• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.596-602
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• 2019

In September 2017, the rhizospheric soil of Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze was further sampled. One hundred and thirty eight species of microorganisms were isolated from the soil. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophore production, and phosphate degradation were examined in order to confirm bacterial growth from isolated microorganisms. As a result, most strains were able to produce auxins or siderophores and to solubilize phosphate. In addition, 138 isolated strains were treated with tobacco extract and conferred pathogen resistance to host plants upon treatment. As a result, 35 strains that were able to reduce pathophysiology by more the 60% were selected. Among them, 6 strains with high induced systemic resistance (ISR) activity were found. All of these strains belong to the genus Bacillus according to the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Bacillus aryabhattai KUDC6619 showed outstanding effects with reduced infection in tobacco and pepper plants. Probably, these Bacillus species play a beneficial role by association with T. tetragonoides for its survival in the harsh conditions found on the island of Dokdo.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1269-1275
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• 2006

The selection of multienzyme complex-producing bacteria under aerobic condition was conducted for improving the degradation of lignocellulosic substances. The criteria for selection were cellulase and xylanase enzyme production, the presence of cellulose-binding domains and/or xylan-binding domains in enzymes to bind to insoluble substances, the adhesion of bacterial cells to insoluble substances, and the production of multiple cellulases and xylanases in a form of a high molecular weight complex. Among the six Bacillus strains, isolated from various sources and deposited in our laboratory, Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 strain was the best producer of cellulase and xylanase enzymes, which have both cellulose-binding factors (CBFs) and xylan-binding factors (XBFs). Moreover, multiple carboxymethyl cellulases (CMCases) and xylanases were produced by the strain B-6. The zymograms analysis showed at least 9 types of xylanases and 6 types of CMCases associated in a protein band of xylanase and cellulase with high molecular weight. These cells also enabled to adhere to both avicel and insoluble xylan, which were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the strain B-6 produced the multienzyme complex, which may be cellulosome or xylanosome. Thus, P. curdlanolyticus B-6 was selected to study the role and interaction between the enzymes and their substrates and the cooperation of multiple enzymes to enhance the hydrolysis due to the complex structure for efficient cellulases and xylanases degradation of insoluble polysaccharides.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.994-1001
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• 2001

An easier way of understanding the BNR system was proposed from the study on substrate, nutrient removal tendency, microbial community and its metabolic function by applying the municipal settled sewage. During the anaerobic period, the phosphorus release rate per VFACOD we varied depending on the phosphorus content in the sludge. When the phosphorus content in the sludge was $6\%$ VSS, according to influent VFACOD, the phosphorus release rate and PHA production were $0.35 gPO_4P/gVFACOD$ and 1.0 gPHA/gVFACOD, respectively. The $NO_3N$ requirement for the phosphorus uptake as an electron acceptor was about $0.5 gNO_3N/gPO_4P_{uptake}$ based on the proposed equation with PHA, biomass, production, and the concentration of phosphorus release/uptake. Bacterial-community analysis of the sludge, as determined by FISH and 16SrDNA characterization FISH, revealed that the beta-subclass proteobacteria were the most abundant group ($27.9\%$ of the proteobacteria-specific probe EUB338), and it was likely that representative of the beta-subclass played key roles in activated sludge. The next dominant group found was the gamma-protebacteria ($15.4\%$ of probe EUB338). 16S rDNA clone library analysis showed that the members of${\beta}$- and ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria were also the most abundant groups, and $21.5\%$ (PN2 and PN4) and $15.4\%$ (PN1 and PN5) of total clones were the genera of denitrifying bacteria and PAO, respectively. Prediction of the microbial community composition was made with phosphorus content (Pv, $\%$ P/VSS) in wasted sludge and profiles of COD, PHA, $PO_4P,\;and\;NO_3N$ in an anaerobic-anoxic SBR unit. Generally, the predicted microbial composition based upon metabolic function, i.e., as measured by stoichiometry, is fairly similar to that measure by the unculturable dependent method. In this study, a proposal was made on he microbial community composition that was more easily approached to analyze the reactor behavior.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2006

