• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.352-357
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• 1998

Biodegradation of benzoate and m-toluate was investigated using a Pseudomonas sp. isolated in a continuous culture for 45 days with a step-wise increase of the subsrates. The optimum mixture ratio of benzoate and m-toluate was 75% and 25%, respectively. During 45-day culture, removal of benzoate and m-toluate, which was replaced 2,000 ppm on the 30th day were 94% and 79%, respectively, when COD removal rate was 80%. The enzymatic activity of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase increased and that of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase decreased as the concentration of m-toluate was increased. These results suggested that m-toluate induced enzyme activity for degradation of benzoate. The shape of isolated strain in the continuous culture was investigated with SEM and the results showed that the cell shape was more damage according to the higher concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, we suggested that the tolerance against aromatic hydrocarbons was related to not only enzymatic activity but also characteristic of cell membrane or cell wall.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.153-156
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• 2000

Xylan, the major hemicellulose component of many plants, occurs naturally in a partially acetylated form and lignin, the most resistant component in plant cell wall degradation, is also attached to ${\beta}-1,4-linked-D-xylose$ backbone through the ester linkage. Esterases are required to release the esterified substituent and acetyl esterases are important in the complete degradation of acetylated polysaccharides, like pectins and xylans. The gene(Axe) encoding acetyl xylan estarase(AXE) was isolated from genomic ${\lambda}$ library from Aspergillus ficuum. Nucleotide sequencing of the Axe gene indicated that the gene was separated with two intervening sequences and the amino acid sequence comparison revealed that it was closely related to that from A. awamori with the 92 % indentity. Heterologous expression of AXE was conducted by using YEp352 and Saccharomyces cerevisae 2805 as a vector and host expression system, respectively. The Axe gene was placed between GAL1 promoter and GAL7 terminator and then this recombinant vector was used to transform S. cerevisiae 2805 strain. Culture filtrate of the transformed yeast was assayed for the presence of AXE activity by spectrophotometry and, comparing with the host strain, four to five times of enzyme activity was detected in culture filtrate of transformed yeast.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.67-72
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• 2008

This study was conducted to examineboth the type of wood decay and the degree of degradation for the waterlogged woods (Alnus spp. and Fraxinus spp., about 5,700~5,900 year old), which were excavated at Higokri, Pyungteak in the west-coastal region of Korea. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation indicated the degradations by soft rot and bacteria were common in both woods. Erosion bacteria attacked gradually and irregularly from the secondary layer to compound middle lamella and often produced the cavity which was similar to soft-rot cavity but much smaller ones. Tunneling bacteria decomposed mainly $S_2$ layer. Though of highly degraded walls, the cells almost kept the original form with intact lignin-rich middle lamella, which were saturated by water. No marine borer's trace indicated that the sealine rise in the western coast of Korean peninsula during the climate optimum period in the holocene might not be high enough to submerge the Higokri area which locates about 2 km from the present sealine.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 1997

The effectiveness of presteaming for improving CCA treatability on refractory Japanese larch heartwood was investigated in this study. Presteaming was effective on improving treatability, and the extent of improvement was dependent on moisture contents of wood specimen and steaming conditions. Green wood showed higher average value in both preservative retention and penetration than dry wood, and steaming under pressure conditions also had higher treatability than steaming at atmospheric conditions. The degree of improvement for treatability was increased with the extension of steaming period. Treatability of dry wood pres teamed under pressure conditions more than 6 hours and green wood for 3 hours was similar to that enhanced by conventional incising. Presteaming green wood under pressure conditions more than 6 hours was more effective than conventional incising in improvement of CCA treatability, and resultant treatability satisfied a minimum value required for CCA-treated wood for being used at the regions of hazard class H3 and H4. In addition, an improvement of treatability by presteaming was due to an increase in permeability resulted from the degradation of hemicelluloses within aspirated pit membrane and cell wall, not the removal of extractives from pit membrane. The reduction in strength, measured as longitudinal compressive strength, due to pres teaming was related with the degradation of hemicelluloses, and was increased as steaming conditions were severe. The degree of strength reduction associated with presteaming treatment to obtain required treatability could be quantified from the relatively good relation between the increase in treatability and the decrease in strength.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1450-1457
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• 2015

To overcome the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental problems in future, the research and production of biofuels have attracted attention largely. Thermophilic microorganisms produce effective and robust enzymes which can hydrolyze plant biomass and survive under harsh bioprocessing conditions. Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, which can degrade unpretreated plants and grow on them, is the one of the best candidates for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). C. bescii can hydrolyze pectin efficiently as well as the major plant cell wall components, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Many glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate lyases with multidomain structure play an important role in plant biomass decomposition. Recently genetic tools for metabolic engineering of C. bescii have developed and bioethanol production from unpretreated biomass is achieved in C. bescii. Here, we review the recent studies for biomass degradation by C. bescii and bioethanol production in C. bescii in order to provide information about metabolic engineering of themophilic bacteria and biofuel development.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.152-158
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• 2007

