• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1826-1831
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• 2006

A novel hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, heterotrophic archaeon, designated strain $NA1^T$, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent area (depth, 1,650 m) within the Papua New Guinea-Australia-Canada-Manus (PACMANUS) field. Cells of this strain were motile by means of polar flagella, coccoid-shaped with a diameter of approximately $0.5-1.0{\mu}m$, and occurred as single cells. Optimal temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration for growth were $80^{\circ}C$, 8.5, and 3.5%, respectively. The new isolate was an obligate heterotroph that utilized yeast extract, beef extract, tryptone, peptone, casein, and starch as carbon and energy sources. Elemental sulfur was required for growth and was reduced to hydrogen sulfide. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 52.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain $NA1^T$ belongs to the genus Thermococcus, and the organism is most closely related to T. gorgonarius, T. peptonophilus, and T. celer; however, no significant homology was observed among species by DNA-DNA hybridization. Strain $NA1^T$ therefore represents a novel species for which the name Thermococcus onnurineus sp. novo is proposed. The type strain is $NA1^T$ (=KCTC 10859, =JCM 13517).

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.671-677
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• 2011

A hyperthermophilic archaeon, $Thermococcus$ $onnurineus$ NA1 was studied to investigate its fermentation characteristics using various carbon sources including formate, maltose and carbon monoxide during the anaerobic batch cultivation at $80^{\circ}C$. Formate was the best carbon source for cell growth and hydrogen production among others. In the batch culture on formate, it was found that the cell concentration increased exponentially by 12 hrs of culture, after which the cell growth and formate consumption was retarded. Hydrogen production was continued more than 24 hrs although the cell growth was ceased at 18 hrs. Hydrogen production rate was directly correlated with the cell growth and formate degradation up to 18 hrs, and the average hydrogen production yield was 1.05 mole-$H_2$/mole-formate. Cell growth and hydrogen production were optimized at the initial pH 6-7, while inhibited at the initial pH lower than 5 and higher than 9.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.1375-1382
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• 2016

The extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium noricense is a member of the genus Halobacterium. Strain CBA1132 (= KCCM 43183, JCM 31150) was isolated from solar salt. The genome of strain CBA1132 assembled with 4 contigs, including three rRNA genes, 44 tRNA genes, and 3,208 open reading frames. Strain CBA1132 had nine putative CRISPRs and the genome contained genes encoding metal resistance determinants: copper-translocating P-type ATPase (CtpA), arsenical pump-driving ATPase (ArsA), arsenate reductase (ArsC), and arsenical resistance operon repressor (ArsR). Strain CBA1132 was related to Halobacterium noricense, with 99.2% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Based on the comparative genomic analysis, strain CBA1132 has distinctly evolved; moreover, essential genes related to nitrogen metabolism were only detected in the genome of strain CBA1132 among the reported genomes in the genus Halobacterium. This genome sequence of Halobacterium noricense CBA1132 may be of use in future molecular biological studies.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.39-45
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• 2001

Extremophiles are unique microorganisms that are adapted to survive in ecological niches such as high or low temperatures, extremes of pH, high salt concentrations and high pressure. These unusual microorganisms have unique biochemical features which can be exploited for use in the biotechnological industries. Due to the high biodiversity of extremophilic archaea and bacteria and their existence in various biotopes a variety of biocatalysts with different physicochemical properties have been discovered. The extreme molecular stability of their enzymes, membranes and the synthesis of unique organic compounds and polymers make extremophiles interesting candidates for basic and applied research. Some of the enzymes from extremophiles, especially hyperthermophilic marine microorganisms (growth above $85^{\circ}C$), have already been purified in our laboratory. These include the enzyme systems from Pyrococcus, Pyrodictium, Thermococcus and Thermotoga sp. that are involved in polysacharide modification and protein bioconversion. Only recently, the genome of the thermoalkaliphilic strain. Anaerobranca gottschalkii has been completely sequenced providing a unique resource of novel biocatalysts that are active at high temperature and pH. The gene encoding the branching enzyme from this organism was cloned and expressed in a mesophilic host and finally characterized. A novel glucoamylase was purified from an aerobic archaeon which shows optimal activity at $90^{\circ}C$ and pH 2.0. This thermoacidophilic archaeon Picrophilus oshimae grows optimally at pH 0.7 and $60^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, we were able to detect thermoactive proteases from two anaerobic isolates which are able to hydrolyze feather keratin completely at $80^{\circ}C$ forming amino acids and peptides. In addition, new marine psychrophilic isolates will be presented that are able to secrete enzymes such as lipases, proteases and amylases possessing high activity below the freezing point of water.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1144-1148
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• 2006

DNA can oxidatively be deaminated by ROS, which converts DNA base amino groups to keto groups and can trigger abnormal mutations, resulting in mutagenesis in organisms. In this study, a noncanonical purine dNTP pyrophosphatase (AfPPase) from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus, which hydrolyzes aberrant nucleoside triphosphates, was overexpressed in E. coli, purified, and characterized. The purified AfPPase showed remarkably high activity for XTP and dITP, suggesting that the 6-keto group of these nucleotides is critical for the reactivity. Under optimal reaction conditions, the reaction rate for these substrates was about 120 times that with dGTP. Therefore, AfPPase may play a significant role in DNA repair by hydrolysis of noncanonical nucleotides before they are misincorporated into DNA.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.535-539
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• 2005

The thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum has long been known to utilize D-glucose via the non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff (nED) pathway. We now report the identification of a gene encoding 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-gluconate (KDG) kinase. The discovery of this gene implies the presence of a glycolysis pathway, other than the nED pathway. It was found that Ta0122 in the T. acidophilum genome corresponded to KDG kinase. This enzyme shares no similarity with known KDG kinases, and belongs to a novel class of sugar kinases. Of the five sugars tested only KDG was utilized as a substrate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.663-671
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• 2022

The saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose is essential for utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as a biofuel. While cellulose is composed of glucose only, hemicelluloses are composed of diverse sugars such as xylose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is a good potential candidate for biofuel production using hemicellulose as this archaeon simultaneously utilizes various sugars. However, S. acidocaldarius has to be manipulated because the enzyme that breaks down hemicellulose is not present in this species. Here, we engineered S. acidocaldarius to utilize xylan as a carbon source by introducing xylanase and β-xylosidase. Heterologous expression of β-xylosidase enhanced the organism's degradability and utilization of xylooligosaccharides (XOS), but the mutant still failed to grow when xylan was provided as a carbon source. S. acidocaldarius exhibited the ability to degrade xylan into XOS when xylanase was introduced, but no further degradation proceeded after this sole reaction. Following cell growth and enzyme reaction, S. acidocaldarius successfully utilized xylan in the synergy between xylanase and β-xylosidase.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2015

Previously we reported that the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 is capable of producing hydrogen (H₂) from formate, CO or starch. In this study, we describe the immobilization of T. onnurineus NA1 as an alternative means of H₂ production. Amine-coated silica particles were effective in immobilizing T. onnurineus NA1 by electrostatic interaction, showing a maximum cell adsorption capacity of 71.7 mg-dried cells per g of particle. In three cycles of repeated-batch cultivation using sodium formate as the sole energy source, immobilized cells showed reproducible H₂ production with a considerable increase in the initial production rate from 2.3 to 4.0 mmol l⁻¹ h⁻¹, mainly due to the increase in the immobilized cell concentration as the batch culture was repeated. Thus, the immobilized-cell system of T. onnurineus NA1 was demonstrated to be feasible for H₂ production. This study is the first example of immobilized cells of hyperthermophilic archaea being used for the production of H₂.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.327-333
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• 2005

Dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (DHAD, 2,3-dihydroxy-acid hydrolyase, EC 4.2.1.9) is one of the key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of the branched chain amino acid isoleucine and valine. Although the enzyme have been purified and characterized in various mesophiles including bacteria and eukarya, the biochemical properties of DHAD has bee not yet reported from hyperthermophilic archaea. In this study, we cloned, expressed, and purified a DHAD homologue from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2, which grows optimally at $80\;^{\circ}C$ and pH 3, in E. coli. Characterization of the recombinant S. solfataricus DHAD (rSso_DHAD) revealed that it is the dimeric protein with a subunit molecular weight of 64,000 Da in native structure. rDHAD showed the highest activity toward 2,3-dihydroxyisovaleric acid among 17 aldonic acid substrates Interestingly, this enzyme also displayed 50 % activities toward some pentonic acids and hexonic acids when compared with the activity of this enzyme to the natural substrate. Moreover, rSso_DHAD indicated relatively higher activity toward D-gluconate than any other hexonic acids tested in substrates. $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of rSso_DHAD were calculated as $0.54\;{\pm}\;0.04\;mM$ toward 2,3dihydroxyisovalerate and $2.42\;{\pm}\;0.19\;mM$ toward D-gluconate, and as $21.6\;{\pm}\;0.4\;U/mg$ toward 2,3-dihydroxyisovalerate and $13.8\;{\pm}\;0.4\;U/mg$ toward D-gluconate, respectively. In the study for biochemical properties, the enzyme shows maximal activity between $70^{\circ}C$ and $80^{\circ}C$, and the pH range of pH 7.5 to 8.5. The half life time at $80^{\circ}C$ was 30 min. A divalent metal ion, $Mn^{2+}$, was only powerful activators, whereas other metal ions made the enzyme activity reduced. $Hg^{2+}$, organic mercury, and EDTA also strongly inhibited enzyme activities. Particularly, the rSso_DHAD activity was very stable under aerobic condition although the counterparts reported from mesophiles had been deactivated by oxygen.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: Genetically modified(GM) trigonal cactus(Hylocereus trigonus Saff.) contained a coat protein gene of cactus virus X (CVX), which conferred resistance to the virus, phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (bar) gene, which conferred herbicide resistance, and a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV 35S). This study was conducted to evaluate the possible impact of GM trigonal cactus cultivation on the soil microbial community. METHODS AND RESULTS: Microorganisms were isolated from the rhizosphere of GM and non-GM trigonal cactus cultivation soils. The total numbers of bacteria, and actinomycete in the rhizosphere soils cultivated GM and non-GM trigonal cactus were similar to each other, and there was no significant difference. Dominant bacterial phyla in the rhizosphere soils cultivated with GM and non-GM trigonal cactus were Proteobacteria, Uncultured archaeon, and Uncultured bacterium. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles show a similar patterns, significant difference was not observed in each other. DNA was isolated from soil cultivated GM and non-GM trigonal cactus, we analyzed the persistence of the inserted gene by PCR. Amplification of the inserted genes was not observed in the soil DNA, which was collected after harvest. CONCLUSION(S): This result suggests that the GM trigonal cactus cultivation does not change significantly the microbial community.