• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.135-149
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• 2017

In order to obtain promising rice growth-promoting microbial strains that can be used as substitutes for chemical fertilizers, 172 bacterial strains were isolated from rice roots grown in Korean and Russian soils. Out of them, the strains KR076, KR083, KR181 and RRj228 showed plant growth-promoting activities on maize seedlings. Bacillus megaterium KR076 and Bacillus sp. KR083 showed both nitrogen-fixing and plant growth-promoting activities, while Rhizobium sp. KR181 and Pseudomonas sp. RRj228 appeared to support only plant growth-promotion, but not $N_2$ fixation. Especially, RRj228 showed high growth promoting activity at low concentrations. Inoculation studies with KR083 and RRj228 revealed a high affinity to the Japonica rice variety such as Junambyeo than the Korean Tongil type variety such as Arumbyeo. Both KR083 and RRj228 strains showed rhizoplane and/or endophytic colonization in Japonica and Tongil types rice when soaked with the bacterial suspension of $1.1{\times}10^5cfu\;ml^{-1}$ for six and twelve hours. However, the total bacterial cell numbers were higher in the roots of Japonica variety than in the Tongil type. In inoculation trials with Daesanbyeo rice variety, the seedlings inoculated with KR181 and RRj228 at the rate of $2.0{\times}10^6cfu\;ml^{-1}$ showed yield increment of 35% and 33% (p < 0.01), respectively, so that they contributed to the replacement of chemical fertilizer at half doses of N, $P_2O_5$, and $K_2O$ in pots. In Junambyeo rice seedlings, the strain RRj228, when inoculated with a cell suspension of $1.8{\times}10^6cfu\;ml^{-1}$, promoted 3.4% higher yield at 70% dose than at a full dose level of N $110kg\;ha^{-1}$ in field. These results suggest that the rhizobacteria KR181 and RRj228 are prospective strains for enhancing rice performance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.732-736
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• 2010

Five strains of tannic acid degrading bacteria were isolated and identified by phenotypic characterization. All the five isolates showed cell-associated activity, whereas only three showed extracellular activity. Serratia ficaria DTC, showing the highest cell-associated activity (0.29 U/l), was selected for further shake-flask studies. Tannase synthesis was growth associated and reached the peak in the late stationary phase of growth. Organic nitrogen sources enhanced the tannase production. Peak tannase production of 0.56 U/l was recorded in the medium having the initial pH of 6. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were found to be 8.9 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. This is the first report of cell-associated activity in the case of bacterial tannase. Cell-associated tannase of Serratia ficaria DTC could be industrially important from the perspective of its activity at broad temperature and pH ranges, and its unusually high activity at pH 8.9.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1837-1843
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• 2017

Knowledge of avian host responses to brucellosis is critical to understanding how birds resist this infection; however, this mechanism is not well established. On the other hand, temperature has a major involvement in the physiology of living organisms, and cell death induced by heat is attributed to protein denaturation. This study demonstrates the direct bactericidal effect of a high temperature ($41^{\circ}C$) on Brucella abortus that resulted in the gradual reduction of intracellular bacteria and inhibited bacterial growth within avian macrophage HD11 in an increasing period of time. On the other hand, this study also revealed that high temperature does not affect the rate of bacterial uptake, as confirmed by the bacterial adherence assay. No significant difference was observed in the expression of target genes between infected and uninfected cells for both temperatures. This study suggests the susceptibility of B. abortus to bacterial death under a high temperature with an increased period of incubation, leading to suppression of bacterial growth.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.88-92
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• 1986

Determination of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based on luciferin-luciferase bioluminescene reaction was applied to the measurement of bacteria on the surface of chicken as an alternative rapid method. The light yield was proportional to the concentration of ATP giving a straight line within a range of $10^{-10}\;to\;10^{-6}M$. The bacteria isolated from the surface of chicken were identified as Escherichia coli, Hafnia alvei, Pseudomonas putida and Aeromonas hydrophila. When the ATP contents of each bacteria were determined by bioluminescence reaction and compared, there was no significant difference (r = 0.95). The Patterns of growth curves for E. coli look very similar, when the bacterial growth was monitored by ATP content and viable cell count. When bacterial ATP of each samples collected every 2 days during storage for 14 days at $4^{\circ}C$was determined and compared with viable cell count, it gave a good correlation (r = 0.95, n = 32).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.115-126
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• 1983

