• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.14-26
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• 2012

The only extraterrestrial life detection experiments ever conducted were the three which were components of the 1976 Viking Mission to Mars. Of these, only the Labeled Release experiment obtained a clearly positive response. In this experiment $^{14}C$ radiolabeled nutrient was added to the Mars soil samples. Active soils exhibited rapid, substantial gas release. The gas was probably $CO_2$ and, possibly, other radiocarbon-containing gases. We have applied complexity analysis to the Viking LR data. Measures of mathematical complexity permit deep analysis of data structure along continua including signal vs. noise, entropy vs.negentropy, periodicity vs. aperiodicity, order vs. disorder etc. We have employed seven complexity variables, all derived from LR data, to show that Viking LR active responses can be distinguished from controls via cluster analysis and other multivariate techniques. Furthermore, Martian LR active response data cluster with known biological time series while the control data cluster with purely physical measures. We conclude that the complexity pattern seen in active experiments strongly suggests biology while the different pattern in the control responses is more likely to be non-biological. Control responses that exhibit relatively low initial order rapidly devolve into near-random noise, while the active experiments exhibit higher initial order which decays only slowly. This suggests a robust biological response. These analyses support the interpretation that the Viking LR experiment did detect extant microbial life on Mars.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 1987

One hundred and seventeen colonies were screened for the detection of the production of exodextranase on the dextran-mineral salts medium. Ten colonies out of them produced the dextranase. Flavobacterium multivorum greatly producing the enzyme was isolated from soil, identified and then studied for various biochemical characteristics. The activity of the dextranase in the cultured medium was high between pH8 and 9 at $35^{\circ}C$, and between $45^{\circ}C$ and $55^{\circ}C$ at pH8. By the growth curves the generation times of the bacterium were approximately 52 minutes in the LB broth, 38 minutes in the LB plus 1% dextran and 660 minutes in the dextran-salts. The strain did not have ant plasmid, and was susceptible to genramicin, cotrimoxazole and cefoperazone, and moderately susceptible to chloramphenicol, cefamandole and cefotaxime, but resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, tetracycline, amikacin and tobramycin.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.325-330
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• 2005

Rhodococcus sp. strain YU6 was isolated from soil for the ability to grow on o-xylene as the sole carbon and energy source. Unlike most other o-xylene-degrading bacteria, YU6 is able to grow on p-xylene. Numerous growth substrate range experiments, in addition to the ring-cleavage enzyme assay data, suggest that YU6 initially metabolizes 0- and p-xylene by direct aromatic ring oxidation. This leads to the formation of dimethylcatechols, which was further degraded largely through meta-cleavage path-way. The gene encoding meta-cleavage dioxygenase enzyme was PCR cloned from genomic YU6 DNA using previously known gene sequence data from the o-xylene-degrading Rhodococcus sp. strain DK17. Subsequent sequencing of the 918-bp PCR product revealed a $98\%$ identity to the gene, encoding meth-ylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase from DK17. PFGE analysis followed by Southern hybridization with the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene demonstrated that the gene is located on an approximately 560-kb megaplasmid, designated pJY J1

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.84-86
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• 2018

Cells of Deinococcus puniceus $DY1^T$ are Gram-positive, coccus-shaped, and crimson color-pigmented. Strain $DY1^T$ was isolated from soil irradiated with 5 kGy gamma radiation and showed resistance to UVC and gamma radiation. In this study, we report the complete genome sequence of a bacterium Deinococcus puniceus $DY1^T$ is consist of circular chromosome comprised of 2,971,983 bp, with the G + C content of 62.5%. The complete genome sequence was obtained using the PacBio RS II platform, it included 2,617 coding sequences (CDs), 2,762 genes, and 88 pseudogene.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.87-89
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• 2018

Flavisolibacter tropicus $LCS9^T$ was isolated from a soil sample collected from tropical zone within the Ecorium of the National Institute of Ecology in Seocheon, central-western Korea. In this study, we report the complete genome sequence of the bacterium Flavisolibacter tropicus $LCS9^T$, which possesses a circular chromosome comprised of 5, 940,863 bp with the G + C mol content of 41.5%. The genome sequence annotation showed that the complete genome includes 5,075 genes, 337 pseudogenes, and 59 rRNA genes. The radiation resistance genes such as excinuclease UvrABC complex and UvdE were present in the genome.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.244-253
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• 2018

