• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2012

Two species, $Penicillium$ $adametzioides$ and $Purpureocillium$ $lilacinum$, were isolated from decayed grapes (cv. Cheongsoo) in Korea. Each species was initially identified by phylogenetic analysis of a combined dataset of two genes. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and ${\beta}$-tubulin (BT2) genes were used for identification of $Penicillium$ $adametzioides$, and ITS and partial translation elongation factor 1-${\alpha}$ (TEF) genes were used for identification of $Purpureocillium$ $lilacinum$. Morphologically, they were found to be identical to previous descriptions. The two species presented here have not been previously reported in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1004-1014
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• 2013

Six nonpathogenic fungal strains isolated from alkaline soils of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (Acremonium murorum, Aspergillus sidowii, Cladosporium cladosporoides, Neurospora tetrasperma, Purpureocillium lilacinum (formerly Paecilomyces lilacinus), and Westerdikella dispersa) were tested for their ability to produce keratinolytic enzymes. Strains were grown on feather meal agar as well as in solid-state and submerged cultures, using a basal mineral medium and "hair waste" as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen. All the tested fungi grew on feather meal agar, but only three of them were capable of hydrolyzing keratin, producing clear zones. Among these strains, P. lilacinum produced the highest proteolytic and keratinolytic activities, both in solid-state and submerged fermentations. The medium composition and culture conditions for the keratinases production by P. lilacinum were optimized. Addition of glucose (5 g/l) and yeast extract (2.23 g/l) to the basal hair medium increased keratinases production. The optimum temperature and initial pH for the enzyme production were $28^{\circ}C$ and 6.0, respectively. A beneficial effect was observed when the original concentration of four metal ions, present in the basal mineral medium, was reduced up to 1:10. The maximum yield of the enzyme was 15.96 $U_c/ml$ in the optimal hair medium; this value was about 6.5-fold higher than the yield in the basal hair medium. These results suggest that keratinases from P. lilacinum can be useful for biotechnological purposes such as biodegradation (or bioconversion) of hair waste, leading to a reduction of the environmental pollution caused by leather technology with the concomitant production of proteolytic enzymes and protein hydrolyzates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1133-1139
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• 2013

Enzymatic decomposition of gelatin layers on used X-ray films and repeated utilization of the enzyme for potential application in silver recovery were investigated using keratinolytic serine proteases from Purpureocillium lilacinum LPS # 876. At pH 9.0, the enzymatic reaction was enhanced by the increase of enzyme concentration or by the increase of the temperature up to $60^{\circ}C$. Under the conditions of 6.9 U/ml, $60^{\circ}C$, and pH 9.0, hydrolysis of the gelatin layers and the resulting release of silver particles were achieved within 6 min. The protective effect of polyols against thermal denaturation was investigated. The presence of glycerol and propylene glycol increased enzyme stability. When the reusability of the enzyme for gelatin hydrolysis was tested, it could be seen that it could be effectively reused for more cycles when glycerol was added, compared with the enzyme without protective agents. The results of these repeated treatments suggested that a continuous process of recycling silver from used X-ray is feasible. Keeping in mind that recycling is (at the present time) needed and imperative, it can be remarked that, in this research, three wastes were successfully used: hair waste in order to produce serine proteases; glycerol in order to enhance enzyme thermal stability; and used X-ray films in order to recover silver and PET films.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.285-293
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• 2021

Polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are commercially available bioplastics that are exploited worldwide, and both are biodegradable. The PLA and PCL polymer-degrading activity of 30 fungal strains that were isolated from terrestrial environments were screened based on the formation of a clear zone around fungal colonies on agar plates containing emulsified PLA or PCL. Among them, five strains yielded positive results of biodegradation. Strains Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) 83034BP and KNUF-20-PPH03 exhibited PCL degradation; two other strains, KACC 83035BP and KNUF-20-PDG05, degraded PLA; and the fifth strain, KACC 83036BP, biodegraded both tested plastics. Based on phylogenetic analyses using various combinations of the sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, RPB2, LSU, CAL, and b-TUB genes, the above-mentioned strains were identified as Apiotrichum porosum, Penicillium samsonianum, Talaromyces pinophilus, Purpureocillium lilacinum, and Fusicolla acetilerea, respectively. Based on our knowledge, this is the first report on (i) plastic biodegraders among Apiotrichum and Fusicolla species, (ii) the capability of T. pinophilus to degrade biodegradable plastics, (iii) the biodegradative activity of P. samsonianum against PCL, and (iv) the accurate identification of P. lilacinum as a PLA biodegrader. Further studies should be conducted to determine how the fungal species can be utilized in Korea.