• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.341-347
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• 2022

In this study, the bacterial community of galchi-baechu kimchi was determined using culture-based and culture-independent techniques (next generation sequencing:NGS), and showed discrepancies between results. Weissella koreensis and Pediococcus inopinatus were the dominant species according to the NGS results, while Bacillus species and P. inopinatus were dominant in the culture-dependent analysis. To identify safe starter candidates, sixty-five Bacillus strains isolated from galchi-baechu kimchi using culture-dependent methods were evaluated for their antibiotic resistance, presence of toxin genes, and hemolytic activity. Strains were then assessed for salt tolerance and protease and lipase activity. As a result, four strains-B. safensis GN5_10, B. subtilis GN5_19, B. velezensis GN5_25, and B. velezensis GT8-were selected as safe starter candidates for use in fermented foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.757-769
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• 2013

A microorganism producing carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) was isolated from seawater, identified as Bacillus velezensis by analyses of 16S rDNA and partial sequences of the gyrA, and designated as B. velezensis A-68. The optimal conditions for production of CMCase by B. velezensis A-68 were established using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal concentrations of rice hulls and yeast extract, and initial pH of the medium for cell growth were 60.2 g/l, 7.38 g/l, and 7.18, respectively, whereas those for production of CMCase were 50.0 g/l, 5.00 g/l, and 7.30. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) implied that the most significant factor for cell growth as well as production of CMCase was yeast extract. The optimal concentrations of $K_2HPO_4$, NaCl, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, and $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ in the medium for cell growth were 7.50, 1.00, 0.10, and 0.80 g/l, respectively, which were the same as those for production of CMCase. The optimal temperatures for cell growth and production of CMCase were 30 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The maximal production of CMCase under optimized conditions was 83.8 U/ml, which was 3.3 times higher than that before optimization. In this study, rice hulls, agro-byproduct, were developed as a substrate for production of CMCase and time for production of CMCase was reduced to 3 days using a newly isolated marine bacterium.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.115-130
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• 2022

Though information exists regarding the pathogenesis of the shot-hole disease (SH) in flowering cherry (FC), there has been a lack of research focusing on SH management. Therefore, here, we investigated the inhibitory activities of antagonistic bacteria against SH pathogens both in vitro and in vivo as well as their biochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds. Two biosurfactant-producing bacterial antagonists, identified as Bacillus velezensis strains JCK-1618 and JCK-1696, exhibited the best effects against the growth of both bacterial and fungal SH pathogens in vitro through their cell-free culture filtrates (CFCFs). These two strains also strongly inhibited the growth of the pathogens via the action of their antimicrobial diffusible compounds and antimicrobial volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Crude enzymes, solvent extracts, and biosurfactants of the two strains exhibited antimicrobial activities. Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis of the partially purified active fractions revealed that the two antagonists produced three cyclic lipopeptides, including iturin A, fengycin A, and surfactin, and a polyketide, oxydifficidin. In a detached leaf assay, pre-treatment and co-treatment of FC leaves with the CFCFs led to a large reduction in the severity of the leaf spots caused by Epicoccum tobaicum and Bukholderia contaminans, respectively. In addition, the two antagonists produced indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore, and a series of hydrolytic enzymes, along with the formation of a substantial biofilm. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the antimicrobial activities of the diffusible compounds and VOCs of B. velezensis against the SH pathogens and their efficiency in the biocontrol of SH.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.1114-1121
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• 2017

Bacillus strains not producing harmful components were isolated from Korean traditional soybean products. Extracellular enzyme activities (amylase, protease, cellulase, and xylanase) of isolated Bacillus strains were measured, and Bacillus strains with high protease activity were selected. The selected 15 strains were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (10), Bacillus methylotrophicus (1), Bacillus velezensis (1), and Bacillus subtilis (3). Among them, B. subtilis JBG17019, B. amyloliquefaciens JBD17076, and B. amyloliquefaciens JBD17109 showed antimicrobial activities against food-borne microorganisms. The production abilities of glutamate, glutamine, and poly-${\gamma}$-glutamic acid (${\gamma}$-PGA) of the selected Bacillus strains were measured to analyze fermentation characteristics related to glutamic acid metabolism. The factor for multivariate was analyzed by the principal components analysis (PCA) method between fermentation characteristics and ${\gamma}$-PGA production. The three principal components were classified according to the PCA method: PC1 [enzyme activity (amylase, cellulase, and xylanase)], PC2 (${\gamma}$-PGA), and PC3 (protease, glutamate, and glutamine). As a result, B. amyloliquefaciens JBD17076 and B. subtilis JBG17019 strains were evaluated as having excellent enzyme activity and ${\gamma}$-PGA production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1373-1382
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• 2021

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a group of bacteria that can increase plant growth; but due to unfavorable environmental conditions, PGPR are biologically unstable and their survival rates in soil are limited. Therefore, the suitable application of PGPR as a plant growth stimulation is one of the significant challenges in agriculture. This study presents an intelligent formulation based on Bacillus velezensis VRU1 encapsulation enriched with nanoparticles that was able to control Rhizoctonia solani on the bean. The spherical structure of the capsule was observed based on the Scanning Electron Microscope image. Results indicated that with increasing gelatin concentration, the swelling ratio and moisture content were increased; and since the highest encapsulation efficiency and bacterial release were observed at a gelatin concentration of 1.5%, this concentration was considered in mixture with alginate for encapsulation. The application of this formulation which is based on encapsulation and nanotechnology appears to be a promising technique to deliver PGPR in soil and is more effective for plants.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.1011-1020
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• 2020

