Strengthening the Korean Network of Microbial Culture Collections in the Microbiome Era.

Microbes are critical contributors in main areas of biotechnology, including green, red, and white biotechnology. This is why the importance of the preservation of microbial resources cannot be emphasized enough. Culture collections are repositories not only for the preservation and maintenance of a large variety of microbial resources and the associated data but also for their distribution in a quality-controlled manner. The mission of culture collections facilitates and supports utilization of microbial resources for research, education, and industrial purposes. Led by the World Federation for Culture Collections, an international organization committed to fostering the activities of culture collections of microorganisms and cell lines, more than 850 culture collections from 80 countries and regions work together to ensure the perpetuation of microbial resources. In addition, domestic networks, such as Japan Society for Culture Collections and United States Culture Collection Network along with regional networks for Europe, Latin America, and Asia thrive to ensure the long-term viability of microbial resources. The Republic of Korea recently took the first step in networking through the coordination of six ministries which house nine national microbial culture collections. With an explosion in microbiome research and a dramatic increase in the number of microbiome samples, the considerable challenge of culture collections will therefore be implementing the biobanking infrastructure of microbiome samples. Creating a domestic network of national culture collections is a key factor in efficiently and comprehensively managing nation-led microbiome research projects, particularly resulting microbiome samples. In this context, this review aims to provide an overview of microbial culture collection network and their future role to address the challenge in the microbiome era.

Re-identification of Korean Isolates in the Colletotrichum dematium, C. magnum, C. orchidearum, and C. orbiculare Species Complexes.

A large number of species in the genus Colletotrichum have been reported as causal agents of anthracnose on crops and wild plants in Korea. Many Colletotrichum isolates from the country preserved in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) were previously identified based on host plants and morphological characteristics, and it may lead to species misidentification. Thus, accurate fungal species identification using multilocus sequence analyses is essential for understanding disease epidemiology and disease management strategies. In this study, combined DNA sequence analyses of internal transcribed spacer, gapdh, chs-1, his3, act, tub2, and gs were applied to re-identify 27 Colletotrichum isolates in KACC. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the isolates resulted in 11 known species, they belong to the C. dematium species complex (C. hemerocallidis, C. jinshuiense, and C. spinaciae), the C. magnum complex (C. kaifengense and C. cf. ovatense), the C. orchidearum complex (C. cattleyicola, C. plurivorum, C. reniforme, and C. sojae) and the C. orbiculare complex (C. malvarum and C. orbiculare). Of them, C. cattleyicola, C. hemerocallidis, C. kaifengense, and C. reniforme were unrecorded species in Korea. In the view of host-fungus combinations, 10 combinations are newly reported in the world and 12 are new reports in Korea, although their pathogenicity on the host was not confirmed.

Advances in functional studies of plant MYC transcription factors.

Myelocytomatosis (MYC) transcription factors (TFs) belong to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family in plants and play a central role in governing a wide range of physiological processes. These processes encompass plant growth, development, adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as secondary metabolism. In recent decades, significant strides have been made in comprehending the multifaceted regulatory functions of MYCs. This advancement has been achieved through the cloning of MYCs and the characterization of plants with MYC deficiencies or overexpression, employing comprehensive genome-wide 'omics' and protein-protein interaction technologies. MYCs act as pivotal components in integrating signals from various phytohormones' transcriptional regulators to orchestrate genome-wide transcriptional reprogramming. In this review, we have compiled current research on the role of MYCs as molecular switches that modulate signal transduction pathways mediated by phytohormones and phytochromes. This comprehensive overview allows us to address lingering questions regarding the interplay of signals in response to environmental cues and developmental shift. It also sheds light on the potential implications for enhancing plant resistance to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses through genetic improvements achieved by plant breeding and synthetic biology efforts.

First Report of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot on Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne) in Korea.

The Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne), belongs to the Rosaceae family, is widely distributed throughout Asia, including Republic of Korea. It is used as a traditional treatment for asthma, common cold, and dry pharynx. Numerous recent pharmacological studies on antiinfluenza, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties have confirmed the medicinal properties of the Chinese quince fruit (Chun et al., 2012). In March 2022, leaf spots on Chinese quince, resulting in defoliation, were observed in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk Province, Korea (Fig. 1A). The disease symptoms are dark brown spots on leaves. Later, the chlorophyll is lost, causing the entire leaf to become wilted and fell off (Fig. 1B). To identify the pathogen, symptomatic leaves were brought to the laboratory, cut into small pieces, and surface-disinfected in 70% ethanol for 15 s and rinsed with sterile distilled water (SDW). The specimens were then treated with 1% NaOCl for 15 s, followed by rinsing with SDW. Thus, surface-disinfected tissues were placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates and incubated at 25°C for 7 d. A total of four isolates were obtained from the infected leaves. The colonies were transferred onto freshly prepared PDA plates by the single spore method for further purification. GYUN-10746 isolate was selected as the representative strain among the four isolates and deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC 410367). They initially produced white mycelia, which turned dark brown or pale brown at the center and beige at the periphery after 7 d (Fig. 1C and D). Conidiophores were pyriform, sometimes ovoid, or ellipsoidal and brown, measuring 30.8 ± 0.49 × 12.9 ± 0.26 µm (length × width) (n=100) (Fig. 1E). The morphological characteristics were consistent with those of Alternaria alternata (Woudenberg et al. 2015). For molecular identification, DNA was amplified using the following primers: ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone et al. 1999), Gpd-R/Gpd-F (Berbee et al. 1999), Alt a1-F/Alt a1-R (Hong et al. 2005) and rpb2F/rpb2R (Liu et al. 1999) by PCR. DNA sequences from all 4 isolates (GYUN-10746, GYUN-11193, GYUN-11194 and GYUN-11195) were identical. The ITS (OP594615), TEF1-α (OR327062), GAPDH (OR372157), Alt a 1 (OR327061), and RPB2 (OR352741) sequences from the representative isolate GYUN-10746 were 100% identical to those of previously identified A. alternate isolates. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using sequences of ITS, TEF1-α, GAPDH, Alt a l, and RPB2 to illustrate their relationship with A. alternata and related Alternaria species (Fig. 2). For the pathogenicity test, healthy Chinese quince branch containing leaves were inoculated with 7-day-old mycelial plugs of A. alternata, while leaves on a branch inoculated with PDA plugs alone served as a control group. Thus inoculated branches were incubated at 25°C for 7 d. Disease symptoms were developed on leaves of the branches inoculated with mycelial plugs of the fungal pathogen (Fig. 1F), while no symptoms developed on control group. The resulting leaf spots resembled those on the original infected plants. To confirm Koch's postulates, the pathogen was re-isolated from inoculated leaves with identical morphological and molecular characteristics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot caused by A. alternata in C. sinensis in Korea. The identification of the pathogen may provide pertinent information for the development of disease controlling strategies.

Mycoproteins and their health-promoting properties: Fusarium species and beyond.

Filamentous fungal mycoproteins have gained increasing attention as sustainable alternatives to animal and plant-based proteins. This comprehensive review summarizes the nutritional characteristics, toxicological aspects, and health-promoting effects of mycoproteins, focusing on those derived from filamentous fungi, notably Fusarium venenatum. Mycoproteins are characterized by their high protein content, and they have a superior essential amino acid profile compared to soybeans indicating excellent protein quality and benefits for human nutrition. Additionally, mycoproteins offer enhanced digestibility, further highlighting their suitability as a protein source. Furthermore, mycoproteins are rich in dietary fibers, which have been associated with health benefits, including protection against metabolic diseases. Moreover, their fatty acids profile, with significant proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids and absence of cholesterol, distinguishes them from animal-derived proteins. In conclusion, the future of mycoproteins as a health-promoting protein alternative and the development of functional foods relies on several key aspects. These include improving the acceptance of mycoproteins, conducting further research into their mechanisms of action, addressing consumer preferences and perceptions, and ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. To fully unlock the potential of mycoproteins and meet the evolving needs of a health-conscious society, continuous interdisciplinary research, collaboration among stakeholders, and proactive engagement with consumers will be vital.

