• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제29권11호
• /
• pp.1749-1759
• /
• 2019

Aspergillus ochraceus biofilm, developed on an inert support, can produce tannase in Khanna medium containing 1.5% (w/v) tannic acid as the carbon source, at an initial pH of 5.0, for 72 h at 28℃. Addition of 0.1% (w/v) yeast extract increased enzyme production. The enzyme in the crude filtrate exhibited the highest activity at 30℃ and pH 6.0. At 50℃, the half-life (T50) was 60 min and it was 260 min at pH 6.0. In general, addition of detergents and surfactants did not affect tannase activity significantly. Tannase has potential applications in various biotechnological processes such as the production of propyl gallate and in the treatment of tannin-rich effluents. The content of tannins and total phenolic compounds in effluents from leather treatment was reduced by 56-83% and 47-64%, respectively, after 2 h of enzyme treatment. The content of tannins and total phenolic compounds in the sorghum flour treated for 120 h with tannase were reduced by 61% and 17%, respectively. Interestingly, the same A. ochraceus biofilm was able to produce tannase for three sequential fermentative process. In conclusion, fungal biofilm is an interesting alternative to produce high levels of tannase with biotechnological potential to be applied in different industrial sectors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제33권6호
• /
• pp.715-723
• /
• 2023

Microbial biofilms are resilient, immune-evasive, often antibiotic-resistant health challenges, and increasingly the target for research into novel therapeutic strategies. We evaluated the effects of a nutraceutical enzyme and botanical blend (NEBB) on established biofilm. Five microbial strains with known implications in chronic human illnesses were tested: Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus simulans (coagulase-negative, penicillin-resistant), Borrelia burgdorferi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strains were allowed to form biofilm in vitro. Biofilm cultures were treated with NEBB containing enzymes targeted at lipids, proteins, and sugars, also containing the mucolytic compound N-acetyl cysteine, along with antimicrobial extracts from cranberry, berberine, rosemary, and peppermint. The post-treatment biofilm mass was evaluated by crystal-violet staining, and metabolic activity was measured using the MTT assay. Average biofilm mass and metabolic activity for NEBB-treated biofilms were compared to the average of untreated control cultures. Treatment of established biofilm with NEBB resulted in biofilm-disruption, involving significant reductions in biofilm mass and metabolic activity for Candida and both Staphylococcus species. For B. burgdorferi, we observed reduced biofilm mass, but the remaining residual biofilm showed a mild increase in metabolic activity, suggesting a shift from metabolically quiescent, treatment-resistant persister forms of B. burgdorferi to a more active form, potentially more recognizable by the host immune system. For P. aeruginosa, low doses of NEBB significantly reduced biofilm mass and metabolic activity while higher doses of NEBB increased biofilm mass and metabolic activity. The results suggest that targeted nutraceutical support may help disrupt biofilm communities, offering new facets for integrative combinational treatment strategies.

• 실내환경 및 냄새 학회지
• /
• 제16권1호
• /
• pp.54-63
• /
• 2017

The Automobile HVAC system is a habitat for odor-associated fungal communities. We investigated the odor-associated fungal community in an automobile HVAC system using a high-throughput DNA sequencing method. The fungal community structure was evaluated via metagenome analysis. At the phylum level, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were detected, accounting for 43.41% and 56.49% of the fungal community in the HVAC system, respectively. Columnosphaeria (8.31%), Didymella (5.60%), Davidiella (5.50%), Microxyphium (4.24%), unclassified Pleosporales (2.90%), and Cladosporium (2.79%) were abundant at phylum of Ascomycota and Christiansenia (36.72%), Rhodotorula (10.48%), and Sporidiobolus (2.34%) were abundant at phylum of Basidiomycota. A total of 22 genera of fungi were isolated and identified from the evaporators of the HVAC systems which support fungal growth and biofilm formation. Among them, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria are the most representative odor-associated fungi in HVAC systems. They were reported to form biofilm on the surface of HVAC systems with other bacteria by hypha. In addition, they produce various mVOCs such as 3-methyl-1-butanol, acetic acid, butanoic acid, and methyl isobutyl ketone. Our findings may be useful for extending the understanding of odor-associated fungal communities in automobile HVAC systems.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제34권1호
• /
• pp.44-58
• /
• 2018

Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 is a biological control agent selected for its ability to suppress diseases caused by fungal pathogens. P. chlororaphis 30-84 produces three phenazines: phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), 2-hydroxy-phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (2OHPCA) and a small amount of 2-hydroxy-phenazine (2OHPHZ), and these are required for fungal pathogen inhibition and wheat rhizosphere competence. The two, 2-hydroxy derivatives are produced from PCA via the activity of a phenazine-modifying enzyme encoded by phzO. In addition to the seven biosynthetic genes responsible for the production of PCA, many other Pseudomonas strains possess one or more modifying genes, which encode enzymes that act independently or together to convert PCA into other phenazine derivatives. In order to understand the fitness effects of producing different phenazines, we constructed isogenic derivatives of P. chlororaphis 30-84 that differed only in the type of phenazines produced. Altering the type of phenazines produced by P. chlororaphis 30-84 enhanced the spectrum of fungal pathogens inhibited and altered the degree of take-all disease suppression. These strains also differed in their ability to promote extracellular DNA release, which may contribute to the observed differences in the amount of biofilm produced. All derivatives were equally important for survival over repeated plant/harvest cycles, indicating that the type of phenazines produced is less important for persistence in the wheat rhizosphere than whether or not cells produce phenazines. These findings provide a better understanding of the effects of different phenazines on functions important for biological control activity with implications for applications that rely on introduced or native phenazine producing populations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제33권3호
• /
• pp.319-328
• /
• 2023

Malassezia and Staphylococcus are the most dominant genera in human skin microbiome. To explore the inter-kingdom interactions between the two genera, we examined the transcriptional changes in Malassezia and Staphylococcus species induced upon co-culturing. RNA-seq analyses revealed that genes encoding ribosomal proteins were upregulated, while those encoding aspartyl proteases were downregulated in M. restricta after co-culturing with Staphylococcus species. We identified MRET_3770 as a major secretory aspartyl protease coding gene in M. restricta through pepstatin-A affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry and found that the expression of MRET_3770 was significantly repressed upon co-culturing with Staphylococcus species or by incubation in media with reduced pH. Moreover, biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in the spent medium of M. restricta, suggesting that biomolecules secreted by M. restricta such as secretory aspartyl proteases may degrade the biofilm structure. We also examined the transcriptional changes in S. aureus co-cultured with M. restricta and found co-cultured S. aureus showed increased expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins and downregulation of those involved in riboflavin metabolism. These transcriptome data of co-cultured fungal and bacterial species demonstrate a dynamic interplay between the two co-existing genera.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제30권4호
• /
• pp.571-582
• /
• 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.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• 제5권2호
• /
• pp.127-140
• /
• 2017

Metal nanoparticles have been intensively studied within the past decade. Nano-sized materials have been an important subject in basic and applied sciences. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have received considerable attention due to their unique antibacterial, antifungal, and UV filtering properties, high catalytic and photochemical activity. In this study, microbiological aspects of scale formation in PVC pipelines bacteria and fungi were isolated. In the emerging issue of increased multi-resistant properties in water borne pathogens, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle are being used increasingly as antimicrobial agents. Thus, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum fungal concentration of ZnO nanoparticles towards pathogens microbe were examined in this study. The results obtained suggested that ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a good anti fungal activity than bactericidal effect towards all pathogens tested in in-vitro disc diffusion method (170 ppm, 100 ppm and 30 ppm). ZnO nanoparticles can be a potential antimicrobial agent due to its low cost of production and high effectiveness in antimicrobial properties, which may find wide applications in various industries to address safety issues. Stable ZnO nanoparticles were prepared and their shape and size distribution characterized by Dynamic light scattering (35.7 nm) and transmission electron microscopic TEM study for morphology identification (20 nm), UV-visible spectroscopy (230 nm), X-ray diffraction (FWHM of more intense peak corresponding to 101 planes located at $36.33^{\circ}$ using Scherrer's formula), FT-IR (Amines, Alcohols, Carbonyl and Nitrate ions), Zeta potential (-28.8). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated against Bacteria and Fungi present in drinking water PVC pipelines biofilm. In these tests, Muller Hinton agar plates were used and ZnO nanoparticles of various concentrations were supplemented in solid medium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제34권7호
• /
• pp.1452-1463
• /
• 2024