Efficient management systems of facilities make it possible to manage environmental conditions properly, such as the temperature, humidity and light source required for the best growth of the crops, as well as for the mass production of fruit and vegetables with high quality every year through an advanced and protected cultivation system. Powdery mildew is a type of chronic disease that is difficult to control during the production of Korean melons under a protected cultivation system, the use of which is increasing in production areas in Korea. Two Bacillus strains isolated from soil samples showed antagonistic activities against several pathogens, specifically Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis; they were identified as Bacillus velezensis M2 and B. amyloliquefaciens M3 in a molecular biological test of the nucleotide sequences of gyrase subunit A (gyrA). The treatment was given three times at intervals of five days with 400-fold diluted cultures of B. velezensis M2 and B. amyloliquefaciens M3. This led to the inhibition of the incidence of powdery mildew disease in Korean melon leaves, which resulted in effective control efficiency against the incidence of powdery mildew disease with control values of 87% and 65%, respectively. Cultures of antagonistic microbes tested in this study can be used to increase the efficiency as part of an environmentally friendly management scheme to prevent powdery mildew disease during the protected cultivation of crops, including Korean melons.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.488-498
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to identify volatile and agardiffusible antifungal metabolites produced by Bacillus sp. G341 with strong antifungal activity against various phytopathogenic fungi. Strain G341 isolated from four-year-old roots of Korean ginseng with rot symptoms was identified as Bacillus velezensis based on 16S rDNA and gyrA sequences. Strain G341 inhibited mycelial growth of all phytopathogenic fungi tested. In vivo experiment results revealed that n-butanol extract of fermentation broth effectively controlled the development of rice sheath blight, tomato gray mold, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, barley powdery mildew, and red pepper anthracnose. Two antifungal compounds were isolated from strain G341 and identified as bacillomycin L and fengycin A by MS/MS analysis. Moreover, volatile compounds emitted from strain G341 were found to be able to inhibit mycelial growth of various phytopathogenic fungi. Based on volatile compound profiles of strain G341 obtained through headspace collection and analysis on GC-MS, dimethylsulfoxide, 1-butanol, and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (acetoin) were identified. Taken together, these results suggest that B. valezensis G341 can be used as a biocontrol agent for various plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1231-1240
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• 2021

Members of the genus Bacillus are known to play an important role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants against phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, 21 isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the root micro-ecosystem of Suaeda glauca. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the isolates belong to the species Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus aryabhattai and Brevibacterium frigoritolerans. One of the interesting findings of this study is that the four strains B1, B5, B16 and B21 are dominant in rhizosphere soil. Based on gyrA, gyrB, and rpoB gene analyses, B1, B5, and B21 were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens and B16 was identified as B. velezensis. Estimation of antifungal activity showed that the isolate B1 had a significant inhibitory effect on Fusarium verticillioides, B5 and B16 on Colletotrichum capsici (syd.) Butl, and B21 on Rhizoctonia cerealis van der Hoeven. The four strains grew well in medium with 1-10% NaCl, a pH value of 5-8, and promoted the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results indicate that these strains may be promising agents for the biocontrol and promotion of plant growth and further study of the relevant bacteria will provide a useful reference for the development of microbial resources.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2018

Melon powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera fusca, is one of the serious diseases of melon plant in Korea. In this study, we evaluated the effect of selected antagonistic bacteria on the inhibition of mycelial growth of various plant pathogens, and control of melon powdery mildew. Based on the 16S rDNA and gyrA gene sequences, the selected antagonistic bacteria, M09, M70, and M99-1, were identified as Bacillus velezensis. These bacteria not only inhibited the mycelial growth of 47~69% in various plant pathogens, but also significantly reduced the incidence of powdery mildew. The three strains selected in this study could be used as potential biological control agents for various plant diseases as well as melon powdery mildew.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.398-407
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• 2021

Using salt-tolerant bacteria to protect plants from salt stress is a promising microbiological treatment strategy for saline-alkali soil improvement. Here, we conducted research on the growth-promoting effect of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans on wheat under salt stress, which has rarely been addressed before. The synergistic effect of B. frigoritolerans combined with representative salt-tolerant bacteria Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus thuringiensis to promote the development of wheat under salt stress was also further studied. Our approach involved two steps: investigation of the plant growth-promoting traits of each strain at six salt stress levels (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%); examination of the effects of the strains (single or in combination) inoculated on wheat in different salt stress conditions (0, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mM). The experiment of plant growth-promoting traits indicated that among three strains, B. frigoritolerans had the most potential for promoting wheat parameters. In single-strain inoculation, B. frigoritolerans showed the best performance of plant growth promotion. Moreover, a pot experiment proved that the plant growth-promoting potential of co-inoculation with three strains on wheat is better than single-strain inoculation under salt stress condition. Up to now, this is the first report suggesting that B. frigoritolerans has the potential to promote wheat growth under salt stress, especially combined with B. velezensis and B. thuringiensis.