• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 1998

Two isolation methods using the open plate and air sampler were applied to examine microbial distribution as an environmental factor for conservation of cultural properties in the War Memorial in Korea. The numbers of fungi were the abundant in the air of entrance and inside of the exhibition room where visitors were crowded, compared with inside of repository rooms. Fungal and bacterial distributions in the exhibition room during exhibition period were higher than during nonexhibition period, These results are due to the inflow of air current carrying microoganisms to the exibition rooms from outside with visitors. Fungi isolated from the War Memorial were identified as 19 species and one thermophilic fungus, Neurospora crassa. The majority of the isolated fungi are seemed to cause damage to cellulose materials in the Memorial.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1670-1680
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• 2017

Lignocellulose, composed mostly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin generated through secondary growth of woody plant, is considered as promising resources for biofuel. In order to use lignocellulose as a biofuel, biodegradation besides high-cost chemical treatments were applied, but knowledge on the decomposition of lignocellulose occurring in a natural environment is insufficient. We analyzed the 16S rRNA gene and metagenome to understand how the lignocellulose is decomposed naturally in decayed Torreya nucifera (L) of Bija forest (Bijarim) in Gotjawal, an ecologically distinct environment. A total of 464,360 reads were obtained from 16S rRNA gene sequencing, representing diverse phyla; Proteobacteria (51%), Bacteroidetes (11%) and Actinobacteria (10%). The metagenome analysis using single molecules real-time sequencing revealed that the assembled contigs determined originated from Proteobacteria (58%) and Actinobacteria (10.3%). Carbohydrate Active enZYmes (CAZy)- and Protein families (Pfam)-based analysis showed that Proteobacteria was involved in degrading whole lignocellulose, and Actinobacteria played a role only in a part of hemicellulose degradation. Combining these results, it suggested that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria had selective biodegradation potential for different lignocellulose substrates. Thus, it is considered that understanding of the systemic microbial degradation pathways may be a useful strategy for recycle of lignocellulosic biomass, and the microbial enzymes in Bija forest can be useful natural resources in industrial processes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.680-685
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• 2015

Previously, cellulase and xylanase producing microorganism, Bacillus subtilis NC1, was isolated from soil. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and API 50 CHL test the strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis, and named as B. subtilis NC1. We cloned and sequenced the genes for cellulase and xylanase. Plus, the deduced amino acid sequences from the genes of cellulase and xylanase were determined and were also identified as glycosyl hydrolases family (GH) 5 and 30, respectively. In this study to optimize the medium parameters for cellulase production by B. subtilis NC1 the RSM (response surface methodology) based on CCD (central composite design) model was performed. Three factors, tryptone, yeast extract, and NaCl, for N or C source were investigated. The cellulase activity was measured with a carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) plate and the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) methods. The coefficient of determination (R²) for the model was 0.960, and the probability value (p=0.0001) of the regression model was highly significant. Based on the RSM, the optimum conditions for cellulase production by B. subtilis NC1 were predicted to be tryptone of 2.5%, yeast extract of 0.5%, and NaCl of 1.0%. Through the model verification, cellulase activity of Bacillus subtilis NC1 increased from 0.5 to 0.62 U/ml (24%) compared to the original medium.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.18-25
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• 1987

The cellulolytic activities of Aspergillus fumigatus KC-1 was investigated, which showed the most active producer of cellulase among the 256 strains of cellulose-decomposing microorganisms screened in our laboratory. All the examined cellulolytic activities (filter paper-, Avicel-, cotton-, CMC-, salicin- and xylansaccharifying activity) in a culture of A. fumigatus KC-1 grown on 1% popular sawdust pretreated with peroxide alkaline reached a maximum within 4-5 days. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzymatic activity was found to be pH 4.5 and $60^{\circ}C$ respectively. The sawdust of poplar wood delignified with 1% NaOH and 20% peracetic acid succesively recorded the highest hydrolysis rate in the tests of enzymatic saccharification. The major end product of hydrolysis of poplar wood with the cellulolytic enzymes obtained from A. fumigatus KC-1 was glucose with small amount of cellobiose and xylose. It can be concluded from these results that A. fumigatus KC-1 is an advantagous source of a cellulase that is capable of hydrolyzing cellulose to glucose rapidly. The influence of degree of delignification, substrate size and its concentration on the rate of hydrolysis of poplar wood was also discussed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 1996

