• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1077-1082
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the nutritional conditions controlling keratinase activity in Bacillus megaterium F7-1. B. megaterium F7-1 produced keratinase using chicken feather as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur. Addition of the feather medium with glucose enhanced keratinase production (68.9 U/ml), compared to control without glucose (63.2 U/ml). The synthesis of keratinase was repressed by addition of $NH_4Cl$ in B. megaterium F7-1. The highest keratinase production (70.9 U/ml) was obtained with the feather medium containing glucose and $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$. Keratinase was produced in the absence of feather (4.9 U/ml), indicating its constitutive synthesis. Feather degradation resulted in free SH group formation. B. megaterium F7-1 effectively degraded chicken feather meal (86%), whereas duck feather, human nail, human hair and sheep wool displayed relatively low degradation rates (8-34%).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.112-115
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• 1987

Optimal pH temperature and sucrose content for the production of vitamin B$_{12}$ and riboflavin by Bacillus megaterium and Enterobacter aerogenes was studied by microbiological analysis. Optimal pH for the production of B$_{12}$ was 6.0 by B. megaterium while the pH for E. aerogenes was 5.0. However, upon the addition of sucrose the optimal pH for B. megaterium shifted to 7.5 but E. aerogenes remained at pH 5.0. In the absence of sucrose, pH did not influence the yields of riboflavin produced by either bacterium. Addition of sucrose stimulated synthesis of riboflavin by both bacteria. Temperature had little effect on the production of vitamins by either bacterium.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2017

In our previous study, three bacterial strains, Bacillus megaterium KU143, Microbacterium testaceum KU313, and Pseudomonas protegens AS15, were selected as effective biocontrol agents against Aspergillus flavus on stored rice grains. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of the volatiles produced by the strains on A. flavus growth and aflatoxin production on stored rice grains. The three strains significantly reduced mycelial growth of A. flavus in dual-culture assays compared with the negative control strain, Sphingomonas aquatilis KU408, and an untreated control. Of these tested strains, volatiles produced by B. megaterium KU143 and P. protegens AS15 markedly inhibited mycelial growth, sporulation, and conidial germination of A. flavus on agar medium and suppressed the fungal populations in rice grains. Moreover, volatiles produced by these two strains significantly reduced aflatoxin production in the rice grains by A. flavus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the suppression of A. flavus aflatoxin production in rice grains using B. megaterium and P. protegens volatiles.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 2002

An amylase that hydrolyzes starch into maltopentaose as a main product was found in the culture supernatant of a strain of Bacillus megaterium KSM B-404 isolated from local soil. The enzyme was purified 129-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Toyopearl and Superdex 75 HR 10/30 column using a FPLC system. The molecular weight of the amylase was determined as about 68 kDa by using SDS-PAGE. Optimum pH and temperature of amylase were found to be $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0~7.0, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to $60^{\circ}C$ by addition of $Ca^{2+}$ and its pH stability was in the range of 6.0~10.0. The activity of enzyme was inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ $Hg^{2+}$ , and $Fe^{3+}$ and maintained by $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$ . EDTA and pCMB also showed inhibitory effect to the enzyme. TLC and HPLC analysis of the products of the enzyme reaction showed the presence of maltopentaose(52%), maltotriose (25%), maltose (11%), glucose, and maltotetraose in the starch hydrolysates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.855-862
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• 2006

Hexavalent chromium ($Cr^{6+}$) is a highly harmful pollutant, which can be detoxified and precipitated through reduction to $Cr^{3+}$. Bacillus megaterium TKW3 previously isolated from chromium-contaminated marine sediments was capable of reducing $Cr^{6+}$ in concomitance with metalloids ($Se^{4+}$, $Se^{6+}$, and $As^{5+}$). Notwithstanding approximately 50% inhibition, it was the first report of simultaneous bacterial reduction of $Cr^{6+}$ and $Se^{4+}$ (to elemental Se). No significant difference was observed among electron donors (glucose, maltose, and mannitol) on $Cr^{6+}$ reduction by B. megaterium TKW3. The reduction was constitutive and determined to be non-plasmid mediated. Peptide mass fingerprints (PMF) revealed a novel aerobic membrane-associated reductase with $Cr^{6+}$-induced expression and specific reductive activity (in nmol $Cr^{6+}$/mg protein/min) of 0.220 as compared with 0.087 of the soluble protein fraction. Respiratory inhibitor $NaN_3$ did not interfere with the reductase activity. Transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (TEM-EDX) analysis confirmed the aggregation of reduced chromium along the intracellular membrane region. Future identification of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this reductase will facilitate purification and understanding of its enzymatic action.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2007

