• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1546-1554
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• 2010

A bacterial strain capable of producing extracellular ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was isolated from a sample of sugarcane industrial waste. Microbiological, physiological, and biochemical studies revealed that the isolate belonged to Bacillus sp. Furthermore, based on a 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the new isolate was identified as Bacillus megaterium VHM1. The production of ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was optimized based on various physical culture conditions. Guar gum and yeast extract acted as the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The optimum pH was 7.5 and the enzyme remained stable over a pH range of 5-9. The enzyme was optimally active at $55^{\circ}C$ and thermostable with a half-life of 120 min, yet lost 90% of its residual activity within 120 min at $60^{\circ}C$. One mM concentrations of $Ag^2$, $Cu^2$, and $Hg^{2+}$ strongly inhibited the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, whereas the metal ions $Fe^2$, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ had no effect on the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity, and $Zn^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, and $Ca^{2+}$ reduced the enzyme activity slightly. When treated with the B. megaterium VHM1 enzyme, the flatulence-causing sugars in soymilk were completely hydrolyzed within 1.5 h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1530-1543
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• 2024

With an increase in the commercialization of bioplastics, the importance of screening for plastic-degrading strains and microbes has emerged. Conventional methods for screening such strains are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, we suggest a method for quickly and effectively screening plastic-degrading microbial strains through dual esterase assays for soil and isolated strains, using p-nitrophenyl alkanoates as substrates. To select microbe-abundant soil, the total amount of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) included in each soil sample was analyzed, and esterase assays were performed for each soil sample to compare the esterase activity of each soil. In addition, by analyzing the correlation coefficients and sensitivity between the amount of PLFAs and the degree of esterase activity according to the substrate, it was confirmed that substrate pNP-C2 is the most useful index for soil containing several microbes having esterase activity. In addition, esterase assays of the isolated strains allowed us to select the most active strain as the degrading strain, and 16S rRNA results confirmed that it was Bacillus sp. N04 showed the highest degradation activity for polybutylene succinate (PBS) as measured in liquid culture for 7 days, with a degradation yield of 99%. Furthermore, Bacillus sp. N04 showed degradation activity against various bioplastics. We propose the dual application of p-nitrophenyl alkanoates as an efficient method to first select the appropriate soil and then to screen for plastic-degrading strains in it, and conclude that pNP-C2 in particular, is a useful indicator.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2015

The bacterial strain isolated from Kimchi showed antibacterial activity against Micrococcus luteus IAM 1056. The selected strain was identified as Lactococcus lactis by 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence analysis and named as Lactococcus sp. KD 28. The treatment of culture supernatant with proteinase K removed antibacterial activity, indicating its proteinaceous nature, a bacteriocin. This bacteriocin was sensitive to hydrolytic enzymes such as ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsion, trypsin, proteinase K, lipase, ${\alpha}$-amylase and subtilisin A. The bacteriocin was highly thermostable and resistant to heating at $80^{\circ}C$ for up to an hour but 50 % of the total activity was remained at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The pH range from 2.0 to 8.0 had no effect on bacteriocin activity and it was not affected by solvents such as acetonitrile, isopropanol, methanol, chloroform and acetone up to 50% concentration. The bacteriocin showed antibacterial activity against M. luteus IAM 1056, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis KCTC 1058, Enterococcus faecium KCTC 3095, Bacillus cereus KCTC 1013, B. subtilis KCTC 1023, Listeria ivanovii subsp. ivanovii KCTC 3444, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus KCTC 1916, B. megaterium KCTC 1098 and B. sphaericus KCTC 1184. The bacteriocin was purified through ammonium sulfate concentration, SP-Sepharose chromatography and RP-HPLC. The molecular weight was estimated to be about 3.4 kDa by tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.342-349
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• 2017

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been highlighted as an alternative renewable polymer for the replacement of petroleum-based plastic materials, and is considered to be biodegradable. On the other hand, the biodegradation of PLA by terminal degraders, such as microorganisms, requires a lengthy period in the natural environment, and its mechanism is not completely understood. PLA biodegradation studies have been conducted using mainly undefined mixed cultures, but only a few bacterial strains have been isolated and examined. For further characterization of PLA biodegradation, in this study, the PLA-degrading bacteria from digester sludge were isolated and identified using a polymer film-based screening method. The enrichment of sludge on PLA granules was conducted with the serial transference of a subculture into fresh media for 40 days, and the attached biofilm was inoculated on a PLA film on an agar plate. 3D optical microscopy showed that the isolates physically degraded the PLA film due to bacterial degradation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified the microbial colonies to be Pseudomonas sp. MYK1 and Bacillus sp. MYK2. The two isolates exhibited significantly higher specific gas production rates from PLA biodegradation compared with that of the initial sludge inoculum.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2021

This study aimed at isolating lactic acid bacteria with anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteriocin activity from fermented shrimp. We selected three strains, named Weissella sp. S1, S2, and S3, using analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. All strains showed appropriate growth in an MRS medium containing 5% (w/v) NaCl and showed antibacterial activities against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and MRSA. The strains exhibited similar growth rates at 0-5% NaCl, with approximate reduction in growth rate observed at 9% NaCl. Weissella sp. S1, S2, and S3 exhibited maximum growth rates at pH 7, 9, and 8, respectively. The crude bacteriocin was prepared from Weissella sp. S3 and subjected to characterization. The remaining activities after 30 min of exposure at each temperature were 100%, beyond 75%, and 49% at 4℃ and 37℃, 50℃ and 70℃, and 100℃, respectively. The remaining activities after 24 h of exposure at each pH were 100%, 75%, and 49% at pH 3 and 5, 7 and 9, and 10, respectively. Use of 50% (v/v) ethanol or isopropanol treatment did not diminish the antibacterial activity of the bacteriocin, while the 50% (v/v) hexane treatment reduced the activity by 51%. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin was nearly 6 kDa that was quantified using tricine-SDS-PAGE. Our findings suggest that Weissella sp. S3 may be considered a probiotic and useful source of antimicrobial substances in the development of bio-preservatives for food or in MRSA treatment.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.442-450
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• 2014

