• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.91-101
• /
• 2018

The aim of this study was to transfer the 18.5 kb gene clusters coding for 17 genes from Lactobacillus rhamnosus to Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363 in order to determine the effect of host on exopolysaccharide (EPS) production and to provide a model for studying the phosphorylation of proteins which are proposed to be involved in EPS polymerization. Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M and ATCC 9595 have 99% identical operons coding for EPS biosynthesis, produced different amounts of EPS (543 vs 108 mg/l). L. lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363 transformed with the operons from RW-9595M and ATCC 9595 respectively, produced 326 and 302 mg/l EPS in M17 containing 0.5% glucose. The tyrosine protein kinase transmembrane modulator (Wzd) was proposed to participate in regulating chain elongation of EPS polymers by interacting with the tyrosine protein kinase Wze. While Wzd was found in phosphorylated form in the presence of the phosphorylated kinase (Wze), no phosphorylated proteins were detected when all nine tyrosines of Wzd were mutated to phenylalanine. Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris could produce higher amounts of EPS than other EPS-producing lactococci when expressing genes from L. rhamnosus. Phosphorylated Wzd was essential for the phosphorylation of Wze when expressed in vivo.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.117-123
• /
• 2016

Bioconversion of aglycone-formed isoflavones from glycoside-formed isoflavones by commercial lactic acid bacteria in fermented soybean paste was evaluated. Enterococcus faecium KCTC 13410 showed the most resistant capacity and Lactobacillus acidophilus KCTC 3925 had a sensitive susceptibility at a high NaCl concentration (13.2%) in fermented soybean paste. Among the 5 strains tested, Lac. acidophilus KCTC 3925 showed the highest relative ratio of aglycone-formed isoflavones to total isoflavones in fermented soybean paste. Production of exopolysaccarides (EPS) by lactic acid bacteria was compared using de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe medium containing 1% sucrose at $37^{\circ}C$ for 48 h. Among the 5 lactic acid bacteria, Lac. acidophilus KCTC 3925 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus KCTC 3929 were investigated to produce EPS. Based on the results concerning growing susceptibility and conversion of aglycone-formed isoflavones/EPS production, it is anticipated that Lac. acidophilus KCTC 3925 may be used for preparation of Cheonggukjang, which contains relative low NaCl content.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.463-481
• /
• 2022

Phosphorous (P) is considered to be one of the key essential elements demanded by crop plants. Approximately 70 - 90% of phosphatic fertilizers applied to crops are fixed in soil as Ca, Fe, and Al metal cations, which are insoluble and thus not readily available for plant uptake. Therefore, most soils are deficient in plant available P. This is usually rectified by applying phosphate fertilizers continuously, although this is not economically viable or environmentally acceptable. The present paper reviews the mechanisms involved with phosphate solubilization and mineralization by phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) with the associated factors that determine the success. PSMs are effectively involved in mediating the bioavailability of soil P. Their contribution includes mineralization of organic P solubilization of inorganic P minerals, and storing sizable amounts of P in biomass through different mechanisms such as the production of organic and inorganic acids, H₂S, siderophores, exopolysaccharides, and production of enzymes such as phosphatases, phytase, and phosphonatases/C-P lyases, which are capable of chelating the metal ions, forming complexes, and making plant available P. PSMs manifest a wide range of metabolic functions in different environments, resulting in significantly higher plant growth, enhanced soil properties, and increased biological activities. Therefore, development of bio-inoculants with efficient novel PSM strains and further investigations on exploring such strains from diverse ecological niches with multifunctional plant-growth-promoting traits are needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.902-910
• /
• 2024

