• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1188-1192
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• 2003

Chitinase producing bacteria, Arthrobacter nicotianae CH4 and A. nicotianae CH13, were isolated from small crabs by an enrichment culture using chitin as the sole carbon source. Crude chitinases from the two isolated strains, A. nicotianae CH4 and A. nicotianae CH13, were stable in the pH range of $3.0{\sim}9.0$ and in the temperature range of $20{\sim}60^{\circ}C$. The reducing sugar $(GlcNAc)_1$, or $(GlcNAc)_4$, corresponding to over 98% of the enzyme reaction products, was obtained. The production of functional $(GlcNAc)_1$ and $(GlcNAc)_4$ from A. nicotianae CH13 and A. nicotianae CH4, respectively, from the chitinases was useful. The chitinase system of A. nicotianae CH13 was supposed to be endo- and exo-chitinase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2013

To isolate antagonistic bacteria against sclerotinia rot of lettuce, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, soil samples were collected from the diseased greenhouse field in Namyangju city, Gyeong-gi province from 2007 to 2008. A total of 196 bacterial isolates were isolated using serial dilution method. In dual culture assay in vitro, 26 isolates showed more than 80% of inhibition rates of mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the 26 isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium, B. cereus, B. subtilis, Arthrobacter nicotianae, A. ramosus, Pseudomonas filiscindens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans and Sphingobacterium faecium. The 26 isolates inhibited the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum up to 80% and the sclerotial germination 0-100%. In the greenhouse pot test of ten isolates conducted in summer, 2 isolates B. megaterium (DK6) and B. cereus (C210) showed control efficacy on sclerotia viability of S. sclerotiorum, 20% and 35%, respectively. In the greenhouse pot test in winter, the disease incidence of the control group was 80%, whereas those of 9 isolates among 26 were approximately 20%. From the result, the 9 isolates are expected as potentially antagonistic bacteria for biological control of sclerotinia rot of lettuce caused by S. sclerotiorum.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.183-188
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• 2003

We isolated and cultured bacteria that inhabited marine biofilms, and identified them by phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequences. In the marine environment, biofilms cover most subtidal and intertidal solid surfaces such as rocks, ships, loops, marine animals, and algae. The bacteria in most biofilms are embedded in extracellular polymeric substances that comprise mainly of exopolysaccharides. The exopolysaccharides are excreted from multiple bacterial species; therefore, biofilms are a good source for screening exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria. Thirty-one strains were cultured, and a total of 17 unique strains were identified. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequences indicated that the 17 strains belonged to ${\alpha}$-Proteobacteria (Ochrobactrum anthropi, Paracoccus carotinifaciens); ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria (Pseudoalteromonas agarovorans, P. piscicida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shewanella baltica, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. pomeroyi); CFB group bacteria (Cytophaga latercula, Tenacibaculum mesophilum); high GC, Gram-positive bacteria (Arthrobacter nicotianae, Brevibacterium casei, B. epidermidis, Tsukamurella inchonensis); and low GC, Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus macroides, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, S. warneri).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2015

The use of calcite-forming bacteria (CFB) in crack remediation and durability improvements in construction materials creates a permanent and environmentally-friendly material. Therefore, research into this type of application is stimulating interdisciplinary studies between microbiology and architectural engineering. However, the mechanisms giving rise to these materials are dependent on calcite precipitation by the metabolism of the CFB, which raises concerns about possible hazards to cement-based construction due to microbial metabolic acid production. The aim of this study was to determine target microorganisms that possibly can have bio-corrosive effects on cement mortar and to assess multi-functional CFBs for their safe application to cement structures. The chalky test was first used to evaluate the $CaCO_3$ solubilization feature of construction sites by fungi, yeast, bacterial strains. Not all bacterial strains are able to solubilize $CaCO_3$, but C. sphaerospermum KNUC253 or P. prolifica KNUC263 showed $CaCO_3$ solubilization activity. Therefore, these two strains were identified as target microorganisms that require control in cement structures. The registered patented strains Bacillus aryabhatti KNUC205, Arthrobacter nicotianae KNUC2100, B. thuringiensis KNUC2103 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KNUC2106, reported as multifunctional CFB (fungal growth inhibition, crack remediation, and water permeability reduction of cement surfaces) and isolated from Dokdo or construction site were unable to solubilize $CaCO_3$. Notably, B. aryabhatti KNUC205 and A. nicotianae KNUC2100 could not hydrolyze cellulose or protein, which can be the major constituent macromolecules of internal materials for buildings. These results show that several reported multi-functional CFB can be applied to cement structures or diverse building environments without corrosive or bio-deteriorative risks.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1269-1278
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• 2013

Crack remediation on the surface of cement mortar using microbiological calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) precipitation (MICP) has been investigated as a microbial sealing agent on construction materials. However, MICP research has never acknowledged the antifungal properties of calcite-forming bacteria (CFB). Since fungal colonization on concrete surfaces can trigger biodeterioration processes, fungi on concrete buildings have to be prevented. Therefore, to develop a microbial sealing agent that has antifungal properties to remediate cement cracks without deteriorative fungal colonization, we introduced an antifungal CFB isolated from oceanic islands (Dokdo islands, territory of South Korea, located at the edge of the East Sea in Korea.). The isolation of CFB was done using B4 or urea-$CaCl_2$ media. Furthermore, antifungal assays were done using the pairing culture and disk diffusion methods. Five isolated CFB showed $CaCO_3$ precipitation and antifungal activities against deteriorative fungal strains. Subsequently, five candidate bacteria were identified using 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Crack remediation, fungi growth inhibition, and water permeability reduction of antifungal CFB-treated cement surfaces were tested. All antifungal CFB showed crack remediation abilities, but only three strains (KNUC2100, 2103, and 2106) reduced the water permeability. Furthermore, these three strains showed fungi growth inhibition. This paper is the first application research of CFB that have antifungal activity, for an eco-friendly improvement of construction materials.