• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1477-1488
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• 2018

This study investigated the muscles, intestines, and gonads of Sulculus diversicolor supertexta to examine the diversity of microbial communities within examples collected from the Jeju Coast. Using different media, initial pure isolation in MA, 1% BHIA, and 1% TSA indicated that the muscles, intestines, and gonads supported more communities, respectively. In analysis of relative similarity with 16s rRNA sequencing, 190 pure colonies were isolated, and further analysis with NBLAST identified 71 species, 39 genera, 25 families, and five phyla. Homogeny with the reference strain was 91-100%. Microbial communities in S. supertexta consisted of gamma and alpha Proteobacteria (48%), Actinobacteria (32.5%), Firmicutes (16.9%), Deinococcus-Thermus (1.3%), and Bacteroides (1.3%). In all tissue, Psychrobacter cibarius in Moraxellaceae was dominant. Alteromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Pasturellaceae, Moraxellaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, Geminicoccaceae, Dietziaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Micrococcaceae, Micromonosporaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Aerococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Planococcaceae, and Staphylcoccaceae were commonly isolated across all tissues, and Flavobacteriaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Yesiniaceae, Vibrionaceae, Hahellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae were also identified from the intestines. In microbial monitoring of four harmful bacteria, Streptomyces albus (96%) showed antibacterial activity against all four strains, and Agrococcus baldri (99%) and Psychrobacter nivimaris (99%) presented against E. Coli and E. aerogens. In addition, some strains with low homogeny were isolated and further experiments are therefore required, for example to refine the antimicrobial substances including new strain investigations. These additional experiments would aim to establish generic resources for the microbial communities in S. Supertexta and provide basic data for applied microbiological research.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.762-768
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• 2019

Doellingeria scabra Thunb. (syn. Aster scaber Thunb.), a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, is frequently found in the wild mountain regions of Korea. This aim of this work was to measure the characteristics of patchiness of D. scabra in a local population on Mt. Maebong in Taeback-ci, Gangwon-do. The spatial distribution pattern of this species was estimated by analyzing ecological data by methods including the index of dispersion, Lloyd's mean crowding, and Morisita's index. The mean population density of the D. scabra population was 2.94. The D. scabra individuals were uniformly or randomly distributed in small-scale plots and were aggregately distributed in two large-scale plots ($16{\times}32m^2$ and $32{\times}32m^2$). The mean crowding ($M^*$) was 0.916. The mean patchiness index (PAI) was 0.796. Morisita's coefficient tended to decrease the density of the population as the plot size increased. The expected value of Eberhardt's index ($I_E$) in the local population was 2.623. Moran's I of D. scabra significantly differed from the expected value in 6 of 8 cases (75.0%). The first five classes were positive, with four showing statistical significance, indicating similarity among individuals in the first four distance classes (I-IV, 8 m), The results presented here could provide a theoretical basis for the conservation of D. scabra (Korean: chamchwi) and for the rehabilitation and sustainable management of forest ecosystems on Mt. Maebong, as well as on other mountains.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2019

Biological factors (e.g. microorganism activity) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) play essential roles for degradation and/or removal of organic matters. In this study, to understand the microbial functional roles in WWTP, we tried to isolate and characterize a bacterial strain from activated sludge sample. Strain S16 was isolated from the activated sludge of a municipal WWTP in Daejeon metropolitan city, the Republic of Korea. The cells were a Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, facultative anaerobe, and rod-shaped. Strain S16 grew at a temperature of $15{\sim}40^{\circ}C$ (optimum, $30^{\circ}C$), with 0~9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0~2.0%), and at pH 5.5~9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0~7.5). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S16 was most closely related to the unique species Miniimonas arenae NBRC $106267^T$ (99.79%, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) of the genus Miniimonas. The cell wall contained alanine, glutamic acid, serine, and ornithine. Although the isolation source of the type strain NBRC $106267^T$ which considered as a marine microorganism is sea sand, that of strain S16 is terrestrial environment. It might raise an ecological question for habitat transition. Therefore, comparative genome analysis will be valuable investigation for shedding light on their potential metabolic traits and genomic streamlining.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.671-676
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• 2021

