• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.488-492
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• 2016

Rhodococcus species have become increasingly important owing to their ability to degrade a wide range of toxic chemicals and produce bioactive compounds. Here, we report isolation of the Rhodococcus sp. KB6, which is a new leaf-inhabiting endophytic bacterium that suppresses black rot disease in sweet potato leaves. We determined the 7.0 Mb draft genome sequence of KB6 and have predicted 19 biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites, including heterobactins, which are a new class of siderophores. Notably, we showed the first internal colonization of host plants with Rhodococcus sp. KB6 and discuss its potential as a biocontrol agent for sustainable agriculture.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 2001

For the biological treatment of industrial wastewater containing high concentration of phenol, isolation and characterization of phenol - degrading bacterium were carried out. A bacterial strain P2 capable of degrading phenol was isolated from contaminated soils by enrichment culture technique and identified as the genus Rhodococcus by morphological, cultural, biochemical characteristics, and Biolog system. The optimal medium composition and cultural conditions for the growth and degradation of phenol by Rhodococcus sp. P2 were 0.1% of (NH$_4$)$_2$SO$_4$, 0.2% of KH$_2$PO$_4$, 0.25% of Na$_2$HPO$_4$ㆍ12$H_2O$, 0.2% of MgSO$_4$ㆍ7$H_2O$, and 0.008% of CaC1$_2$ㆍ2$H_2O$ along with initial pH 8.5 at 3$0^{\circ}C$. Rhodococcus sp. P2 could grow with phenol as the sole carbon source up to 1,800 ppm in batch cultures, but did not grow in medium containing above 2,000 ppm of phenol. When 800 ppm phenol was given in the optimal media, Rhodococcus sp. P2 completely degraded it within 24 h. Meanwhile, 1,800 ppm of phenol was degraded within 9 days. Rhodococcus sp. P2 could utilize toluene, n-hexane, xylene and benzene as sole carbon source .

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.605-612
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• 2006

A psychrotrophic bacterium was isolated from oil-contaminated groundwater and identified as Rhodococcus sp. YHLT-2. Growth was observed at the temperature of 4 to $30^{\circ}C$. This strain degraded various petroleum hydrocarbons such as crude oil, diesel oil, and gasoline over the whole range of temperatures tested. The Rhodococcus sp. YHLT-2 was capable of growing even at $4^{\circ}C$, exhibiting 90% of oil biodegradation after 20 days. Degradation of crude oil occurred at low temperature in nature. This strain was also able to grow at 7% NaCl, and utilized not only short chain alkenes $(C_9\;to\;C_{12})$, but also a broad range of long chain alkenes $(C_{19}\;to\;C_{32})$ present in crude oil at $4^{\circ}C$. The Rhodococcus sp. YHLT-2 is expected to be of potential use in the in situ bioremediation of hazardous hydrocarbons under low-temperature and high-salt conditions.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.549-551
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• 2001

The heavy use of petroleum products in modern livings has brought ubiquitous environmental contaminants of aromatic compounds, which persist in aquatic and geo-environment without the substantial degradation. The persistence and accumulation of the aromatic compounds, which include xylene, phenol, toluene, phthalate, and so on are known to cause serious problems in our environments. Some of soil and aquatic microorganisms facilitate their growth by degrading aromatic compounds and utilizing degrading products as growth substrates, the biodegradation helps the reentry of carbons of aromatic compounds, preventing their accumulation in our environments. The metabolic studies on the degradation of aromatic compounds by microoganisms were extensively carried out along with their genetic studies. A Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT isolated in activated sludges has shown the excellent ability to grow on phenol as a sole carbon source. In the present study investigated a gene encoding phenol-degrading enzymes from a Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.352-358
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• 2014

The feasibility of perchlorate reducing-bacteria isolated from the sludge of an anaerobic digester was determined using ammonium perchlorate in aqueous medium. Growth kinetics of the two perchlorate reducing bacteria including Rhodococcus sp. YSPW01 and YSPW02 were investigated using acetate as the electron donor in batch experiment. The growth of YSPW01 and YSPW02 reached a steady-state at 26 and 9 h, respectively. The initial perchlorate concentration was completely reduced within 8 and 7 h by YSPW01 and YSPW02, respectively. The reduction rates were 2.1 and $15mg\;L^{-1}h^{-1}$ for YSPW01, and 3.2 and $15.5mg\;L^{-1}h^{-1}$ for YSPW02, at 1:1 and 5:1 ratios of acetate:perchlorate (w:w), respectively. In this study, the bacteria Rhodococcus sp. YSPW01 and YSPW02 demonstrated a potential for the perchlorate reduction, which could be further investigated for development of an efficient strategy to treat the perchlorate contaminated waters.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2011