Fungi generate different metabolites some of which are intrinsically bioactive and could therefore serve as templates for drug development. In the current study, six endophytic fungi namely Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tubigenesis, Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus brasiliensis were isolated and identified from the medicinal plant, Silybum marianum. These endophytic fungi were identified through intra transcribed sequence (ITS) gene sequencing. The bioactive potentials of fungal extracts were investigated using several bioassays such as antibacterial activity by well-diffusion, MIC, MBC, anti-biofilm, antioxidant, and haemolysis. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was used to determine the antibiofilm activity. The ethyl acetate extract of Aspergillus flavus showed strong to moderate efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa, and Bacillus spizizenii. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus brasiliensis exhibited significant antibiofilm activity with IC₅₀ at 4.02 and 3.63 mg/ml, while A. flavus exhibited maximum antioxidant activity of 50.8%. Based on HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR experiments kojic acid (1) and carbamic acid (methylene-4, 1-phenylene) bis-dimethyl ester (2) were identified from A. flavus. Kojic acid exhibited DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC₅₀ value of 99.3 ㎍/ml and moderate activity against ovarian teratocarcinoma (CH1), colon carcinoma (SW480), and non-small cell lung cancer (A549) cell lines. These findings suggest that endophytic fungi are able to produce promising bioactive compounds which deserve further investigation.

• 미생물학회지
• /
• 제50권4호
• /
• pp.360-367
• /
• 2014

Candida albicans는 면역력이 약화된 환자의 표재성에서 전신적 감염까지 다양한 부위에서 감염을 유발시킬 수 있는 기회 감염적 병원성 진균이다. C. albicans는 효모형에서 균사형으로 변환될 수 있으며 이 때 바이오필름을 형성할 수 있다. 바이오필름과 관련된 C. albicans의 감염은 일반적으로 통상적인 항진균제에 대해 내성을 보이므로 새로운 항진균제에 대한 개발이 절실하다. 대황(Rheum undulatum)은 전통적으로 한국과 중국에서 하제나 소염제로 사용되는 약용 식물이다. 본 연구의 목적은 R. undulatum이 캔디다증 환자로부터 분리한 C. albicans 바이오필름 형성 균주에 대한 바이오필름 형성 억제효과와 이에 대한 항진균 활성 기작을 알아보는 것이다. R. undulatum (0.098 mg/ml)은 12종의 바이오필름 형성 임상균주의 캔디다 바이오필름을 $49.4{\pm}6.0%$ 감소시켰고 C. albicans의 폴리스티렌 표면으로의 부착을 억제시켰다. CFDA, AM과 propidium iodide로 이중 염색한 결과 R. undulatum은 C. albicans의 세포막을 손상시켰으며 propidium iodide와 neutral red로 염색하여 공초점 레이저 현미경과 위상차 현미경으로 관찰한 결과 C. albicans의 세포용해를 야기함을 관찰할 수 있었다. Crystal violet 흡수율 실험으로 R. undulatum에 의한 세포막 투과성의 변화를 관찰하였다. 따라서 R. undulatum은 세포막의 손상과 세포막의 투과성 변화로 야기된 세포의 용해와 관련된 항진균 활성이 C. albicans의 바이오필름 형성을 억제하는 것으로 보여진다. 본 연구의 결과는 R. undulatum이 바이오필름과 관련된 캔디다의 감염을 치료하고 제거하기 위한 천연물 기반 항진균제 개발에 대한 좋은 후보물질임을 보여준다.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.289-294
• /
• 2006

Two isolates of mucous bacteria, mc75 and pc78, were isolated from fungal culture plate as culture contaminants with an interesting swarming motility. Both isolates were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens based on microscopy, biochemical analysis, Biolog test and DNA sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Both strains have the exactly the same 16S rRNA gene sequences, and yet their biological control activity were not identical each other. In vitro analysis of antagonistic activity of two isolates against several plant pathogenic fungi indicated that both produced diffusible and volatile antifungal compounds of unknown identities. Treatment of the bacterial culture of P. fluorescens pc78 and its culture filtrate exhibited a strong biological control activity against rice sheath blight in vivo among six plant diseases tested. More effective disease control activity was obtained from treatment of bacterial culture than that of culture filtrate. Therefore, in addition to antifungal compound and siderophore production, other traits such as biofilm formation and swarming motility on plant surface may contribute to the biological control activity of P.fluorescens pc78 and mc75.