A cDNA encoding the protein lethal (2) essential for life [l(2)efl] was cloned from Gryllus bimaculatus and named GBl(2)efl. This protein is composed of 189 amino acids, including an N-glycosylation site and 15 phosphorylation sites. Its predicted molecular mass is 21.19 kDa, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.2. The secondary structure of GBl(2)efl was predicted from the identification of random coils (56.08%), alpha helices (22.22%), extended strands (17.99%), and beta turns (3.7%) through sequence analyses. A homology analysis revealed that GBl(2)efl exhibited a high similarity with other species at the amino acid level, ranging from 52% to 69%. While GBl(2)efl mRNA expression was higher in the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle following a three-day starvation and in the Malpighian tubules following a one-day starvation, no changes in expression were detected in other tissues. Furthermore, tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress resulted in an approximately 1.8-fold higher expression in the fat body compared with the wild type.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.201-215
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• 2023

In the stone-lined tombs from Cheongyang Rokpyeong-ri site, several stone-lined tombs corresponding to the Three Kingdoms Period, Unified Silla Period and Goryeo Dynasty were excavated. In this study, the stone properties of petrological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics from 15 stone-lined tombs were analyzed, the rock species and occupation rate were reviewed, also the provenance area was interpreted. There are five types of rocks used as members of the tombs, including black sandstone, greywacke, slate, conglomerate and gneiss. As a result of magnetic susceptibilities, the rocks of the tombs and presumed provenance are all shown in the same range, and the similarity between the tombs and the source area is high in geochemical behavior characteristics. The stone properties of the tombs are the same as the presumed provenance rocks and is distributed within a 500m around the bedrock of the tombs in the excavation site, so it seems that self-sufficiency was possible on the site without a special procurement system. These stones are interpreted to have been constructed through some trimming without any special technique, but some stone tombs have been confirmed to used homogeneous black sandstone at the bottom of the tombs, so it is believed that there were artificial selection of stones.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.246-254
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• 2023

V. parahaemolyticus causes waterborne and foodborne disease such as acute diarrhea. In this study, V. parahaemolyticus isolates from seawater, fish tanks, and distributed fishery products in Jeju were investigated for potential toxin or species-specific genes (tdh, trh, tlh, and toxR) using RT-PCR and their genetic characteristics were analyzed using Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Overall, V. parahaemolyticus of 90 strains (36.7%), including 33 strains from seawater, 8 strains from fish tanks, and 50 strains from fishery products, were isolated from 245 samples. All V. parahaemolyticus strains did not detect the tdh gene, whereas all strains detected tlh or toxR genes. In addition, trh genes were detected in 3 strains from seawater and 1 strain from fishery products. Monthly quantitative testing of seawater revealed that V. parahaemolyticus was positively correlated with water temperature. The 90 strains of V. parahemolyticus obtained in this study showed by gene homology between types, ranging from 64.0-97.3%. Among these, thirteen types showed 100% homology between genes. These results indicate that continuous monitoring is needed to facilitate food poisoning epidemiological investigations because some isolated V. parahaemolyticus strains harbored toxin genes and V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from seawater, fish tanks, and distributed fishery products showed genetic similarity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.909-914
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• 2023

While searching for the bacteria which are responsible for degradation of pesticide in soybean field soil, a novel bacterial strain, designated 5-5^T, was isolated. The cells of the strain were Gram-staining-positive, aerobic and non-motile rods. Growth occurred at 10-42℃ (optimum, 30℃), pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-7.5), and 0-2% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1%). The predominant fatty acids were C_15:0 anteiso, C_17:0 anteiso, and summed feature 8 (C_18:1 ω7c and/or C_18:1 ω6c). The predominant menaquinone was MK-9 (H₂). Diphosphatidylglycerol, glycolipids, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol were the major polar lipids. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 5-5^T is a member of the genus Sinomonas and its closest relative is Sinomonas humi MUSC 117^T, sharing a genetic similarity of 98.4%. The draft genome of strain 5-5^T was 4,727,205 bp long with an N50 contig of 4,464,284 bp. Genomic DNA G+C content of strain 5-5^T was68.0 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain 5-5^T and its closest strains S. humi MUSC 117^T and S. susongensis A31^T were 87.0, and 84.3 % respectively. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain 5-5^T and its closest strains S. humi MUSC 117^T and S. susongensis A31^T were 32.5% and 27.9% respectively. Based on the ANI and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization analyses, the 5-5^T strain was considered as novel species belonging to the genus Sinomonas. On the basis of the results from phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain 5-5^T represents a novel speciesof the genus Sinomonas, for which the name Sinomonas terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5-5^T (=KCTC 49650^T =NBRC 115790^T).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.35-50
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• 2023