The anti-cancer effects of heat-killed Enterococcus faecium KU22001 (KU22001), KU22002, and KU22005 isolated from human infant feces were investigated. The anti-proliferative activity of these strains against various cancer cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay. To determine the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) with potential anti-cancer effect, ethanol precipitation and phenol-sulfuric acid method was used with the cell free supernatant of strains grown at 25℃ or 37℃. The EPS yield of E. faecium strains was higher at 25℃ than at 37℃. Among these E. faecium strains, KU22001 grown at 25℃ was associated with the highest bax/bcl-2 ratio, effective apoptosis rate, cell cycle arrest in the G₀/G₁ phase, and condensation of the nucleus in the cervical cancer HeLa cell line. In conclusion, these results suggest that KU22001 can be beneficial owing to the anti-cancer effects and production of functional materials, such as EPS.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.1001-1013
• /
• 2020

The formation of biofilms on the enamel surface of teeth by Streptococcus mutans is an important step in dental plaque formation, demineralization, and early caries because the biofilm is where other bacteria involved in dental caries attach, grow, and proliferate. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of phosvitin (PSV) on the biofilm formation, exopolysaccharides (EPS) production, adherence activity of S. mutans, and the expression of genes related to the compounds essential for biofilm formation (quorum-sensing inducers and components of biofilm matrix) by S. mutans. PSV significantly reduced the biofilm-forming activity of S. mutans and increased the degradation of preformed biofilms by S. mutans. PSV inhibited the adherence activity of S. mutans by 31.9%-33.6%, and the production of EPS by 62%-65% depending upon the strains and the amount of PSV added. The expressions of genes regulating the production of EPS and the quorum-sensing-inducers (gtfA, gtfD, ftf, relA, vicR, brpA, and comDE) in all S. mutans strains were down-regulated by PSV, but gtfB was down-regulated only in S. mutans KCTC 5316. Therefore, the anti-biofilm-forming activity of PSV was accomplished through the inhibition of biofilm formation, adherence activity, and the production of quorum-sensing inducers and EPS by S. mutans.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.7
• /
• pp.1266-1273
• /
• 2008

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with antimicrobial activity and high exopolysaccharide (EPS) production ability isolated from sourdough were studied for their fermentation characteristics as potential new starter cultures. The values of pH, titratable acidity, and viable cell counts were $4.06{\pm}0.009-4.50{\pm}0.015,\;0.787{\pm}0.020%-1.172{\pm}0.018%,\;and\;8.78{\pm}0.08-8.98{\pm}0.06$ log CFU/ml, respectively. In order to select probiotics with a high survival rate in the gut, isolates were tested to assess resistance against the artificial gastric acid and bile juice. Viable LAB counts were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the acidity. At pH 2.0, the total declines in the initial bacterial counts were 4.52$\pm$0.07 log for S. thermophilus St-Body-1, >7.98$\pm$0.03 log for E. flavescens DU-10, >7.95$\pm$0.05 log for E. faecium DU-12, and 3.15$\pm$0.06 log for L. amylovorus DU-21. Among the strains, L. amylovorus DU-21 was the only strain that had bile tolerance under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In order to improve EPS production by L. amylovorus DU-21, the influence of carbon source was studied. When glucose was used as a carbon source, EPS production dramatically increased to 17.19$\pm$0.28 g/l (p<0.05). The maximum cell growth (10.012$\pm$>0.012 log CFU/ml) and EPS production (18.71$\pm$0.19 g/l) were achieved when 15 g/l of glucose was employed as the carbon source.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.1135-1145
• /
• 2024

