• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2015

In this study, SCAR marker that differentiates Pleurotus eryngii strains with higher ${\beta}$-glucan from control strain was developed. Genomic DNAs of 9 control strains of Pleurotus eryngii and 9 Pleurotus eryngii strains with higher ${\beta}$-glucan were analyzed by bulked segregant analysis (BSA) using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). One-hundred twenty RAPD primers were screened on bulked DNA samples and a unique DNA fragment with the size of 91 bp was yielded by OP-R03 primer from the Pleurotus eryngii strains with higher ${\beta}$-glucan. A sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker, designated as OP-R03-1-F and OP-R03-1-R, was designed on the basis of the determined sequence. The PCR analysis with the OP-R03-1 primer showed that this SCAR marker can clearly distinguish the Pleurotus eryngii strains with higher ${\beta}$-glucan from the control strains.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.226-231
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• 2014

In this study, SCAR marker that differentiates Pleurotus eryngii strains adaptable to high-temperature from control strain was developed. Genomic DNAs of 7 control strains of Pleurotus eryngii and 7 Pleurotus eryngii strains adaptable to high-temperature were analyzed by bulked segregant analysis (BSA) using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Onehundred twenty RAPD primers were screened on bulked DNA samples and a unique DNA fragment with the size of 385 bp was yielded by OP-A06 primer from the Pleurotus eryngii strains adaptable to high-temperature. A sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker, designated as OP-A06-1-F and OP-A06-1-R, was designed on the basis of the determined sequence. The PCR analysis with the OP-A06-1 primer showed that this SCAR marker can clearly distinguish the Pleurotus eryngii strains adaptable to high-temperature from the control strains.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 2011

In order to assess the survival success of microphytoplankton species in ship ballast water, we examined microphytoplankton diversity from international commercial ships berthed at Ulsan and Pyeongtaek Ports, Korea, and also subjected them to laboratory studies. The ages of ballast water in each ship ranged from 1 to 365 days. Vessels originated from coastal China (Weihai, Lianyunsang and Shanghai), Chile, and from the Yellow and Pacific Oceans. The numbers of species and phytoplankton standing crops in uploaded ballast water were significantly related to the age of ballast water. The most diverse taxonomic group was diatoms. In the laboratory study, the value of in vivo fluorescence in M/V Spring Lyra gradually increased with increasing nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate. Phytoplankton in new (9 days), medium (31 days) and old (365 days) ballast water successfully survived under typical nutrient condition of port water and F/2 medium at $15^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$, whereas phytoplankton in ballast water treatment did not survive, regardless of optimal temperature. Colonization process was dominated by diatoms; Skeletonema coastatum for M/V Spring Lyra, Thalassiosira pseudonana and Thalassiosira for M/V Han Yang, Thalassiosira pacifica and Odontella aurita for M/V Modern Express, and Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus and Pseudo-nitzschia seriata for M/V Asian Legend. The successful establishment of non-native species was also related to nutrient richness. Our laboratory design can be applied as a practical tool to assess the survivability of invasive microphytoplankton introduced into local waters of Ulsan and Pyeongtaek.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1097-1103
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• 2020

Bacterial surface display systems have been developed for various applications in biotechnology and industry. Particularly, the discovery and design of anchoring motifs is highly important for the successful display of a target protein or peptide on the surface of bacteria. In this study, an efficient display system on Escherichia coli was developed using novel anchoring motifs designed from the E. coli mipA gene. Using the C-terminal fusion system of an industrial enzyme, Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase, six possible fusion sites, V¹⁴⁰, V¹⁷⁶, K¹⁷⁹, V²²⁶, V²³², and K²³⁴, which were truncated from the C-terminal end of the mipA gene (MV¹⁴⁰, MV¹⁷⁶, MV¹⁷⁹, MV²²⁶, MV²³², and MV²³⁴) were examined. The whole-cell lipase activities showed that MV¹⁴⁰ was the best among the six anchoring motifs. Furthermore, the lipase activity obtained using MV¹⁴⁰ as the anchoring motif was approximately 20-fold higher than that of the previous anchoring motifs FadL and OprF but slightly higher than that of YiaTR232. Western blotting and confocal microscopy further confirmed the localization of the fusion lipase displayed on the E. coli surface using the truncated MV¹⁴⁰. Additionally the MV¹⁴⁰ motif could be used for successfully displaying another industrial enzyme, α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis. These results showed that the fusion proteins using the MV¹⁴⁰ motif had notably high enzyme activities and did not exert any adverse effects on either cell growth or outer membrane integrity. Thus, this study shows that MipA can be used as a novel anchoring motif for more efficient bacterial surface display in the biotechnological and industrial fields.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2015

