• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.483-489
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• 2004

Pseudomonas sp. S-47 is a bacterium capable of degrading benzoate as well as 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA). Benzoate and 4CBA are known to be degraded via a meta-cleavage pathway characterized by a series of enzymes encoded by xyl genes. The meta-cleavage pathway operon in Pseudomonas sp. S-47 encodes a set of enzymes which transform benzoate and 4CBA into TCA cycle intermediates via the meta-cleavage of (4-chloro )catechol to produce pyruvate and acetyl-CoA. In the current study, the meta-pathway gene cluster was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of S-47 strain to obtain pCS1, which included the degradation activities for 4CBA and catechol. The genetic organization of the operon was then examined by cloning the meta-pathway genes into a pBluescript SKII(+) vector. As such, the meta-pathway operon from Pseudomonas sp. S-47 was found to contain 13 genes in the order of xylXYZLTEGFlQKIH. The two regulatory genes, xylS and xylR, that control the expression of the meta-pathway operon, were located adjacently downstream of the meta-pathway operon. The xyl genes from strain S-47 exhibited a high nucleoside sequence homology to those from Pseudomonas putida mt-2, except for the xylJQK genes, which were more homologous to the corresponding three genes from P. stutzeri AN10. One open reading frame was found between the xylH and xylS genes, which may playa role of a transposase. Accordingly, the current results suggest that the xyl gene cluster in Pseudomonas sp. S-47 responsible for the complete degradation of benzoate was recombined with the corresponding genes from P. putida mt-2 and P. stutzeri AN10.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2023

Previously, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida YJR13 and Pseudomonas putida YJR92 from a sequential screening procedure were proven to effectively control Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. In this study, we further investigated the anti-oomycete activities of these strains against mycelial growth, zoospore germination, and germ tube elongation of P. capsici. We also investigated root colonization ability of the bacterial strains in square dishes, including cell motility (swimming and swarming motilities) and biofilm formation. Both strains significantly inhibited mycelial growth in liquid and solid V8 juice media and M9 minimal media, zoospore germination, and germ tube elongation compared with Bacillus vallismortis EXTN-1 (positive biocontrol strain), Sphingomonas aquatilis KU408 (negative biocontrol strain), and MgSO₄ solution (untreated control). In diluted (nutrient-deficient) V₈ juice broth, the tested strain populations were maintained at >10⁸ cells/ml, simultaneously providing mycelial inhibitory activity. Additionally, these strains colonized pepper roots at a 10⁶ cells/ml concentration for 7 days. The root colonization of the strains was supported by strong swimming and swarming activities, biofilm formation, and chemotactic activity towards exudate components (amino acids, organic acids, and sugars) of pepper roots. Collectively, these results suggest that strains YJR13 and YJR92 can effectively suppress Phytophthora blight of pepper through direct anti-oomycete activities against mycelial growth, zoospore germination and germ tube elongation. Bacterial colonization of pepper roots may be mediated by cell motility and biofilm formation together with chemotaxis to root exudates.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.141-148
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• 2001

Postharvest decay of onion bulbs was examined by inspecting the commercial packages in the market or in storage. Bulb rot incidence was unexpectedly high, and onion bulbs with 1st quality grade were rotten most severely by 51%, followed by 32% for 2nd and 21% for 3rd grades. This indicates that larger bulbs had higher incidences of bulb rots. Major pathogens associated with basal and neck rots were Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus sp. or Botrytis allii, respectively, of which basal rot was most prevalent and damaging during storage. Among the epiphytic microorgani는 from onion plants, several Bacillus and Paenibacillus spp. and previously selected Pseudomonas putida and Trichoderma harzianum had inhibitory efficacy against bulb rot pathogens. Among these B. amyloliquefaciens BL-3, Paenibacillus polymyxa BL-4, and P. putida Cha 94 were highly inhibitory to conidial germination of F. oxysporum and B. allii. P. putida Cha 94, B. amyloliquefaciens BL-3, P. polymyxa BL-4, and T. harzianum TM were applied in the rhizoplane of onion at transplanting. Initially antagonist populations decreased rapidly during the first one month. However, among these antagonists, rhizoplane population densities of BL-3, Cha 94, and TM were consistently high thereafter, maintaining about 10$^4$-10$^{5}$ cells or spores per gram of onion root up to harvest time. The other bacterial antagonist BL-4 survived only for two months. TM was the most effective biocontrol agent against basal rot, with the number of rotten bulbs recorded at 4%, while that of the control was 16%. Cha 94 was effective for the first 20 days, but basal rot increased thereafter and had about the same control efficacy as that of BL-3 and BL-4. When the antagonists were applied to the topping areas of onion bulbs at harvest, TM was the most effective in protecting the stored onion bulbs from neck rotting. The second effective antagonist was BL-3. TM and BL-3 completely suppressed the neck rot in another test, suggesting that biocontrol of postharvest decay of onion using these microorganisms either at the time of transplanting or at harvesting may be promising.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 1999