As urbanization progresses, there is a growing and continuous demand for green spaces that provide ecosystem services. However, increasing the quantity of green spaces within major cities is challenging. Therefore, it is essential to pursue qualitative improvements that consider ecological characteristics of existing green spaces. In this study, we focus on local neighborhood parks in Seoul and present the following two questions through an evaluation utilizing ecological design indicators and land use data: 1. Which factor, design or location, has a greater influence on the ecological quality of neighborhood parks in Seoul? 2. Additionally, when evaluating ecological characteristics, is there similarity between assessments based on land-use data and those utilizing ecological design indicators? For this study, we conducted research on 30 neighborhood parks in Seoul and classified them into mountainous types (adjacent to mountains, natural terrain parks) and urban types (independently designed within 300m without existing forests) based on previous studies. Firstly, we conducted evaluations according to park location types. When comparing the evaluation scores of urban types (14 parks) and mountainous types (16 parks), significant differences were observed with scores of 16.86 and 35.94, respectively. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between park types. In terms of habitat quality, the average values for urban and mountainous parks were 0.33 and 0.53, respectively, and statistically significant differences were observed between park types indicating differences in ecological potential according to park location. Secondly, when comparing the results of ecological potential evaluations based on park design and external connectivity, a correlation was found between habitat quality and total scores according to evaluation indicators. The correlation analysis showed significant linear relationships between habitat quality and total scores, biodiversity scores, and ecosystem function scores, with high positive correlation coefficients of 0.829, 0.861, and 0.802, respectively. This study holds significance in analyzing the ecological aspects of urban parks through the lens of both park location characteristics and design indicators. The analysis results underscore the importance of planning and managing ecologically sound urban parks contingent upon their location. Moreover, the utilization of appropriate ecological design indicators can help alleviate environmental limitations surrounding parks. Integrating these considerations could enhance the ecological quality and ecosystem services of urban green spaces.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1517-1529
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• 2023

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the phylogenetic and expression analysis of the angiopoietin-like (ANGPTL) gene family and their role in lipid metabolism in pigs. Methods: In this study, the amino acid sequence analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and chromosome adjacent gene analysis were performed to identify the ANGPTL gene family in pigs. According to the body weight data from 60 Jinhua pigs, different tissues of 6 pigs with average body weight were used to determine the expression profile of ANGPTL1-8. The ileum, subcutaneous fat, and liver of 8 pigs with distinct fatness were selected to analyze the gene expression of ANGPTL3, ANGPTL4, and ANGPTL8. Results: The sequence length of ANGPTLs in pigs was between 1,186 and 1,991 bp, and the pig ANGPTL family members shared common features with human homologous genes, including the high similarity of the amino acid sequence and chromosome flanking genes. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that ANGPTL1-7 had a highly conserved domain except for ANGPTL8. Phylogenetic analysis showed that each ANGPTL homologous gene shared a common origin. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that ANGPTL family members had different expression patterns in different tissues. ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 were mainly expressed in the liver, while ANGPTL4 was expressed in many other tissues, such as the intestine and subcutaneous fat. The expression levels of ANGPTL3 in the liver and ANGPTL4 in the liver, intestine and subcutaneous fat of Jinhua pigs with low propensity for adipogenesis were significantly higher than those of high propensity for adipogenesis. Conclusion: These results increase our knowledge about the biological role of the ANGPTL family in this important economic species, it will also help to better understand the role of ANGPTL3, ANGPTL4, and ANGPTL8 in lipid metabolism of pigs, and provide innovative ideas for developing strategies to improve meat quality of pigs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to investigate the weather, soil characteristics, and location environment of Pimpinella brachycarpa natural habitats in order to gather the essential information for the conservation of these habitats. P. brachycarpa are distributed throughout Korea and are mainly found to grow in shady and humid areas between 500 and 1,200 m above sea level. The average annual temperature in Mt. Duta was 13.1℃, and the average annual precipitation in Mt. Jungwon was 1,509 mm, which was higher than in other regions. The pH ranged from 4.42 to 4.97, indicating slight acidity. The total N content ranged from 0.18% to 0.68%, and the available P ranged from 13.43 to 531.56 mg/kg, demonstrating notable regional variations. The species diversity index (H') was highest at Mt. Ilwol, measuring 1.713. The evenness (J') ranged from 0.983 to 0.993, and the dominance (D') ranged from 0.007 to 0.017. The similarity index was very low, averaging 24.86%, and it was divided into communities of Wilson's elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica) and communities of Korean maple (Acer pseudo-siebodianum).