• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2021

During a project aiming to comprehensively investigate indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 20 bacterial strains phylogenetically belonging to the the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes were isolated from various environmental sources such as soil, air, tidal flat, sea water, grain, wetland, breast milk and healthy human urine. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 20 bacterial strains showed the high sequence similarities (≥98.7%) to the closest type strains and formed robust phylogenetic clades with closely related species of validly published names in the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes. In the present study, we report 20 species of 13 genera of seven families of two orders of one class in the phylum Firmicutes, which have not been previously reported in Korea. Morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics, isolation sources, and NIBR deposit numbers of these unrecorded bacterial species are described in the species descriptions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.738-747
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• 2018

Objective: In a previous study, analysis of Illumina sequenced metagenomic DNA data of bacteria in Vietnamese goats' rumen showed a high diversity of putative lignocellulolytic genes. In this study, taxonomy speculation of microbial community and lignocellulolytic bacteria population in the rumen was conducted to elucidate a role of bacterial structure for effective degradation of plant materials. Methods: The metagenomic data had been subjected into Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTX) algorithm and the National Center for Biotechnology Information non-redundant sequence database. Here the BLASTX hits were further processed by the Metagenome Analyzer program to statistically analyze the abundance of taxa. Results: Microbial community in the rumen is defined by dominance of Bacteroidetes compared to Firmicutes. The ratio of Firmicutes versus Bacteroidetes was 0.36:1. An abundance of Synergistetes was uniquely identified in the goat microbiome may be formed by host genotype. With regard to bacterial lignocellulose degraders, the ratio of lignocellulolytic genes affiliated with Firmicutes compared to the genes linked to Bacteroidetes was 0.11:1, in which the genes encoding putative hemicellulases, carbohydrate esterases, polysaccharide lyases originated from Bacteroidetes were 14 to 20 times higher than from Firmicutes. Firmicutes seem to possess more cellulose hydrolysis capacity showing a Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio of 0.35:1. Analysis of lignocellulolytic potential degraders shows that four species belonged to Bacteroidetes phylum, while two species belonged to Firmicutes phylum harbouring at least 12 different catalytic domains for all lignocellulose pretreatment, cellulose, as well as hemicellulose saccharification. Conclusion: Based on these findings, we speculate that increasing the members of Bacteroidetes to keep a low ratio of Firmicutes versus Bacteroidetes in goat rumen has resulted most likely in an increased lignocellulose digestion.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.522-531
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• 2014

Seasonal variations in the bacterial community of Gwangyang Bay seawater were analyzed using both isolation and cultivation-independent methods. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis was applied to 200 bacterial isolates. Bacterial isolates were composed of four phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Pyrosequencing was conducted, in addition to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of genomic DNA extracted directly from the water samples. The bacterial sequences obtained by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes consisted of 24 phyla in the spring and summer, 39 in the fall, and 32 in the winter. The diversity index was high in the fall, whereas the dominancy index was high in the spring. In the spring, phylum Firmicutes was dominant, whereas phylum Proteobacteria dominated in the other three seasons. The second most dominant phyla were Proteobacteria in the spring, Firmicutes in the summer, and Bacteroidetes both in the fall and winter. Bacilliaceae was the most predominant family in the spring. Rhodobacteraceae and Bacilliaceae dominated in the summer, and Rhodobacteraceae dominated in the winter. Neither was dominant in the fall Twenty-seven bands purified from DGGE profiles were cloned and analyzed phylogenetically. In the spring, phylum Firmicutes dominated, followed by Proteobacteria. Proteobacteria dominated in all other seasons. Thus, two cultivation-independent methods for determination of seasonal variation patterns at the phylum level were in accordance with each other.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.275-280
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• 2011

In order to evaluate the diversity and change of bacterial population during the manufacturing process of traditional soybean paste (doenjang), bacterial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing. In rice straw, the most important inoculum source for fermentation, the bacterial sequences with a relative abundance greater than 1% were assigned to four phyla, Proteobacteria (71%), Actinobacteria (20.6%), Bacteroidetes (4.2%), and Firmicutes (1.3%). Unlike bacterial community composition of rice straw, a different pattern of bacterial population in meju was observed with predominantly high abundance (99.1%) of Firmicutes. Phylum composition in young doenjang was almost same as that of meju. Major genera in young doenjang were Bacillus (81.3%), Clostridium (6.9%) and Enterococcus (6.3%) and the predominant species among bacterial population was B. amyloliquefaciens (63.6%). Abundance of the phylum Firmicutes in mature doenjang was 99.98%, which was even higher value than those in meju and young doenjang. Predominant species in mature doenjang were B. amyloliquefaciens (67.3%), B. atrophaeus (12.7%), B. methylotrophicus (6.5%), B. mojavensis (3.2%), and B. subtilis. (2.5%), which were also identified as major species of the microbial flora in meju. These results suggested that rice straw was a primary source for supplement of Bacillus species in manufacturing the traditional doenjang and that some species of Bacillus strains were mainly involved in the fermentation process of traditional doenjang.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.166-178
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• 2016