This study was carried out to evaluate effects of antimicrobial substances produced by isolated soil bacteria. Among two thousands of bacterial isolates Paenibacillus elgii DS381 exhibited high antimicrobial activities against several microbial residents on human skin and pathogenic bacteria. DS381 showed 15.3~26.0 mm inhibition zone diameter against all target bacteria and yeast in agar well diffusion test. Antimicrobial peptide produced by DS381 indicated low minimum inhibitory concentration (0.039-5.000 mg/ml). DS381 produced biosurfactant such as lipopeptide, and surface tension of culture supernatant of DS381 reduced from 60.0 to 40.3 mN/m. DS381 also showed $1.56{\pm}0.13U/ml$ of chitinase activity. These results suggest that Paenibacillus elgii DS381 may be utilized as an efficient biocontrol agent against some important human skin microbes and pathogenic bacteria.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.93-119
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• 2004

Acanthamoeba and Naegleria are widely distributed in fresh water, soil and dust throughout the world, and cause meningoencephalitis or keratoconjunctivitis in humans and other mammals. Korean isolates, namely, Naegleria sp. YM-1 and Acanthamoeba sp. YM-2, YM-3, YM-4, YM-5, YM-6 and YM-7, were collected from sewage, water puddles, a storage reservoir, the gills of a fresh water fish, and by corneal washing. These isolates were categorized into three groups based on the mortalities of infected mice namely, highly virulent (YM-4), moderately virulent (YM-2, YM-5 and YM-7) and nonpathogenic (YM-3). In addition, a new species of Acanthamoeba was isolated from a freshwater fish in Korea and tentatively named Korean isolate YM-4. The morphologic characters of its cysts were similar to those of A. culbertsoni and A. royreba, which were previously designated as Acanthamoeba group III. Based on experimentally infected mouse mortality, Acanthamoeba YM-4 was highly virulent. The isoenzymes profile of Acanthamoeba YM-4 was similar to that of A. royreba. Moreover, an anti-Acanthamoeba YM-4 monoclonal anti-body reacted only with Acanthamoeba YM-4, and not with A. culbertsoni. Random amplified polymorphic DNA marker analysis and RFLP analysis of mitochondrial DNA and of a 188 small subunit ribosomal RNA, placed Acanthamoeba YM-4 in a separate cluster based on phylogenic distances. Thus Acanthamoeba YM-4 was identified as a new species, and assigned Acanthamoeba sohi. Up to the year 2002 in Korea, two clinical cases were found to be infected with Acanthamoeba spp. These patients died of meningoencephalitis. In addition, one case of Acanthamoeba pneumonia with an immunodeficient status was reported and Acanthamoeba was detected in several cases of chronic relapsing corneal ulcer, chronic conjunctivitis, and keratitis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.545-551
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• 2015

Schistosomiasis is one of the important neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Tanzania, particularly in Lake Victoria zone. This baseline survey was a part of the main study of integrated control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) aimed at describing morbidity patterns due to intestinal schistosomiasis among adults living on Kome Island, Sengerema District, Tanzania. Total 388 adults from Kome Islands (about 50 people from each village) aged between 12 and 85 years, were examined by abdominal ultrasound according to the Niamey protocol. Liver image patterns (LIPs) A and B were considered normal, and C-F as distinct periportal fibrosis (PPF). The overall prevalence of PPF was 42.2%; much higher in males than in females (47.0% in male vs 34.4% in females, P=0.007). Abnormal increase of segmental branch wall thickness (SBWT) and dilated portal vein diameter (PVD) were also more common in males than in females. Hepatosplenomegaly was frequently encountered; 68.1% had left liver lobe hepatomegaly and 55.2% had splenomegaly. Schistosoma mansoni-related morbidity is quite high among adults in this community justifying the implementation of integrated control strategies through mass drug administration, improved water supply (pumped wells), and health education that had already started in the study area.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.329-331
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• 2017

Bacillus velezensis YC7010 is an endophytic bacterium isolated from the rice rhizosphere in Jinju, Republic of Korea, with properties conductive to growth promotion, antibiosis and induced systemic resistance to significant, soil-borne rice fungal and bacterial pathogens. The genome of B. velezensis YC7010 comprises a 3,975,683 bp circular chromosome which consists of 3,790 protein-coding genes (86tRNA and 27rRNA genes). Based on genomic analysis, we identified genes involved in colonization and establishment inside the plant, biosynthesis of antibiotic compounds such as surfactin, plipapastatin, bacillibactin, and bacillaene, as well as the production of the phytohormones and volatile compounds which serve to promote the plants growth and development.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.157-159
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• 2019

Pseudomonas fluorescens NBC275 (Pf275) isolated from soil sample collected at riverside of Nakdonggang showed antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens of plants and insects. Here we present complete genome sequence of Pf275. The genome comprises of 6,610,362 bp with GC content of 60.9%, which includes 5,869 predicted protein-coding genes, 16 rRNAs, and 65 tRNAs. Genome analysis revealed gene clusters encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as pyoverdine, 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol, and phenazine, which are known to play essential roles in biocontrol of diseases.