• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.61-68
• /
• 2013

Microalgae can grow autotrophically with the supply of light, carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients in water through photosynthesis. Generally, microalgal growth is limited by the concentrations and relative ratio of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) among the nutrients in the aquatic environment. Each microalga has its specific optimum N : P ratio resulting in dominance in a particular water having similar nutrient composition. Algal bloom is an immense growth of certain microalga commonly cyanobacterium and can be sequestrated by reducing the limiting nutrient, generally P in the freshwater. Moreover, dominance of a less toxic blooming strain can be established by manipulating N : P ratio in the water. On the other hand, microalgal biomass of a certain species can be enhanced by increasing limiting nutrient and adjusting the N : P ratio to the target species. The above-mentioned eco-physiological features of microalgae can be more completely interpreted in connection with their genomic informations. Consequently, microalgal growth regulation which can be achieved on the basis of its eco-physiological and further genomic insights would be helpful not only in the control of algal bloom, but also for an increased yield of algal biomass.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.159-167
• /
• 1999

The effects of bicarbonate concentration, atmospheric carbon dioxide level, and reduced atmospheric oxygen on biomass and geosmin production and geosmin/biomass (G/B) values for Streptomyces halstedii, a producer of the off-flavor compound geosmin, were determined. In addition, a study was performed to determined possible synergistic relationships between a cyanobacterium, Oscillatoria tenuis UTEX #1566, and S. halstedii in the enhancement of actinomycete growth and/or geosmin production. These studies took into consideration those conditions that can occur during cyanobacterial bloom die-offs. Increasing bicarbonate concentration caused slight decreases in geosmin production and G/B for S. halstedii. Increasing atmospheric oxygen promoted geosmin production and G/B while lower oxygen levels resulted in a decrease in geosmin production and G/B by S. halstedii. Biomass production by S. halstedii was adversely affected by reduced oxygen levels while changes in bicarbonate concentration and atmospheric carbon dioxdie levels had little effect on biomass production. Sonicated cells of O. tenuis UTEX #1566 promoted biomass production by S. halstedii, and O. tenuis culture (cells and extracellular metabolites) and culture supernatnat (extracellular metabolites) each promoted geosmin and G/B yields for S. halstedii. In certain aquatic systems, environmental conditions resulting from cyanobacterial blooms and subsequent bloom die-offs could favor actinomycete growth and off-flavor compound by certain actinomycetes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.53-60
• /
• 1998

This study examines the effect of pH, temperature, metal ion concentration and culture density on metal biosorption by the nuisance cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Ni biosorption was higher at pH 9.2 than at neutral and acidic pH. In contrast the biosorption of Cu and Zn was maximum at pH 7.0. However, biosorption of Zn was difficult to measure at pH values 9.2 and 10.5, owing to the formation of insoluble complexes. All the test metals (Cu, Zn, and Ni) showed maximum biosorption rate at low culture densities of 40 mg dry wt $1^{-1}$. The biosorption of Cu, Zn, and Ni was maximum at $40^{\circ}C$. However, no worthwhile difference in Zn and Ni sorption was noticed at 4 and $29^{\circ}C$ as compared to $40^{\circ}C$. Of these three metals used Microcystis showed a greater binding capacity ($K_{f}$ value=0.84, Freundlich adsorbent capacity) and accelerated biosorption rate for Cu under various environmental conditions. Fitness of mathematical models on metal biosorption by Microcystis confirmed that the biological materials behave in the same way as physical materials. These results suggest that before using a biosorbent for metal recovery, the environmental requirements of the biosorbent must be ascertained.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 2006

Outdoor cultivation of cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis was carried out for 40 days in a batch mode. A half concentration of the SOT based on the underground water was used as culture medium. Working volume was 5.7 tons with 0.2 m depth. During cultivation, mean water temperature, DO and light intensity were all in proper conditions for the S. platensis growth. The adjustment of pH to over 10 with Na2CO3 and addition of the 1.5% natural salt were very effective to delete contaminant organisms, Chlamydomonas moewusii and Chlorella minutissima occurred one after the other in the culture. The mean productivity of the biomass based on the dry cell weight from 14 to 25 days, after the contaminants were deleted, was 7.8 g ·m–2· d–1, which was relatively high productivity in that a half concentration of the SOT was used for the culture. Underground water used in the culture minimized contaminants invasion and addition of the 1.5% natural salt was effective to delete contaminants as well as acted as mineral supplement in outdoor cultivation of S. platensis. Harvesting using the floating activity of S. platensis was effective from mass floating in day time after overnight without agitation and illumination.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.183-191
• /
• 2020