The Bio Best Bacillus(B3) and Rotating Activated Bacillus Contactor(RABC) processes, in which Bacillus strains are predominating, are reported to remove nitrogen and phosphorus as well as organic matter effectively. Nevertheless the nutrient removal characteristics of the Bacillus strains have not been studied in detail so far. This study investigated the organic and nutrient removal by Bacillus strains, Bacillus megaterium(KCTC 3007), Paenibacillus polymyxa(KCTC 3627), and Bacillus sp. A12, C21, F12, and L1(isolated from a B3 process), by incubating the strains in 0.2% nutrient broth at $30^{\circ}C$. Burkholderia cepacia(KCTC 2966), a common activated sludge organism, was used as a reference species for comparison. Although the degradation rate was affected by the population sire, the specific removal rates of organic matter by Bacillus strains were greater by $2\sim5$ times than that of Burkholderia. In particular, the culture bottles inoculated with the endospores of Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus sp. C21, F12, and N12 showed significantly higher degradation rate than those of vegetative cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.761-769
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• 2004

This study was investigated the occurrence of sclerotinia rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum at the major perilla cultivating area, Gangdong-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan in 1998. The incidence of this disease ranged from 8.1 to 28.3% at Gangdong-dong area during the growing seasons. Symptoms of the disease initially appeared damping-off of infected stems and soft-rot on the leaves of perilla. Under the relatively high humidity, abundant white mycelia of the pathogen formed on the lesion developed into black sclerotia later and the infected leaves were finally fell down. Sixteen isolates, Sl-S16, isolated from diseased lesions showing typical symptoms, and pathogenicity was tested using mycerlial disks. Among them, S2 isolate showing the most strong pathogenicity was selected and identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics. For biological control, an antagonistic bacteria, N4 isolate which effectively inhibited not only mycelial growth of S2 isolate but also suppress sclerotinia rot on the pot assay, was selected and identified as Bacillus megaterium according to Bergey's manual and API system., Wettable powder type, N4 formulation using B. megaterium N4 isolate was developed and estimated its control effect on perilla crops in a plastic house. As a results, N4 formulation which applied before 3 days inoculation of pathogen was effectually controlled Sclerotinia rot as the control value of 98.0%, was more effective than chemical fungicide, benomyl showing the control value of 78.0%. This is the first report of wettable powder formulation as a biocontrol agent using B. megaterium N4 against Sclerotinia rot caused by S. sclerotiorum on perilla.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.202-205
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• 2014

Three compounds including 7,7-bis(3-indolyl)-p-cresol (1), cyclo-(S-Pro-R-Leu) (2) and cyclo-(S-Pro-R-Val) (3) were isolated from the strain of Bacillus megaterium LC derived from the marine sponge Haliclona oculata. All the isolated compounds showed antimicrobial activity at MIC values ranging from 0.005 to $5{\mu}g/mL$ against Gram-negative bacteria Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus, gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus, and the dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The results suggested that these compounds might have potential to be developed as agents treating dermatosis and controlling vibriosis in aquaculture.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1976

Growth inhibition and morphological alteration of Bacillus megaterium NRRL B-1368 in aflatoxin-containing TGY liquid media and its growth restoration in normal media were investigated. Crude aflatoxins $(B_1\;22.7%,\;B_2\;1.6%,\;G_1\;3.6\;%\;and\;G_2\;0.2%)$ at concentrations of more than $20{\mu}g/ml$ inhibited the growth of the microorganism and prevented the formation of septum, resulting in abnormal elongation and disturbance of cell division. The aberrant cells, however, grew normally by septum formation and cell division upon returning to aflatoxin-free culture media. It was, therefore, assumed that aflatoxin affects the function of mesosome related to septum formation in bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1546-1554
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• 2010

A bacterial strain capable of producing extracellular ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was isolated from a sample of sugarcane industrial waste. Microbiological, physiological, and biochemical studies revealed that the isolate belonged to Bacillus sp. Furthermore, based on a 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the new isolate was identified as Bacillus megaterium VHM1. The production of ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was optimized based on various physical culture conditions. Guar gum and yeast extract acted as the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The optimum pH was 7.5 and the enzyme remained stable over a pH range of 5-9. The enzyme was optimally active at $55^{\circ}C$ and thermostable with a half-life of 120 min, yet lost 90% of its residual activity within 120 min at $60^{\circ}C$. One mM concentrations of $Ag^2$, $Cu^2$, and $Hg^{2+}$ strongly inhibited the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, whereas the metal ions $Fe^2$, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ had no effect on the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity, and $Zn^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, and $Ca^{2+}$ reduced the enzyme activity slightly. When treated with the B. megaterium VHM1 enzyme, the flatulence-causing sugars in soymilk were completely hydrolyzed within 1.5 h.