The results that the effect of 6 detergents on the structural changes and biochemical composition of bacterial membrane of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus are as follows ; 1. Population growth of the bacteria was increased in case of the treatment with palmitoyl carnitine and sodium deoxy cholate but was increased in case of the treatment with palmitoyl carnitine and sodium deoxy cholate but was decreased by sodium dodecyl sulfate and palmitoyl choline, in E.coli and was decreased by palmitoyl carnitine and palmitoyl choline at the low concentration, in B. cereus. 2. The electron micrograph showed that cell wall lysis or cell collapse were observed in the treatment of sodium dodecyl sulfate and palmitoyl choline, and also cell wall was condensed by triton X-100 and sodium deoxy cholate, in E.coli. And in B. cereus, endospore formation of the bacteria was stimulated by palmitoyl choline, and cell lysis or structural changes of the membrane were observed in the treatment of sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium cholate, and triton X-100, respectively. 3. As to the effect of detergent on the biochemical composition of biomembrane, the content of carnitine, in E.coli, and B.cereus, the content of structural protein and phospholipid were decreased by treatment of sodium dodecyl sulfate and structural protein was denatured by palmitoyl choline. 4. The profile of membrane protein revealed that the bacterial membrane were composed of various proteins. By dint of this result, some of membrane proteins were solubilized or changed to small molecules by the treatment of sodium dodecyl sulfate and palmitoyl choline, in E.coli and membrane protein of the biomembrane by treatment of sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium deoxy cholate, palmitoyl choline, and palmitoyl carnitine were confirmed to be different profile as compared with those of the control, in B. cereus. Therefore, it is suggested that sodium dfodecyl sulfate and palmitoyl choline soulbilized biomembranes or inhibited membrane transport and that palmitoyl carnitine and sodium deoxy cholate were used as an energy source or stimulating the membrane transport, in E.coli. And, it is suggested that all of detergents were inhibited biomembrane synthesis, expet saponin, in B.cereus.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.580-583
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• 2007

Phytase activity was examined with various bifidobacterial strains cultured statically in MRS broth at $37^{\circ}C$ for 48 hr. Seven Bifidobacterium species showed mostly an intracellular phytase activity, though their specific activities were very low. The highest specific activity was found in Bifidobacterium animalis B33 strain, among 7 bifidobacteria tested. The specific activity was highest during the exponential growth phase. Carbohydrates and the concentration of phosphorus sources had an effect on the phytase activity and bacterial growth. Glucose was the most favorable carbohydrate for the phytase activity. Phytate inhibited the cell growth, and phytase activity decreased with increase of phytate concentration. The phytase activity was even higher in the static microaerophilic growth than that in anaerobic state, despite the stimulated growth in anaerobic growth. The optimal pH ranges were comparatively broad, but the optimal temperatures were $50^{\circ}C$ for all tested strains. The phytase activity was most active at pH 6.5 and $50^{\circ}C$ for B. animalis B33 strain.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.265-274
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• 2016

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous genetic modules that are evolutionally conserved in bacteria and archaea. TA systems composed of an intracellular toxin and its antidote (antitoxin) are currently classified into five types. Commonly, activation of toxins under stress conditions inhibits diverse cellular processes and consequently induces cell death or reversible growth inhibition. These effects of toxins play various physiological roles in such as regulation of gene expression, growth control (stress response), programmed cell arrest, persister cells, programmed cell death, phage protection, stabilization of mobile genetic elements or postsegregational killing of plasmid-free cells. Accordingly, bacterial TA systems are commonly considered as stress-responsive genetic modules. However, molecule screening for activation of toxin in TA system is available as development of antimicrobial agents. In addition, cytotoxic effect induced by toxin is used as effective cloning method with antitoxic effect of antitoxin; consequently cells containing cloning vector inserted a target gene can survive and false-positive transformants are removed. Also, TA system is applicable to efficient single protein production in biotechnology industry because toxins that are site-specific ribonuclease inhibit protein synthesis except for target protein. Furthermore, some TA systems that induce apoptosis in eukaryotic cells such as cancer cells or virus-infected cells would have a wide range of applications in eukaryotes, and it will lead to new ways of treating human disease. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on bacterial TA systems and their applications.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.1 s.94
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

