• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2004

The nucleotide sequence of 8.6-kb EcoRI fragment containing sucrose phosphorylase gene isolated from Bifidobacterium longum SJ32 was determined. It was found that the fragment contained five open reading frames including the gene cluster for sucrose utilization such as a sucrose phosphorylase (ScrP), a sucrose transporter (ScrT), and a GalR-LacI-type transcriptional regulator (ScrR) identified by amino acid homology. Each gene showed over 94% amino acid homology among various B. longum strains. Genomic organization of the gene cluster is the same as those of other strains of B. longum but different from that of B. lactis. In spite of high homology of each gene among B. longum strains, the difference of flanking sequences of the gene cluster between strains SJ32 and NCC2705 insinuates the horizontal transfer of scrPTR between B. longum strains. The increase of sucrose phosphorylase activity in heterologous E. coli system by the co-expression of scrT with scrP against the single expression of scrP was measured. It seems to be the result of sucrose uptake increment by scrT in the host and is an indirect evidence that scrT is the gene for sucrose transport. The existence of multiple sucrose uptake systems in B. longum is supposed from the findings of several genes besides scrPTR involved in sucrose uptake in the genome of B. longum NCC2705.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.123-129
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• 2007

The trehalose $({\alpha}-D-glucopyranosyl-[1,1]-{\alpha}-D-glucopyranose)$ biosynthesis genes MhMTS and MhMTH, encoding a maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (MhMTS) and a maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (MhMTH), respectively, have been cloned from the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Metallosphaera hakonesis. The ORF of MhMTS is 2,142 bp long, and encodes 713 amino acid residues constituting a 83.8 kDa protein. MhMTH is 1,677 bp long, and encodes 558 amino acid residues constituting a 63.7 kDa protein. The deduced amino acid sequences of MhMTS and MhMTH contain four regions highly conserved for MTSs and three for MTHs that are known to constitute substrate-binding sites of starch-hydrolyzing enzymes. Recombinant proteins obtained by expressing the MhMTS and MhMTH genes in E. coli catalyzed a sequential reaction converting maltooligosaccharides to produce trehalose. Optimum pH of the MhMTS/MhMTH enzyme reaction was around 5.0 and optimum temperature was around 70 C. Trehalose-producing activity of the MhMTS/ MhMTH was notably stable, retaining 80% of the activity after preincubation of the enzyme mixture at $70^{\circ}C$ for 48 h, but was gradually abolished by incubating at above $85^{\circ}C$. Addition of thermostable $4-{\alpha}-glucanotransferase$ increased the yield of trehalose production from maltopentaose by 10%. The substrate specificity of the MhMTS/MhMTH-catalyzed reaction was extended to soluble starch, the most abundant maltodextrin in nature.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1223-1229
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• 2009

To construct a new recombinant strain of Bacillus velezensis that has antifungal and insecticidal activity via the expression of the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein, a B. thuringiensis expression vector (pHT1K-1Ac) was generated that contained the B. thuringiensis cry1Ac gene under the control of its endogenous promoter in a minimal E. coli-B. thuringiensis shuttle vector (pHT1K). This vector was introduced into a B. velezensis isolate that showed high antifungal activities against several plant diseases, including rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea), rice sheath blight (Rhizotonia solani), tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita), by electroporation. The recombinant B. velezensis strain was confirmed by PCR using cry1Ac-specific primers. Additionally, the recombinant strain produced a protein approximately 130 kDa in size and parasporal inclusion bodies similar to B. thuringiensis. The in vivo antifungal activity assay demonstrated that the activity of the recombinant B. velezensis strain was maintained at the same level as that of wild-type B. velezensis. Furthermore, it exhibited high insecticidal activity against a lepidopteran pest, Plutella xylostella, although its activity was lower than that of a recombinant B. thuringiensis strain, whereas wild-type B. velezensis strain did not show any insecticidal activity. These results suggest that this recombinant B. velezensis strain can be used to control harmful insect pests and fungal diseases simultaneously in one crop.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.260-267
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• 2008

The choice of expression vector is very important for industrial production of proteins. Therefore, the systematic mining of promoters over a wider range of genetic resource and/or host is required. We previously reported a novel bidirectional reporting system (pBGR) for the isolation of promoters from metagenome and screened useful promoters that functioned constitutively in E. coli under general culture conditions. Among them, three promoter sequences including each upstream region were amplified by PCR and used to construct new expression vectors. To facilitate subcloning, a multi-cloning site was incorporated into the downstream region of the revere primer sequence. At these sites, GFP, esterase and $\beta$-glucosidase were subcloned and analyzed the constitutive expression ability of new promoter in terms of protein solubility and expression level. As a result, these vectors expressed the proteins constitutively to a level of $2{\sim}3%$ of the total cell protein in soluble fraction (>80 %). This study suggested that excavation of metagenomic promoters for construction of expression vector in a certain strain could provide a way for the development of the expression systems.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1723-1735
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• 2016

