Aphis gossypii is a representative pest that transmits plant viral diseases. It is difficult to control with chemical pesticides alone due to their high pesticide resistance. Entomopathogenic fungi are biological control agents that can replace chemical pesticides and have characteristics of high host specificity and safety to humans. Therefore, we investigated the immune pathways of aphids against initial infection by entomopathogenic fungus. We treated aphids with the Beauveria bassiana JEF 544 strain and examined the immune response in early infection by qPCR. furthermore, we also studied changes the molting time of nymphs and changes in adult nymphal production caused by entomopathogenic fungi.

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.

현재 주요 수목병해 방제는 육안조사 등을 기반으로 한 현장조사를 통해 실시 되고 있으나, 목적 달성에 있어 그 효율성 높지 않다. 수목병의 예찰 방법을 고도화하고 적기방제를 통해 그 피해를 저감시키기 위해, 본 연구는 메타지놈 분석을 이용하여 두릅나무에서의 곰팡이 다양성을 조사하였다. 속(Genus) 수준에서 메타지놈 분석결과 총 20개의 곰팡이 상이 해당 재배지 내 두릅나무에 분포하는 것으로 확인되었다. 그 중, Alternaria속과 Puccinia속이 우점하는 것으로 조사되었으며, 이는 두릅나무 재배지 내 전체에서 개체별로 일관되게 나타났으며, 특히 해당 재배지 내 두릅나무 녹병이 우점적으로 발생함이 확인되었다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 두릅나무에서의 주요 곰팡이 다양성에 대한 스크리닝과 함께 주요 또는 잠재적 수목병원균류를 대상으로 메타지놈 기법으로 확인할 수 있음을 본 연구결과를 통해 확인되었다.

The ladybird beetles have been used as biological control agents against several pest species. The aim of this study is to evaluate the compatibility between ladybird beetles and an entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin AAD16. The virulence of AAD16 strain was compared with that of commercial GHA strain on three developmental stages of two coccinellids; Harmonia axyridis Pallas and Chilocorus stigma Say. The topical application method was used for both adult and larval stage while dipping method was used for egg stage. The LT50 and mycosis rate for all life stages of two ladybird beetles tested were not significant between AAD16 and GHA strain. In larval stage, the mycosis rates of H. axyridis and C. stigma were 36 and 40% and 63 and 60% in AAD16 and GHA strain. In adult stage, the mycosis rates of H. axyridis (male and female) and C. stigma (unsexed) were 20, 23, and 23% and 26, 30, and 30% in AAD16 and GHA strain, respectively. Therefore, the two predatory coccinellids could be compatible with these two fungus strains due to their relatively lower mycosis rate.

This study was conducted to develop a renewable and sustainable bio-material to replace polystyrene (EPS) in fungal-mycelium-based composite using agricultural by-products. Four mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum, Fomitella fraxinea, Phellinus linteus, and Schizophyllum commune) were cultured in an oak sawdust plus rice bran substrate to select the mushroom with the best growth. The mycelia of G. lucidum showed the best growth. To investigate the optimal mixing ratio with spent mushroom substrate (SM) and oak sawdust (OS), samples were prepared by mixing SM and OS at ratios of 50%:50%, 60%:40%, and 80%:20% (w/w). Each substrate was then inoculated with G. lucidum. G. lucidum showed the best mycelial growth of 140.0 mm in the substrate with SM and OS mixed at a 60%:40% ratio. It was also found that the substrate with SM and OS mixed at a 60%:40% ratio had the best handling properties. The compressive strength of mycelial materials inoculated with G. lucidum was in the range of 300–302 kgf mm-1, and the materials were four times stronger than polystyrene materials. These results indicate that substrates comprising spent mushroom substrate mixed with oak sawdust can be successfully upcycled to mycelium-based composite materials using G. lucidum. This represents a sustainable approach.

Fungi are organisms that must be monitored and controlled in order to preserve valuable paper records. They reduce the quality of paper records by degradation and/or discoloration. As an effort to understand fungal contamination in the National Archives of Korea, the concentration of fungi in the indoor air of the unsterilized record rooms has been reported. However, what species are present in the facilities is not much known. In the present study, we examined the fungi isolated from the National Archives of Korea and found among them that there are fungal species which are newly documented in Korea. They were identified based on morphological properties and nucleotide sequences analysis of the polymerase chain reaction-amplified the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA, calmodulin gene, and beta-tubulin gene. We report Cladosporium parahalotolerans, Cladosporium subuliforme, Ochroconis mirabilis, Penicillium angulare, and Penicillium fundyense as new instances of fungal species in Korea. Among these five species, P. angulare is known to able to produce cellulase and O. mirabilis as an opportunistic pathogen of human and animals.

