we used a rapid identification system based on DNA barcoding of the nrDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The nrDNA-ITS regions of ITS1, 5.8S nrDNA, and ITS2 from Z. japonica, Z. sinica, Agrostis stolonifera, and Poa pratensis were DNA barcoded to classify these grasses according to their molecular identities. The nrDNA-ITS sequences of these species were found at 686 bp, 687 bp, 683 bp, and 681 bp, respectively. The size of ITS1 ranged from 248 to 249 bp, while ITS2 ranged from 270 to 274 bp. The 5.8S coding region ranged from 163 - 164bp. Between Z. japonica and Z. sinica, nineteen (2.8%) nucleotide sites were variable, and the G+C content of the ITS region ranged from 55.4 to 63.3%. Substitutions and insert/deletion (indel) sites in the nrDNA-ITS sequence of Z. japonica and Z. sinica were converted to cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers, and applied to the Zoysia grasses sampled to verify the presence of these markers. Among the 62 control and collected grass samples, we classified three groups: 36 Z. japonica, 22 Z. sinica, and 4 Z. japonica/Z. sinica hybrids. Morphological classification revealed only two groups; Z. japonica and Z. sinica. Our results suggest that used of the nrDNA-ITS barcode region and CAPS markers can be used to distinguish between Z. japonica and Z. sinica at the species level.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.47-54
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• 2010

Objectives : The original plant species of Schisandrae Fructus (O-mi-ja) is prescribed as Schisandra chinensis $B_{AILL.}$, in Korea, but S. chinensis $B_{AILL.}$ and S. sphenanthera $R_{EHD.}$ et $W_{ILS.}$ in China. Moreover, fruit of several other species in genus Schisandra also have been used as the same herbal medicines. To develop a reliable method for correct identification of Schisandrae Fructus and to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship of S. chinensis and its related species, we analyzed internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). Methods : Twenty-four plant samples of three Schisandra species and one Kadsura species, S. chinensis $B_{AILL.}$, S. spenanthera $R_{EHD.}$ et $W_{ILS.}$, S. nigra $M_{ax.}$ and Kadsura japonica $D_{UNAL}$ were collected from each different native habitate and farm in Korea and China. The nrDNA-ITS region of each samples were amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primer and nucleotide sequences were determined after sub-cloning into the pGEM-Teasy vector. Authentic marker nucleotides were estimated by the analysis of ClastalW based on the entire nrDNA-ITS sequence. Results : In comparative analysis of the nrDNA-ITS sequences, we found specific nucleotide sequences including indels (insertions and deletions) and substitutions to distinguish C. chinensis, S. spenanthera, S. nigra, and K. japonica. These sequence differences at corresponding positions are avaliable nucleotide markers to determine the botanical origin of O-mi-ja. Moreover, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationship of four plant species by the analysis of nrDNA-ITS sequences. Conclusions : These marker nucleotides would be useful to identify the official herbal medicines by the providing of definitive information that can identify each plant species and distinguish it from unauthentic adulterants for O-mi-ja.

• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2007

The fruits showing brown rot symptom on dwarf flowering almond were found in Gongju, Chungchungnam-Do in Korea in July 2005. Small water-soaked lesions on the fruits were initiated, and gradually developed to soft rot covered with gray conidia. Then the diseased fruits were shrunk and became grayish-black mummies. A fungus was isolated from the diseased fruit and its morphological, cultural and molecular genetic characteristics were investigated. Typical blastospores of Monilinia spp. were observed under a light microscope both from tissues of the diseased fruits and from PDA-grown cultures. The fungus grew well at $25^{\circ}C$ and on PDA. The ITS ribosomal DNA region (650 bp) of the fungus was amplified by PCR and analyzed. Comparative data on ITS sequence homology among Monilinia spp., ITS sequence-based phylogram and morphological characteristics showed that the fungus is Monilinia fructicola. This is the first report on Monilinia fructicola causing brown rot on fruits of dwarf flowering almond in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.427-435
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• 2018

In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from the surface-sterilized roots of Calanthe discolor and Cephalanthera longibracteata collected from the Chungnam, Jeju, Kyungnam and Chungbuk provinces in Korea. The morphological characteristics of the obtained isolates were examined and their sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region were analyzed using the ITS1F and ITS4 primers for species identification. Leptodontidium orchidcola showed the highest species abundance and frequency among the isolated endophytic fungi. Additionally, the community analysis revealed a high specificity between the host plants and the endophytic fungal species.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2000

ITSI-5.8S-ITSII rDNA region was amplified from the reference strains and clinical isolates with ITS1 and ITS4 primers. These primers amplified DNA fragments of 550 bp in Microsporum audouinii and Trichophyton violaceum, 700 bp in Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton tonsurans, and 750 bp in Microsporum ferreugineum and Microsporum canis. The restriction enzyme patterns of PCR products digested with 13 restriction enzyme including PstI were distint among the genera, whereas identical in the same species. Examination of the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacers)1 nucleotide sequence revealed that there was the genetic difference in each genera and species. Phylogenetic relationship among each species showed that the Trichophyton mentagrophytes was more closely related Trichophyton tonsurans than Trichophyton rubrum, and Microsporum gypseum was less related than Microsporum spp..