Re-Identification of Aspergillus Subgenus Nidulantes Strains and Description of Three Unrecorded Species From Korea.

Aspergillus subgenus Nidulantes with nine section forms the second largest subgenus of the fungi that comes under the genus Aspergillus. Species in this group of fungi are important as they are reported to play several important roles in the environment including influencing air quality in confined spaces, food spoilage, production of mycotoxins as well as in human pathogenicity. In the present study, 53 strains of Aspergillus subgenus Nidulantes (section: Nidulantes & Usti) isolated from Korea and preserved at the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) were subjected to re-identification by using a combined dataset of partial ß-tubulin (BenA), Calmodulin (CaM) gene sequences as well as their morphological data. We confirmed 14 species from 53 isolates in Korea. Of them, eleven species were reported in Korea previously (A. amoenus, A. baeticus, A. calidoustus, A. creber, A. insuetus, A. jensenii, A. nidulans, A. protuberus, A. sydowii, A. tabacinus and A. unguis), and three species (A. griseoaurantiacus, A. puulaauensis and A. sublatus) were previously unreported from Korea. We detailed the characteristic features of these three species, that remain unexplored in Korea.

Lacticaseibacillus pabuli sp. nov., isolated from fermented cattle feed.

Strain BSF-3MT is a Gram-stain-positive, non-flagellated, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterium that was isolated from fermented feed collected at a cattle farm in the Daejeon region of the Republic of Korea. It was studied using polyphasic taxonomic methods. Using 16S rRNA gene sequences and the resulting phylogenetic tree, the strain was primarily identified as a member of the genus Lacticaseibacillus. Strain BSF-3MT contained a chromosome of 2.5 Mbp and a plasmid of 33.4 kbp. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 51.3 mol%. Strain BSF-3MT had the highest ortho-average nucleotide identity value of 73.7 % with Lacticaseibacillus songhuajiangensis 7-19T, its closest relative in the phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the phylogenomic tree based on up-to-date bacterial core genes. Based on the results of a polyphasic taxonomic study, strain BSF-3MT represents a novel species in the genus Lacticaseibacillus, for which the name Lacticaseibacillus pabuli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BSF-3MT (=KACC 23028T=NBRC 116014T).

Re-identification of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Species Complex Isolates in Korea and Their Host Plants.

The Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex includes many phytopathogenic species, causing anthracnose disease on a wide range of host plants and appearing to be globally distributed. Seventy-one Colletotrichum isolates in the complex from different plants and geographic regions in Korea were preserved in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC). Most of them had been identified based on hosts and morphological features, this could lead to inaccurate species names. Therefore, the KACC isolates were re-identified using DNA sequence analyses of six loci, comprising internal transcribed spacer, gapdh, chs-1, his3, act, and tub2 in this study. Based on the combined phylogenetic analysis, KACC strains were assigned to 12 known species and three new species candidates. The detected species are C. siamense (n = 20), C. fructicola (n = 19), C. gloeosporioides (n = 9), C. aenigma (n = 5), C. camelliae (n = 3), C. temperatum (n = 3), C. musae (n = 2), C. theobromicola (n = 2), C. viniferum (n = 2), C. alatae (n = 1), C. jiangxiense (n = 1), and C. yulongense (n = 1). Of these, C. jiangxiense, C. temperatum, C. theobromicola and C. yulongense are unrecorded species in Korea. Host plant comparisons showed that 27 fungus-host associations are newly reported in the country. However, plant-fungus interactions need to be investigated by pathogenicity tests.

Enzymatic Activity and Amino Acids Production of Predominant Fungi from Traditional Meju during Soybean Fermentation.

