Hye Yeon Mun

Evaluation of insecticidal activity of a bacterial strain, Serratia sp. EML-SE1 against diamondback moth

To identify novel bioinsecticidal agents, a bacterial strain, Serratia sp. EML-SE1, was isolated from a dead larva of the lepidopteran diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) collected from a cabbage field in Korea. In this study, the insecticidal activity of liquid cultures in Luria-Bertani broth (LBB) and nutrient broth (NB) of a bacterial strain, Serratia sp. EML-SE1 against thirty 3rd and 4th instar larvae of the diamondback moth was investigated on a Chinese cabbage leaf housed in a round plastic cage (Ø 10×6 cm). 72 h after spraying the cabbage leaf with LBB and NB cultures containing the bacterial strain, the mortalities of the larvae were determined to be 91.7% and 88.3%, respectively. In addition, the insecticidal activity on potted cabbage containing 14 leaves in a growth cage (165×83×124 cm) was found to be similar to that of the plastic cage experiment. The results of this study provided valuable information on the insecticidal activity of the liquid culture of a Serratia species against the diamondback moth.

Characterization of Two New Records of Zygomycete Species Belonging to Undiscovered Taxa in Korea.

Abstract During a biodiversity survey of undiscovered taxa in Korea, two zygomycetous fungal strains were isolated. The first strain, EML-FSDY6-1 was isolated from a soil sample collected at Dokdo Island in the East Sea of Korea in 2013, and the second strain, EML-DG-NH3-1 was isolated from a rat dung sample collected at Chonnam National University garden, Gwangju, Korea in 2014. Based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, 18S and 28S rDNA, actin and translation elongation factor-1α genes. EML-FSDY6-1 and EML-DG-NH3-1 isolates were confirmed as zygomycete species, Absidia pseudocylindrospora and Absidia glauca, respectively. Neither species has previously been described in Korea.

Confirmation of Two Undescribed Fungal Species from Dokdo of Korea Based on Current Classification System Using Multi Loci

Abstract Using dilution plating method, 47 fungal isolates were obtained from a soil sample collected from Dokdo in the East Sea of Korea in 2013. In this study, two fungal isolates, EML-MFS30-1 and EML-DDSF4, were confirmed as undescribed species, Metarhizium guizhouense and Mortierella oligospora in Korea based on current classification system using multi loci including rDNA internal transcribed spacer, large subunit, small subunit, and β-tubulin (BTUB) genes. Herein, detailed morphological descriptions on characters of the undescribed fungal species as well as their molecular phylogenetic status are provided with comparisons to related species.

A New Record of Penicillium raphiae Isolated from Agricultural Soil of Ulleung Island, Korea.

Abstract A fungal isolate EML-NCP01 was recovered from agricultural soil in Ulleung Island, Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer and β-tubulin genes identified the isolate as the Penicillium species P. raphiae. Morphologically, the EML-NCP01 isolate was identical to the previous description of P. raphiae. The species presented here has not been reported in Korea.

First Report of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) Crown Rot Caused by Fusarium solani in Korea

In August 2010, a severe crown rot was observed on chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., variety Sinro) in several greenhouses located at Damyang and Muan, Jeonnam province, Korea. Three isolates (EML-CHS1, -CHS2, and -CHS3) of Fusarium were isolated from the affected plants and identified based on morphological characteristics and rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis. Sequence analysis by BLAST indicated that EMLCHS1, -CHS2 and CHS3 were closest to a Fusarium species, F. solani with > 99% sequence similarity. Pathogenicity tests were performed on chrysanthemum with spore suspensions containing 3.4 × 10(6) spores/ml using the dipping method. Ten days after inoculation, similar symptoms to those observed in the greenhouses were seen on the inoculated plants. The causal fungus was reisolated from the artificially inoculated basal stems, fulfilling Koch`s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of crown rot by Fusarium solani on chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) in Korea.