Pyrosequencing analysis of intestinal microflora from healthy Thai vegetarians and non-vegetarians exhibited 893 OTUs covering 189 species. The strong species indicators of vegetarians and non-vegetarians were Prevotella copri and Bacteroides vulgatus as well as bacteria close to Escherichia hermanii with % relative abundance of 16.9 and 4.5-4.7, respectively. Core gut microbiota of the vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups consisted of 11 and 20 different bacterial species, respectively, belonging to Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria commonly found in both groups. Two species, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Gemmiger formicilis, had a prevalence of 100% in both groups. Three species, Clostridium nexile, Eubacterium eligens, and P. copri, showed up in most vegetarians, whereas more diversity of Collinsella aerofaciens, Ruminococcus torques, various species of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Escherichia, and different species of Clostridium and Eubacterium were found in most non-vegetarians. Considering the correlation of personal characters, consumption behavior, and microbial groups, the age of non-vegetarians showed a strong positive correlation coefficient of 0.54 (p = 0.001) to Bacteroides uniformis but exhibited a moderate one to Alistipes finegoldii and B. vulgatus. Only a positive moderate correlation of body mass index and Parabacteroides distasonis appeared. Based on the significant abundance of potential pathogens, the microbiota of the non-vegetarian group showed an abundance of potential pathogen varieties of Bilophila wadsworthia, Escherichia coli, and E. hermannii, whereas that of the vegetarian group served for only Klebsiella pneumoniae. These results implied that the microbiota of vegetarians with high abundance of P. copri and low potential pathogen variety would be a way to maintain good health in Thais.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.4 s.51
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• pp.375-383
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• 2005

염화제일철은 2004년 OECD SIDS 프로그램으로 한국에서 위해성평가가 수행된 대량생산 화학물질로 1998년 화학물질 유통량조사에 의하면 우리나라에서 연간 100,000톤이 생산되었다. 본 연구에서는 염화제일철의 인체 및 환경적 영향에 대한 독성잠재성을 평가하기 위하여 OECD테스트가이드라인에 따라 독성시험을 수행하였다. 인체영향을 확인하기 위한 급성경구독성시험과 급성경피독성시험에서 랫드의 반수치사량은 각각 300$\sim$2,000 mg/kg b.w.과 >2,000mg/kg b.w.이었다. 반복독성시험의 무유해용량 (NOAEL)은 수컷 랫드는 125mg/kg b.w./day, 암컷 랫드는 250mg/kg b.w./day였고, 생식 및 발생독성시험에서 무유해용량은 암수 랫드 모두 500mg/kg b.w./day로 관찰되었다. 약한 피부자극성을 보였으며, 안부식성 물질임이 관찰되었다. S. typhimurium과 E. coli 균주를 이용한 복귀돌연변이시험에서 최고 농도인 5,000$\mu$g/plate에서 유전독성을 보이지 않았으며, 마우스를 이용한 생체내 (in vivo)소핵시험에서도 최고 농도인 50mg/kg bw/day에서 소핵유발빈도의 증가를 보이지 않아 본 시험물질은 돌연변이 유발 물질이 아닌 것으로 평가되었다. 어류(Oryzis latipes), 물벼룩 (Daphnia magna), 조류 (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata)를 이용한 수생생물에 대한 급성독성시험 결과, 96시간 Oryzias latires의 반수치사농도는 46.6 mg/L이었고, 48시간 Daphnia magna의 반수영향농도는 19.0 mg/L이었다. 또한 Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata의 72시간 반수영향농도는 성장률을 이용한 계산법으로 6.9mg/L이었으며, 면적계산법으로는 3.8mg/L의 성장저해가 관찰되었다. 어류와 조류의 경우는 부분적으로 pH의 변화에 따른 영향으로 평가할 수 있는데 어류시험에서 pH중성시험용액에서는 100mg/L이상의 독성값을 나타내었고, 조류에서는 농도 12mg/L이상에서 pH 7아래로 떨어짐을 확인할 수 있었다. 염화제일철은 생산 및 사용공정에서 작업자에게 흡입 혹은 피부로 노출될 가능성이 있으나 밀폐공간에서 사용되므로 노출이 적은 것으로 평가되었다. 3종의 수생생물의 독성결과로부터 염화제일철은 수생환경에서 중간정도의 해가 있으며, 우리나라에서는 직접적인 염화제일철의 소비자 노출은 없으나 환경중 노출이 우려됨에 따라 제19차 OECD대량생산화학물질 초기위해성평가회의에서 환경 분야에 대해서는 추가연구 후보물질로 권고되었고, 인체 분야에서는 인체에 대한 유해성과 사용 패턴을 고려하여 추가연구 우선순위가 낮은 물질로 권고되었다.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2017