Thirteen transcriptionally-fused carbon starvation mutants, derived from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633, were analyzed for their survivability and transcriptional induction profiles upon carbon starvation. One of these mutants, MK114, which exhibited the lowest survivability and the highest induction rate, was selected and further examined under different starvation (nitrogen and phosphate) and stress (osmolarity, H2O2, salts, alcohol, and heat) conditions. Under all tested conditions MK114 induced ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity, implying that the interrupted gene (cst114) is a general starvation and stress response gene. The rate of induction ranged from 2.6-fold for phosphate starvation to 3.7-fold for osmotic shock. The mini-Tn5 flanking DNA was cloned from the chromosome of MK114. The cloned DNA fragment exhibited carbon starvation activity, indicating that this fragment contains a carbon starvation-related promoter region. This region was partially sequenced. Possible physiological roles of Cst114 in a carbon sensing mechanism and in other stress responses are also discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.695-698
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• 2002

The biodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was performed on a laboratory scale using P. putida originally isolated from explosive-contaminated soil. One hundred mg/1 of TNT was completely degraded within 20 h under optimum conditions. Various supplemental energy sources (carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and surfactant) were tested, with the main objective of identifying an inexpensive source and enhancing the degradation rate for large-scale biodegradation. Based on the degradation rate, molasses was selected as a possible supplemental carbon source, along with NH$_4$Cl and Tween 80 as a nitrogen source and surfactant, respectively. The degradation rate increased about 3.3 fo1d when supplemental energy sources were added and the degradation rate constant increased from 0.068 h$\^$-1/ to 0.224 h$\^$-1/. These results appear to be promising in application of the process to TNT-contaminated soil applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.362-367
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• 2009

In recombinant strains, many proteins and enzymes are expressed as inactive and insoluble inclusion bodies. For soluble expression of an active form of StyB, an NADH-flavin oxidoreductase, several recombinant Escherichia coli strains were developed and tested. Among them, strain BL21(DE3)pLysS effectively produced an active and soluble form of StyB as about 9% of the total protein content, when cultivated at $20^{\circ}C$ with 0.5 mM IPTG. The solubly expressed StyB has the highest oxidoreductase activity at pH 6.5-7.5 and $37^{\circ}C$. Substrate dependence profiles of the StyB-catalyzed reaction showed that the maximum specific activity($V_m$) and half saturation constant($K_m$) were $1,867{\pm}148\;U/mg$ protein and $51.6{\pm}11{\mu}M$ for NADH, and $1,274{\pm}34\;U/mg$ protein and $8.2{\pm}1.2{\mu}M$ for FAD, respectively. This indicates that solubly produced StyB has 6- to 9-fold higher oxidoreductase activities than the in vitro refolded StyB from inclusion bodies.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.312-317
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• 2000