Paeonia lactiflora was stepwise extracted with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Anti-microbial activity of each extract was investigated. Methanol extract of P. lactiflora revealed anti-microbial activity against S. mutans, C. albicans, and S. aureus. Also, hexane fraction revealed anti-bacterial activity against S. mutans and ethyl acetate fraction acted as potent anti-microbial agent on C. albicans and S. aureus. The relative growth ratio(RGR) of hexane fraction of P. lactiflora against S. mutans were determined as 77.8% in concentration of 0.125 mg/ml, 98.46% in 0.25 mg/ml and 100% in 0.5 mg/ml. The ethyl acetate fraction of P. lactiflora revealed RGR against C. albicans as 52.5% in concentration of 0.125 mg/ml, 60.83% in 0.25 mg/ml and 78.33% in 0.5 mg/ml. It indicate that increasing concentration increase RGR. The measured minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of hexane fraction on S. mutans KCTC 5316 strain was 0.5 mg/ml and MIC of ethyl acetate fraction on C. albicans KCTC 7270 was 2.0 mg/ml. The experiment of inhibition to growth of KB roll(oral squamous cell carcinoma) result 61.9% in butanol, 76.7% in hexane extract of P. lactiflora. The hexane extract exhibit potent inhibition effect to the growth of KB cell. These results suggest that the hexane extract of Paeonia lactiflora has antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and has preventive effect to dental caries in addition to potent inhibition to KB cell growth.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.383-388
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• 2004

The conversion of a cellulose-producing cell ($Cel^+$) from Gluconacetobacter hansenii PJK (KCTC 10505 BP) to a non-cellulose-producing cell ($Cel^-$) was investigated by measuring the colony forming unit (CFU). This was achieved in a shaking flask with three slanted baffles, which exerted a strong shear stress. The addition of organic acid, such as glutamic acid and acetic acid, induced the conversion of microbial cells from a wild type to $Cel^-$ mutants in a flask culture. The supplementation of $1\%$ ethanol to the medium containing an organic acid depressed the con-version of the microbial cells to $Cel^-$ mutants in a conventional flask without slanted baffles. The addition of ethanol to the medium containing an organic acid; however, accelerated the conversion of microbial cells in the flask with slanted baffles. The $Cel^+$ cells from the agitated culture were not easily converted into $Cel^-$ mutants on the additions of organic acid and ethanol to a flask without Slanted baffles, but some portion of the $Cel^+$ cells were converted to $Cel^-$ mutants in a flask with slanted baffles. The conversion ratio of $Cel^+$ cells to $Cel^-$ mutants was strongly re-lated to the production of bacterial cellulose independently from the cell growth.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.556-561
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• 2012

Steroid sulfatase (STS) is responsible for the conversion of estrone sulfate to estrone that can stimulate growth in endocrine-dependent tumors such as prostate cancer. Although STS is considered as a therapeutic target for the estrogen-dependent diseases, cellular function of STS are still not clear. Previously, we found that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ significantly enhances steroid sulfatase expression in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells through PI3K/Akt-dependent pathways. Here, we studied whether bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which are known to induce TNF-${\alpha}$ may increase STS expression. Treatment with LPS in PC-3 cells induced STS mRNA and protein in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Using luciferase reporter assay, we found that LPS enhanced STS promoter activity. Moreover, STS expression induced by LPS increased PC-3 tumor cell migration determined by wound healing assay. We investigated that LPS induced IL-6 expression and IL-6 increased STS expression. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that LPS induces STS expression through IL-6 pathway in human prostate cancer cells.