To investigate the effect of the predominant fungal species from Korean traditional meju and doenjang on soybean fermentation, the enzymatic activity and amino acid production of twenty-two fungal strains were assessed through solid- and liquid-state soybean fermentation. Enzymatic activity analyses of solid-state fermented soybeans revealed different enzyme activities involving protease, leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), carboxypeptidase (CaP), glutaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and amylase, depending on the fungal species. These enzymatic activities significantly affected the amino acid profile throughout liquid-state fermentation. Strains belonging to Mucoromycota, including Lichtheimia, Mucor, Rhizomucor, and Rhizopus, produced smaller amounts of total amino acids and umami-producing amino acids, such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid, than strains belonging to Aspergillus subgenus circumdati. The genera Penicillium and Scopulariopsis produced large amounts of total amino acids and glutamic acid, suggesting that these genera play an essential role in producing umami and kokumi tastes in fermented soybean products. Strains belonging to Aspergillus subgenus circumdati, including A. oryzae, showed the highest amino acid content, including glutamic acid, suggesting the potential benefits of A. oryzae as a starter for soybean fermentation. This study showed the potential of traditional meju strains as starters for soybean fermentation. However, further analysis of processes such as the production of G-peptide for kokumi taste and volatile compounds for flavor and safety is needed.

Melatonin improves the storage quality of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) by affecting cuticular wax profile.

Cuticular wax is the first line of structural defense for plants against external stresses. This study investigated the effects of melatonin (MT) on chemical composition and accumulation profile of wax, as well as fruit quality of rabbiteye blueberry during storage. The results indicated a significant reduction in the overall wax content during storage. Nevertheless, MT effectively delayed the decline, with a higher amount of 9.8% and 15.17% in the treated 'Baldwin' and 'Garden Blue' compared to their respective controls at 21st day of storage. The wax composition significantly varied depending on storage time, MT treatment, and cultivars. Additionally, MT markedly improved the fruit quality of rabbiteye blueberries. Correlation analysis revealed water loss and decay rates were negatively correlated with triterpenoids and fatty acids. Taken together, this study highlights the positive effects of post-harvest MT application on shelf life and fruit quality of blueberry by modifying the wax profile during storage.

The Defined TLR3 Agonist, Nexavant, Exhibits Anti-Cancer Efficacy and Potentiates Anti-PD-1 Antibody Therapy by Enhancing Immune Cell Infiltration.

Nexavant was reported as an alternative to the TLR3 agonist of Poly(I:C) and its derivatives. The physicochemical properties, signaling pathways, anti-cancer effects, and mechanisms of Nexavant were investigated. The distinctive characteristics of Nexavant compared to that of Poly(I:C) were demonstrated by precise quantification, enhanced thermostability, and increased resistance to RNase A. Unlike Poly(I:C), which activates TLR3, RIG-I, and MDA5, Nexavant stimulates signaling through TLR3 and RIG-I but not through MDA5. Compared to Poly(I:C), an intratumoral Nexavant treatment led to a unique immune response, immune cell infiltration, and suppression of tumor growth in various animal cancer models. Nexavant therapy outperformed anti-PD-1 antibody treatment in all the tested models and showed a synergistic effect in combinational therapy, especially in well-defined cold tumor models. The effect was similar to that of nivolumab in a humanized mouse model. Intranasal instillation of Nexavant led to the recruitment of immune cells (NK, CD4+ T, and CD8+ T) to the lungs, suppressing lung metastasis and improving animal survival. Our study highlighted Nexavant's defined nature for clinical use and unique signaling pathways and its potential as a standalone anti-cancer agent or in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies.

Brevibacillus ruminantium sp. nov., isolated from cow faeces.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming bacterial strain, designated BB3-R1T, was isolated from cow faeces sampled in Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Growth was observed at 25-45 °C (optimum, 35-40 °C) and pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0), with up to 3 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl). blast analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed the highest sequence similarity of strain BB3-R1T to Brevibacillus borstelensis NRRL NRS-818T (98.8 %) followed by Brevibacillus panacihumi JCM 15085T (97.5 %). According to 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome based phylogenetic trees, strain BB3-R1T clustered with Brevibacillus composti FJAT-54423T and B. borstelensis NRRL NRS-818T. OrthoANI and dDDH values of strain BB3-R1T with the closely related strains were lower than 77.5 and 26.8 %, respectively. The major menaquinones and polar lipids of the strain were MK-7 and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C14 : 0 iso, C15 : 0 iso, C15 : 0 anteiso and C16 : 1 ω7c alcohol. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained cross-linked meso-diaminopimelic acid (type A1 gamma). The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data obtained in this study showed that the strain represents a novel species of the genus Brevibacillus, for which the name Brevibacillus ruminantium sp. nov. (type strain BB3-R1T=KACC 22663T=NBRC 115962T) is proposed.

