• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 1993

A new methyltrophic bacterium which utilizes methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil. It was Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming rod, and strictly aerobic bacterium. Catalase and oxidase activities were present. Nitrate was reduced to nitrite. Vitamins and other growth factors were not required. Generation time was 1.6 hr under the optimal condition. The isolate assimilated methanol via the ribulose mono-phosphate pathway (Enter-Doudoroff varient) and did not have .alpha.-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. It assimilated ammonia through glutamate dehydrogenase. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA was 61.0 mol%. The celular fatty acid composition was primarily straight-chain saturated $C^{16 : 0}$ acids (palmitic acids) and unsaturated $C_{16 :1}$ acid (palmitoleic acids), and the isolate also contained two unidentified $C_{17}$ branched fatty acids. The major ubiquinone was Q-8, and Q-6 and Q-7 were present as minor components. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol were predominantly present, and diphosphatidyglycerol was also detected. Based on the physiological and biochemical properties, the isolate was assigned to a novel species of the genus Methylobacillus, Methylobacillus methanolovorus sp. nov.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.550-560
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• 1998

Prevotella intermedia has been known as one of the important bacterial species involved in the endodontic infections and various periodontal diseases. Polyphosphate has been widely used to prevent decomposition of food and known to have an inhibitory effect on the growth of gram positive bacteria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of poly phosphate on the growth of Prevotella intermedia, a gram negative bacterium. Prevotella intermedia G8GK3(ATCC 49046) was grown in the presence of polyphosphates with different chain lengths. Inhibitory effect of each polyphosphate, which was added at the beginning or at the early exponential growth phase of Prevotella intermedia, was determined by measuring optical density of the bacterial cells at 540nm, viable cells and lysis of Prevotella intermedia. The results from this study were as follows : 1. Poly phosphate inhibited the growth of Prevotella intermedia. 2. The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of poly phosphate appeared to be 0.05%. 3. Polyphosphates with chain lengths of 5 and 65 demonstrated the greatest inhibitory effect on the growth of Prevotella intermedia. 4. Polyphosphate was bactericidal to Prevotella intermedia, demonstrating the growth inhibition of the bacterium. 5. Polyphosphate induced lysis of Prevotella intermedia. The overall results suggest that polyphosphate has a bactericidal effect on Prevotella intermedia, causing the lysis of the bacterium.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.58-62
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• 2008

A novel agar-degrading bacterium SL-12 was isolated from seashore of Kijang at Busan, Korea, and cultured in marine broth 2216 media. Isolated bacterium SL-12 was identified as Glaciecola genus by 16S rDNA sequencing with 98% identity. The optimum pH of the enzyme activity was 7.0 and the optimum temperature for the reaction was $30^{\circ}C$. The enzyme hydrolyzed neoagarohexaose to yield neoagarobiose as the main product, indicating that the enzyme is ${\beta}$-agarase. Thus, isolated bacterium and the enzyme would be useful for the industrial production of neoagarobiose.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.384-388
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• 1988

A marine bacterium Achromobacter sp. M-1220 was isolated from enrichment culture for emulsification of Bunker-C oil. The bacterium can emulsify approximately 7.5g of Bunker-C oil per liter in sen water medium within 1 drys at 18$^{\circ}C$ and multiply from 8$\times$10$^5$ cells to 9$\times$10$^9$ cells per mi. Optimum pH and salt concentration were pH 7.5 and 3% for the emulsification of Bunker-C oil. Emulsification takes place actively in both high sulfur-containing Bunker-C oil and high sulfur-con-taming crude oil. The amount of emulsification depends on the exogenous addition of nitrogen and phosphate sources. The bacterium can also utilize n-hexndecane, n-paraffin me benzene among the petroleum compounds as a sole carbon source.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.171-175
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• 2016

