• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.148-155
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• 2006

The diversity of bacterial populations in rivers flowing through Changwon City, was investigated using quinone profiling. The physicochemical properties such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen(DO), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were also measured in this study. Ubiquinone (UQ)-8, UQ-9 and UQ-10 were observed in all samples for the sites investigated. UQ-8 was the -predominant quinone species in rivers except for Namch'on downstream, T'owolch'on, and Kaumchongch'on in autumn, while UQ-8 was also found as major quinones in the sample except for Hanamch'on, T'owolch'on, Kaumchongch'on, and Namsanch'on in winter. A higher concentration of DOC in rivers yield high concentration of plastoquinone (PQ-9) in autumn and those of total quinones in winter, respectively. Correlation analysis also indicate that BOD is considered to be a major factor controlling the concentration of PQ in rivers.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.268-275
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• 2007

Diversity of the mud flat microbial population in Suncheon Bay was investigated by studying extracellular enzyme activities and 16S rDNA sequences. Four culturable bacterial strains with CMCase, xylanase and protease activities were isolated from the wetland and the mud flat. All the strains produced more xylanase activity than CMCase or protease activity, and the properties of the isolate enzymes from the wetland were similar to those from the mud flat. About 2,000 clones were obtained with the 16S rDNA amplified from the metagenomic DNA isolated from the mud samples. Based on the restriction pattern(s), seventeen clones were selected for base sequence analysis. Of the 17 clones, only 35% (6 clones) were found to be cultured strains and 65% (11 clones) to be uncultured strains. The similarities in the base sequences of the clones ranged from 91.0% to 99.9% with an average similarity of 97.3%. The clones could be divided into 7 groups, Proteobacteria (9 clones, 52.9%), Firmicutes (3 clones, 17.6%), Bacteroidetes (1 clone), Flavobacteria (1 clone), Verrucomicrobia (1 clone), Acidobacteria (1 clone), and Chloroflexi (1 clone). Most of the Proteobacteria clones were gamma Proteobacteria associated with oxidation-reduction of sulfur.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2020

Mycorrhiza refers to the association between a plant and a fungus colonizing the cortical tissue of the plant's roots during periods of active plant growth. The benefits afforded by plants from mycorrhizal symbioses can be characterized either agronomically, based on increased growth and yield, or ecologically, based on improved fitness (i.e., reproductive ability). In either case, the benefit accrues primarily because mycorrhizal fungi form a critical linkage between plant roots and the soil. The soilborne or extramatrical hyphae take up nutrients from the soil solution and transport them to the root. This mycorrhizae-mediated mechanism increases the effective absorptive surface area of the plant. There are seven major types of mycorrhizae along with mycoheterotrophy: endomycorrhizae (arbuscular mycorrhizae, AM), ectomycorrhizae (EM), ectendomycorrhizae, monotropoid, arbutoid, orchid, and ericoid. Endomycorrhizal fungi form arbuscules or highly branched structures within root cortical cells, giving rise to arbuscular mycorrhiza, which may produce extensive extramatrical hyphae and significantly increase phosphorus inflow rates in the plants they colonize. Ectomycorrhizal fungi may produce large quantities of hyphae on the root and in the soil; these hyphae play a role in absorption and translocation of inorganic nutrients and water, and also release nutrients from litter layers by producing enzymes involved in mineralization of organic matters. Over 4,000 fungal species, primarily belonging to Basidiomycotina and to a lesser extent Ascomycotina, are able to form ectomycorrhizae. Many of these fungi produce various mushrooms on the forest floor that are traded at a high price. In this paper, we discuss the benefits, nutrient cycles, and artificial cultivation of mycorrhizae in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.720-728
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• 2014

