• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.401-410
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• 2004

Soil samples from five different areas in Korea were collected during 2001/02 and examined for presence of the genus Clostridium. Direct immuno-fluorescent assay (IFA) examination showed that Clostridium septicum, Cl. novyi and Cl. chauvoei were detected in the soil of specific areas in Korea. Sixteen species of Clostridium were isolated and cultivated from the soil samples. Cl. peifringens was detected in all sampling locations, while the other species were not. The in vitro activity of 14 antibiotic agents was determined against 421 clostridia isolated from the soil contaminated with animal feces in Korea. Trovafloxacin was effective against all isolates of the genus Clostridium except one isolate of Cl. subterminale, two of Cl. tetani, and three of Cl novyi with $MIC_{50}$ $8- 16\mu$g $ml^{-1}$. Thirteen species of Clostridium were resistant to vancomycin except for Cl. perfringens, Cl. sporogenes, and Cl. subterminale. Imipenem and trovafloxacin showed high antimicrobial activities (>95%) against all strains in the clostridia investigated. Therefore, antibiotic agents such as imipenem and trovafloxacin are the most suitable agents for polymicrobial infection as broad-spectrum monotherapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.123-128
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• 2019

The use of 16S rDNA is commonplace in the determination of prokaryotic species. However, it has limitations, and there are few studies at the genus level. We investigated conserved genes and metabolic pathways at the genus level in 28 strains of 13 genera of prokaryotes using the COG database (conserved genes) and MetaCyc database (metabolic pathways). Conserved genes compared to total genes (core genome) at the genus level ranged from 27.62%(Nostoc genus) to 71.76%(Spiribacter genus), with an average of 46.72%. The lower ratio of core genome meant the higher ratio of peculiar genes of a prokaryote, namely specific biological activities or the habitat may be varied. The ratio of common metabolic pathways at the genus level was higher than the ratio of core genomes, from 58.79% (Clostridium genus) to 96.31%(Mycoplasma genus), with an average of 75.86%. When compared among other genera, members of the same genus were positioned in the closest nodes to each other. Interestingly, Bacillus and Clostridium genera were positioned in closer nodes than those of the other genera. Archaebacterial genera were grouped together in the ortholog and metabolic pathway nodes in a phylogenetic tree. The genera Granulicella, Nostoc, and Bradyrhizobium of the Acidobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria phyla, respectively, were grouped in an ortholog content tree. The results of this study can be used for (i) the identification of common genes and metabolic pathways at each phylogenetic level and (ii) the improvement of strains through horizontal gene transfer or site-directed mutagenesis.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2016

Global warming caused from the heavy consumption of fossil fuel is one of the biggest problems to be solved. Biofuel has been gained more attention as an alternative to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel. Recently, butanol produced from the genus Clostridium has been considered as one of the promising alternatives for gasoline, fossil based fuel. Nevertheless, the lack of the genome-engineering tools for the genus Clostridium is the major hurdle for the economic production of butanol. More recently, genome engineering tools have been developed for metabolic engineering of butanol-producing Clostridium species, which includes genome scale network model and genome editing tools on the basis of mobile group II introns and CRISPR/Cas system. In this study, the genome engineering tools for butanol-producing Clostridium species have been reviewed with a brief future perspective.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 2016

Clostridium is a genus of Gram-positive, rod shape, spore-forming obligate anaerobe. Recently, Clostridium has been attracted as a host for bio-based chemical production, due to its diversity of substrate utilization and the production ability for metabolites which can be used as a building block for chemical production. Especially, butanol produced from Clostridium has been considered as an alternative fuel. As a transportation fuel, butanol has a higher energy density and lower hygroscopicity compared to ethanol, the first generation biofuel. Recently, metabolic engineering of Clostridium has been massively conducted for butanol production. In this study, the metabolic engineering strategy of Clostridium for butanol production has been reviewed with a brief perspective.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the increase or decrease of important intestinal beneficial bacteria and inhibitory bacteria in 30 stools of clinical subjects after ingesting Zen fermentation broth as a mixed microbial fermentation solution for eight weeks. Methods: Intestinal bacteria were identified by PCR amplification using specific primers. Results: Bifidobacterium genus gi% of test group ingested Zen-fermented broth was 55.15% before and 70.1% after ingestion, so it was a significant difference (p<.009). Lactobacillus genus of the test group was 46.87% before and 60.91% after ingestion, it was a significant difference (p<.01). Clostridium genus of the test group was 85.64% before and 65.99% after ingestion. There was a significant difference (p<.017) as the pre-post-difference decreased to -19.65%. Bacteroides genus of the test group was 17.11% before and 20.22% after ingestion. There was a significant difference (p<.048) as the pre-post-difference increased to 3.11%. Prevotella genus of the test group was 14.01% before and 16.79% after ingestion, so it was not a significant difference. Conclusions: Intestinal bacteria increased the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and suppressed harmful bacteria in the intestines after ingesting the Zen-fermented broth of the mixed microorganism. The Zen fermentation broth evaluated as a beneficial drink for intestinal health.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 1994

