• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권7호
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• pp.1128-1133
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• 2010

The diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in activated sludge were compared using PCR-DGGE and real-time PCR assays. Activated sludge samples were collected from five different types of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) mainly treating textile, paper, food, and livestock wastewater or domestic sewage. The composition of total bacteria determined by PCR-DGGE was highly diverse between the samples, whereas the community of AOB was similar across all the investigated activated sludge. Total bacterial numbers and AOB numbers in the aerated mixed liquor were in the range of $1.8{\times}10^{10}$ to $3.8{\times}10^{12}$ and $1.7{\times}10^6$ to $2.7{\times}10^{10}$ copies/l, respectively. Activated sludge from livestock, textile, and sewage treating WWTPs contained relatively high amoA gene copies (more than $10^5$ copies/l), whereas activated sludge from food and paper WWTPs revealed a low number of the amoA gene (less than $10^3$ copies/l). The value of the amoA gene copy effectively showed the difference in composition of bacteria in different activated sludge samples and this was better than the measurement with the AOB 16S rRNA or total 16S rRNA gene. These results suggest that the quantification of the amoA gene can help monitor AOB and ammonia oxidation in WWTPs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2012

The present study examines the effects of 30 mg/kg butachlor on the cyanobacterial diversity of rice fields in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar in India. A total of 40 samples were grouped into three classes [(i) acidic, (ii) neutral, and (iii) alkaline soils], based on physicochemical and principle component analyses. Acidic soils mainly harbored Westillopsis, Trichormus, Anabaenopsis, and unicellular cyanobacteria; whereas Nostoc, Anabaena, Calothrix, Tolypothrix, and Aulosira were found in neutral and alkaline soils. Molecular characterization using 16S rRNA PCR and DGGE revealed the presence of 13 different phylotypes of cyanobacteria in these samples. Butachlor treatment of the soil samples led to the disappearance of 5 and the emergence of 2 additional phylotypes. A total of 40 DGGE bands showed significant reproducible changes upon treatment with butachlor. Phylogenetic analyses divided the phylotypes into five major clusters exhibiting interesting links with soil pH. Aulosira, Anabaena, Trichormus, and Anabaenopsis were sensitive to butachlor treatment, whereas uncultured cyanobacteria, a chroococcalean member, Westillopsis, Nostoc, Calothrix, Tolypothrix, Rivularia, Gloeotrichia, Fischerella, Leptolyngbya, and Cylindrospermum, appeared to be tolerant against butachlor at their native soil pH. Butachlor-induced inhibition of nitrogen fixation was found to be 65% (maximum) and 33% (minimum) in the soil samples of pH 9.23 and 5.20, respectively. In conclusion, low butachlor doses may prove beneficial in paddy fields having a neutral to alkaline soil pH.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.126-132
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• 2012

A cellulose-degrading composite microbial system containing a mixture of microbes was previously shown to demonstrate a high straw-degrading capacity. To estimate its potential utilization as an inoculant to accelerate straw biodegradation after returning straw to the field, two cellulose-degrading composite microbial systems named ADS3 and WSD5 were inoculated into wheat straw-amended soil in the laboratory. The microbial survival of the inoculant was confirmed by a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, whereas the enhancement of straw degradation in soil was assessed by measuring the mineralization of the soil organic matter and the soil cellulase activity. The results indicated that most of the DGGE bands from ADS3 were detected after inoculation into straw-amended autoclaved soil, yet only certain bands from ADS3 and WSD5 were detected after inoculation into straw-amended non-autoclaved soil during five weeks of incubation; some bands were detected during the first two weeks after inoculation, and then disappeared in later stages. Organic matter mineralization was significantly higher in the soil inoculants ADS3 and WSD5 than in the uninoculated controls during the first week, yet the enhanced degradation did not persist during the subsequent incubation. Similar to the increase in soil organic matter, the cellulase activity also increased during the first week in the ADS3 and WSD5 treatments, yet decreased during the remainder of the incubation period. Thus, it was concluded that, although the survival and performance of the two inoculants did not persist in the soil, a significant enhancement of degradation was present during the early stage of incubation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.232-239
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• 2006