Effect of salt concentration (10, 20 and 30%, respectively) and fermentation temperature (10 and $20^{\circ}C$, respectively) on changes in quality index (VBN, Histamine, Amino nitrogen, Total viable cell counts, Coliform bacteria and E. coli counts) of culinary salted and fermented anchovy during fermentation were investigated to suggestion of fundamental documents for industrial objectives. Our results show that the effect of salt concentration on changes in quality index was not high compared with fermentation temperature in salted and fermented anchovy with below 20% of salt concentration however effect of salt concentration and fermentation temperature on quality index was not significant with 30% salt concentration. And all most whole changes of quality index were rapidly increased or decreased for 30 days of fermentation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2001

Expression of the baculovirus major envelope glycoprotein gene(gp64) is regulated by transcription from botha early and late promoters. To develop a transient expression vector under the control of gp64 gene promoter, the gp64 gene of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus-K1(BmNPV-K1) was characterized. The gp64 gene was local-ized at EcoR I-Pst I 7.38-kb fragment of the BmNPV-K1 genome. The EcorR 1-Pst I 7.38-kb fragment was cloned and the nucleotide sequence of 2,277 bases including the coding region of gp64 gene was determined. Based on these results, transient expression vector using gp64 gene promoter was constructed and named as pBm64. E.coli lacZ gene was introduced onto pBm64 as a reporter gene and expressed transiently in B. mori 5(Bm 5) cells. The expression vector transfected into the cells was maintained stably for 1 to 5 days. In order to confirm the expression of the reporter gene by gp64 promoter, recombinant virus was constructed. The recombinant virus has two independent transcription units in opposite orientations with two promoters; gp64 and polyhedrin gene promoters each initiating transcription of $\beta$-galactosidase and polyhedrin, respectively. Polyhedra formation and expression of $\beta$-galactosidase in Bm5 cells infected with the recombinant virus were observed with phase contrast microscope and in situ staining.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to develop Sewage Treatment Plant that treat sewage which occurred in ship using fixed media method and to consider applicable to the Pilot Scale device of the STP regulations in MLTM(Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs) and MEPC(Marine Environment Protection Committee). In test results, pH geometric mean was 7.68, $BOD_5$(Biochemical Oxygen Demand) geometric mean was 7.28 mg/l, $COD_{cr}$(Chemical Oxygen Demand) geometric mean was 48.39 mg/l, TSS(Total Suspended Solid) geometric mean was 18.00/l, Residual chlorine geometric mean was 0.19 mg/l, and E. coli geometric mean was 1CFU/100 ml. In addition, about 97.4% of $BOD_5$ was reduced, the $COD_{cr}$ reduction averaged 96.4%and the TSS reduction averaged 97.6%. STP have been determined by the MLTM and MEPC regulation of the marine pollution prevention equipment for performance testing product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.606-612
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• 2018

The enzyme xylose isomerase (E.C. 5.3.1.5, XI) is responsible for the conversion of an aldose to ketose, especially xylose to xylulose. Owing to the ability of XI to isomerize glucose to fructose, this enzyme is used in the food industry to prepare high-fructose corn syrup. Therefore, we studied the characteristics of XI from Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis G10, a thermophilic bacterium. First, the gene coding for XI (xylA) was inserted into the pET-21a(+) expression vector and the construct was transformed into the Escherichia coli competent cell BL21 (DE3). The expression of recombinant XI was induced in the absence of isopropyl-thio-${\beta}$-galactopyranoside and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The optimum temperature of recombinant XI was $80^{\circ}C$ and measurement of the heat stability indicated that 55% of residual activity was maintained after 2 h incubation at $60^{\circ}C$. The optimum pH was found to be 7.5 in sodium phosphate buffer. Magnesium, manganese, and cobalt ions were found to increase the enzyme activity; manganese was the most effective. Additionally, recombinant XI was resistant to the presence of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ ions. The kinetic properties, $K_m$ and $V_{max}$, were calculated as 81.44 mM and $2.237{\mu}mol/min/mg$, respectively. Through redundancy analysis, XI of A. kamchatkensis G10 was classified into a family containing type II XIs produced by the genera Geobacillus, Bacillus, and Thermotoga. These results suggested that the thermostable nature of XI of A. kamchatkensis G10 may be advantageous in industrial applications and food processing.