The selected five plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, WR8-3 (Pseudomonas fluorescens), WR8-6 (P. putida), WR9-9 (P. fluorescens), WR9-11 (Pseudomonas sp.), and WR9-16 (P. putida) isolated in the rhizosphere of watermelon plants were tested on their growth promotion and control effect against gummy stem rot of watermelon. Strains, WR8-3 and WR9-16 significantly increased stem length of watermelon, and there was a little increase in leaf area, fresh weight and root length when strains, WR8-3, WR9-9 and WR9-16 were treated. Generally, seed treatment was better for plant growth promotion than the soil drench, but there was no significant difference. Seed treatment and soil drench of each bacterial strain also significantly reduced the mean lesion area (MLA) by gummy stem rot, but there was no significant difference between the two treatments. At initial inoculum densities of each strain ranging from 10$^6\;to\;10^{15}$ cfu/g seed, approximately the same level of disease resistance was induced. But resistance induction was not induced at the initial inoculum density of 10$^3$ cfu/g seed. Resistance was induced by treating the strains, WR9-9, WR9-11 and WR9-16, on all of four watermelon varieties tested, and there was no significant difference in the decrease of gummy stem rot among varieties. Populations of the strains treated initially at log 9-10 cfu/g seed, followed with a rapid decrease from planting day to 1 week after planting, but the population density was maintained above log 5.0 cfu/g soil until 4 weeks after planting. Generally no or very weak in vitro antagonism was observed at the strains treated excepting WR9-11. Rifampicin-resistant bacteria which had been inoculated were not detected in the stems or leaves, which suggesting that the bacterium and the pathogens remained spatially separated during the experiment. This is the first report of rsistance induction in watermelon to gummy stem rot by PGPR strains.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.311-319
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• 1997

Heavy metal-tolerant microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas putida, P. aeruginosa, P. chlororaphis and P. stutzeri which possessed the ability to accumulate cadmium, lead, zinc and copper, respectively, were isolated from industrial wastewaters and mine wasewaters polluted with various heavy metals. Metal binding sites in the cells were investigated by extracting the components of the cells through pretreatments with hot water, acid, alkli, chloroform-methanol or chloroform-methanol/concentrated alkali. The heavy metal accumulation was drastically decreased by pretreatment with alkali or chloroform-methanol/concentrated alkali, but the heavy metal accumulation was not changed by pretreatment with chloroform-methanol. The amount of heavy metal accumulation was remarkably decreased by decreasing crude protein remaining in the cell. These results suggested that proteins of cell components played an important role on the heavy metal accumulation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.232-240
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• 2001

One hundred twenty five bacterial isolates were obtained from the brown blotch-diseased oyster mushrooms collected from markets. Among them, 45 were determined as pathogenic bacteria and white line forming organisms(WLFO) were 6 strains and white line reaction organisms (WLRO) were 6 strains. All of the white line forming isolates were identified as Pseudomonas tolaasii which is a known pathogen of brown blotch disease of oyster mushroom by GC-MIS(Gas chromatography-microbial identification system). Six of the white line reacting organisms were identified as P. chlomraphis, P. fluorescens biotype A and type C. The rest of them were P gingeri, P. agarici, P. fluorescens biotype B, P. chloroyaphis, non-pathogenic P. tolaasii, P. putida biotype A and B etc. For spectrum of activity of tolaasin, culture filtrates from pathogenic isolates were examined by browning of mushroom tissue and pitting of mushroom caps. The weak pathogenic bacteria didn't induce browning or pitting of mushroom tissue. On the other hand, strong pathogenic isolates showed browning and pitting reaction on mushroom. An extracellular toxin produced by P. tolaasii, was investigated. The hemolysis activity test of 6 strains identified as P. tolaasii were 0.8∼0.9 at 600 nm and 3 strains of WLRO were 0.9∼1.0 and Pseudomonas app. were 1.0∼1.2. Observation of fresh mushroom tissue using confocal laser scanning microscopy was carried out for images of optical sectioning and vertical sectioning. Also images of brown blotch diseased oyster mushroom tissue after contamination P. tolaasii was obtained by CLSM.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.919-927
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• 2007

Antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from rhizospheric soil of rice were characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analyses. Antagonistic isolates were grown in the fermentation media, and production of antibiotics was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Production of fungal cell-wall-degrading enzymes such as protease, cellulase, pectinase, and chitinase was determined. Dendrogram based on the major and differentiating fatty acids resulted into 5 clusters, viz., cluster I (P. pseudoalcaligenes group), cluster II (P. plecoglossicida group), cluster III (P. fluorescens group), cluster IV (P. aeruginosa group), and cluster V (P. putida group). Characteristic presence of high relative proportions of cyclopropane (17:0 CYCLO w7c) was observed in antagonistic bacteria. Data revealed biodiversity among antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads associated with the rice rhizosphere. Results presented in this study will help to identify the antagonistic isolates and to determine their mechanisms that mediate antagonism against fungal pathogens of rice.