In this study, we isolated a cellulase-producing bacterium isolated from traditional Korean fermented soybean paste and investigated the effect of culture conditions on the production of cellulase. This bacterium, which was identified as Bacillus subtilis 4-1 through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, showed the highest cellulase activity when the cells were grown at $45^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours in the CMC medium supplemented with 1.0% of soluble starch and 0.1% yeast extract. The initial optimum pH of the medium was observed in the range of 5.0~9.0. The optimal pH and temperature for the production of cellulase from B. subtilis 4-1 were pH 9.0 and $60^{\circ}C$ respectively. In addition, the enzyme showed significant activity in the temperature range of $20{\sim}90^{\circ}C$, which indicates that B. subtilis 4-1 cellulase is an alkaline-resistance and thermo-stable enzyme. This enzyme showed higher activity with CMC as the substrate for endo-type cellulase than avicel or pNPG as the exo-type substrates for exo-type cellulase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase. These results suggest that the cellulase produced from B. subtilis 4-1 is a complex enzyme rather than a mono-enzyme.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.600-606
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• 2012

A Bacillus sp. that produces fibrinolytic enzyme was isolated from Cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean soybean-fermented food. According to 16S rRNA gene base sequencing, the bacillus was identified as a variety of Bacillus subtilis, and named Bacillus subtilis IDCC 9204. Fibrinolytic enzyme NK-IL9204 was stable up to $60^{\circ}C$ and within pH range of 5-10. Purified NK-IL9204 was detected through fibrin zymography. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of the enzyme were estimated to be 27.7 kDa and 6.7 by SDS-PAGE and 2D electrophoresis, respectively. Its amino acid sequence was similar to that of nattokinase (identities 99.5%) and different from that of nattokinase BPN (identities 86.4%). The plasma fibrinolytic activity of NK-IL9204 was measured by euglobulin clot lysis times (ECLT). The NK-IL9204 was orally administered to SD rats for 3 weeks (1,000 FU/rat/day). The ECLT was significantly shortened by supplementation of NK-IL9204.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2012

Since many pesticides cause various health and environmental problems, alternative measures to replace them are needed, and the bacteria producing the antifungal substances can be one of them. In this study, several rhizobacteria were isolated and their antifungal activities against some important plant pathogenic fungi were examined. Pseudomonas otitidis TK1 and Paenibacillus peoriae RhAn32 inhibited the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici by 49.8% and 45.6%, and 45.1% and 48.3%, respectively compared to those of the control. P. peoriae RhAn32 also decreased the growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani by 37.5%. This growth inhibition might be due to the production of antifungal substances, such as siderophore, hydrogen cyanide and chitinase, which were produced by these rhizobacteria. P. otitidis TK1 also produced plant growth hormones indole acetic acid and indole butyric acid at $293.41{\mu}g/mg$ protein and $418.53{\mu}g/mg$ protein, respectively. When P. otitidis TK1 and B. cereus TK2 were inoculated together with F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici to the 4 weeks grown tomato seedlings and incubated additional 8 weeks, the stem lengths of tomato increased up to 45.7% and 55.3% and root lengths were raised to 64.9% and 60.8%, respectively than those of the control group. The wet weights increased by 118% and 182%, respectively compared to the control group.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2018

A bacterial strain capable of metabolizing myo-inositol (MI) and converting to other substances was isolated from soil of orchard. The isolate, named YB-46, was grown on minimal medium supplemented with MI as the sole carbon source and was presumed to belonging to genus Enterobacter according to the 16S rDNA sequence. Escherichia coli transformant converting MI into unknown metabolites was selected from a metagenomic library prepared with fosmid pCC1FOS vector. Plasmid was isolated from the transformant, and the inserted gene was partially sequenced. From the nucleotide sequence, an iolG gene was identified to encode myo-inositol dehydrogenase (IolG) consisting of 336 amino residues. The IolG showed amino acid sequence similarity of about 50% with IolG of Enterobacter aerogenes and Bacillus subtilis. The His-tagged IolG (HtIolG) fused with hexahistidine at C-terminus was produced and purified from cell extract of recombinant E. coli. The purified HtIolG showed maximal activity at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 10.5 with the highest activity for MI and D-glucose, and more than 90% of maximal activity for D-chiro-inositol, D-mannitol and D-xylose. $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of the HtIolG for MI were 1.83 mM and $0.724{\mu}mol/min/mg$ under the optimal reaction condition, respectively. The activity of HtIolG was increased 1.7 folds by $Zn^{2+}$, but was significantly inhibited by $Co^{2+}$ and SDS.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2000

In the 5'-flanking region of the D-AAT, AspAT and AlaDH gene, I found three or two pairs of sequences(designated as Pl, P2, P3) which show significant similarity to the E.coli consensus sequences of -35 and -10 for promoters. The spacing between -35 and -10 is 16 to 18bp in all the three putative promoters Pl, P2 and P3 which is in good agreement with the preferred spacer length in E.coli and in B.subtilis. Therefore, the putative promoters may also function to increase the efficiency of transcriptional initiation. The most stable, double-helical“Shine-Dalgarno”pairing is formed with a free energy change(ΔG) of -13.0 kcal/mol, -9.6 kcal/mol, -15.8 kcal/mol.