A bacterial strain producing high level of a phytase was isolated from cattle feces and identified as Bacillus subtilis, and designated as Bacillus sp. CF 5-26. The production of the phytase from Bacillus sp. CF 5-26 reached the highest level after 72 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. The optimum condition of the media for the production of phytase was 10% rice bran extract, 0.1% whey protein powder, $0.01%\;CaCl_{2},\;0.01%\;KH_{2}PO_4$. The phytase was purified 20.3 folds with ethanol precipitation, Sephadex G-100, CM Sepharose CL-6B and Sephacryl S-100-HR column chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 66 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified phytase activity was stable up pH 5.0, 7.0, 11.0 and the remaining activity was 50% when it was treated at $100^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The substrate specificity of phytase was most active against sodium phytate and inositol polyphosphate compound. And the phytase hydrolysed tripolyphosphate and pyrophosphate a little. The Km value for the sodium phytate was 0.64 mM and the Vmax value was $4.41\;{\mu}mol/min$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.438-444
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• 2007

Bacillus licheniformis N1 is a biological control agent to control gray mold diseases caused by Botrytis cinerea. Various formulations of B. licheniformis N1 were generated and evaluated for the activity to control strawberry gray mold. The wettable powder type formulation N1E was selected in pot experiments with remarkable disease control activity on both strawberry leaves and flowers. The N1E formulation contained 400 g of com starch, 50 ml of olive oil, and 50 g of sucrose per a liter of bacterial fermentation culture. Optimum dilution of N1E to appropriately control the strawberry gray mold appeared to be 100-fold dilution in plastic house artificial infection experiments. The significant reduction of symptom development in the senescent leaves was apparent by the treatment of N1E at 100-fold dilution when N1E was applied before Bo. cinerea inoculation, but not after the inoculation. Both artificial infection experiments in a plastic house and natural infection experiments in the farm plastic house under production conditions revealed that the disease severity of gray mold on strawberry leaves and flowers was significantly reduced by N1E treatment. The disease control value of N1E on strawberry leaves was 81% under production conditions, as compared with the 61.5% conferred by a chemical fungicide, iprodione. This study suggests that our previously generated formulation of B. licheniformis N1 will be effective to control strawberry gray mold by its preventive activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.718-731
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• 2018

The beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been intensively investigated in recent decades with special focus on modulation of the host intestinal microbiota. Numerous discoveries of effective probiotics are driven by a significantly increasing demand for dietary supplements. Consequently, technological advances in the large-scale production and lyophilization are needed by probiotic-related industries for producing probiotic LAB for commercial use. Our study had a dual objective, to determine the optimum growth medium composition and to investigate appropriate cryoprotective additives (CPAs) for Lactobacillus salivarius, and compare its responses with other Lactobacillus species. The one-factor-at-a-time method and central composite design were applied to determine the optimal medium composition for L. salivarius cultivation. The following composition of the medium was established (per liter): 21.64 g maltose, 85 g yeast extract, 1.21 ml Tween 80, 6 g sodium acetate, $0.2g\;MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, $0.02g\;MnSO_4{\cdot}H_2O$, $1g\;K_2HPO_4$, $1.5g\;KH_2PO_4$, $0.01g\;FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, and 1 g sodium citrate. A cryoprotective additive combination comprising 10% (w/v) skim milk and 10% (w/v) sucrose supplemented with 2.5% (w/v) sodium glutamate was selected for L. salivarius, and its effectiveness was confirmed using culture-independent methods in the freeze-dried cells of the Lactobacillus strains. In conclusion, the optimized medium enhanced the species-specific cultivation of L. salivarius. On the other hand, the cryoprotective effects of the selected CPA mixture may also be dependent on the bacterial strain. This study highlights the necessity for precise and advanced processing techniques for large-scale production of probiotics in the food and feed industries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.571-582
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• 2020

