• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2000

To identity the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharide, recombinant plasmids pUEX10 and pLEX10 were constructed from plasmid pLEX3 which was isolated from the recombinant cosmid library of Zoogloea ramigera 115. The complete nucleotide sequence of the 1.7 kb genomic DNA insert in plasmid pUEX10 was determined. Its analysis identified two open reading frames (ORF3 & ORF4) which could encode two proteins. The amino acid sequence derived from ORF3 showed the homology with gumC protein in Xanthomonas campestris as well as exoP protein in Rhizobium melizoti. The partial amino acid sequence of ORF4 showed the homology with polysaccharide export protein in Thermotoga maritima. Z. ramigera 115SLR and Z. ramigera 115SLR/pLEX10 showed the similar pattern for EPS production. Yield of exopolysaccharides produced by Z. ramigera 115SLR and Z. ramigera 115SLR/pLEX10 was 0.26% (w/v) and 0.16% (w/v), respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2017

A xylan-degrading bacterium (strain WJ-1) was isolated from soil collected from Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Strain WJ-1 was characterized as a gram-positive, aerobic, and spore-forming bacterium. The predominant fatty acid in this bacterium was anteiso-$C_{15:0}$ (42.99%). A similarity search based on 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested that the strain belonged to the genus Streptomyces. Further, strain WJ-1 shared the highest sequence similarity with the type strains Streptomyces spinoveruucosus NBRC 14228, S. minutiscleroticus NBRC 13000, and S. glaucescens NBRC 12774. Together, they formed a coherent cluster in a phylogenetic tree based on the neighbor-joining algorithm. The DNA G+C content of strain WJ-1 was 74.7 mol%. The level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain WJ-1 and the closest related species S. glaucescens NBRC 12774 was 85.7%. DNA-DNA hybridization, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, and the phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics suggest that strain WJ-1 constitutes a novel subspecies of S. glaucescens. Thus, the strain was designated as S. glaucescens subsp. WJ-1 (Korean Agricultural Culture Collection [KACC] accession number 92086). Additionally, strain WJ-1 secreted thermostable endo-type xylanases that converted xylan to xylooligosaccharides such as xylotriose and xylotetraose. The enzymes exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.0 and $55^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.945-951
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• 2007

DNA-DNA hybridization has been established as an important technology in bacterial species taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis. In this study, we analyzed how the efficiency with which the genomic DNA from one species hybridizes to the genomic DNA of another species (DNA-DNA hybridization) in microarray analysis relates to the similarity between two genomes. We found that the predicted DNA-DNA hybridization based on genome sequence similarity correlated well with the experimentally determined microarray hybridization. Between closely related strains, significant numbers of highly divergent genes (>55% identity) and/or the accumulation of mismatches between conserved genes lowered the DNA-DNA hybridization signal, and this reduced the hybridization signals to below 70% for even bacterial strains with over 97% 16S rRNA gene identity. In addition, our results also suggest that a DNA-DNA hybridization signal intensity of over 40% indicates that two genomes at least shared 30% conserved genes (>60% gene identity). This study may expand our knowledge of DNA-DNA hybridization based on genomic sequence similarity comparison and further provide insights for bacterial phylogeny analyses.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1554-1560
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• 2006

A Gram-positive, aerobic or facultative anaerobic, non motile, endospore-forming bacterial strain, designated Gsoil $114^T$, was isolated from a soil sample of a ginseng field in Pocheon Province (South Korea), and was characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic approach. It grew well on nutrient agar medium and utilized a limited number of organic substrates as sole carbon sources, including D-xylose and some other carbohydrates, but did not utilize L-amino acids and organic acids. The isolate was positive for oxidase test but negative for catalase, and negative for degradation of macromolecules such as starch, cellulose, xylan, casein, chitin, and DNA. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 41.8 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The major fatty acids were $anteiso-C_{15:0}$ (32.1%), $iso-C_{15:0}$ (30.5%), and $anteiso-C_{17:0}$ (30.2%). Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain Gsoil $114^T$ fell within the radiation of the cluster comprising Bacillus species and joined Bacillus shackletonii LMG $18435^T$ with a bootstrap value of 95%. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities were found with Bacillus shackletonii LMG $18435^T$ (97.6%), Bacillus acidicola DSM $14745^T$ (96.9%), Bacillus sporothermodurans DSM $10599^T$ (96.5%), and Bacillus oleronius DSM $9356^T$ (96.5%). The phylogenetic distance from any other validly described species within the genus Bacillus was less than 96%. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed that the DNA-similarities between strain Gsoil $114^T$ and closest phylogenetic neighbors were less than 39%. On the basis of its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain Gsoil $114^T$ (=KCTC $13944^T$=DSMZ $18134^T$) was classified in the genus Bacillus as the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Bacillus ginsengihumi sp. nov. is proposed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1203-1206
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• 2008

