• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.368-376
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• 2009

A red pigment-producing bacterial strain was isolated from sediment sample of the East China Sea. The isolate was identified by analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence and morphological, physiological properties, biochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence showed that isolate represent a phyletic lineage within the genus Zooshikella, and this strain was most closely related to Zooshikella ganghwensis KCTC $12044^T$ (AY130994) (99.79%). The strain was Gram-negative, aerobic and required NaCl at 0.5~8.0% for growth. The predominant cellular fatty acids were saturated and monounsaturated straight-chain fatty acids. Consequently, this strain was identified as a member of the genus Zooshikella and designated as Zooshikella sp. JE-34. The pigment showed characteristics similar to prodigiosin, a well-known red pigment previously detected in Serratia marcescens. The antimicrobial activity of Zooshikella sp. JE-34 bacterial pigment was tested against 18 microorganisms, which were fish and human pathogens. The Zooshikella sp. JE-34 red pigment showed high antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus iniae, S. parauberis, S. mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Propionibacterium acnes.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2010

The biodiversity of eukaryotic plankton has commonly been used to evaluate the status of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, an accurate and rapid method for species identification is needed to reveal the biodiversity of environmental water samples. To date, molecular methods have provided a great deal of information that has enabled identification of the hidden biodiversity in environmental samples. In this study, we utilized environmental polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and constructed the 18S nuclear ribosomal RNA clone library from environmental water samples in order to develop more efficient methods for species identification. For the molecular analysis, water samples were collected from the Seonakdong River (Gimhae Bridge) and the coast of Namhae，(Namhaedo). Colony PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR (PCR-RFLP) were then adopted to isolate unique clones from the 18S rDNA clone library. Restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern analysis of the Gimhae Bridge sample revealed 44 unique clones from a total of 60 randomly selected clones, while analysis of the Namhae sample revealed 27 unique clones from 150 clones selected at random. A BLAST search and subsequent phylogenetic analysis conducted using the sequences of these clones revealed hidden biodiversity containing a wide range of taxonomic groups (Heterokontophyta (7), Ciliophora (23), Dinophyta (1), Chytridiomycota (1), Rotifera (1) and Arthropoda (11) in the Gimhae Bridge samples Ciliophora (4), Dinophyta (3), Cryptophyta (1), Arthropoda (19) in the Namhae samples). Therefore, the molecular monitoring method developed here can provide additional information regarding the biodiversity and community structure of eukaryotic plankton in environmental samples and helps construct a useful database of biodiversity for aquatic ecosystems.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2015

A specimen of porous-head eelpout Bothrocara hollandi (Zoarcidae: Perciformes) caught from the East Sea was found to harbour a myxosporean parasite. Numerous whitish pseudocysts were scattered throughout the body musculature of this individual specimen. Fresh myxosporean spores were found from the squashed pseudocysts under light microscopy. They were subspherical in frontal view with a length of $11.9(11.0{\sim}13.5){\mu}m$, width of $11.6(10.7{\sim}13.6){\mu}m$, and thickness of $7.8(6.9{\sim}8.8){\mu}m$. Two polar capsules were almost equally pyriform with a length of $4.4(3.2{\sim}5.3){\mu}m$ and width of $3.3(2.4{\sim}4.2){\mu}m$. Morphometric and host ecology analysis revealed that this myxosporean parasite could be identified as Myxobolus aeglefini Auerbach 1906. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA sequences also revealed that M. aeglefini was clustered with M. albi and M. groenlandicus in the same branch, sharing 97.7% and 96.9% sequence similarities with M. albi and M. groenlandicus, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1493-1499
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• 2013

A novel radiation-resistant Filobasidium sp. yeast strain was isolated from seawater. Along with this strain, a total of 656 yeast isolates were purified from seawater samples collected from three locations in the West Sea of Korea and assessed for their radiation tolerance. Among these isolates, five were found to survive a 5 kGy radiation dose. The most radiation-resistant strain was classified as Filobasidium sp. based on 18S rDNA sequence analysis and hence was named Filobasidium RRY1 (Radiation-Resistant Yeast 1). RRY1 differed from F. elegans, which is closely related to RRY1, in terms of the optimal growth temperature and radiation resistance, and was resistant to high doses of ${\gamma}$-ionizing radiation ($D_{10}$: 6-7 kGy). When exposed to a high dose of 3 kGy irradiation, the RRY1 cells remained intact and undistorted, with negligible cell death. When these irradiated cells were allowed to recover, the cells fully repaired their genomic DNA within 3 h of growth recovery. This is the first report in which a radiation-resistant response has been investigated at the physiological, morphological, and molecular levels in a strain of Filobasidium sp.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

During a biodiversity survey of undiscovered taxa in Korea, two zygomycetous fungal strains were isolated. The first strain, EML-FSDY6-1 was isolated from a soil sample collected at Dokdo Island in the East Sea of Korea in 2013, and the second strain, EML-DG-NH3-1 was isolated from a rat dung sample collected at Chonnam National University garden, Gwangju, Korea in 2014. Based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, 18S and 28S rDNA, actin and translation elongation $factor-1{\alpha}$ genes. EML-FSDY6-1 and EML-DG-NH3-1 isolates were confirmed as zygomycete species, Absidia pseudocylindrospora and Absidia glauca, respectively. Neither species has previously been described in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2015