When cells are exposed to freezing temperatures, high concentrations of cryoprotective agents (CPA) prevent ice crystal formation, thus enhancing cell survival. However, high concentrations of CPAs can also cause cell toxicity. Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from polar marine environments exhibit lower toxicity and display effects similar to traditional CPA. In this study, we sought to address these issues by i) selecting strains that produce EPS with novel cryoprotective activity, and ii) optimizing culture conditions for EPS production. Sixty-six bacteria producing mucous substances were isolated from the Ross Sea (Antarctic Ocean) using solid marine agar plates. Among them, Pseudoalteromonas sp. RosPo-2 was ultimately selected based on the rheological properties of the produced EPS (p-CY02). Cryoprotective activity experiments demonstrated that p-CY02 exhibited significantly cryoprotective activity at a concentration of 0.8% (w/v) on mammalian cells (HaCaT). This activity was further improved when combined with various concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) compared to using DMSO alone. Moreover, the survival rate of HaCaT cells treated with 5% (v/v) DMSO and 0.8% (w/v) p-CY02 was measured at 87.9 ± 2.8% after freezing treatment. This suggests that p-CY02 may be developed as a more effective, less toxic, and novel non-permeating CPA. To enhance the production of EPS with cryoprotective activity, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was implemented, resulting in a 1.64-fold increase in production of EPS with cryoprotective activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1240-1247
• /
• 2006

The present study investigated the influence of the aeration rate and agitation intensity on the production of the mycelial biomass and antioxidative exopolysaccharide (EPS) in Ganoderma resinaceum. In submerged cultures with varying agitation speeds and aeration rates in a stirred-tank reactor, the maximum mycelial biomass and maximum EPS concentration were achieved at 50 rpm and 300 rpm, respectively. Under varying aeration rates, the highest amount of mycelial biomass (18.1 g/l) was accumulated at the lowest aeration rate (0.5 vvm) and the maximum EPS production (3.0 g/l) obtained at 1.0 vvm. A compositional analysis revealed that the five different EPSs were protein-bound heteropolysaccharides, consisting of 87.17-89.22% carbohydrates and 10.78-12.83% proteins. The culture conditions had a striking affect on the carbohydrate composition of the EPS, resulting in different antioxidative activities. All the EPSs showed strong scavenging activities against superoxide and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, whereas no clear trend in antioxidative activity was observed against hydroxyl radicals and lipid peroxides. Although the precise reason for this difference is still unclear, the high glucose moiety of EPS is probably linked to its broad spectrum of antioxidative activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.663-670
• /
• 2018

The present study focused on the production, characterization, and in vitro prebiotic evaluation of an exopolysaccharides (EPS) from Bacillus sonorensis MJM60135 isolated from ganjang (fermented soy sauce). Strain MJM60135 showed the highest production ($8.4{\pm}0.8g/l$) of EPSs compared with other isolates that were screened for EPS production based on ropy culture morphology. Furthermore, MJM60135 was cultured in 5 L of medium and the EPS was extracted by ethanol precipitation. The emulsification activity of the EPS was higher in toluene than in o-xylene. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups and glycosidic linkages. The isolated EPS contained mannose and glucose, as observed by thin-layer chromatography analysis of the EPS hydrolysate. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and pathogenic E. coli K99 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were tested for their growth utilizing the EPS from B. sonorensis MJM60135 as the sole carbon source for its possible use as a prebiotic. All the tested LAB exhibited growth in the EPS-supplied medium compared with glucose as carbon source, whereas the pathogenic strains did not grow in the EPS-supplied medium. These findings indicate that the EPS from B. sonorensis MJM60135 has potential application in the bioremediation of hydrocarbons and could also be used as a prebiotic.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2006

This study was to review recent reports in effects of various starter cultures on the viscosity in stirred yogurt. The rheological properties of yogurt have received considerable attention in the literature. Most yogurts are typically made by mixed cultures of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The viscosity of yogurt made by mixed cultures was much higher than that of yogurt by single cultures. Since texture of stirred yogurt is the result of both acid aggregation of casein micelles and production of exopoly-saccharides, it is suggested that yogurt be made by the exopolysaccharide-producing cultures in order to increase viscosity, Both types of exopolysaccharides are capsule and loose slime(ropy). But it is desirable to use encapsulated nonropy strains. And Bifidobacteria affects adversely to the viscosity of yogurt. Therefore, starter cultures which have an effect on yogurt viscosity have been widely demonstrated. This review is the search for the development of viscosity in stirred yogurt.