Re-Identification of Aspergillus Subgenus Circumdati Strains in Korea Led to the Discovery of Three Unrecorded Species.

Aspergillus is one of the largest and diverse genera of fungi with huge economical, biotechnological, and social significance. Taxonomically, Aspergillus is divided into six subgenera comprising 27 sections. In this study, 235 strains of Aspergillus subgenus Circumdati (section: Candidi, Circumdati, Flavi, Flavipedes, Nigri, and Terrei) preserved at the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) were analyzed and re-identified using a combined dataset of partial ß-tubulin (BenA), Calmodulin (CaM) gene sequences and morphological data. We confirmed nineteen species to be priorly reported in Korea (A. neotritici, A. terreus, A. floccosus, A. allahabadii, A. steynii, A. westerdijkiae, A. ochraceus, A. ostianus, A. sclerotiorum, A. luchuensis, A. tubingensis, A. niger, A. welwitschiae, A. japonicus, A. nomius, A. tamarii, A. parasiticus, A. flavi, and A. oryzae). Among the studied strains, three species (A. subalbidus, A. iizukae, and A. uvarum), previously unreported or not officially documented, were discovered in Korea, to the best of our knowledge. We have given a detailed description of the characteristic features of the three species, which remain uncharted in Korea.

Five novel Hymenobacter species isolated from air: Hymenobacter cellulosilyticus sp. nov., Hymenobacter cellulosivorans sp. nov., Hymenobacter aerilatus sp. nov., Hymenobacter sublimis sp. nov. and Hymenobacter volaticus sp. nov.

Five Hymenobacter strains isolated from air samples collected from the Suwon and Jeju regions of the Republic of Korea were studied using polyphasic taxonomic methods. Using 16S rRNA gene sequences and the resulting phylogenetic tree, the strains were primarily identified as members of the genus Hymenobacter. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and average nucleotide identities values for species delineation (70 and 95-96 %, respectively) between the five strains and their nearest type strains indicated that each strain represented a novel species. All strains were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, mesophilic, rod-shaped and catalase- and oxidase-positive, with red to pink coloured colonies. The genome sizes of the five strains varied from 4.8 to 7.1 Mb and their G+C contents were between 54.1 and 59.4 mol%. Based on their phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characteristics, we propose to classify these isolates into five novel species within the genus Hymenobacter for which we propose the names, Hymenobacter cellulosilyticus sp. nov., Hymenobacter cellulosivorans sp. nov., Hymenobacter aerilatus sp. nov., Hymenobacter sublimis sp. nov. and Hymenobacter volaticus sp. nov., with strains 5116 S-3T (=KACC 21925T=JCM 35216T), 5116 S-27T (=KACC 21926T=JCM 35217T), 5413 J-13T (=KACC 21928T=JCM 35219T), 5516 S-25T (=KACC 21931T=JCM 35222T) and 5420 S-77T (=KACC 21932T=JCM 35223T) as the type strains, respectively.

Re-identification of Colletotrichum acutatum Species Complex in Korea and Their Host Plants.