Three bioremediation methods, natural attenuation (NA), biostimulation (BS) and bioaugmentation (BA) were applied to remediate diesel-contaminated soil, with their remediation efficiencies and soil microbial activities compared both with and without surfactant (Tween 80). BA treatment employing Rhodococcus sp. EH831 was the most effective for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil at initial remediation stage. On the addition of surfactant, no significant effect on the remediation performance was observed. A negative correlation was found between the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and residual concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) at below 20,000 mg-$TPHs{\cdot}kg$-dry $soil^{-1}$, as follows: DHA (${\mu}g$-TPF(Triphenylformazan)${\cdot}g$-dry $soil^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) = -0.02 ${\times}$ TPHs concentration (mg-$TPHs{\cdot}kg$-dry $soil^{-1}$) + 425.76 (2500 ${\leq}$ TPHs concentration ${\leq}$ 20000, p < 0.01).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.971-977
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• 2002

The isolated strain, Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT was able to degrade high phenol concentrations up to 10 mM within 24 hours in the medium consisting of 5.3 mM $KH_2PO_4$. 95 mM $Na_2HPO_4$, 18mM $NH_4NO_3$, 1 mM $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$,\;50{\mu}M CaCl_2$,\;0.5 {\mu}M FeCl_3$, initial pH 8.0, temperature $30^{\circ}C$ in rotary shaker at 200 rpm. This strain was good cell growth and phenol degradation in the alkaline pH range range, and the highest in the pH range of 7 to 9. The microorganism was able to grow at the various chlorinated phenols, benzene, toluene, and bunker-C oil. As Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT was good capable of attachment on the acryl media, it would be used as microorganism to consist of biofilm in wastewater treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2005

This study focuses on investigating roles of microorganisms in decontamination of reed rhizosphere in Sunchon Bay, Korea, which is considered one of the marsh and mud environment severely affected by human activities such as agriculture and fisheries. In general, the bay is known to play the role of the buffering zone to reduce the sudden impact or change by environmental stresses. In our initial efforts to elucidate the microbial functions in decontamination process in reed rhizosphere, pure bacteria capable of degrading aromatic hydrocarbons were isolated from reed (Phragmites communis) rhizosphere of Sunchon bay by enrichment culture using either benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylene (BTEX) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Measurement of the rates of BTEX degradation and cell growth during the incubation in BTEX media under several temperature conditions demonstrated maximized degradation of BTEX at $37^{\circ}C$ in both strains. Both strains were also resistant to all the heavy metals and antibiotics tested in this study, as well as they grew well at $42^{\circ}C$. Identification of the isolates based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, and a variety of phenotypic and morphologic properties revealed that the two strains capable of BTEX catabolism were among Microbacterium sp., and Rhodococcus sp. with over $95{\%}$ confidence, designated Microbacterium sp. EMB-1 and Rhodococcus sp. EMB-2, respectively This result suggested that in the rhizosphere of reed, one of major salt marsh plants they might play an important roles in decontamination process of reed rhizosphere contaminated with petroleum such as BTEX.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2001

This research was performed to investigate the dynamics of microbial community by RBC (Rotating Biological Contactor) using Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT and activated sludge. Cell counts revealed by DAPI were compared with culturable bacterial counts from nutrient agar. Colony counts on nutrient agar gave values 20~25% and 1~15% of cell counts (DAPI). The cell counts for the dynamics of bacterial community were determined by combination of in situ hybridization with fluorescently-labelled oligonyucleotide probes and epifluorescence microscopy. Around 90~80% of total cells visualized DAPI were also detected by the bacteria probe EUB 338. For both reactors proteobacteria belonging to the gamma subclass were dominant in the first stage (1 and 2 stage) and proteobacteria belonging to the gamma subclass were dominant in the last stage (3 and 4 stage).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 1999

A bacterium, which can utilize cyclohexanol as a sole source of carbon and energy, was isolated from sludge in sewage of Ulsan Industrial Complex for Petrochemicals, Korea and identified as Rhodococcus sp. TK6. The growth conditions of the bacteria were investigated in cyclohexanol containing media. The bacteria utilized cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, cyclohexane-1,2=diol, cyclopentanol, cyclopentanone, and $\varepsilon$-caprolactone but not cyclohexane, cyclohexane-1,2-dione, and cyclooctanone. The bacteria were able to utilize alcohols such as ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-propanol, and 2-butanol as well as cyclohexanol, organic acids such as adipate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, n-caproate, and 6-hydroxycaproate, and aromatic compounds such as phenol, salicylate, p-hydroxbenzoate, and benzoate as a sole source of carbon and energy. Cyclohexanone as a degradation product of cyclohexanol by Rhodococcus sp. TK6 was determined with gas chromatography.