A gram-negative bacterium was isolated from spent substrates of Agaricus bisporus and showed significant antagonistic activity against Pseudomonas agarici. The bacterium was identified as Alcaligenes sp. based on cultural, biochemical, physiological characteristics and a 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The isolate is saprophytic, but not parasitic or pathogenic on cultivated mushroom, whereas it showed strong inhibitory effects against P. agarici cells in vitro. The control efficacy of Alcaligenes sp. HC12 against brown blotch of P. agarici was up to 63% on Agaricus bisporus. The suppressive bacterium may be useful for the development of biocontrol systems.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.83-95
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• 1997

The degradation mode of lignocellulose by anaerobic ruminal cellulolytic bacterium Ruminococcus albus F-40 was investigated. Birchwood holocellulose and filter paper were incubated as the sole carbohydrate sources with using the Hungate techniques. After 2 or 4 days of incubation, samples were employed for chemical and electron microscopic evaluations. The degradation rate of cellulosic substrates and the adhesion rate of bacteria to the substrates increased proportionally with the decrease of relative crystallinity of cellulose, indicating the preferential breakdown of amorphous cellulose, by this bacterium. X-ray diffraction analyses and polarized light microscopy showed, however, that crystalline cellulose was also degraded by R. albus. FT-IR spectra indicated that not only cellulose but hemicellulose was also degraded by this bacterium. Electron microscopic investigations showed the protuberant structures on the surface of R. albus. These structures were much more significant when bacterial cells were grown in the media containing insoluble substrates, such as cellulose, indicating clearly that bacterial protuberant structures were induced by the substrates. Protuberant structures extended from the bacterial cells adhered tightly to the substrates and numerous vesicles covered the surface of cellulosic substrates affected. Cellulosome-like structures were distributed on the cellulose matrix. Electron microscopic works showed that diverse surface organells of R. albus were involved in the degradation of cellulosic materials. SEM examinations showed the breakdown of cellulose by R. albus was proceeded by severeal routes : short fiber formation, defibrillation and destrafication of cellulose microfibril.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1088-1097
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• 2021

Grouper nervous necrosis virus (GNNV) infection causes mass grouper mortality, leading to substantial economic loss in Taiwan. Traditional methods of controlling GNNV infections involve the challenge of controlling disinfectant doses; low doses are ineffective, whereas high doses may cause environmental damage. Identifying potential methods to safely control GNNV infection to prevent viral outbreaks is essential. We engineered a virus-binding bacterium expressing a myxovirus resistance (Mx) protein on its surface for GNNV removal from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), thus increasing the survival of grouper fin (GF-1) cells. We fused the grouper Mx protein (which recognizes and binds to the coat protein of GNNV) to the C-terminus of outer membrane lipoprotein A (lpp-Mx) and to the N-terminus of a bacterial autotransporter adhesin (Mx-AIDA); these constructs were expressed on the surfaces of Escherichia coli BL21 (BL21/lpp-Mx and BL21/Mx-AIDA). We examined bacterial surface expression capacity and GNNV binding activity through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; we also evaluated the GNNV removal efficacy of the bacteria and viral cytotoxicity after bacterial adsorption treatment. Although both constructs were successfully expressed, only BL21/lpp-Mx exhibited GNNV binding activity; BL21/lpp-Mx cells removed GNNV and protected GF-1 cells from GNNV infection more efficiently. Moreover, salinity affected the GNNV removal efficacy of BL21/lpp-Mx. Thus, our GNNV-binding bacterium is an efficient microparticle for removing GNNV from 10‰ brackish water and for preventing GNNV infection in groupers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.135-145
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• 2019

