• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.270-282
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• 2023

Lower termites need symbiotic microbes for cellulose digestion. Elizabethkingia miricola strain BM10 has been proposed as a symbiotic microbe that assists in low-temperature digestion and metabolism of Reticulitermes speratus KMT1, a termite on Bukhan Mountain, Seoul, Korea. In E. miricola strain BM10, β-glucosidase genes expressed at 10℃ were identified, and the psychrophilic enzymatic characteristic was confirmed by heterogeneously expressed proteins. Crude β-glucosidase in the culture broth of E. miricola strain BM10 showed specific enzymatic properties, and its substrate affinity was 4.69 times higher than that of Cellic CTec2. Among the genes proposed as β-glucosidase, two genes, bglB_1 and bglA_2, whose gene expression was more than doubled at 10℃ than at 30℃, were identified. They were heterogeneously expressed in Escherichia coli and identified as psychrophilic enzymes with an optimal reaction temperature of about 20℃-25℃. In this study, E. miricola strain BM10, a symbiotic bacterium of lower termites, produced psychrophilic β-glucosidases that contribute to the spread of the low-temperature habitat of a lower termite, R. speratus KMT1.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.379-382
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• 2004

Entomopathogenic nematodes are used for insect control. Herein, an extracellular protease was partially purified from a culture supernatant of Xenorhabdus nematophilus, a symbiotic bacterium of an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema glaseri: using precipitation with $80\%$ v/v isopropyl alcohol followed by gel permeation chromatography with a packed Sephacryl S-300 HR media. The partially purified protease exhibited maximal activity at pH 7 in the presence of 1 mM $CaCl_2$. The protease was identified as a metallo-protease based on the inhibition of its activity by the metal chelating agent, EDTA.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 1999

Xenorhabdus nematophilus sp., an insect-pathogenic bacterium, was newly isolated from Korean entomopathogenic nematode of Steinernema carpocapsae, which can be used as a useful bioinsecticide. Primary and secondary form variants of Xenorhabdus nematophilus were observed when cultured in vitro. Primary form variants adsorbed bromothymol blue, while secondary form did not. However, many other characters of two variants were very similar. The variants were all rod-shaped and cell size was highly variable ranging from 0.5 by 2.0 ${\mu}$m to 1.0 by 5.0 ${\mu}$m. Both produced highly toxic substances and killed the insect larva within 20∼38 hr, indicating that insect pathogenicity of Xenorhabdus is not directly associated with its phase variation. In addition, cell-free culture supernatant of Xenorhabdus was sufficient to kill the insect larva by injecting it ito insect hemolymph; however, cell-harboring culture broth was more effective for killing the insect. The use of Xenorhabdus nematophilus may provide a potential alternative to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.420-427
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• 2007

We investigated the temperature effects on the virulence, development, reproduction, and otility of two Korean isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema glaseri Dongrae strain and S. longicaudum Nonsan strain. In addition, we studied the growth and virulence of their respective symbiotic bacterium, Xenorhabdus poinarii for S. glaseri and Xenorhabdus sp. for S. longicaudum, in an insect host at different temperatures. Insects infected with the nematode-bacterium complex or the symbiotic bacterium was placed at $13^{\circ}C,\;18^{\circ}C,\;24^{\circ}C,\;30^{\circ}C,\;or\;35^{\circ}C$ in the dark and the various parameters were monitored. Both nematode species caused mortality at all temperatures tested, with higher mortalities occurring at temperatures between $24^{\circ}C\;and\;30^{\circ}C$. However, S. longicaudum was better adapted to cold temperatures and caused higher mortality at $18^{\circ}C$ than S. glaseri. Both nematode species developed to adult at all temperatures, but no progeny production occurred at $13^{\circ}C\;or\;35^{\circ}C$. For S. glaseri, nematode progeny production was best at inocula levels above 20 infective juveniles/host at $24^{\circ}C\;and\;30^{\circ}C$, but for S. longicaudum, progeny production was generally better at $24^{\circ}C$. Steinernema glaseri showed the greatest motility at $30^{\circ}C$, whereas S. longicaudum showed good motility at $24^{\circ}C\;and\;30^{\circ}C$. Both bacterial species grew at all tested temperatures, but Xenorhabdus sp. was more virulent at low temperatures $(13^{\circ}C\;and\;18^{\circ}C)$ than X. poinarii.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.644-648
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• 2001

