• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.168-175
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• 2007

We report here on the cultivation of numerous novel bacterial species from a eutrophic freshwater pond. A total of 60 strains, 15 strains per each culture medium, were obtained from the surface of a eutrophic freshwater pond by employing a conventional dilution-plating method with four different kinds of culture media, including R2A, 1/10R2A, PCA, and 1/10PCA. Among the 60 strains isolated, 27 strains showed less than 97% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to validly published species, and thus they are considered to comprise 19 novel species. Of the 27 strains assigned to the novel species, the majority of the strains (20 strains) were affiliated with the Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. The remaining 7 strains were affiliated with the Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Deinococci. Because we have isolated 19 novel species from a usual freshwater pond using a conventional culturing technique, our results suggest that an unexplored ecosystem, even if it looks like a common ecosystem found elsewhere, harbors diverse unidentified microbes, which will be definitely further characterized.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.521-526
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• 2021

Three isolates belonging to the ascomycetous genus Zygotorulaspora were obtained from the fruits of Cornus officinalis and Smilax china, and flowers of Dendranthema zawadskii var. latilobum in Gongju-si, Korea. Phylogenetic Analyses of the LSU D1/D2 domain and ITS region sequences supported the recognition of two new species: Zygotorulaspora cornina sp. nov. (type strain NIBRFGC000500475 = KACC93346P^PP) and Zygotorulaspora smilacis sp. nov. (type strain NIBRFGC000500476 = KACC93347P^PP). The two novel species revealed no growth on D-Galactose, unlike the other six species in the genus Zygotorulaspora. They are distinguished from each other by their phylogenetic differences and phenotypic characteristics such as assimilation of xylitol, 5-keto-D-gluconate, and ethanol. All species in the genus Zygotorulaspora including the two novel species have phenotypic traits of genus Zygotorulaspora: asci are persistent, sucrose and raffinose are assimilated, and m-inositol is not required for growth, and they are mainly associated with plants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2021

During the screening of Korean microflora, a fungal strain (KNU-PT-1804) belonging to the genus Pestalotiopsis was isolated from persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki) bark collected from North Gyeongsang Province, Korea. The strain, KNU-PT-1804, produced smaller conidia compared with related species P. kenyana, P. neglecta, and P. telopeae. The novelty of the strain was confirmed based on phylogenetic analysis using molecular datasets of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, β-tubulin (TUB2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α) genes. Molecular phylogeny strongly supports that the strain is distinct from previously known Pestalotiopsis species, and we proposed the novel species, Pestalotiopsis kaki sp. nov., and provide a detailed description and illustration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.135-149
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• 2015

Korean fir(Abies koreana E.H.Wilson 1920), endemic tree species of Korean peninsula, is considered as vulnerable and endangered species to recent rapid environmental changes such as land use and climate change. There are limited activities and efforts to find natural habitats of Korean fir for conservation of the species and habitats. In this study, by applying SDMs (Species Distribution Models) based on climate and topographic factors of Korean fir, we developed Korean fir's predicted distribution model and explored novel natural habitats. In Mt. Shinbulsan, Youngnam region and Mt. Songnisan, we could find korean fir's two novel habitat and the former was the warmest($13^{\circ}C$ in annual mean temperature), the driest(1,200mm~1,600mm in annual rainfall) and relatively low altitude environment among Korean fir's habitats in Korea. The result of SDMs did not include mountain areas of Gangwon-do as habitats of A. nephrolepis, because there were different contributions of key habitat environment factors, summer rainfall, winter mean temperature and winter rainfall, between A. koreana and A. nephrolepis. Our results raise modification of other distribution models on Korean fir. Novel habitat of Korean fir in Mt. Shinbulsan revealed similar habitat affinity of the species, ridgy and rocky site, with other habitats in Korea. Our results also suggest potential areas for creation of Korea fir's alternative habitats through species reintroduction in landscape and ecosystem level.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2022

Cyanobacteria are distributed worldwide, and many new cyanobacterial species are discovered in tropical region. The Nostoc-like genus Amazonocrinis has been separated from the genus Nostoc based on polyphasic methods. However, species diversity within this genus remains poorly understood systematically because only one species (Amazonocrinis nigriterrae) has been described. In this study, two novel strains (NUACC02 and NUACC03) were isolated from moist rice field soil in Thailand. These two strains were characterized using a polyphasic approach, based on morphology, 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, internal transcribed spacer secondary structure and ecology. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that the two novel strains formed a monophyletic clade related to the genus Amazonocrinis and were distant from the type species A. nigriterrae. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (<98.1%) between novel strains and all other closely related taxa including the Amazonocrinis members exceeded the cutoff for species delimitation in bacteriology, reinforcing the presence of a new Amazonocrinis species. Furthermore, the novel strains possessed unique phenotypic characteristics such as the presence of the sheath, necridia-like cells, larger cell dimension and akinete cell arrangement in long-chains and the singularity of D1-D1', Box-B, V2, and V3 secondary structures that distinguished them from other Amazonocrinis members. Considering all the results, we described our two strains as Amazonocrinis thailandica sp. nov. in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.197-214
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• 2019

