Fungal contaminant in the indoor air is one of risk factors that could damage valuable paper-based records preserved in libraries. In the process of monitoring airborne fungi at the Nara Repository, the National Archives, Seoul, Korea, three fungal strains, DUCC 16098, DUCC 17764, and DUCC17767 were isolated from the archive’s air samples. Fungal identification was performed based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the 28S LSU rDNA, and β-tubulin gene (BenA), and TEF1-α gene. These DUCC 16098, DUCC 17764 and DUCC17767 strains were identified as Clonostachys farinosa, Penicillium cosmopolitanum, and Cephalotrichum purpureofuscum. These species have not been recorded before in Korea. Information on these fungi will help the monitoring and management of airborne fungi in the archival facilities.

Air conditioner filters purify the air of indoor environments by removing air pollutants and supporting the efficiency of the unit’s cooling function. However, an air conditioner filter can become a microenvironment in which some fungi can grow as dust continues to accumulate and favorable humidity conditions are formed. Fungal growth in air conditioner filters could lead to fungal allergies or fungal diseases, in addition to emitting a foul odor. In an effort to understand what species causes this malodorous problem, we investigated the diversity of fungi found in air conditioners. Fungi were sampled from the collected air conditioner filters and grown on DG18 agar media. After purification for pure isolates, species identification was undertaken. Colony morphology was observed on PDA, MEA, CYA, and OA media. Microstructures of fruiting body, mycelia, and spores were examined using a light microscope. Molecular identification was performed by PCR and sequencing of PCR amplicons, and molecular phylogenetic analysis of sequenced DNA markers, including the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), the 28S large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), the β-tubulin (BenA) gene, the Calmodulin (CaM) gene, and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2) gene. Through this identification process, we found two fungal species, Aspergillus miraensis and Dichotomopilus ramosissimus, which are unrecorded species in Korea. We will now report their morphological and molecular features.

To understand microorganism effects on wild mushroom fruiting bodies, we investigated the fungi in hyphosphere soil supporting wild mushroom species Cortinarius violaceus, Amanita hemibapha, Laccaria vinacelavellanea, and Amanita verna found in the Gotjawal area of Jeju Island. Fungal species identification based on morphological traits and molecular analysis of ITS, LSU rDNA, and -tubulin gene sequences resulted in isolation and identification of eleven fungal species previously unrecorded in Korea. These newly-recorded species are: Arthrinium kogelbergensis, Kalmusia longisporum, Keithomyces carneum, Neopyrenochaeta cercidis, Penicillium ranomafanaense, Phomatodes nebulosa, Pyrenochaeta nobilis, Tolypocladium album, Talaromyces kendrickii, Talaromyces qii, and Umbelopsis gibberispora, and their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic positions are described.

Korea National Arboretum (KNA) is located in Gwangneung forest, between Namyangju-si and Pocheon-si, in Gyeonggi province. In KNA, there are 15 specialized plant gardens. The woody plants of 1,863 species and the herbaceous plants of 1,481 species have been maintained in these gardens for 500 years. KNA have suitable environments for fungal growth. Despite floral diversity in there, the intensive researches on fungal flora have not been studied to date. Therefore, in order to get informations on fungal flora, regular field trips were made to this area and fresh fungal specimens were collected from there for 48 days from May in 2007 to November in 2010. Total 1,522 higher fungal specimens were collected in Gwangneung forest. All the collected specimens were identified and classified in 8 classes, 19 orders, 69 families, 267 genera and 454 species, and deposited in the herbarium of Korea National Arboretum (KNA). Among the identified specimens, sixteenspecies were confirmed as new to Korea as follows: Cudoniella acicularis, Discina ancilis, Helvella costifera, Entoloma cephalotrichum, Entoloma lepidissimum, Mycena leptocephala, Naematoloma gracile, Sistotrema octosporum, Hydnellum peckii, Lachnellula calyciformis, Amanita cockeri f. roseotinctata, Micromphale foetidum, Mycena corynephora, Clitocybe lateritia, Physisporinus vitreus, and Datronia stereoides. Literature cited 1. 김현중, 한상국. 2008. 광릉의 버섯. 국립수목원. 420pp. 2. 今關六也, 本鄕次雄. 1987. 原色日本菌類圖鑑(I). 保育社. 325pp. 3. Breitenbach, J. and Kränzlin, Fred. 1984. Fungi of Switzerland: 1. Ascomycetes. Mykologia Luzern. 310pp. 4. Breitenbach, J. and Kränzlin, Fred. 1986. Fungi of Switzerland: 2. Non gilled fungi. Mykologia Luzern. 412pp. 5. Breitenbach, J. and Kränzlin, Fred. 1995. Fungi of Switzerland: 4. Agarics 2nd part. Mykologia Luzern. 368pp. 6. Singer, R. 1986. The Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy. Koeltz Scientific Books. 7. Smith, A. H., Smith, H. V. and Weber N. S. 1979. How to know the gilled mushrooms. Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers. pp. 27, 263, 286-287.