Three stages of growth of Italian ryegrass (pre-blooming, P-B; early-blooming, E-B; and late-blooming, L-B) were used to evaluate the effect of maturity on in vitro digestion of dry matter, fiber components and gas production. The rumen digestibility and gas production values were obtained by incubation of each sample in the rumen fluid of sheep for 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hr, respectively. The results showed that digestibility of dry matter (DM) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) as advancing maturity of the grass. Similarly, the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) also significantly decreased (p < 0.05) with advancing maturity at all incubation times. However, the effect of maturity on digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose was only detected when the samples were incubated more than 36 hr, where L-B was lower than P-B and E-B. Potential digestibility of nutrients, the maximum digestibility attainable in the rumen theoretically, was also higher at P-B than those of E-B and L-B. The amount of gas produced by microbial fermentation was closely related to the extent of DM digestion, and it was negatively correlated with advancing maturity of the grass.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of the conversion of the forest management type from a natural deciduous broad-leaved forest to an artificial evergreen coniferous forest based on organic matter dynamics. We investigated the amounts and carbon contents of the forest floor and the litterfall, soil chemical characteristics and cellulose decomposition rates in the natural deciduous broad-leaved forest and adjacent artificial evergreen coniferous forest. In the artificial evergreen coniferous forest were planted Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) on the upper slope and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) on the lower slope. The soil carbon and nitrogen contents, CEC and microbial activity had decreased due to the conversion of the forest management type from a natural deciduous broad-leaved forest to an artificial Japanese cypress forest, and were almost the same for the conversion to a Japanese cedar forest. Under the same conditions, it is considered that the soil fertility was different by planting specific tree species because the organic matter dynamics were changed by them.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.305-313
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• 1985

There is a trend that the total number of cancer cases is steadily increasing as the population grows. It has been estimated that 85% of the cancer rate in the U.S. is attributed to environmental factors. Among the environmental factors, diet and nutrition appear to be related to the largest number of human cancers. Diet and nutrition might be related to cancer by several mechanisms. Food may contain a direct carcinogen or precursors that become carcinogens by spontanous reactions, or by host metabolism, or through the actions of microbial flora. Chemicals that cause cancers generally have reactive electrophilic centers which can combine with electron-rich atoms in nucleic acids and cause cancers by changing the genetic activity of the cells. A variety of factors in foods might be involved in the etiology of carcinogenesis. Chemicals in food that cause cancers include carcinogens of plants and animal origin and also those in drinking water. Other then these, fungal metabolites alcohol, asbestos, heavy metals, pesticides, and food additives might be included as food carcinogenesis. The method of cooking foods also might contribute to carcinogenesis. Some chemicals in foods act as promoters in carcinogenesis. Prevention of cancers by dietary practises have received much interest. Consumption of certain vegetables or cellulose can reduce carcinogenic activity of several compounds. A variety of antioxidants or micronutrients may be effective anticarciongens. Glutathione in the soluble fraction of the cells, is a major defense against oxidative and alkylating carcinogens. Recently anticarcinogenic activity of chlorophyll was demonstrated. Daily consumption of milk appears to effectively reduce stomach cancer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2009

Polymerase chain reactin (PCR) could be a simple way to screen new microbial strains producing useful secondary metabolites if their biosynthetic genes are known and candidate strains to be screened are available. In this study, we have screened two myxobacterial strains, KYC3047 and KYC3076, carrying genes appeared to be biosynthetic genes of soraphen A, a potent antifungal substance, out of 50 cellulose degrading myxobacteria using PCR. The two strains were identified as Sorangium cellulosum based on morphological, physiological, and molecular biological characteristics. Both of the strains produced substances having strong antifungal activities as expected against Candida albicans, a causative agent of candidiasis, and Colletotrichum acutatum, a causative agent of anthracnose on pepper.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 1979

Ethanol and Xylose were produced from cellulosic agricultural waste such as rice straw and corn cob by a single-step simultaneous hydrolysis-fermentation process utilizing semi-solid culture of Trithoderma as enzyme source and Saccharomyces yeast. By this process all the hexoses prduoced by the enzyme were converted to ethanol leaving pentoses which are not fermented by the yeast. By processing 50 g of rice straw, 18 ml of ethanol and 2.7 g of xylose were produced and 50 g corn cob produced 3.8 ml of ethanol and 10.8 g of xylose. Alkali-treatment of rice straw showed little effects on the productivities of ethanol and xylose. The possible reasons are discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.337-341
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• 2001

To isolate antifungal substances from Korean radish (Raphanus Sativus L.) seeds, various purification techniques such as DE52 cellulose anion exchange, SP-Sephadex C-25 cation exchange, and Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatographies were used. The molecular masses of two purified R. sativus antifungal proteins (RAPs) were estimated to be about 6.1 kDa (RAP-1) and 6.2 kDa (RAP-2) by SDS-PAGE, and 5.8 kDa(RAP-1) and 6.2 kDa (RAP-2 by a gel filtration chromatography, respectively. Purified proteins RAP-1 and 2 clearly exhibited different growth inhibitory activities against other microorganisms like Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although they have similar molecular masses, both RAP-1 and 2 proteins are not identical because their microbial inhibitory actions were different. Therefore, RAP-1 could be a new antifungal protein when compared with the antifungal activities of 2S albumins, Rs-AFPs, Mj-AMPs, chitinase, glucanase, permatin, and ribosome inactivating proteins, all of which are anifungal proteins of plants.