An outcome of the study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 26 bacterial species assigned to the classes Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were isolated from diverse environmental samples collected from soil, tidal flat, freshwater, seawater, wetland, plant roots, and fermented foods. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>99.0%) and formation of a robust phylogenetic clade with the closest species, it was determined that each strain belonged to each independent and predefined bacterial species. There is no official report that these 26 species have been described in Korea; therefore 14 strains for the order Flavobacteriales and two strains for the order Cytophagales were assigned to the class Bacteroidetes, and 8 strains for the order Bacillales and 4 strains for the order Lactobacillales were assigned to the class Firmicutes are reported for new bacterial species found in Korea. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, isolation source, and strain IDs are also described in the species description section.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2018

During the course of investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 30 bacterial strains belonging to the phylum Firmicutes were isolated from diverse environmental sites such as soil, avian feces, wastewater treatment plants, fermented vegetables, seawater, algae, sea cucumber, octopus and tidal flat sediment. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that each strain showed high sequence similarity (${\geq}98.7%$) to the closest type strain and formed a robust phylogenetic clade with the most closely related species in the phylum Firmicutes. To date, there is no official record of these 30 species in Korea. Therefore, we report 26 species of 12 genera in the order Bacillales and 4 species of 4 genera in the order Lactobacillales which have not been reported in Korea. Morphological and biochemical characteristics, isolation sources and NIBR deposit numbers are described in the species descriptions.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.117-133
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• 2021

In 2019, 43 bacterial strains were isolated from food, soil, marine environments, human, and animals related sources from the Republic of Korea. Based on the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, these isolates were allocated to the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes as unrecorded species in Korea. The 10 Bacteroidetes strains were classified into the families Bacteroidaceae, Chitinophagaceae, Cytophagaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Prolixibacteraceae (of the orders Bacteroidales, Chitinophagales, Cytophagales, Flavobacteriales, and Marinilabiliales, respectively). The 33 Firmicutes strains belonged to the families Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Planococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Leuconostocaceae, and Streptococcaceae (of the orders Bacillales, Clostridiales, and Lactobacillales). These unrecorded bacteria were determined based on taxonomic criterion (>98.7%; 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). In addition, their phylogenetic affiliation, as well as cell and colony morphologies, staining reactions, and physiological and biochemical properties were investigated. Therefore, we report 43 isolates as unrecorded species, and described basic features, isolation source, and locations of these strains.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2016

To investigate the indigenous prokaryotic species diversity in Korea, various environmental samples from diverse ecosystems were examined taxonomically. The isolated bacterial strains were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, and those exhibiting at least 98.7% sequence similarity with known bacterial species but never reported in Korea were selected as unrecorded species. As an outcome of this study, 10 unrecorded bacterial species belonging to the phylum Firmicutes were discovered from various sources such as soil, tidal flat, fresh water, sea water, kimchi and gut of Fulvia mutica. The unrecorded species were assigned to 7 different genera of 5 families, namely Bacillus and Ornithinibacillus of Bacillaceae, Exiguobacterium of Exiguobacteriaceae, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus of Paenibacillaceae, Staphylococcus of Staphylococcaceae, and Lactococcus of Streptococcaceae. The selected isolates were subjected to further taxonomic characterization including the analysis of Gram reaction, cellular and colonial morphology, biochemical activities, and phylogenetic trees. The descriptive information on the 10 unrecorded species are provided.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.337-350
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• 2019

In an investigation of indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 35 bacterial strains assigned to the phylum Firmicutes were isolated from diverse habitats including natural and artificial environments. Based on their high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>98.7%) and formation of robust phylogenetic clades with species of validly published names, the isolates were identified as 35 species belonging to the orders Bacillales (the family Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Planococcaceae, and Staphylococcaceae) and Lactobacillales (Aerococcaceae, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Leuconostocaceae, and Streptococcaceae). Since these 35 species in Korean environments has not been reported in any official report, we identified them as unrecorded bacterial species and investigated them taxonomically. The newly found unrecorded species belong to 20 species in the order Bacillales and 15 species in the order Lactobacillales. The morphological, cultural, physiological, and biochemical properties of the isolates were examined and the descriptive information of the 35 previously unrecorded species is provided here.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.310-320
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• 2022

As a subset study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, we isolated 20 bacterial strains and assigned them to the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (≥98.7%) and formation of a robust phylogenetic clades, we determined that each strain belonged to independent, predefined bacterial species. There are no official reports of these 20 species in Korea; therefore, 7 strains of the Actinobacteria, 2 strain of the Bacteroidota, 3 strains of the Firmicutes, and 8 strains of the Firmicutes are described in Korea for the first time. Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic biochemical characteristics, and isolation sources are also described in the species description section.