The taxonomic hierarchy of the phylum Proteobacteria was assessed, after which the isolation and classification state of Proteobacteria species with valid names for Korean indigenous isolates were studied. The hierarchical taxonomic system of the phylum Proteobacteria began in 1809 when the genus Polyangium was first reported and has been generally adopted from 2001 based on the road map of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. Until February 2018, the phylum Proteobacteria consisted of eight classes, 44 orders, 120 families, and more than 1,000 genera. Proteobacteria species isolated from various environments in Korea have been reported since 1999, and 644 species have been approved as of February 2018. In this study, all novel Proteobacteria species from Korean environments were affiliated with four classes, 25 orders, 65 families, and 261 genera. A total of 304 species belonged to the class Alphaproteobacteria, 257 species to the class Gammaproteobacteria, 82 species to the class Betaproteobacteria, and one species to the class Epsilonproteobacteria. The predominant orders were Rhodobacterales, Sphingomonadales, Burkholderiales, Lysobacterales and Alteromonadales. The most diverse and greatest number of novel Proteobacteria species were isolated from marine environments. Proteobacteria species were isolated from the whole territory of Korea, with especially large numbers from the regions of Chungnam/Daejeon, Gyeonggi/Seoul/Incheon, and Jeonnam/Gwangju. Most Halomonadaceae species isolated from Korean fermented foods and solar salterns were halophilic or halotolerant. Air-borne members of the genera Microvirga, Methylobacterium, and Massilia had common characteristics in terms of G+C content, major respiratory quinones, and major polar lipids.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.126-137
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• 2011

Although Sumunmulbangdui wetland at the Halla Mountain in Jeju Island, a kind of montane wetlands, has been considered to bear high biodiversity, no study has been reported on the bacterial diversity. In this study, soil and water samples were collected from the wetland in order to isolate novel bacterial species. Bacterial strains belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were isolated after spreading soil and water samples onto solid agar media. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains assigned to the three phyla were compared to those of type strains of the species in the phyla. The strains that showed less than 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the validly published species were considered to be novel species candidates. A total of 32 strains were regarded as novel species candidates in the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Diversity of novel species candidates was very low; the candidates were confined to only few genera. In the Bacteroidetes, 13 novel candidate species were affiliated with the genera Mucilaginibacter, Sphingobacterium, Pedobacter, Flavobacterium, and Chryseobacterium. A total of 13 novel candidate species that assigned to the genera Paenibacillus Lysinibacillus, and Bacillus were identified in the phylum Firmicutes. Only two candidate species that belonged to the genera Mycobacterium and Nocardia were excavated in the Actinobacteria. Cultural, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics have been determined for the novel species candidates, and the characteristics are described in this study.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.144-153
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• 2011

In this study, samples were collected from the Sumummulbangdui wetland at the Halla Mountain in Jeju Island in order to isolate novel bacterial strain. Bacterial strains belonging to the class Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria were isolated after spreading samples onto solid agar media. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains assigned to the two classes were compared to those of type strains of the species. The strains that showed less than 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the validly published species were considered to be novel species candidates. A total of 19 strains were regarded as novel strains which can be regarded as novel species candidates. In the Alphaproteobacteria, 6 novel strains were affiliated with the genera Novosphingobium, and Rhizobium. A total of 13 novel strains belong to Gammaproteobacteria that assigned to the family Moraxellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae were identified. Cultural, physiological, chemotaxonomic characteristics and fatty acids compositions have been determined for the novel species candidates, and the characteristics are described in this study.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2020

Two fungal species of ascomycetes were discovered during the screening of soil microflora from the Gangwon Province in Korea: Didymella chlamydospora sp. nov. (YW23-14) and Microdochium salmonicolor sp. nov. (NC14-294). Morphologically, YW23-14 produces smaller chlamydospores (8.0-17.0 × 7.0-15.0 ㎛) than D. glomerata and D. musae. The strain NC14-294 was characterized by smaller conidiogenous cells (4.9-8.8 × 2.0-3.2 ㎛) compared with the closest strains M. fisheri and M. phragmitis. The detailed descriptions, illustrations, and discussions regarding the morphological and phylogenetical analyses of the closely related species are provided to support the novelty of each species. Thus, YW23-14 and NC14-294 are described here as newly discovered species.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.302-316
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• 2022

Many Apiospora species have been isolated from bamboo plants - to date, 34 bambusicolous Apiospora species have been recorded. They are known as saprophytes, endophytes, and plant pathogens. In this study, 242 bambusicolous Apiospora were isolated from various bamboo materials (branches, culms, leaves, roots, and shoots) and examined using DNA sequence similarity based on the internal transcribed spacer, 28S large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, and beta-tubulin regions. Nine Apiospora species (Ap. arundinis, Ap. camelliae-sinensis, Ap. hysterina, Ap. lageniformis sp. nov., Ap. paraphaeosperma, Ap. pseudohyphopodii sp. nov., Ap. rasikravindrae, Ap. saccharicola, and Ap. sargassi) were identified via molecular analysis. Moreover, the highest diversity of Apiospora was found in culms, and the most abundant species was Ap. arundinis. Among the nine Apiospora species, two (Ap. hysterina and Ap. paraphaeosperma) were unrecorded in Korea, and the other two species (Ap. lageniformis sp. nov. and Ap. pseudohyphopodii sp. nov.) were potentially novel species. Here, we describe the diversity of bambusicolous Apiospora species in bamboo organs, construct a multi-locus phylogenetic tree, and delineate morphological features of new bambusicolous Apiospora in Korea.