Quorum sensing (QS)-mediated infections cause severe diseases in human beings. The control of infectious diseases by inhibiting QS using antipathogenic drugs is a promising approach as antibiotics are proving inefficient in treating these diseases. Marine fungal (Pestalotiopsis sydowiana PPR) extract was found to possess effective antipathogenic characteristics. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the fungal extract against test pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was 1,000 ㎍/ml. Sub-MIC concentrations (250 and 500 ㎍/ml) of fungal extract reduced QS-regulated virulence phenotypes such as the production of pyocyanin, chitinase, protease, elastase, and staphylolytic activity in P. aeruginosa PAO1 by 84.15%, 73.15%, 67.37%, 62.37%, and 33.65%, respectively. Moreover, it also reduced the production of exopolysaccharides (74.99%), rhamnolipids (68.01%), and alginate (54.98%), and inhibited the biofilm formation of the bacteria by 90.54%. In silico analysis revealed that the metabolite of P. sydowiana PPR binds to the bacterial QS receptor proteins (LasR and RhlR) similar to their respective natural signaling molecules. Cyclo(-Leu-Pro) (CLP) and 4-Hydroxyphenylacetamide (4-HPA) were identified as potent bioactive compounds among the metabolites of P. sydowiana PPR using in silico approaches. The MIC values of CLP and 4-HPA against P. aeruginosa PAO1 were determined as 250 and 125 ㎍/ml, respectively. All the antivirulence assays were conducted at sub-MIC concentrations of CLP (125 ㎍/ml) and 4-HPA (62.5 ㎍/ml), which resulted in marked reduction in all the investigated virulence factors. This was further supported by gene expression studies. The findings suggest that the metabolites of P. sydowiana PPR can be employed as promising QS inhibitors that target pathogenic bacteria.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.744-756
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect and the antimicrobial activity to skin flora of essential oil from rosemary that naturally grown in Jeju. rosemary essential oil was extracted by water distillation essential oil extraction method. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of rosemary essential oil, it was confirmed that the production of NO and $PGE_2$ induced by LPS in RAW 264.7 cells was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of iNOS and COX-2, which are biosynthetic enzymes, decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 the pro-inflammatory cytokines were inhibited. Antimicrobial activities of three S. epidermidis and three P. acnes strains including two antibiotic resistant strains were observed in paper disc method and MIC and MBC tests showed inhibition of bacterial growth and death. From the results of the experiment, we confirmed that rosemary essential oil has the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial efficacy and it could be used as a cosmetic and skin care material in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.435-442
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• 2001

Poly(3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate) [P(3HPV)] was efficiently accumulated from 5-phenylvalerate (5PV) in Pseudomonas putida BM01 in a mineral salts medium containing butyric acid (BA) as the cosubstrate. A nove aromatic copolyester, poly(5 mol% 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyrate-co- 95 mol% 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate) [P(3HPB-co-3HPC)] was also synthesized from 6-phenylhexanoate (6PC) plus Ba. The two aromatic polymers, P(3HPV) and P(3HPB-co-3HPC), were found to be amorphous and showed different glass-transition temperatures at $15^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$, respectively. When the bacterium was grown ina medium containing 20 mM 5PV as the sole carbon source for 140 h, 0.4 g/l of dry cells was obtained in a flask cultivation and 20 wt% of P(3HPV) homopolymer was accumulated in the cells. However, when it was grown with a mixture of 2 mM 5PV and 50 mM BA for 40 h, the yield of dry biomass was increased up to 2.5 g/l and the content of P(3HPV) in the dry cells was optimally 56 wt%. This efficient production of P(3HPV) homopolymer from the mixed substrate was feasible because BA only supported cell growth and did not induce any aliphatic PHA accumulation. The metabolites released into the PHA synthesis medium were analyzed using GC or GC/MS. Two $\beta$-oxidation derivatives, 3-phenylpropionic acid and trans-cinnamic acid, were found in the 5V-grown cell medium and these comprised 55-88 mol% of the 5PV consumed. In the 6PC-grown medium containing Ba, seven ${\beta}$-oxidation and related intermediates were found, which included phenylacetic acid, 4-phenylbutyric acid, cis-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid, and 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoic acid. Accordingly, based on the metabolite analysis, PHA synthesis pathways from the two aromatic carbon sources are suggested.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.355-367
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• 2016

Soil salinization refers to the buildup of salts in soil to a level toxic to plants. The major factors that contribute to soil salinity are the quality, the amount and the type of irrigation water used. The presented review discusses the different sources and causes of soil salinity. The effect of soil salinity on biological processes of plants is also discussed in detail. This is followed by a debate on the influence of salt on the nutrient uptake and growth of plants. Salinity decreases the soil osmotic potential and hinders water uptake by the plants. Soil salinity affects the plants K uptake, which plays a critical role in plant metabolism due to the high concentration of soluble sodium ($Na^+$) ions. Visual symptoms that appear in the plants as a result of salinity include stunted plant growth, marginal leaf necrosis and fruit distortions. Different strategies to ameliorate salt stress globally include breeding of salt tolerant cultivars, irrigation to leach excessive salt to improve soil physical and chemical properties. As part of an ecofriendly means to alleviate salt stress and an increasing considerable attention on this area, the review then focuses on the different plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) mediated mechanisms with a special emphasis on ACC deaminase producing bacteria. The various strategies adopted by PGPB to alleviate various stresses in plants include the production of different osmolytes, stress related phytohormones and production of molecules related to stress signaling such as bacterial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) derivatives. The use of PGPB with ACC deaminase producing trait could be effective in promoting plant growth in agricultural areas affected by different stresses including salt stress. Finally, the review ends with a discussion on the various PGPB activities and the potentiality of facultative halophilic/halotolerant PGPB in alleviating salt stress.