The biological control potential of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) can be enhanced by improved culture efficiency. Optimization of the media is a key factor for improving in vitro mass production of entomopathogenic nematodes. This study reports the effect of medium concentration. The medium is a combination of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, sats, and growth factors, on the growth of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and its symbiotic bacterium Photorhabdus liminescens. The overall optimal medium concentration for nematode recovery, hermaphrodite size, bacterial mass, infective juveniles (IJs) yield, and doubling time was 84 g/l. At this concentration rate, the doubling time of IJs production and the biomass of symbiotic bacteria was 1.6 days and 12.8 g/l, respectively. The maximum yield of $2.4{\times}{10^5}IJs/ml$ was attained within a one-generation cycle (eight days). The yield coefficient was $2.8{\times}{10^6}$ IJs/g medium, and the maximum productivity was $3.1{\times}{10^7}$ IJs per day. Medium concentration affected two independent factors, recovery and hermaphrodite size, which in turn influenced the final yield.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.623-626
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• 2003

Nematophin and its analog incorporating tryptamine unit have been isolated and characterized from strain XRPC of a symbiotic bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophilus, which was newly isolated from Korean entomopathogenic nematodes. The stereoselective synthesis of these compounds was accomplished, and the relative configurations were determined. Nematophin exhibited potent antibacterial activities over several strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) comparable to those of vancomycin.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.692-699
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• 2019

Elizabethkingia miricola BM10, a symbiotic bacterium, has been isolated from the hindgut of Reticulitermes speratus KMT001, a termite which occurs on Bukhan Mountain in Seoul, Korea. This strain demonstrated a symbiotic characteristic, in that it lacked endo-${\beta}$-1,4-glucanase activity, in a previous study. The major fatty acids of E. miricola BM10 were iso-$C_{15:0}$, iso-$C_{17:0}$ 3-OH, and summed feature 3 (iso-$C_{16:1}{\omega}7c/C_{16:1}{\omega}6c$). The content of iso-$C_{17:0}$ 3-OH was higher, while those of ECL 13.566, iso-$C_{17:11}{\omega}9c$, and summed feature 4 were lower than the other three type-strains of the Elizabethkingia genus. The 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis confirmed that E. miricola BM10 is a new species. The whole genome of E. miricola BM10 was sequenced. The average nucleotide identity of strain BM10 as evaluated by pairwise comparison with E. anophelis R26, E. meningoseptica ATCC 13253, and E. miricola GTC 862 was shown to be 91.5%, 81.2%, and 94.29%, respectively. Based on our study results, E. miricola BM10 appears to represent a new strain of the genus Elizabethkingia.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.303-308
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• 1999

An in vitro culture method for entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema glaseri was developed. A symbiotic bacterium was isolated from Steinernema glaseri and identified as Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Phase variation that differed in some biochemical characteristics of symbiotic bacterium was observed. Entomopathogenic nematodes carried only phase I bacterium in their guts. Phase I bacterium could be converted into phase II form in in vitro culture medium consisting of 5% yeast extract, 0.5% NaCl, 0.05% $K_2HPO_4$, $0.02% MgSO_4$.$7H_2O$. The optimum temperature for bacterial growth was $28^{\circ}C$. The pH of the culture medium increased up to 9.0-9.5 during the exponential growth period of the culture, regardless of initial pH 6-7. Various culture media such as chicken offal, dog food, bovine liver, peanut, and so on were tested for in vitro culture of the nematodes. The best medium for Steinernema glaseri production was obtained from concentrated homogenate of bovine liver and the nematode growth was highest at 80% bovine liver. In the co-culture of entomopathogenic nematode with its symbiont, the growth rate of nematodes was 2 times faster than that without its symbiont and the nematode concentration reached about $5.5\times10^4$/mL within 15 days.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.185-185
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.83-83
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• 2003