• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.89-95
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• 1998

The aim of this study is to elucidate the anti-microbial activity and anti-oxidative activity of water-soluble chitosan with a molecular weight of 5,000-200,000. Water-soluble chitosans have demonstrated a regular anti-microbial activity on the tested strians by the paper disk method. In the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) test, CC-01 (MW=5,000) with the lower MW showed the higher MIC value than the higher MW chitosan. The MW of chitosan increase, the MIC decreases. MICs of 4 chitosans(CC-02∼CC-05) against S. aureusTCC 65389, E coli ATCC 8739, p. aeruginosa, ATCC 9027 and C. albicans ,ATCC 10231 were 7.0-39.O$\mu\textrm{m}$, whereas MICs of chitosans against A. niger were over 2.OmM. Formula containing chitosan showed higher anti-microbial activities than the formula made with the chemical preservatives(Methylparaben 0.2％ and Imidazolidinyl Urea 0.3％). Among 5 water-soluble chitosans, CC-03(MW=92,163) showed the most potent anti-oxidative activity (IC$\sub$50/ : 0.2mM). In conclusion, the water-soluble low molecular weight chitosan could be served as natural preservatives and antioxidant in cosmetics.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 1994

The relationships between microbial activity and physico-KDICical characteristics of soils were investigated in three golf courses of Kwanak, Gold and Korea Country Clubs, with different open years. The soil samples were collected in tee, fairway and rough. There were ranges of 4.80-5.55 in pH, $25.55-98.50{\mu}S$ / cm in conductivity, 10.96-16.73% in moisture content, 0.18-0.36g / g in water holding capacity, 3.68-5.39% in organic matter, and 0.10-0.25% in total nitrogen. Dehydrogenase activity(DHA) as an index of soil microbial activity was determined. DHA values of soil were $69.83-314.43{\mu}$g / g in three courses and showed the order of Kwanak>Gold>Korea Country Club with open year. This indicates that DHA was affected by several fertilizer treatments rather than herbicide and pesticide treatments. DHA was significantly different with golf clubs as well as golf courses and positively correlated with water holding capacity and total nitrogen.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.390-393
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• 2004

Oxygen uptake rate (OUR) was used as an indicator of microbial activity. In this study OUR at dyeing wastewater in the pilot plant was monitored to examine biological activity. Correlation between inlet COD concentration and maximum OUR showed that maximum OUR was proportional to inlet COD concentration. Changes in the OUR values reflected the changing waste load in the reactor. Consequently, OUR can be used to estimate biological activity of inlet COD concentration. This study showed that biodegradable COD at dyeing wastewater could be calculated from OUR and yield coefficient. Non-biodegradable COD was able to be calculated from a difference between initial COD concentration and biodegradable COD.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.161-164
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• 2003

Recombinant light chain of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type B stimulated transglutaminase activity in a dose dependent manner, Compared to native toxin, recombinant light chain showed av greater stimulatory effect on transglutaminase activity. Zn-chelating agents, inhibiting the proteolytic activity of the clostridial toxins, did not interfere with this stimulation. These results suggest that the light chain plays a major stimulatory role, which is not due to its metallopeptidase activity, but is possibly due to specific interaction with transglutaminase. More importantly, this report provides a new insight into the intracellular action of C. botulinum neurotoxins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2004

A plasmid pSDK-l containing the Escherichia coli phosphofructokinase-l gene (pfkA) was constructed, and transferred into extremely acidophilic Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Tt-7 by conjugation with the aid of plasmid RP4 at a frequency of $10^{-5}$ per recipient. This plasmid was stable in A. thiooxidans. The pfkA gene from E. coli could be expressed in this obligately autotrophic bacterium, but the enzyme activity (21.6 U/g protein) was lower than that in E. coli (K12: 85.9 Dig protein; DF1010 carrying plasmid pSDK-l: 96.6 U/g protein). In the presence of glucose, the Tt-7 transconjugants consumed glucose, leading to a better growth yield.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.902-910
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• 2012

This study has been carried out to determine the effects of disturbances from wild boar grubbing on the functions of ecosystem. The experiments was performed in Mt. Jumbong of Long-term Ecological Research Sites of the Ministry of Environment. We measured soil physical properties, soil respiration($CO_2$), microbial biomass C, and soil enzyme activities from both disturbed and control plots. The disturbance sites were divided into two parts, mounds and pits. Soil organic matter contents were highest value at the control plots and lowest at the pit plots, respectively at 20.22% and 15.52%. The soil bulk densities were highest at the pit plots. Soil microbial biomass C and $CO_2$ evolution were significantly higher at the control plots compared to the disturbed plots. The results were positively correlated with soil organic matter contents. The cellulase activity and invertase activity in the soil showed similar pattern as the microbial biomass C and $CO_2$ evolution results. The cellulase activity and invertase activity in the soil were positively correlated with soil microbial biomass C. Soil organic matter contents seemed to affect the soil enzyme activities. The nitrate reductase activities were highest at the pit plots, which showed positive correlation with soil bulk density. The study results showed that the grubbing disturbances by wild boars induced the changes in soil properties, which affected soil microbial activities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.98-102
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• 1996