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) produced from marine organisms is widely used in nutraceuticals. Monodus subterraneus and Nannochloropsis oceanica, which are representative freshwater and marine Eustigmatophyceae, respectively, are known to have a high content of protein and lipid, particularly, EPA. In this study, to compare the growth and nutritional composition of M. subterraneus and N. oceanica, they were cultured in autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions with JM and f/2 medium, respectively, at $25^{\circ}C$. In addition, $80{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$ with 24-hour and 12-hour light was provided, with the addition of 2% glucose to the medium for the mixotrophic culture. With regard to growth, M. subterraneus showed 10 times higher biomass in a mixotrophic culture than in an autotrophic one. However, no significant difference was observed for N. oceanica between the two culture methods. With respect to nutritional composition, M. subterraneus cultured autotrophically had a higher protein and lipid content, particularly EPA, than that cultured mixotrophically, but no significant difference was found in the two cultures of N. oceanica. Furthermore, M. subterraneus cultured autotrophically with continuous light showed higher nutritional composition, particularly EPA, than N. oceanica. In conclusion, the mass culture of freshwater M. subterraneus is much easier and more economical than marine N. oceanica. In addition, production of EPA will be economically improved if mixotrophic culturing of M. subterraneus is first conducted to maximize the biomass, and then secondary autotrophic culturing is performed.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.443-450
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• 2005

The ratio of breeding pairs of brown skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi), south polar skuas (C. maccormicki) and mixed species pairs between Barton and Weaver peninsulas remained the same $(X^2-test,\;X^2=0,503,\;df=2,\;p=0.778)$. The nests of skuas were clustered on Barton, whereas they were distributed randomly on the Weaver peninsula. The distance between brown skua nests, and that of mixed species pair nests were longer than those of south polar skua nests. Brown skua nests were distributed along the coast. Whereas, the nests of mixed species pairs and south polar skuas were found more frequently inland (Kruskal-Wallis, $X^2=11.631$, df=2, p<0.005). There was no interspecific difference in the distances between skua nests and Penguin rookery at Barton (Kruskal-Wallis, $X^2=2.153$, df=2, p=0.341) or at King Sejong Station (ANOVA, F=1.483, df=2, p=0.229). In general, skuas prefer lower locales (<125m above sea level) for their nest building sites. Brown skua nests were distributed mainly on the beach, whereas south polar skua were distributed on the predominant periglacial landforms and till areas $(X^2-test,\;X^2=24.988,\;df=8,\;p<0.005)$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2008

Background: Early identification of pathogens can improve the prognosis of patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of performing multiplex PCR for endotracheal aspirates to detect three important pathogens (P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and MRSA) in patients with VAP. Methods: The endotracheal aspirates of 24 patients were collected within 24 hours of the diagnosis of VAP for performing multiplex PCR. Forward and reverse primers were designed to target the specific site of each pathogen (the oprL gene for P. aeruginosa, 16S rRNA for K. pneumoniae and the mec gene for MRSA). We analyzed the clinical data of the VAP patients, including the culture reports for the endotracheal aspirates. Results: Twenty-four patients (M:F=18:6, mean age=$70{\pm}11$) with VAP were enrolled. Pathogens were isolated from 11 patients (P. aeruginosa in 2, K. pneumoniae in 1, MRSA in 2, other enteric Gram negative bacilli in 3, S. pneumoniae in 2 and mixed infection in 1). Multiplex PCR detected three cases of P.aeruginosa (2 cases coincided with the culture reports) and four cases of K. pneumoniae (1 matched with the culture report). PCR detected two MRSA cases, which did not coincide with the culture reports. Conclusion: Multiplex PCR of the endotracheal aspirate showed some ability to detect Gram negative bacilli, although caution is required when interpreting the results.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.245-253
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• 2004