The microbial activity and bacterial community structure of activated sludge reactors, which treated free cyanide (FC), zinc-complexed cyanide (ZC), or nickel-complexed cyanide (NC), were studied. The three reactors (designated as re-FC, re-ZC, and re-NC) were operated for 50 days with a stepwise decrease of hydraulic retention time. In the re-FC and re-ZC reactors, FC or ZC was almost completely removed, whereas approximately 80-87% of NC was removed in re-NC. This result might be attributed to the high toxicity of nickel released after degradation of NC. In the batch test, the sludges taken from re-FC and re-ZC completely degraded FC, ZC, and NC, whereas the sludge from re-NC degraded only NC. Although re-FC and re-ZC showed similar properties in regard to cyanide degradation, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterial communities in the three reactors showed that bacterial community was specifically acclimated to each reactor. We found several bacterial sequences in DGGE bands that showed high similarity to known cyanide-degrading bacteria such as Klebsiella spp., Acidovorax spp., and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Flocforming microorganism might also be one of the major microorganisms, since many sequences related to Zoogloea, Microbacterium, and phylum TM7 were detected in all the reactors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권7호
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• pp.993-1003
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• 2013

Methanotrophs are the most important sink of $CH_4$, which is a more highly potent greenhouse gas than $CO_2$. Methanotrophic abundance and community diversity in cover soils from two typical semi-aerobic landfills (SALs) in China were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time-PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) based on 16S rRNA genes, respectively. Real time-PCR showed that Type I methanotrophs ranged from $1.07{\times}10^6$ to $2.34{\times}10^7$ copies/g soil and that of Type II methanotrophs from $1.51{\times}10^7$ to $1.83{\times}10^8$ copies/g soil. The ratio of Type II to Type I methanotrophic copy numbers ranged from 5.61 to 21.89, indicating that Type II methanotrophs dominated in SAL. DGGE revealed that Type I methanotrophs responded more sensitively to the environment, changing as the community structure varied with different soil types and locations. Methylobacter, Methylosarcina, and Methylomicrobium for Type I, and Methylocystis for Type II were most prevalent in the SAL cover layer. Abundant interflow $O_2$ with high $CH_4$ concentration in SALs is the reason for the higher population density of methanotrophs and the higher enrichment of Type II methanotrophs compared with anaerobic landfills and other ecosystems, which proved a conclusion that increasing the oxygen supply in a landfill cover layer would greatly improve $CH_4$ mitigation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.753-760
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• 2007

The diversity of Paenibacillus species was assessed in the rhizospheres of four cultivars of sorghum sown in Cerrado soil amended with two levels of nitrogen fertilizer(12 and 120 kg/ha). Two cultivars(IS 5322-C and IS 6320) demanded the higher amount of nitrogen to grow, whereas the other two(FBS 8701-9 and IPA 1011) did not. Using the DNA extracted from the rhizospheres, a Paenibacillus-specific PCR system based on the RNA polymerase gene(rpoB) was chosen for the molecular analyses. The resulting PCR products were separated into community fingerprints by DGGE and the results showed a clear distinction between cultivars. In addition, clone libraries were generated from the rpoB fragments of two cultivars(IPA 1011 and IS 5322-C) using both fertilization conditions, and 318 selected clones were sequenced. Analyzed sequences were grouped into 14 Paenibacillus species. A greater diversity of Paenibacillus species was observed in cultivar IPA 1011 compared with cultivar IS 5322-C. Moreover, statistical analyses of the sequences showed that the bacterial diversity was more influenced by cultivar type than nitrogen fertilization, corroborating the DGGE results. Thus, the sorghum cultivar type was the overriding determinative factor that influenced the community structures of the Paenibacillus communities in the habitats investigated.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.1057-1062
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• 2016

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable food, the production of which involves brining of Korean cabbage, blending with various other ingredients (red pepper powder, garlic, ginger, salt-pickled seafood, etc.), and fermentation. Recently, kimchi has also become popular in the Western world because of its unique taste and beneficial properties such as antioxidant and antimutagenic activities, which are derived from the various raw materials and secondary metabolites of the fermentative microorganisms used during production. Despite these useful activities, analysis of the microbial community present in kimchi has received relatively little attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bacterial community structure from the raw materials, additives, and final kimchi product using the culture-independent method. Specifically, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) was used to analyze the 16S rRNA partial sequences of the microflora. One primer set for bacteria, 341F^GC-518R, reliably produced amplicons from kimchi and its raw materials, and these bands were clearly separated on a 35-65% denaturing gradient gel. Overall, 117 16S rRNA fragments were identified by PCR-DGGE analysis. Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc gelidum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were the dominant bacteria in kimchi. The other strains identified were Tetragenococcus, Pseudomonas, Weissella, and uncultured bacterium. Comprehensive analysis of these microorganisms could provide a more detailed understanding of the biologically active components of kimchi and help improve its quality. PCR-DGGE analysis can be successfully applied to a fermented food to detect unculturable or other species.