A Gram-positive strain designated as MSL-$14^T$ isolated from a soil sample collected from Bigeum Island, Korea, was subjected to polyphasic taxonomy. The isolate was strictly aerobic. Cells were short rods and motile. Optimum growth temperature and pH was 28$^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively. It was characterized chemotaxonomically as having a cell-wall peptidoglycan type based on LL-2,6-diaminopimelic acid and MK-$8(H_4)$ as the predominant menaquinone. The major fatty acids were iso-$C_{16:0}$, $C_{17:1}$ omega8c, and $C_{18:1}$ omega9c. The G+C content was 67.6 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain MSL-$14^T$ is affiliated to the genus Nocardioides and formed a distinct lineage within the genus. MSL-$14^T$ showed highest sequence similarity to Nocardioides aestuarii JCM $12125^T$, having a similarity of 96.5%. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence and phenotypic characteristics, it is proposed that strain MSL-$14^T$ should be classified as representing a novel member of the genus Nocardioides, for which we propose the name Nocardioides tritolerans sp. novo The type strain is strain MSL-$14^T$ (=KCTC $19289^T$=DSM $19320^T$).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2003

Genetic diversity of local populations among geologically isolated groups of Rana amurensis was refined by sequence comparison of the mitochondrial (mt) 165 rDNA genes. Each 401 base pairs of DNA sequences, which was determined from four local populations of Rana amurensis, two local populations of R. nigromacutata, and three species of the genus Rana were used in this analysis. Despite morphological similarity of Rana amurensis, Korean populations were well distinguished from the other groups on the basis of 105 rDNA gene difference. Further analyses for additional local populations belonging to R. amurensis will be necessary to clarify the taxonomic status.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2002

Phylogenetic relationships of Korean Acidiella species were tested using mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences. We used 16 published sequences as outgroup, and 10 new sequences for nine Korean Acidiella species as ingroup. The number of aligned sites was 1,281 bp, but 1,135 bp were used for the analysis after excluding sites with missing data or gaps. Among these 1,135 sites, 464 sites were variable and 340 were informative for parsimony analysis. Phylogenetic information was extracted from this data set using neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods and compared to a morphology-based phylogenetic hypothesis. Our molecular data suggest that: (1) the tribe Trypetini appears to be monophyletic even when the nine additional Acidiella species are added to our previous phylogenetic analysis; (2) all the Korean Acidiella species belong to the Trypeta group, but the genus Acidiella is not supported as monophyletic; (3) the close relationship of A. circumvaga, A. issikii, and A. sapporensis is supported; (4) the close relationship of A. pachypogon and two additional new Acidiella species is strongly supported; and (5) the possible presence of two or more cryptic species among the specimens previously identified as A. obscuripennis is suggested. Sequence data from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA allowed us to better understand the systematic status of Korean Acidiella species. They indicated that the current concept about the genus Acidiella is insufficient and needs to be refined further. This study also showed a few interesting relationships, that had not been recognized by morphological study alone. Based on this study, we were able to plan further experiments to analyze relationships within the Trypeta Group.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1728-1733
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• 2006

A Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, nonmotile, and nonspore-forming bacterial strain, designated $T5-12^T$, was isolated from compost and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomical approach. The isolate was positive for catalase and oxidase tests. It could degrade DNA, but was negative for degradation of macromolecules such as casein, collagen, starch, chitin, cellulose, and xylan. The DNA G+C content was 36.0 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The major fatty acids were $iso-C_{15:0}$ (45.6%), $iso-C_{17:0}$ 3OH (17.2%), and summed feature 4 ($C_{16:0}\;{\omega}7c$ and/or $iso-C_{15:0}$ 2OH, 14.9%). Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain $T5-12^T$ fell within the radiation of the cluster comprising members of the genus Sphingobacterium. Strain $T5-12^T$ exhibited lower than 94% of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with respect to the type strains of recognized Sphingobacterium species. On the basis of its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain $T5-12^T$ ($=KCTC\;12578^T=LMG\;23401^T=CCUG\;52467^T$) should be classified in the genus Sphingobacterium as the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Sphingobacterium composti sp. novo is proposed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2000

For the taxonomic evaluaition, 15 strains of the genus Pectobacterium and Erwinia were analyzed for 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer regions (ISRs). These species contained two types of ISRs, large and small ISRs. Large ISRs were on the range of 474-569 bp size, and coding transfer $\textrm{RNA}^{11e}$($\textrm{tRNA}^{11e}$) and $\textrm{tRNA}^{Ala}$. Small ISRs were 354-459 bp in length and coding $\textrm{tRNA}^{Glu}$. The sequence variations of two ISRs among species and strains were very high as compared with 16S rRNA gene sequences. By phylogenetic trees on the basis of two ISRs, Pectobacterium ere differentiated into P. carotovorum-P. cactiaidum group and P. chrysanthemi group. However, the taxonomic position of E. cypripedii and E. rhapontici, which were not clear on taxonomic delineation between Pectobacterium and Erwinia, were not clearly resolved on the basis of ISRs.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2004

The change of bacterial communities during cyanobacterial bloom was analyzed by DGGE in Daechung Reservoir from July to October in 2003. The traditional morphological analysis showed that the genera of Microcystis, Chroococcus, Oscillatoria, and Phormidium were dominated. The most frequent band in the DGGE profile by 16S rDNA sequence analysis was identified as Microcystis flos-aquae and the cyanobacterial bloom was peaked on September 2. Oscillatoria spp. were also identified and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae dominated in the middle of August. Judging from the analysis of the digitalized DGGE profiles using the cluster analysis technique, the microbial community on September 2 was considerably different from others. Consequently, it seems that the gene fingerprinting method can give not only the similar results to the traditional morphological method but also additional information on the bacterial species and similarity among the examined microbial communities.