• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.444-449
• /
• 1992

A total of 858 heterotrohic bacteria were isolated and analyzed hy numerical method to investigate the heterotrophic hacterial community structure in Naktong Estuary. Although the values of H' (Shannon's diversity index). ranged between 1.54 and 3.49. were similar with those of the data hefore the construction of Naktong River barrage, however J' (evenness index. 0.31-0.80) was reduced. Physiological tolerance index for water temperature ($P_{s}$) was high at St.l and 2 whose depthes arc shallower than the other stations. and indices for pH ($P_{h}$) and salinity ($P_{s}$) were high at St. 2. 3. 4 where freshwater and seawater arc mixed. The predominant clusters were identified as Aeromonas. Vihrio. Pseudomonas. Acinelobacter-Morexella. Alcaligenes. Flavobacterium. Micrococcaccae. and Enterohacteriaceae. The kinds nf the isolates were similar with the previous result. hut the dominant genus was changed. These results suggest that the environmental changes in Naktong Estuary affect the hacterial physiological adaptation rather than the composition of heterotrophic hactcrial community.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.265-276
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to isolate and characterize fungi from freshwater environments in South Korea and evaluate their extracellular enzyme activities. Fungal strains were collected from various freshwater sources and identified using phylogenetic analysis. The isolated fungi included known aquatic hyphomycetes and previously unreported species. Extracellular enzyme, including those of protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, laccase, and chitinase, activities were evaluated. Among the isolated strains, several showed high enzyme activity, suggesting their potential role in organic matter decomposition in freshwater ecosystems. This research expands our knowledge of the diversity and enzyme activities of the fungi in freshwater environments, contributing to our understanding of their ecological roles.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.117-124
• /
• 2016

Researches on soil microbial community are increasing to assess ecosystem responses to anthropogenic disturbances and to provide an indicator of ecosystem recovery. Microbial communities are able to respond more rapidly to environmental changes than plants and therefore they may provide an early indication of the ecosystem recovery trajectory. This study was conducted using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing of soil samples to compare soil bacterial community composition between artificially covered soils of the Baedudaegan ridgeline and their adjacent forest soils in two restoration project sites, Ihwaryeong and Yuksimnyeong, which were completed in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Richness of the Phylum level was 29.3 in Ihwaryeong and 32.3 in Yuksimnyeong. Significant difference in the richness between artificial restored soils and adjacent forest soils(p<0.01) was observed, however no significant difference was observed for site location and soil depth. Acidobacteria(37.3%) and Proteobacteria(31.1%) were more abundant than any other phylum in collected soil samples. Also, we found the significant difference in the relative abundance of the two abundant phyla between artificially restored soils and their adjacent forest soils (Proteobacteria, 38.1% in restored soils vs 24.2% in adjacent forest soils, p<0.01; Acidobacteria, 55.4% in restored soils vs 19.2% in adjacent forest soils, p<0.001). The results support the previous researches indicating that soil bacterial community composition is affected by nutritional status of soils and that Acidobacteria is also strongly influenced by pH, thus favoring soils with lower pH. This study could be utilized to monitor and evaluate restoration success of forest soil environment quantitatively.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.116-123
• /
• 2018

The objective of this study was to examine effects of stand age on soil $CO_2$ efflux in plantation Pinus koraiensis, and to elucidate what extent plant (fine) root and soil microbial biomass contribute to the whole soil $CO_2$ efflux. In three age classes (20-yr-old. 40-yr-old, 70-yr-old) of plantation Pinus koraiensis, in-situ soil respiration, plant fine root biomass and soil microbial biomass were measured from April to November in 2004. Regardless of stand age, soil temperature and soil $CO_2$ efflux increased until July then slowly decreased. Soil respiration was higher in 70-yr-old stand than in 20- and 40-yr stands. Fine root biomass and soil microbial biomass was also higher in 70-yr-old stand. Root exclusion decreased soil respiration in 40-yr stand, but not in 70-yr stand. Soil microbial biomass was higher in 70-yr stand, but there was no monthly variation between July and November. The results suggest that soil respiration may increase as plant stand ages and microbial contribution could play more roles in older stands.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.64 no.1
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2021

Recent gut microbiota studies have revealed the important roles of gut microbiota for our health. Increasing numbers of health functional foods have been developed every year. Development of functional food often includes ex- and in-vivo experiment to verify the beneficial effects of the functional food. To investigate effects of functional food on gut microbiota, animal models were often conducted. Beneficial effects of food can be evaluated based on how gut microbiota was shifted by food, which results in either increase in beneficial bacteria, decrease in potentially pathogenic bacteria or both. As animal experiments are generally time-consuming and laborious, we investigate how well in-vitro investigation of fecal microbiota may reflect dietary health benefits. Here, we tested 15 kinds of diets using two human subjects' fecal materials. Our results showed varying gut microbiota shifts according to diets, which suggested generally known beneficial diets (i.e. Kimchi, Chunggukjang) increased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Therefore, we suggest that in vitro fecal microbiota analysis could be used to evaluate beneficial effects of diets. Moreover, this method may be ideal to establish personalized diet.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.164-168
• /
• 2014