Clotridium bovis sp. nov, is described on the basis of 5 strains isolated from the feces of Holstein cattle. The isolate are gram-positive, motile, strict anaerobic spore forming rods. They differ from all the validly described related species of the genus Clostridium in carbohydrate fermentation pattern, G+C mol% and DNA homologies. Acid is produced from arabinose, xylose, glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, lactose, trehalose, melibiose, raffinose, inulin and salicin. Major end products in PYFG broth are large amounts of butyric acid and lactic acid, and trace amounts of acetic and succinic acids. The G+C mol% of DNA from the type strain is 26 mol%. The type strain of Clostridium bovis is Catt $66^T$ strain.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1357-1362
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• 1999

For the study of human intestinal environments with the intestinal bacteria producing ${\beta}-glucuronidase\;and \;7{\alpha}-dehydroxylase$, genus Clostridium, known as the producer, were isolated from the fecal microflora. Through screening twice for one person, fecal microflora without major bacterial group seemed to be changed, which indicated the microflora would be changeable by the diet factors. With using Neomycin-Nagler selective medium during the screening, 14 Clostridium spp. were isolated and then the harmful enzyme activities were determined. Isolate-11 among them produced strongly ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ and its activity was 0.021 unit/mg Protein. However, the strain producing $7{\alpha}-dehydroxylase$ was not isolated. The Isolate-11 was tentatively identified as Clostridium scatologenes through cultural and physiological characteristic.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1823-1833
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• 2018

Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is a common and popular method used to investigate microbial communities in natural and engineered environments. In this study, two specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, CLZ and KCLZ, were designed and verified to quantify the genus Clostridium and the species Clostridium kluyveri. The optimal concentration of hybridization buffer solution for both probes was 30% (w/v). The specificity of the designed probes was high due to the use of pellets from pure reference strains. Feasibility was tested using samples of Chinese liquor from the famed Luzhou manufacturing cellar. The effectiveness of detecting target cells appears to vary widely in different environments. In pit mud, the detection effectiveness of the target cell by probes CLZ and KCLZ was 49.11% and 32.14%, respectively. Quantitative analysis by FISH technique of microbes in pit mud and fermented grains showed consistency with the results detected by qPCR and PCR-DGGE techniques, which showed that the probes CLZ and KCLZ were suitable to analyze the biomass of Clostridium spp. and C. kluyveri during liquor fermentation. Therefore, this study provides a method for quantitative analysis of Clostridium spp. and C. kluyveri and monitoring their community dynamics in microecosystems.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.124-132
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• 2011

Biofilm and aeration tank of pilot and full RABC (rotating activated Bacillus contactor) plant were analyzed to characterize and determine bacterial community structure in food wastewater treatment system at winter. Concentration of heterotrophic bacteria and Bacillus group was $10^7$ and $10^5$ CFU/ml, respectively, at biofilm of pilot-plant while others represented $10^6$ and $10^4$ CFU/ml, respectively. Five and eight phyla were detected at biofilm of pilot- and full-plant, respectively, by 16S rDNA sequencing. Biofilm of pilot-plant was dominated by ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria (38.8%), ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria (22.4%), and Bacteroidetes (12.2%), and the most dominant genus was Zoogloeae genus (22.4%). Candidate division TM7 (12.5%) was only detected at biofilm of full-plant and it was dominated by Bacteroidetes (33.3%), ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria (29.2%), and ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria (20.8%). Clostridium genus specific primer set enabled to detect the sequences of Clostridium genus. These suggested that anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were coexisted even from the initial period of biofilm formation and ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria, ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were major phyla in biofilm of food wastewater treatment system at winter.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1005-1012
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• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the taxonomic composition and diversity of fecal microbiota between birth and weaning stages of Halla horses using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis. Proteobacteria (35.7%) and Firmicutes (45.6%) were identified as the most common phylum in birth and weaning, respectively. Escherichia (19.7%) and Clostridium (14.0%) were observed as the most dominant genus in birth, and Fibrobacter (6.6%) was the highest in weaning. The results of α-diversity showed that the richness and evenness in microbial communities were statistically significant (p<0.001) in birth and weaning. The results of β-diversity indicated that the birth and weaning stages were clearly divided into two groups at the genus and species levels. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) showed that the microbiota composition differences between birth and weaning were statistically significant (q<0.001). A linear discriminant analysis effect (LEfSe) was performed to select taxonomic makers between the birth and weaning stages. On the genus level, Escherichia, Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Methylobacterium were relatively abundant at birth, whereas Fibrobacter was more abundant at weaning. We expect that this research can be utilized as basic data in the identification of microbial communities involved in disease prevention and nutrient absorption in Halla horses.