• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.245-245
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• 2002

Catabolic pathways for the degradation of various aromatics by Sphingomonas yanoikuyae Bl are intertwined, joining at the level of substituted benzoates, which are further degraded vita ring cleavage reactions. The mutant strain EK497, which was constructed by deleting a large DNA region containing most of the genes for biphenyl, naphthalene, m-xylene, and m-toluate degradation, was unable to grow on all of the aromatics tested except for benzoate as the sole source of carbon and energy.S. yanoikuyae EK497 was found to possess only catechol ortho-ring cleavage activity due to deletion of the genes for the meta-cleavage pathway. Wild-type S. yanoikuyae Bl grown on benzoate has both catechol orthoand meta-cleavage activity. However, m-xylene and m-toluate, which are metabolized through methylbenzoate, and biphenyl, which is metabolized through benzoate, induce only the meta-cleavage pathway, suggesting the presence of a substrate-dependent induction mechanism.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.549-551
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• 2001

The heavy use of petroleum products in modern livings has brought ubiquitous environmental contaminants of aromatic compounds, which persist in aquatic and geo-environment without the substantial degradation. The persistence and accumulation of the aromatic compounds, which include xylene, phenol, toluene, phthalate, and so on are known to cause serious problems in our environments. Some of soil and aquatic microorganisms facilitate their growth by degrading aromatic compounds and utilizing degrading products as growth substrates, the biodegradation helps the reentry of carbons of aromatic compounds, preventing their accumulation in our environments. The metabolic studies on the degradation of aromatic compounds by microoganisms were extensively carried out along with their genetic studies. A Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT isolated in activated sludges has shown the excellent ability to grow on phenol as a sole carbon source. In the present study investigated a gene encoding phenol-degrading enzymes from a Rhodococcus sp. EL-GT.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2006

The compound 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) is an aromatic amine used as an intermediate product in the synthesis of herbicides, azo-dyes and harmaceuticals. It is also a degradation product of some herbicides (diuron, propanil, and linuron) and of trichlorocarbanilide, a chemical used as active agent in the cosmetic industry. 3,4-DCA, however, is considered potential pollutants due to their toxic and recalcitrant properties to humans and other species. A bacterium capable of growth on 3,4-DCA was isolated by dilution method from 3,4-DCA-containing enrichment culture. Finally, a strain, YM-14, capable of degrading efficiently 3,4-DCA was isolated from a sandbank. The isolated strain, YM-14 was identified to be Arthrobacter sp.. Fifty ppm 3,4-DCA in 1/10 LB media was completely degraded by the growth of Arthrobacter sp. YM-14 for 12 h at $30^{\circ}C$. The isolated strain is capable of growth on 3,4-DCA as sole carbon source and also able to degrade other chloroaniline compounds. Also, the isolated strain showed high level of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity by 3,4-DCA exposure. The catechol 1,2-dioxygenase was supposed to be ones of the important factors for 3,4-DCA degradation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.142-145
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• 1996

To investigate the cause of increased plasma catecholamine levels in liver disease, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which provides a major route of catabolism for circulating catecholamines, was studied under the cholestasis induced by mechanical biliary obstruction in rats. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and the $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values for both enzymes were also measured. Cytosolic, microsomal, and mitochondrial COMT activities in the cholestatic liver were significantly decreased throughout the experiment. Microsomal, and mitochondrial MAO activity in the cholestatic liver were also significantly decreased. Vmax values of COMT and MAO were lower. Serum COMT and MAO activities were detected after CBD ligation. These results indicate that plasma catecholamine levels are increased in liver disease due to decreased hepatic degradation of catecholamines by decreased activities of COMT and MAO. The decreased activity of these enzymes is caused by decreased biosynthesis and by flowage into the blood from the damaged hepatocyte.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.174-179
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• 2003

The bacterium NFQ-1 capable of utilizing quinoline (2,3-benzopyridine) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy was enriched and isolated from soil samples of dead coal pit areas. Strain NFQ-1 was identified as Pseudomonas nitroreducens NFQ-1 by BIOLOG system, and assigned to Pseudomonas sp. NFO-1. Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-1 was used with the concentration range of 1 to 10 mM quinoline. Strain NFQ-1 could degrade 2.5 mM quinoline within 9 hours of incubation. Initial pH 8.0 in the culture was reduced to 6.8, and eventually 7.0 as the incubation was proceeding. 2-Hydroxyquinoline, the first intermediate of the degradative pathway, accumulated transiently in the growth medium. The highest concentration of quinoline (15 mM) in this work inhibited cell growth and quinoline degradation. Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-1 was able to utilize various quinoline derivatives and aromatic compounds including 2-hydroxyquinoline, p-comaric acid, benzoic acid, p-cresol, p-hydroxybenzoate, protocatechuic acid, and catechol. The specific activity of catechol oxygenases was determined to approximately 184.7 unit/㎎ for catechol 1.2-dioxygenase and 33.19 unit/㎎ for catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, respectively. As the result, it showed that strain NFQ-1 degraded quinoline via mainly orthp-cleavage pathway, and in partial meta-cleavage pathway.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.352-357
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• 1998