An agarolytic marine bacterium (H9) was isolated from the coastal seawater of the West Sea, South Korea. The isolate, H9, was gram-negative and rod-shaped with a smooth surface and polar flagellum. Cells grew at 20-30℃, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and in ASW-YP (Artificial Sea Water-Yeast extract, Peptone) media containing 1-5% (w/v) NaCl. The G+C content was 41.56 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone in strain H9 was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C_16:1ω7c (34.3%), C_16:0 (23.72%), and C_18:1ω7c (13.64%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and biochemical and chemotaxonomic characterization, the strain was designated as Pseudoalteromonas sp. H9 (=KCTC23887). In liquid culture supplemented with 0.2% agar, the cell density and agarase activity reached a maximum level of OD = 4.32 (48 h) and OD = 3.87 (24 h), respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the extracellular crude agarases of H9 were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the agarase hydrolysis products revealed that the crude agarases hydrolyze agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose. Therefore, the new agar-degrading strain, H9, can be applicable for the production of valuable neoagarooligosaccharides and for the complete degradation of agar in bio-industries.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2003

Purpose : Nosocomial infection with Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin resistant S. aureus, has become a serious concern in the neonatal intensive care unit. The aim of this study is to investigate the virulence factors, and the relationship between the antibiotic resistance and the associated genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal cavity of neonates. Methods : Fifty one isolates of S. aureus were obtained from nasal swab taken in 28 neonates in the NICU and nursery of Pusan National University Hospital between February and May, 2001. They were tested in regard to antibiotic susceptibility, coagulase test and typing, plasmid DNA profile, as well as reactivity to enterotoxin A-E(sea, seb, sec, sed, see) genes and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1(tst) gene by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Associated genes such as mecA, mecR1, mecI, and femA were also determined by PCR. The origin of MRSA strains was assessed using DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction(AP-PCR). Results : Twenty three(45.1%) and six(11.8%) isolates were resistant to oxacillin and vancomycin respectively. Multidrug resistance to three or more of the antibiotics tested was observed in 51.0% of the isolates. Forty two isolates were coagulase positive and twenty two isolates had mecA gene. Sixteen isolates had both mecA and femA genes and had type I-III plasmids. 64.7% of isolates carried sec gene, and 80.4% carried tst gene. DNA fingerprinting by AP-PCR for 12 MRSA strains showed 10 distinct patterns, suggesting different origins. Conclusion : We confirmed that the prevalence of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus, especially vancomycin resistance, is very high in neonates who were admitted in NICU and nursery. It is possible that these pathogens are responsible for serious nosocomial infections in neonates. The need for improved surveillance and continuous control of pathogens is emphasized.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2013

An agar-hydrolyzing marine bacterium, strain GNUM08120, was isolated from Sargassum fulvellum collected from Yeongil bay of East Sea of Korea. The isolate was Gram-negative, aerobic, motile with single polar flagellum, and grew at 1-10% NaCl, pH 5.0-8.0, and $15-37^{\circ}C$. G+C content and the predominant respiratory quinone were 46.13 mol% and Q-8, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids were Summed feature 3 (24.5%), $C_{16:0}$ (21.7%), and $C_{18:1}{\omega}7c$ (12.5%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and DNA-DNA hybridization analyses, strain GNUM08120 was identified as a novel subspecies of Alteromonas macleodii, designated Alteromonas macleodii subsp. GNUM08120. Production of agarase by strain GNUM08120 was likely repressed by the effect of carbon catabolite repression caused by glucose. The crude agarase prepared from 12-h culture broth of strain GNUM08120 exhibited an optimum pH and temperature for agarase activity at 7.0 and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crude enzyme produced (neo)agarobiose, (neo)agarotetraose, and (neo)agarohexaose as the hydrolyzed product of agarose.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

Coastal dunes must be conserved. Their native halophytes support coastal geography while their symbiotic microorganisms help vegetation thrive. The Goraebul coast has the largest, well-conserved dune system on the East Sea of the Korean Peninsula due to a climax mixed halophyte (C. soldanella, C. kobomugi, and E. mollis) vegetation support. This study identified rhizobacteria and their diversity in mixed halophyte communities unique to Goraebul. Five phyla, 12 genera, and 21 species were identified based on 16S rDNA sequences from 65 isolates. The phylum Bacillota, class Bacillota, order Bacillales, and family Bacillaceae were identified, with Bacillus as the dominant genus (46.15%). The richness and Shannon's diversity were higher at the species than at the genus level due to the dominance of Bacillus; however, various Bacillus species (7) were identified. Therefore, the climax mixed vegetation adapted to the Goraebul coast may exert natural selection pressure in favor of the common characteristics of Bacillus. However, despite this advantage, the Shannon equitability (0.86), Simpson (0.08), and Shannon diversity (2.79) indexes indicate a stable rhizosphere cluster and the climax mixed vegetation is affected by symbiotic relationships between healthy rhizosphere microbiota.