• 한국유기농업학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.417-425
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• 2011

본 실험에서는 유기재배 농가에서 사용되고 있는 액비의 특성을 과학적으로 구명하고자 발효기간 동안 액비의 화학성, 미생물상의 변화, 그리고 액비 처리가 무 생육에 미치는 효과를 조사하였다. 액비의 pH는 발효가 진행됨에 따라 7.2에서 4.3로 감소하였고 EC는 액비제조 직후 13.9 dS/m에서 계속 상승하여 70일에는 99.3 dS/m에 도달하였다. 액비내 서식하는 세균 밀도는 발효 과정 중 $8.2{\times}10^5$ cfu/ml에서 $3{\times}10^4$ cfu/ml로 감소하였으며, Bacillus 속은 제조 직후 $2.1{\times}10^2$ cfu/ml에서 $4.2{\times}10^3$ cfu/ml로 발효가 진행됨에 따라 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 액비로부터 분리한 세균은 지방산 분석을 통한 동정 결과, 발효가 진행될수록 Bacillus 유사속들이 액비내 우점하는 것을 알 수 있었으며 DGGE profile을 통해 발효과정 동안 액비내 미생물 군집의 변화를 확인하였다. 액비처리에 의한 무 유묘 생육을 살펴본 결과, 줄기보다는 뿌리 발달을 촉진하였다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제21권10호
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• pp.1473-1480
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• 2011

퍼클로레이트($ClO_4^-$)는 지표수 및 토양/지하수에서 검출되는 오염물이다. 미생물은 퍼클로레이트를 무해한 최종산물로 환원시킬 수 있으므로 퍼클로레이트제거는 미생물을 이용한 방법이 가장 적절한 것으로 알려졌다. 미생물이 퍼클로레이트를 환원시키기 위해서는 전자 공여체가 필요하다. 퍼클로레이트를 환원하기 위한 기존의 기술들은 전자 공여체로서 유기물을 사용하는 종속영양방식의 퍼클로레이트환원세균을 사용한다. 그래서 종속영양 방식으로 퍼클로레이트를 연속 제거하기 위해서는 지속적으로 유기물을 공급해야 하므로 처리비용이 많이 든다. 본 연구에서는 원소 황 입자와 활성 슬러지를 이용하여 독립영양방식의 퍼클로레이트제거가능성을 조사하였다. 입자상 황은 비교적 값이 저렴하고 활성 슬러지는 하수처리장으로부터 쉽게 구할 수 있는 장점이 있다. 회분배양 실험결과 활성 슬러지 미생물은 전자 공여체로서 황 입자가 존재할 때 퍼클로레이트를 제거할 수 있다는 것이 증명되었다. 이러한 퍼클로레이트 분해는 퍼클로레이트가 분해됨에 따라 생성되는 Cl-의 몰 농도를 통해 검증할 수 있었다. 독립영양방식의 $ClO_4^-$ 제거공정에 사용된 황 입자의 표면에 간균 형태의 미생물들이 존재한다는 것을 주사전자현미경을 통해 관찰하였다. 그래서 황 입자가 생물막을 형성하기 위한 담체로도 작용할 수 있다는 것을 알 수 있었다. 황입자가 첨가된 $ClO_4^-$ 분해성 농화 배양으로부터 채취한 생물막의 미생물군집조성은 접종균으로 사용된 활성 슬러지의 그것과는 다름이 DGGE 분석결과 나타났다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제17권12호
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• pp.1976-1982
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• 2007

In the current studies, we characterized the degradation of a hot mixture of benzene and toluene (BT) gases by a thermophilic biofilter using polyurethane as a packing material and high-temperature compost as a microbial source. We also examined the effect of supplementing the biofilter with yeast extract (YE). We found that YE substantially enhanced microbial activity in the thermophilic biofilter. The degrading activity of the biofilter supplied with YE was stable during long-term operation (approximately 100 d) without accumulating excess biomass. The maximum elimination capacity ($1,650\;g{\cdot} m^{-3}{\cdot} h^{-1}$) in the biofilter supplemented with YE was 3.5 times higher than that in the biofilter without YE ($470\;g{\cdot} m^{-3}{\cdot} h^{-1}$). At similar retention times, the capacity to eliminate BT for the YE-supplemented biofilter was higher than for previously reported mesophilic biofilters. Thus, thermophilic biofiltration can be used to degrade hydrophobic compounds such as a BT mixture. Finally, 168 rDNA polymerase chain reaction-DGGE (PCR-DGGE) fingerprinting revealed that the thermophilic bacteria in the biofilter included Rubrobacter sp. and Mycobacterium sp.