Biodegradation of benzoate and m-toluate was investigated using a Pseudomonas sp. isolated in a continuous culture for 45 days with a step-wise increase of the subsrates. The optimum mixture ratio of benzoate and m-toluate was 75% and 25%, respectively. During 45-day culture, removal of benzoate and m-toluate, which was replaced 2,000 ppm on the 30th day were 94% and 79%, respectively, when COD removal rate was 80%. The enzymatic activity of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase increased and that of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase decreased as the concentration of m-toluate was increased. These results suggested that m-toluate induced enzyme activity for degradation of benzoate. The shape of isolated strain in the continuous culture was investigated with SEM and the results showed that the cell shape was more damage according to the higher concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, we suggested that the tolerance against aromatic hydrocarbons was related to not only enzymatic activity but also characteristic of cell membrane or cell wall.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2004

Cyclodextrin compounds including 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin(β-HPCD) though to be accelerate the biodegradation of PAHs molecule by increasing solubility of PAHs through detaining PAHs in their's cavity. However, only this mechanism is not sufficient to explain the enhancement of PAHs biodegradation by β-HPCD. To find out possible additional role of β-HPCD in the enhancement of PAHs biodegradation, biodegradation rates of pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) by a PAHs degrading Novosphingobium pentaromtivorans US6-1 strain were compared between with and without addition of β-HPCD. Changes of bacterial biomass were also measured simultaneously. In addition catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity was determined depending on pre-incubation conditions. As a result, β-HPCD accelerate the degradation rate of pyrene by strain US6-1 and especially the β-HPCD amendment was obligatory for the degradation of B[a]p. Bacterial biomass was responsible for β-HPCD, however, PAHs compounds such as pyrene and B[a]P did not contribute to the bacterial biomass. Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase specific activity of US6-l cells pre-cultured in MM2 medium containing l％ β-HPCD was higher than that of cells pre-cultured in ZoBell medium. The former case also showed similar activity compared to that of cells serially starved in MM2 medium after grown in ZoBell medium. These results imply that the presence of β-HPCD accelerate the degradation of PAHs by increasing the bacterial biomass as well as by increasing the water solubility of PAHs.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.200.3-200
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• 2005

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2004

The analysis of enzymes associated with metabolism of phenolics by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia LK-24 was conducted. To identify metabolites of phenol and phenol compound, we investigated enzymes of S. maltophilia LK-24 associated with degradation of phenolics. We found that phenol hydrolase, catechol-2.3-dioxygenase, 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde hydroxylase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase were activated. The results showed that phenolics were gone through the meta-pathway ring cleavage. The results will contribute greatly to understand metabolic pathways of phenol and it is possible to make some assessment of the feasibility of using S. maltophilia LK-24 for the treatments of phenolic-contaminated waste streams.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.282-287
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• 2007

Chloroanilines are aromatic amines used as intermediate products in the synthesis of herbicides, azo-dyes, and pharmaceuticals. 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) is the degradation product of some herbicides (diuron, propanil, and linuron) and of trichlorocarbanilide, a chemical used as an active agent in the cosmetic industry. The compound, however, is considered a potential pollutant due to its toxicity and recalcitrant property to humans and other species. With the increasing necessity for bioremediation, we sought to isolate bacteria that degraded 3,4-DCA. A bacterium capable of growth on 3,4-DCA as the sole carbon source was isolated from seaside sediment using a dilution method with a culture enriched in 3,4-DCA. The isolated strain, YM-7 was identified to be Pseudomonas sp. The isolated strain was also able to degrade other chloroaniline compounds. The isolated strain showed a high level of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity on exposure to 3,4-DCA, suggesting that this enzyme is an important factor in 3,4-DCA degradation. The activity toward 4-methylcatechol was 53.1% that of catechol, while the activity toward 3-methylcatechol, 4-chlorocatechol and 4,5-chlorocatechol was 18.1, 33.1, and 6.9%, respectively.