In order to characterize the quality of Doenjang, fermented Korean soybean paste, subjected to long-term aging, this study performed physico-chemical analyses and sensory evaluation according to aging period (from 1 to 9 years). Regarding the proximate composition of Doenjang according to aging period, moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, crude ash, and salt contents showed little differences among Doenjang samples. Amino-type nitrogen content was 1,046.7 mg% in the 1 year-aged sample, 990.9~996.9 mg% in the 2~5 year-aged samples, and 1,214.1~1,304.8 mg% in the samples fermented more than 5 years. ${\Delta}$E value, reflecting total color differences between the samples, increased according to aging period. Ratios of linoleic and linolenic acids, which are essential fatty acids in soybeans, constituted 55% of total fatty acids, which was the most abundant among all fatty acids. The major free sugar in Doenjang was fructose at a content of 1.6~2.2% in 1~9 year-aged Doenjang. Glycoside form of isoflavones in Meju constituted 77.1%, and the aglycon form constituted 22.9%. However, the glycoside type of isoflavones in soybeans was converted to aglycon type in Doenjang through fermentation and aging. In the sensory evaluation of Doenjang samples, brown color, salt smell, soy sauce flavor, and viscosity all increased according to aging period, whereas sweet flavor, roast smell, beany flavor, salty taste, and acrid taste showed no significant differences. In cluster analysis of the sensory attributes of Doenjang according to aging period, 1 year-aged Doenjang was significantly different between 2 year- and 3~5 year-aged Doenjang.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2018

In this study, 79 bacterial isolates were collected from the surface of marine algae Umbraulva japonica. As a result of analysis of 16s rRNA gene sequence, the 79 isolated bacteria were divided into 4 major groups: [Proteobacteria (74.69%), Actinobacteria (2.53%), Fimicutes (2.53%), and Bacteroidetes (20.25%)] - 7 classes (Actinobacteria, Flavobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Baciili, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria), 12 orders, 17 families and 31 genera. The newly isolated 3 strains could be novel species because of less than 97% similarity in 16s rRNA sequence. Therefore, it is considered that additional experiments should be conducted together with the standard strain. Analysis of 79 bacterial antibacterial activity against human and fish pathogens, such as Edwardsiella tarda, Vibrio harveyi, Streptococcus iniae, Steptococcus parauberis, Escherichia coli, Steptococcus mutans, Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio vulnificus, was performed by using the supernatant liquid and pellet. As a result, pellet of UJT9, UJT20 and UJR17 showed antibacterial activity against V. vulnificus, UJR17 also showed antibacterial activity against S. parauberis. UJT7 and UJT20, UJR17 have been identified as Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. and it may be safely assented that it's beneficial to carry out additional experiments for various applications.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.129-134
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• 2005