A thermostable tyrosine phenol-lyase gene of a thermophilic Symbiobacterium species was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli in order to produce the biocatalyst for the synthesis of 3, 4-dihy-droxyphenyl-L-alanine (L-DOPA). The substrates used for the synthetic reaction were pyrocatechol, so-dium pyruvate, and ammonium chloride. The enzyme was stable up to $60^{\circ}C$, and the optimal temperature for the synthesis of L-DOPA was $37^{\circ}C$ . The optimal pH of the reaction was about 8.3. Enzyme activity was highly dependent on the amount of ammonium chloride and the optimal concentration was estimated to be 0.6 M. In the case of pyrocatechol, an inactivation of enzyme activity was observed at con-centrations higher than 0.1 M. Enzyme activity was increased by the presence of ethanol. Under op-timized conditions, L-DOPA production was carried out adding pyrocatechol and sodium pyruvate to the reaction solution intermittently to avoid substrate depletion during the reaction. The concentration of L-DOPA reached 29.8 g/l after 6 h, but the concentration didn t increase further because of the formation of byproducts by a non-enzymatic reaction between L-DOPA and pyruvate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.670-677
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• 2010

An alkaline pectate lyase, Bsp165PelA, was purified to homogeneity from the culture broth of alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5. The enzyme showed a specific activity as high as 1,000 U/mg and had optimum activity at pH 11.5 and $50^{\circ}C$. It was composed of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of 42 kDa deduced from SDS-PAGE, and its isoelectric point was around pH 6.0. It could efficiently depolymerize polygalacturonate and pectin. Characterization of product formation revealed unsaturated digalacturonate and trigalacturonate as the main products. The pectate lyase gene (pelA) contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,089 bp, encoding a 36-amino acids signal peptide and a mature protein of 326 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 35.943 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence from the pelA ORF exhibited significant homology to those of known pectate lyases in polysaccharide lyase family 1. Some conserved active-site amino acids were found in the deduced amino acid sequence of Bsp165PelA. $Ca^{2+}$ was not required for activity on pectic substrates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.197-208
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• 2014

A novel protease gene from Bacillus gibsonii, aprBG, was cloned, expressed in B. subtilis, and characterized. High-level expression of aprBG was achieved in the recombinant strain when a junction was present between the promoter and the target gene. The purified recombinant enzyme exhibited similar N-terminal sequences and catalytic properties to the native enzyme, including high affinity and hydrolytic efficiency toward various substrates and a superior performance when exposed to various metal ions, surfactants, oxidants, and commercial detergents. AprBG was remarkably stable in 50% organic solvents and retained 100% activity and stability in 0-4 M NaCl, which is better than the characteristics of previously reported proteases. AprBG was most closely related to the high-alkaline proteases of the subtilisin family with a 57-68% identity. The secretion and maturation mechanism of AprBG was dependent on the enzyme activity, as analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Thus, when taken together, the results revealed that the halo-solvent-tolerant protease AprBG displays significant activity and stability under various extreme conditions, indicating its potential for use in many biotechnology applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.126-132
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• 2012

A cellulose-degrading composite microbial system containing a mixture of microbes was previously shown to demonstrate a high straw-degrading capacity. To estimate its potential utilization as an inoculant to accelerate straw biodegradation after returning straw to the field, two cellulose-degrading composite microbial systems named ADS3 and WSD5 were inoculated into wheat straw-amended soil in the laboratory. The microbial survival of the inoculant was confirmed by a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, whereas the enhancement of straw degradation in soil was assessed by measuring the mineralization of the soil organic matter and the soil cellulase activity. The results indicated that most of the DGGE bands from ADS3 were detected after inoculation into straw-amended autoclaved soil, yet only certain bands from ADS3 and WSD5 were detected after inoculation into straw-amended non-autoclaved soil during five weeks of incubation; some bands were detected during the first two weeks after inoculation, and then disappeared in later stages. Organic matter mineralization was significantly higher in the soil inoculants ADS3 and WSD5 than in the uninoculated controls during the first week, yet the enhanced degradation did not persist during the subsequent incubation. Similar to the increase in soil organic matter, the cellulase activity also increased during the first week in the ADS3 and WSD5 treatments, yet decreased during the remainder of the incubation period. Thus, it was concluded that, although the survival and performance of the two inoculants did not persist in the soil, a significant enhancement of degradation was present during the early stage of incubation.