Colletotrichum acutatum species complex is one of the most important groups in the genus Colletotrichum with a high species diversity and a wide range of host plants. C. acutatum and related species have been collected from different plants and locations in Korea and deposited into the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC), National Institute of Agricultural Sciences since the 1990s. These fungal isolates were previously identified based mainly on morphological characteristics, and a limitation of molecular data was provided. To confirm the identification of species, 64 C. acutatum species complex isolates in KACC were used in this study for DNA sequence analyses of six loci: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS), betatubulin 2 (TUB2), histone-3 (HIS3), glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1), and actin (ACT). The molecular analysis revealed that they were identified in six different species of C. fioriniae (24 isolates), C. nymphaeae (21 isolates), C. scovillei (12 isolates), C. chrysanthemi (three isolates), C. lupini (two isolates), and C. godetiae (one isolate), and a novel species candidate. We compared the hosts of KACC isolates with "The List of Plant Diseases in Korea", previous reports in Korea and global reports and found that 23 combinations between hosts and pathogens could be newly reported in Korea after pathogenicity tests, and 12 of these have not been recorded in the world.

Genome-wide identification of GH9 gene family and the assessment of its role during fruit abscission zone formation in Vaccinium ashei.

KEY MESSAGE: The genomic location and stage-specific expression pattern of GH9 genes reveal their critical roles during fruit abscission zone formation in Vaccinium ashei. Glycosyl hydrolase family 9 (GH9) cellulases play a crucial role in both cellulose synthesis and hydrolysis during plant growth and development. Despite this importance, there is currently no study on the involvement of GH9-encoding genes, specifically VaGH9s, in abscission zone formation of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei). In this study, we identified a total of 61 VaGH9s in the genome, which can be classified into 3 subclasses based on conserved motifs and domains, gene structures, and phylogenetic analyses. Our synteny analysis revealed that VaGH9s are more closely related to the GH9s of Populus L. than to those of Arabidopsis, Vitis vinifera, and Citrus sinensis. In silico structural analysis predicted that most of VaGH9s are hydrophilic, and localized in cell membrane and/or cell wall, and the variable sets of cis-acting regulatory elements and functional diversity with four categories of stress response, hormone regulation, growth and development, and transcription factor-related elements are present in the promoter sequence of VaGH9s genes. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 22 differentially expressed VaGH9s in fruit abscission zone tissue at the veraison stage, and the expression of VaGH9B2 and VaGH9C10 was continuously increased during fruit maturation, which were in parallel with the increasing levels of cellulase activity and oxidative stress indicators, suggesting that they are involved in the separation stage of fruit abscission in Vaccinium ashei. Our work identified 22 VaGH9s potentially involved in different stages of fruit abscission and would aid further investigation into the molecular regulation of abscission in rabbiteye blueberries fruit.

A phase Ia/Ib study of novel anti-ErbB3 monoclonal antibody, barecetamab (ISU104) in refractory solid cancers and monotherapy or in combination with cetuximab in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

We evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity of barecetamab monotherapy and combination cetuximab therapy in patients with advanced solid cancers, especially head and neck cancer (HNC). Part 1 was a 3 + 3 dose-escalation study in which 15 patients received barecetamab at 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 28 and weekly in patients with advanced solid cancer. Part 2 was a dose-expansion study including two patient groups with advanced HNC, including six patients receiving barecetamab at 20 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks and 12 patients receiving barecetamab and cetuximab (400 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by 250 mg/m2 every week). No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed. Maximum serum target engagement was reached with trough levels of doses ≥3 mg/kg IV weekly. Common adverse drug reactions were diarrhea, stomatitis, dermatitis acneiform and decreased appetite. One durable complete response of more than 17 months was observed, and the overall response and disease control rates were 36.4% (4/11) and 81.1% (9/11), respectively, in the combination therapy group. In conclusion, DLT was not observed in barecetamab at 1 to 20 mg/kg. The recommended phase II dose was determined to be 20 mg/kg triweekly. Barecetamab and in cetuximab combination was well tolerated and demonstrated meaningful antitumor effects.

First Report of Cladosporium cladosporioides Causing Leaf Spot of Aralia cordata var. continentalis in Korea.