Zymomonas mobilis has been recognized as a potential industrial ethanologen for many decades due to its outstanding fermentation characteristics, including high ethanol tolerance, fast sugar uptake rate, and high theoretical ethanol yield. With the emergence of the postgenomic era and the recent announcement of DuPont's world largest cellulosic ethanol production process, research on this bacterium has become even more important to harness successful application not only for use in the bioethanol process but also in other biochemical processes, which can be included in bio-refinery. As an important industrial microorganism, Z. mobilis will likely be exposed to various stressful environments, such as toxic chemicals, including the end-product ethanol and fermentative inhibitory compounds (e.g., furan derivatives, organic acids, and lignin derivatives in pretreatment steps), as well as physical stresses, such as high temperature during large-scale ethanol fermentation. This review focuses on recent information related to the industrial robustness of this bacterium and strain development to improve the ethanol yield and productivity in the lignocellulosic ethanol process. Although several excellent review articles on the strain development of this bacterium have been published, this review aims to fill gaps in the literature by highlighting recent advances in physiological understanding of this bacterium that may aid strain developments and improve the ethanol productivity for lignocellulosic biomass.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.88-107
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• 2023

In the present investigation, bacterial isolates from infected apple trees causing apple canker during winter were studied in the northern Gyeongbuk Province, Korea. The pathogen was identified as Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) through various physiological and biochemical characterization assays such as BIOLOG, gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters, and 16S rRNA. Bioassays for the production of phytotoxins were positive for syringopeptin and syringomycin against Bacillus megaterium and Geotrichum candidum, respectively. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method enabled the detection of toxin-producing genes, syrB1, and sypB in Pss. The differentiation of strains was performed using LOPAT and GATTa tests. Pss further exhibited ice nucleation activity (INA) at a temperature of -0.7℃, indicating an INA⁺ bacterium. The ice-nucleating temperature was -4.7℃ for a non-treated control (sterilized distilled water), whereas it was -9.6℃ for an INA^- bacterium Escherichia coli TOP10. These methods detected pathogenic strains from apple orchards. Pss might exist in an apple tree during ice injury, and it secretes a toxin that makes leaves yellow and cause canker symptoms. Until now, Korea has not developed antibiotics targeting Pss. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective disease control to combat Pss in apple orchards. Pathogenicity test on apple leaves and stems showed canker symptoms. The pathogenic bacterium was re-isolated from symptomatic plant tissue and confirmed as original isolates by 16S rRNA. Repetitive element sequence-based PCR and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR primers revealed different genetic profiles within P. syringae pathovars. High antibiotic susceptibility results showed the misreading of mRNA caused by streptomycin and oxytetracycline.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2024

This study reports the isolation of a bacterium capable of degrading agar and the characterization of its agarase. An agar-degrading marine bacterium JS-1 was isolated using Marine agar 2216 media from seawater collected from the seashore of Angolpo, Changwon, Gyeongnam Province, Republic of Korea. An agar-degrading bacterium was named as Tenacibaculum sp. JS-1 by phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. The extracellular crude agarase was prepared from the culture media of Tenacibaculum sp. JS-1 and used for characterization. Relative activities at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60℃ were 39, 73, 100, 74, and 53%, respectively. Relative activities at pH 5, 6, 7, and 8 were 46%, 67%, 100%, and 49%, respectively. Its extracellular agarase showed maximum activity (164 U/l) at pH 7.0 and 40℃ in a 20 mM GTA buffer. The residual activities after heat treatment at 20, 30, and 50℃ for 30 min were 84, 73, and 26% or more, respectively. After 2 h heat treatment at 20, 30, 40, and 50℃, the residual activities were 80, 64, 52 and 21%, respectively. Thin layer chromatography analysis suggested that Tenacibaculum sp. JS-1 produces extracellular β-agarases that hydrolyze agarose to produce neoagarooligosaccharides, including neoagarohexaose (12.3%), neoagarotetraose (65.1%), and neoagarobiose (22.6%) at 6 h. Tenacibaculum sp. JS-1 and its β-agarase could be valuable for producing neoagarooligosaccharides with a variety of functional properties. These properties include inhibiting bacterial growth, slowing down starch degradation, and whitening, which are of interest for pharmaceuticals, food, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.