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), where the southeast and northeast trade winds converge, is the effective climatological barrier that separates the southern and northern hemispheres in dust budget. Asian and N. American dusts dominate in fhe Pacific north of the ITCZ, while Central and S. American dust prevails south of the ITCZ. In order to understand the nature of latitudinal and depth-related variations of mineral composition in terms of relative position to the ITCZ, deep-sea core sediments were collected from $9^{\circ}N$ to $17^{\circ}N$ at a $2^{\circ}N$ interval along the $131.5^{\circ}W$ meridian and analyzed for mineral composition. The amount of illite in surface sediments decreases gradually from 65% at $17^{\circ}N\;to\;31^{\circ}N$ to 31% at 9f. In contrast, smectite increases from 11% to 56% southward. The observed mineralogical variation toward the ITCZ is attributed to the increased supply of volcaniclastic material transported via the southeast trade winds from the Central and South America source regions. Smectite-illite transition, a phenomenon that the amount of smectite increases over illite, occurs at around $10^{\circ}N$, the northern margin of the ITCZ. This result indicates that the change in latitudinal position of the ITCZ in geologic past could be recorded as a form of smectite-illite transition in deep-sea cores. The studied cores show down-core variation of mineral composition from illite-rich at the surface to smectite-rich clay suit at depths, similar to the latitudinal variation. The smectite-illite transitions observed in these cores are likely the records of changes in latitudinal position of the ITCZ. The depth and age of smectite-illite transition is getting shallower and younger toward equator, implying that the ITCZ was located farther north during late Tertiary and has shifted southward to the present position of $5^{\circ}N-10^{\circ}N$.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.127-140
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• 2015

A continuous series of 60 snow samples was collected at a 2.5-cm interval from a 1.5-m snow pit at a site on the Styx Glacier Plateau in Victoria Land, Antarctica, during the 2011/2012 austral summer season. Various chemical components (${\delta}D$, ${\delta}^{18}O$, $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Cl^-$, $SO_4{^2-}$, $NO_3{^-}$, $F^-$, $CH_3SO_3{^-}$, $CH_3CO_2{^-}$ and $HCO_2{^-}$) were determined to understand the highly resolved seasonal variations of these species in the coastal atmosphere near the Antarctic Jang Bogo station. Based on vertical profiles of ${\delta}^{18}O$, $NO_3{^-}$and MSA, which showed prominent seasonal changes in concentrations, the snow samples were dated to cover the time period from 2009 austral winter to 2012 austral summer with a mean accumulation rate of $226kgH_2Om^{-2}yr^{-1}$. Our snow profiles show pronounced seasonal variations for all the measured chemical species with a different pattern between different species. The distinctive feature of the occurrence patterns of the seasonal variations is clearly linked to changes in the relative strength of contributions from various natural sources (sea salt spray, volcanoes, crust-derived dust, and marine biogenic activities) during different short-term periods. The results allow us to understand the transport pathways and input mechanisms for each species and provide valuable information that will be useful for investigating long-term (decades to century scale periods) climate and environmental changes that can be deduced from an ice core to be retrieved from the Styx Glacier Plateau in the near future.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.315-329
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• 2003

During the 1st Korea-Russia Arctic Expedition from 3 to 26 August, 2000 phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentration were measured in the Barents and Kara Seas. Total of 57 surface samples were collected f3r the phytoplankton related measurements. Chlorophyll a (chi a) concentraitons were measured to investigate the relations between physico-chemical factors and phytoplankton biomass distribution. Chl a values ranged from 0.14 to $2.34mg\;m^{-3}$ (mean of $0.65{\pm}0.42mg\;m^{-3}$) over the surface stations. The elevated values of the chi a concentrations $(1.49{\sim}2.34mg\;m^{-3})$ were found in the southeastern Barents Sea near the Pechora River. Nanoplanktonic $(<20{\mu}m)$ phytoflagellates were the important contributors for the increase of the chi a. The nano-sized phytoflagellates accounted for more than 80% of the total chi a biomass in the study area. Mean chi a concentration in the Barents Sea $(0.72{\pm}0.57 mg\;m^{-3})$ was higher than in the Kan Sea $(0.52{\pm}0.45mg\;m^{-3})$, but there was no big difference between two areas. Surface temperatures and salinities ranged from 4.1 to $11.7^{\circ}C$ (mean of $8.8{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$) and from 23.8 to 32.5psu (mean of $30.3{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$ psu), respectively. The physical factors were not highly correlated with phytoplankton distribution. It is speculated that the insignificant correlation between phytoplankton biomass and physical factor was due to the same current which introduced similar water mass with higher water temperature and lower salinity into the study area. The mean values of major nutrients such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate were $0.42{\pm}0.31{\mu}M,\;0.10{\pm}0.03{\mu}M,\;1.44{\pm}1.03{\mu}M,\;0.35{\pm}0.12{\mu}M,\;10.99{\pm}3.45{\pm}M$, respectively. The relations between phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentration were not close, indicating that the surface nutrient concentrations during the study seem to be controlled by other physical factors such as input of fresh water (i.e. dilution effects).