Aralia cordata var. continentalis (Kitag), commonly known as Japanese spikenard, is an upright herbaceous perennial medicinal plant effective in relieving pain. It is also consumed as a leafy vegetable. Leaf spots and blight symptoms on A. cordata resulting in defoliation were observed in July 2021 from a research field with a disease incidence of nearly 40-50% from 80 plants in Yeongju, Korea. Brown spots with chlorotic halos first appear on the upper leaf surface (Fig. 1A). In the later stage, spots enlarge and coalesce; resulting in the leaves to dry-off (Fig. 1B). To isolate the causal agent, small pieces of diseased leaves displaying the lesion were surface-sterilized by 70% ethanol for 30 s and rinsed twice with sterile distilled water (SDW). Later, the tissues were crushed in a sterile 2.0-ml Eppendorf tube with a rubber pestle in SDW. The suspension was serially diluted and spread on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, incubated at 25°C for 3 days. A total of 3 isolates were obtained from the infected leaves. Pure cultures were obtained by the monosporic culture technique (Choi et al. 1999). After 2 to 3 days of incubation with a 12-h photoperiod, the fungus initially produced gray mold colonies in olive color, and the edges of the mold appeared white with a velvety texture after 20 days (Fig. 1C). Microscopic observations revealed small, single-celled, rounded, and pointed conidia that measured 6.67 ± 0.23 µm × 4.18 ± 0.12 µm (length × width) (n=40 spores) (Fig. 1D). On the basis of its morphology, the causal organism was identified as Cladosporium cladosporioides (Torres et al. 2017). For molecular identification, pure colonies of three single-spore isolates were used for DNA extraction. A fragment of the ITS, ACT, and TEF1-α were amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (Zarrin et al. 2016), ACT-512F/ACT-783R, and EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively, by PCR (Carbone et al. 1999). The DNA sequences from all three isolates (GYUN-10727, GYUN-10776, and GYUN-10777) were identical. The resulting ITS (ON005144), ACT (ON014518), and TEF1-α (OQ286396) sequences from the representative isolate GYUN-10727 were 99 to 100% identical to the C. cladosporioides (ITS: KX664404, MF077224; ACT: HM148509; TEF1-α: HM148268, HM148266). The phylogenetic dendrogram was constructed from the comparative analysis of ITS, ACT, and TEF1-α gene sequences, showing the relationship between Cladosporium cladosporioides and related Cladosporium species (Fig. 2). The isolate GYUN-10727 has been deposited in Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC 410009), and used as a representative strain in this study. For the pathogenicity test, healthy fresh leaves (3 leaves per plant) of 3-months-old A. cordata plants in pots were spray inoculated with conidial suspensions (1 × 104 conidia/mL) of GYUN-10727, which was obtained from a 7-day-old PDA culture. Leaves sprayed with SDW were considered as control. After 15 days of incubation at 25°C ± 5°C under greenhouse conditions, necrotic lesions were observed on the inoculated A. cordata leaves, while control leaves did not develop any disease symptoms. The experiment was performed twice with three replicates (pots) per treatment. The pathogen was re-isolated from the symptomatic A. cordata leaves, but not from control plants, to fulfill Koch's postulates. The re-isolated pathogen was identified by PCR. Cladosporium cladosporioides has been reported to cause diseases in sweet pepper (Krasnow et al. 2022) and garden peas (Gubler et al. 1999). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cladosporioides causing leaf spots of A. cordata in Korea. The identification of this pathogen will help develop strategies to efficiently control the disease in A. cordata.

Whole-Genome Sequence of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis Strain KACC 16571T.

We report the whole-genome sequence of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis type strain KACC 16571, which was isolated from rotten wood in South Korea. The genome of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis KACC 16571T consists of a 6.16-Mb circular chromosome, with a G+C content of 42.1% and 5,262 total predicted coding genes.

Draft Genome Sequences of Three Type Strains, Acetobacter farinalis KACC 21251, Acetobacter suratthaniensis KACC 21252, and Acetobacter thailandicus KACC 21253.

As part of a genome database construction of type strains, we report the draft genome sequences of three strains of acetic acid bacteria, i.e., Acetobacter farinalis KACC 21251T, Acetobacter suratthaniensis KACC 21252T, and Acetobacter thailandicus KACC 21253T.