This study measured the suspended fungal concentration in indoor multiple facilities nationwide. The regions were selected as representative cities by region: Seoul, Gyeonggi (Incheon), Gangwon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Busan. A total of 2028 regional comparisons, including department stores, schools, public toilets, libraries, and banks, subway, sports facilities and comparative analysis were conducted for each multi-use facility industry. Among the nationwide, Among the regions, the average concentration of floating mold in indoor multi-use facilities was the lowest in Busan at 394.67 CFU/m3, followed by Gyeonggi and Incheon 487.90 CFU/m3, Seoul 542.84 CFU/m3, Daejeon 809.30 CFU/m3, Gangwon 1,145.22 CFU/m3, Gwangju was 1,371.10 CFU/m3 in the order. Busan was the lowest, and Gangwon was the highest. The reason that Busan, which has a high average temperature and population density, shows a lower mold concentration than Gangwon, is that floating mold in the indoor air is not affected by the external atmospheric environment, population density, and number of facility users. Although it cannot be said that there is no influence of the atmospheric environment, it was found that the indoor environment has different characteristics from the outdoor environment. The importance of air quality management has been confirmed, and further, it is necessary to subdivide the management standards by region and multi-use facilities, and the management standards need to be converted to maintenance rather than recommendations.

시판 유통 중인 건조 인삼류(백삼 24점, 홍삼 26점) 포 장 제품을 수집하여 곰팡이 발생 조사를 수행하였다. 백 삼과 홍삼은 각각 50%와 46%의 시료에서 곰팡이가 검출 되었고 검출 시료의 평균 곰팡이 오염도는 각각 0.5와 0.2 log10 CFU/g이었다. 백삼에서는 Penicillium polonicum, P. chrysogenum, Rhizopus microsporus가 각각 18.2%로 우점하 였으나 홍삼은 Aspergillus spp.이 87.6%로 우점하였으며 이 중 A. chevalieri가 50.0%로 가장 높았다. 이 중 독성 종으로 알려진 P. polonicum, P. chrysogenum, P. melanoconidium, A. chevalieri 균주의 citrinin 독소 생성 가능성을 분석한 결 과, 13 균주 모두 독소 유전자가 검출되지 않았다. 이 결 과는 조사한 시료의 곰팡이독소 오염 위험은 매우 낮지만, 건조 인삼류에 곰팡이 오염이 가능함을 보여준다.

Fungi have been known as an irritant or causal agent of asthma. Thus, information on their concentration and diversity in indoor air of asthmatic patient’s houses is valuable for the management of these micro-organisms. The present study was performed to investigate fungal concentration and diversity in indoor air of resident spaces in two adult patient’s houses in winter. Air samples were collected in February of 2018 from living rooms and bedrooms of two asthma patients’ houses located in two different places in Incheon city using an impaction method. The average concentrations of airborne fungi did not exceed the 500 CFU/m3 level which is recommended by the Enforcement Managements of the Indoor Air Quality, Ministry of Environment, Korea. A total of four genera and 23 species were identified based on morphological and molecular methods. Aspergillus and Penicillium were two major genera. Aspergillus pseudoglaucus and Penicillium citrinum were commonly found between the two patient’s houses. Among the identified fungi, three species, Aspergillus venenatus, Penicillium jamesonlandense, and Penicillium salami were found to be unrecorded species in Korea. The morphological and molecular characteristics of these three unrecorded species were described. Since these species produce spores well and a lot, they are considered to be a species that needs management. This study provides basic information on the fungi for indoor air quality management in the living spaces of asthma patients in winter in Korea.

새싹삼의 곰팡이 발생을 조사하기 위해 18점의 유통중 인 새싹삼을 수집하여 곰팡이 발생빈도를 분석하였다. 전체 시료의 총 곰팡이 발생빈도는 평균 113.3-174.1%였고 Penicillium spp.의 발생빈도가 가장 높았다. 곰팡이 발생 빈도는 이끼가 잎, 줄기, 뿌리보다 유의하게 높았다. 잎과 줄기에서는 Penicillium spp.이, 뿌리에서는 Fusarium spp.의 발생이 높았으며 각각의 우점종은 P. olsonii와 F. oxysporum으로 동정되었다. 계통발생학적 분석을 통해 Fusarium spp.은 총 9개 종, Aspergillus spp.은 A. westerdijkiae와 A. favus, Penicillium spp.은 총 11개 종이 동정되었다. 곰팡이독소 생성 종으로 알려진 25균주의 독소형을 PCR로 검정한 결과 19점의 균주에서 각 독소형이 확인되었다. 이 중 A. flavus 2점과 A. westerdijkiae 11 점이 aflatoxin과 ochratoxin A을 각각 생성하였고 일부 균주는 높은 독소생성능을 보였다. 이 결과는 새싹삼 생산에 있어 곰팡이 발생에 대한 지속적인 모니터링 및 관리방안이 필요함을 시사하였다.