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 1999

The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a cytosolic protein that binds the environmental pollutant, dioxin. The liganded AhR translocates into the nucleus where it heterimerizes with a constitutive nuclear protein, AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt). The N-terminal regions of both AhR and Arnt contain basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and Per-AhR-Arnt-Sim (PAS) motifs that are required for DNA binding, dimerization, and ligand binding whereas the C-terminal regions of both AhR and Arnt contain transactivation domains. Here, results from the mammalian two-hybrid system indicate that Arnt can make a homodimer but AhR cannot. In the presence of dioxin, the interaction between AhR and Arnt is stronger than that of the Arnt homodimer, suggesting that Arnt prefers to make a heterodimer with the liganded AhR rather than a homodimer. Transfection analyses using the GAL4-driven reporter system suggest that AhR's N-terminal region represses its own transactivation domain, as well as exogenous transactivation domains such as Sp 1 and VP16. Interestingly, the repressed transactivation domains of AhR are activated by ligand-dependent heterodimerization with Arnt. These observations suggest that heterodimerzation with Arnt is necessary not only for DNA binding but also for activation of the repressed transactivation capability of AhR.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.360-362
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• 1997

A transposon Tn5 mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 was isolated for its impaired ability of growth on minimal medium containing ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyric acid as a sole carbon source. The mutant, R. sphaeroides S7 showed approximately 6-fold decrease in ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity compared with that of wild type. In R. sphaeroides S7 the Tn5 was located in DNA region corresponding to a 4.2-kb EcoRI DNA fragment of R. sphaeroides 2.4.1 chromosome.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 2006

Twenty isolates of Didymella bryoniae were isolated from infected cucurbit plants in various growing areas of southern Korea in 2001 and 2002. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) group [RG] I of D. bryoniae was more virulent than RG IV to watermelon. Virulence of the RG I isolate was strong to moderate to cucumber, whereas that of the RG IV varied from strong, moderate to weak. Two hundred seventy-three amplified fragments were produced with 40 primers, and were analyzed by a cluster analysis using UPGMA method with an arithmetic average program of NTSYSPC. At the distance level of 0.7, two major genomic DNA RAPD groups were differentiated among 20 isolates. The RG I included 7 isolates from watermelon and one isolate from melon, whereas the RG IV included 12 isolates from squash, cucumber, watermelon and melon. Amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and small subunit rRNA region from the 20 isolates yielded respectively a single fragment. Restriction pattern with 12 restriction enzymes was identical for all isolates tested, suggesting that variation in the ITS and small subunit within the D. bryoniae were low. Amplification of the genomic DNAs of the tested isolates with the sequence characterized amplified regions (SCAR) primer RG IF-RG IR specific for RG I group resulted in a single band of 650bp fragment for 8 isolates out of the 20 isolates. Therefore, these 8 isolates could be assigned into RG I. The same experiments done with RG IIF-RG IIR resulted in no amplified PCR product for the 20 isolates tested. An about 1.4 kb-fragment amplified from the RG IV isolates was specifically hybridized with PCR fragments amplified from genomic DNAs of the RG IV isolates only, suggesting that this PCR product could be used for discriminating the RG IV isolates from the RG I isolates as well other fungal species.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.4 s.140
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• pp.343-353
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• 2006

Giardia intestinalis infections arise primarily from contaminated food or water Zoonotic transmission is possible, and at least 7 major assemblages including 2 assemblages recovered from humans have been identified. The determination of the genotype of G. intestinalis is useful not only for assessing the correlation of clinical symptoms and genotypes, but also for finding the infection route and its causative agent in epidemiological studies. In this study, methods to identify the genotypes more specifically than the known 2 genotypes recovered from humans have been developed using the intergenic spacer (IGS) region of rDNA. The IGS region contains varying sequences and is thus suitable for comparing isolates once they are classified as the same strain. Genomic DNA was extracted from cysts isolated from the feces of 5 Chinese, 2 Laotians and 2 Koreans infected with G. intestinalis and the trophozoites of WB, K1, and GS strains cultured in the laboratory, respectively. The rDNA containing the IGS region was amplified by PCR and cloned. The nucleotide sequence of the 3' end of IGS region was determined and examined by multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Based on the nucleotide sequence of the IGS region, 13 G. intestinalis isolates were classified to assemblages A and B, and assemblage A was subdivided into A1 and A2. Then, the primers specific to each assemblage were designed, and PCR was peformed using those primers. It detected as little as 10 pg of DNA, and the PCR amplified products with the specific length to each assemblage (A1, 176bp; A2, 261 bp; B, 319 bp) were found. The PCR specific to 3 assemblages of G. intestinalis did not react with other bacteria or protozoans, and it did not react with G. intestinalis isolates obtained from dogs and rats. It was thus confirmed that by applying this PCR method amplifying the IGS region, the detection of G. intestinalis and its genotyping can be determined simultaneously.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.521-527
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• 2007

Several yeast strains degrading malic acid as a sole carbon and energy source were isolated from Korean wine pomace after enrichment culture in the presence of malic acid. Among them, the strain designated as KMBL 5774 showed the highest malic acid degrading ability. It was identified as Issatchenkia orientalis based on its morphological and physiological characteristics as well as the nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1-5.8S rDNA-ITS II region. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS I-5.8S rDNA-ITS II sequences showed that the KMBL 5774 is the closest to I. orientalis zhuan 192. Identity of the sequences of the KMBL 5774 was 99.5% with those of I. orientalis zhuan 192. The optimal pH of the media for the growth and malic acid degradation by the yeast was between 2.0 and 3.0, suggesting that the strain is an acidophile. Under the optimized conditions, the yeast could degrade 95.5% of the malic acid after 24 h of incubation at $30^{\circ}C$ in YNB media containing 2% malic acid as a sole carbon and energy source.