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont or phycobiont), usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium. According to more recent studies, the biological activities of lichens and lichen substances include an antibiotic activity, antitumor and antimutagenic activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), allergenic activity, plant growth inhibitory activity, and enzyme inhibitory activity. This study screened lichen extracts with a potent in vitro antifungal activity against plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi. The compounds were isolated from Stereocaulon alpinum and Sphaerophorus globosus, and their chemical structures were identified as methyl hematommate, methyl β-orsellinate, 5-hydroxyferulic acid, sphaerophorin, and 2-heptyl-4,6-dimethoxybenzoic acid by electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral analyses. In vitro disease control against Alternaria mali, Cochliobolus miyabeanus, Colletotrium gloeosporioides, and Verticillum dahliae was evaluated. And among the five compounds, only methyl hematommate was effective against A. mali, C. miyabeanus, and C. gloeosporioides. The compounds were isolated from these lichens, which have a similar biosynthetic pathway, respectively. This is the first report of these compounds being isolated from these lichens.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.30-40
• /
• 2004

Lichen is one of the most widely distributed eucaryotic organisms in the world. Lichen is the result of a symbiotic association between two unrelated organisms - a fungus and an alga (or cyanobacterium). In USA, Japan and European countries, there has been a resurgence of interest in lichens as source of novel, pharmacologically active molecules during the last 20 years. However, lichen researches in Korean lichens were mainly focused on investigation of Korean lichen flora and most of them were primitive and short-term based projects until 1990s. In this communication, general introduction of lichens was attempted to draw the attention of Korean researchers to Korean lichen bioresource. Research activities on Korean lichens during the past were also summarized. Recent progress in Korean lichen research is briefly discussed with emphasis of KoLRI (Korean Lichen Research Institute) activities and roles in national researches projects on bioresource development in Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.210-217
• /
• 2020

Microseira wollei (Farlow ex Gomont) G.B.McGregor and Sendall ex Kennis, a mat-forming filamentous harmful cyanobacterium, has historically been found in the United States. Microseira wollei produces neurotoxins and hepatotoxins which affect declining water quality. In the present research, we report of unrecorded M. wollei with morphology, TEM anatomy, molecular phylogeny on the Korean population. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, Korean population were different by 0.02% (2 bp) to the Japanese population, 1.2-1.3% to the Australian population, and 2.5-3.7% to the United States populations. nifH gene sequences were 8.4-8.7% different to Australian ones and 3.5-3.8% to other population, however molecular phylogenetic analysis of M. wollei living in Korea revealed monophyly with the geographical populations of U.S.A., Australia, and other geographical populations. Since the mat of M. wollei has been reported to be maintained for several years in other countries, it is necessary further investigate the seasonal and regional distribution of this species in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.9
• /
• pp.930-936
• /
• 2011

Two new cyclic depsipeptides wewakamide A (1) and guineamide G (2) have been isolated from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya semiplena and Lyngbya majuscula, respectively, collected from Papua New Guinea. The amino and hydroxy acid partial structures of wewakamide A and guineamide G were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic techniques, including HR-FABMS, 1D $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR, as well as 2D COSY, HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and HMBC spectra. The sequence of the residues of wewakamide A was determined through a combination of ESI-MS/MS, HMBC, and ROESY. Wewakamide A possesses a ${\beta}$-amino acid, 3-amino-2-methylbutanoic acid (Maba) residue, which has only been previously identified in two natural products, guineamide B (3) and dolastatin D (4). Although both new compounds (1,2) showed potent brine shrimp toxicity, only guineamide G displayed significant cytotoxicity to a mouse neuroblastoma cell line with $LC_{50}$ values of 2.7 ${\mu}M$.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.241-245
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the optimal conditions for introduction of exogenous DNA into Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Of the three transformation techniques studied, electroporation, ultrasonic transformation and natural transformation, natural transformation showed the highest efficiency. Additionally, this study demonstrated that the higher plasmid concentration and longer homologous recombining fragments resulted in a greater number of transformants. For successful transformation, the lowest concentration of plasmid was $0.02\;{\mu}g/ml$, and the shortest homologous recombining fragment was 0.2 kb. Use of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in the logarithmic growth phase resulted in two-fold higher transformation rate than that of the same organism when cells in the latent phase or the plateau phase were used for transformation. Pretreatment of the host strain, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, with EDTA (2 mM) for two days prior to transformation increased the transformation efficiency by 23%. Additionally, incubation of the cells and DNA for 5 h under light conditions increased the transformation efficiency by two orders of magnitude. Moreover, recovery treatment of the cells before they were plated onto antibiotic medium also increased the transformation efficiency.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.697-702
• /
• 2011

A strain of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira was isolated from Lake Chahannaoer in northern China and was characterized according to microscopic morphology, photosynthetic oxygen-evolving activity, growth rate, and nutritional profile. Compared with thermophilic Arthrospira species occurring naturally in tropical and subtropical lakes, this isolate is mesophilic and grows optimally at ${\sim}20^{\circ}C$. The total protein, fatty acid, phycocyanin, carotenoid, and chlorophyll a contents were 67.6, 6.1, 4.32, 0.29, and 0.76 grams per 100 grams of dry weight, respectively. The strain is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). An essential omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), was detected, and ${\gamma}$-linolenic acid (GLA) and DHA accounted for 28.3% of the total fatty acid content. These features of this newly isolated strain make it potentially useful in commercial mass culture in local areas or as a biofuel feedstock. It is also an alternative resource for studying the metabolic PUFA pathways and mechanisms of cold stress tolerance in cyanobacteria.