The monthly variations of physico-chemical and microbiological water quality were investigate in the artificial Lake Geumgang near estuary barrage. Sixty heterotrophic bacteria were isolated and identified by amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA. Water temperature, pH, and inorganic nutrients($NH_4$-N, $NO_2$-N, $NO_3$-N, $PO_4$-P) were measured. Concentrations of DO, BOD, and inorganic nutrients were lower than in the middle-stream of Geum river The population densities of heterotrophic bacteria and total coliforms varied from $4.1{\pm}1.0\times10^2$ to $6.7{\pm}1.1{\times}10^3\;cfu\;ml^{-1}$, and 0 to $2.3{\pm}0.6{\times}10^2\;cfu\;ml^{-1}$, respectively. Among the measured numbers of physiological groups of bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria showed higher population densities than those of other physiological groups. Bacterial community structure was analysed based on 16S rDNA partial sequencing. Among 60 isolates, dominant genus was Pseudomones (20 strains).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the UV-resistance of radiation-resistant bacteria isolated from the water of Han River, South Korea. The water sample was irradiated with 3 kGy gamma radiation prior to isolation. Radiation-resistant bacterial strains were isolated by standard serial dilution method on R2A and 1/10 diluted R2A agar. The resulting purely isolated 60 cultures of bacteria were analysed for UV resistance and used in further studies. Based on the comparative analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences, the bacterial isolates were divided into 3 phyla (4 genera): the phylum Deinococcus-Thermus (the genus Deinococcus) was 61.7%, Bacteroidetes (Hymenobacter and Spirosoma) was 23.4%, and Firmicutes (Exiguobacterium) was 15%. The results suggested that twenty-nine isolates are candidates new species belonging to Deinococcus, Hymenobacter, and Spirosoma, or other new genera. Nine bacterial strains were selected among the novel candidates and the UV-resistance analysis was conducted. All the candidate bacterial strains showed high UV resistance, similar to that of D. radiodurans R1.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Skin sanitizers are effective in killing or removing pathogenic microbial contaminants from the skin of food handlers, and the progressive growth of consumer interest in personal hygiene tends to drive product diversification. This review covers the advances in the application of efficacy tests for hand sanitizers to suggest future perspectives to establish an assessment system that is optimized to each product type (gel, liquid, and wipes). Previous research on the in vivo simulative test of actual consumer use has adopted diverse experimental conditions regardless of the product type. This highlights the importance of establishing optimal test protocols specialized for the compositional characteristics of sanitizers through the comparative analysis of test methods. Although the operational conditions of the mechanical actions associated with wiping can affect the efficacy of the removal and/or the inactivation of target microorganisms from the skin's surface, currently there is a lack of standardized use patterns for the exposure of hand sanitizing wipes to skin. Thus, major determinants affecting the results from each step of the overall assessment procedures [pre-treatment - exposure of sanitizers - microbial recovery] should be identified to modify current protocols and develop novel test methods. The ex vivo test, designed to overcome the limited reproducibility of in vivo human trials, is also expected to replicate the environment for the contact of sanitizers targeting skin microorganisms. Recent progress in the area of skin microbiome research revealed distinct microbial characteristics and distribution patterns after the application of sanitizers on hands to establish the test methods with the perspectives on the antimicrobial effects at the community level. The future perspectives presented in this study on the improvement of efficacy test methods for hand sanitizers can also contribute to public health and food safety through the commercialization of effective sanitizer products.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.188-193
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of organic materials on soil organisms. Changes in the community structure, and population density of soil organisms (microbes, nematodes, and microarthropods) were studied in a Korean ginseng field. Phospholipid fatty acids analysis showed that the relative abundances of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes did not differ significantly. The aerobes/anaerobes ratio was the lowest in soils amended with leaf mold, indicating that the decomposition speed was slow. Further, the addition of leaf mold to the soil enhanced the saturated/monounsaturated fatty acid ratio and cyclopropyl fatty acid/precursor ratio, which indicated an increase in environmental stresses. Application of pig manure compost (PMC) had positive effects on the population density of nematodes, and negative effects on that of oribatid mites. The population densities of nematodes, and microarthropods remained relatively low in the plots that had been treated with leaf mold or pig manure compost. It is suggested that pre-planting soil management directed at enhancing the biological decomposition efficiency should be continued over a long period to increase the soil bioactivity in virgin soils.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2014

In order to increase the persistence of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in rhizpsphere soil, the growth of tomato was examined after the application of Arthrobacter woluwensis ED immobilized in alginate bead, which was known as PGPR. When tomato seedlings were treated with A. woluwensis ED of $1{\times}10^6$ cells g $soil^{-1}$ and incubated for 30 days in a plant growth chamber, the shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of the grown tomato plants treated with the suspended inoculants significantly increased by 36.2, 59, 51.1, and 37.5%, respectively compared to those of the uninoculated control. The treatment of the immobilized bacteria increased those by 42, 67.4, 62.5, and 60.4%, respectively compared to those of the uninoculated control. Therefore, the enhancement of tomato growth by the treatment of the immobilized bacteria was higher than those by the suspended inoculants. The effects of the inoculation on indigenous bacterial community and the fate of the inoculated bacteria were monitored by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. The DNA band intensity of A. woluwensis ED in the tomato rhizosphere treated with the suspended inoculants continuously decreased after the inoculation, but the band intensity in the tomato rhizosphere soils treated with the immobilized inoculants showed the maximum at 1 week after inoculation and the decreasing rate was less than that of the suspended inoculants, which indicated the longer maintenance of the immobilized bacteria at rhizosphere soils. Therefore, encapsulation of PGPR in alginate beads may be more effective than liquid inoculant for the plant growth promotion and survival of PGPR at plant rhizosphere.