Micromorphological and chemical characteristics of living Castanea spp. and Tamarix spp. attacked by a brown-rot fungus were examined. Micromorphological features of brown-rotted hardwood species were similar to those observed in softwoods such as losses in birefringence under polarized microscopy, preferential degradation of $S_2$ layer and cracks in the $S_3$ layer. Thinning of the secondary cell wall in fibers was also observed, although it did not seem to be the main symptom. FT-IR analysis showed that bands assigned to cellulose and hemicelluloses decreased or disappeared, whereas the bands assigned to lignin increased. X-ray diffraction analysis exhibited the decrease of relative crystallinity, indicating that degradation of hardwood by a brown-rot fungus was in the advanced stages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1077-1085
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• 1998

The effects of yeast on the fermentation of kimchi were investigated. The treatments were divided into two groups; yeast treatment during salting of Chinese cabbage(YS) and yeast treatment added in kimchi preparation(YF kimchi). The edible periods of the kimchi after yeast treatment during salting (YS kimchi) was extended 4~5 days by the results of pH, acidity, sensory quality. The activities of amylase, polygalacturonase and galactosidase of YS kimchi were retained at low levels compared to non treated condition throughout all fermentation periods, whereas protease activity was not significant different from the non treated condition. In addition, the contents of total hexose and uronic acid did not show remarkable change throughout fermentation, but total pentose was decreased by more than 7% at the early middle stage of fermentation(7~14 day after soaking). The change of free amino acid content was decreased by 16~44% than the non treated condition. In contrast, in the YF kimchi, the sensory quality was not good. The activities of amylase, protease, polygalacturonase and gal actosidase were appreciably higher than that of the non treated condition. Meanwhile, the contents of total hexose, total pentose and uronic acid, as products of degradation of cell wall constituents by the above enzymes, were decreased by 18~68% throughout fermentation than the non treated con dition, and total free amino acids were higher than the YS kimchi. Thus, yeast treatment during salting was found to be more effective to extend the edible periods of the kimchi.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.216-218
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• 2017

We here provide the complete genome sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis C25, the strain showing antagonistic effects on fungal phytopathogens. The genome comprised of 5,308,062 bp with 35.32% G+C content of a circular chromosome and a plasmid containing 308,946 bp with 32.23% G+C content. The chromosome and plasmid genome included 5,683 protein coding DNA sequences, 107 tRNA and 42 rRNA genes.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.133-148
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• 2015

Although several adverse effects have been increased in recent years, synthetic agro-chemicals have been widely used to control diseases on paprika. This research was conducted to isolate and to characterize the antagonistic microorganism to control major paprika diseases, gray mold rot, fruit and stem rot, phytophthora blight, sclerotium rot, and wilt disease. Analysis of the fatty acid and analysis of the 16S rDNA gene sequence revealed that YKJ2 isolated in this research belongs to a group of Burkholderia cepacia. Specially, 16S rDNA gene sequence of YKJ2 showed 99% of sequence similarity with B. cepacia. Observation through the optical microscope revealed that YKJ2 was effective on suppression of the spore germination and the hyphal growth of pathogens. YKJ2 treatment on pathogens induced marked morphological changes like hyphal swelling and degradation of cell wall. In the case of phytophthora blight, the zoosporangium formation was restrained. On the basis of the results of this study, we propose that an antagonistic microorganism, B. cepacia, found in this study naming as "B. cepacia strain YKJ2" and has great potential as one of biological control agents against major diseases of paprika.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.296-305
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• 2024

Peach tree gummosis is a botanical anomaly distinguished by the secretion of dark-brown gum from the shoots of peach trees, and Botryosphaeria dothidea has been identified as one of the fungal species responsible for its occurrence. In South Korea, approximately 80% of gummosis cases are linked to infections caused by B. dothidea. In this study, we isolated microbes from the soil surrounding peach trees exhibiting antifungal activity against B. dothidea. Subsequently, we identified several bacterial strains as potential candidates for a biocontrol agent. Among them, Bacillus velezensis KTA01 displayed the most robust antifungal activity and was therefore selected for further analysis. To investigate the antifungal mechanism of B. velezensis KTA01, we performed tests to assess cell wall degradation and siderophore production. Additionally, we conducted reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis based on whole-genome sequencing to confirm the presence of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of lipopeptide compounds, a well-known characteristic of Bacillus spp., and to compare gene expression levels. Moreover, we extracted lipopeptide compounds using methanol and subjected them to both antifungal activity testing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The experimental findings presented in this study unequivocally demonstrate the promising potential of B. velezensis KTA01 as a biocontrol agent against B. dothidea KACC45481, the pathogen responsible for causing peach tree gummosis.