The ecosystem of the Arctic region has been increasingly affected by global warming. Archaeal ammonia monooxygenase alpha subunit coding gene (amoA) which is a key enzyme for nitrification was used to investigate the effect of runoff water of ice melt on microbial community of nitrogen cycle. The archaeal amoA genes at coastal area of Svalbard, Arctic region were PCR-amplified and sequenced after clone library construction. Analysis of archaeal amoA gene clone libraries suggested that the station 188 which is in the vicinity to the area of runoff water harbor lower ammonia-oxidizing archaeal diversity than the station 176 and 184. The average amino acid sequence identity within all archaeal amoA gene clones was 94% (with 91% nucleotide sequence identity). While all the clones of the station 188 were affiliated with Nitrosoarchaeaum clade containing strains isolated from low-salinity and terrestrial environments, about 45% of total clones of the station 176 and 184 were related to marine Nitosopumilus clade. Interestingly, other typical archaeal amoA gene clones of thaumarchaeal I.1b clade frequently retrieved from terrestrial environments was identified at station 188. Microbial community of nitrogen cycle in marine sediment might be affected by input of sediments caused by runoff glacier melt waters.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.11
• /
• pp.1290-1298
• /
• 2017

Intestinal microbiota is an important factor in the development of immune defense mechanisms in the human body. Treatments with anticancer agents, such as 5-Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, and Oxaliplatin, significantly change the temporal stability and environment of intestinal bacterial flora. The anticancer treatment chemotherapy often depresses the immune system and induces side effects, such as diarrhea. This study investigated the effects anticancer agents have on the intestinal microbial ecosystems of patients with gastric cancer. An exploration of the diversity and temporal stability of the dominant bacteria was undertaken using a DGGE with the 16S rDNA gene. Researchers collected stool samples from patients zero, two and eight weeks after the patients started chemotherapy. After the treatment with anticancer agents, the bacteria strains Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Lactobacillus gasseri, Parabacteroides distasonis and Enterobacter sp. increased. This study focused on the survival of the beneficial microorganisms Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the intestines of cancer patients. The administration of antigastric cancer agents significantly decreased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium populations and only moderately affected the main bacterial groups in the patients' intestinal ecosystems. The results showed the versatility of a cultivation independent-PCR DGGE analysis regarding the visual monitoring of ecological diversity and anticancer agent-induced changes in patients' complex intestinal microbial ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.2 s.112
• /
• pp.137-145
• /
• 2005

Traditional screening techniques have missed up to 99% of microbial resources existing in the nature. Strategies of direct cloning of environmental DNAs comprising tine genetic blueprints of entire microbial metagenomes provide vastly more genetic information than is contained in the culturable. Therefore, one way to screening the useful gene in a variety of environments is the construction of metagenomic DNA library. In this study, the water samples were collected from Daecheong Reservoir in the mid Korea, and analyzed by T-RFLP to examine the diversity of the microbial communities. The crude DNAs were extracted by SDS-based freezing-thawing method and then further purified using an $UltraClean^{TM}kit$ (MoBio, USA). The metagenomic libraries were constructed with the DNAs partially digested with EcoRI, BamHI, and SacII in Escherichia coli DH10B using the pBACe3.6 vector. About 14.0 Mb of metagenomic libraries were obtained with average inserts 13 ${\sim}$ 15 kb in size. The genes responsible for degradation of 1, 2-dichloroethane (1, 2-DCE) via hydrolytic dehalogenation were identified from the metagenomic libraries by colony hybridization. The 1, 2-dichloroethane dehalogenase gene (dhlA) was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The activity of the 1, 2-DCE dehalogenase was highly expressed to the substrate. These results indicated that the dhlA gene identified from the metagenomes derived from Deacheong Reservoir might be useful to develop a potent strain for degradation of 1, 2-DCE.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.137-147
• /
• 2017

The human skin is an ecosystem that provides habitat to various microorganisms. These comprise the skin microbiome and provide numerous benefits in addition to maintaining a symbiotic relation with the host. Various metabolites generated by the skin microbiome exert beneficial effects such as strengthening the skin barrier, and anti-aging and anti-inflammatory functions. In this study, we isolated a novel bacterium, designated Sporichthyacae strain K-07, from the human skin. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the newly found bacterium shares 93.4% homology with the genus Sporichthya, thus corroborating the discovery of a novel genus. We further analyzed the effect of the novel strain in vitro, by treating HaCaT cells with bacterial metabolite products. Treatment resulted in changes in the mRNA expression levels of filaggrin, claudin1, claudin4, SMase, CERS3, HAS3, aquaporin3, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, TSLP, and TARC. Specifically, the levels of filaggrin, claudin1, claudin4, SMase, CERS3, HAS3, and aquaporin3 were higher in strain K-07 metabolite product-treated cells than in control cells. These results showed that metabolite products of the novel strain K-07 enhanced the skin barrier and exert anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, these metabolite products could be potentially used for treatment of skin conditions.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.337-339
• /
• 2017

Here we report the draft genome sequence of the Caballeronia sordidicola strain PAMC 26633, isolated from Psoroma species, a lichen material from Barton Peninsula, King George Island in Antarctica. As we have observed in previous genomic studies in the genus Caballeronia from polar lichen, draft genomic sequences of PAMC 26633 had an assortment of genes of ecological importance and of biotechnical potentials, which include diverse metabolic genes for carbohydrates, amino acids, and genes for nitrogen/sulfur metabolisms, stress responses, membrane transporters, antibiotic resistance, and heavy metal resistance. CRISPR genes and sequences were not found and there were some phage remnants and transposons.