• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.642-646
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• 1992

We have isolated conditional lethal mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which are low in (1 ~3)-~-D-glucan synthase activity. These mutants were osmotic sensitive at nonpermissive temperature (37$^{\circ}$C) and showed a decreased level of alkali-insoluble cell wall glucan. The decrease in (1 ~3)-~-D-glucan synthase activity of the mutants appeared to be mainly due to the defect in catalytic component rather than in GTP-binding component.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2021

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are responsible for regulating biofilm formation, persister cell formation, pmtR expression, host cell lysis, and anti-bacterial effects. To determine the effect of psm deletion on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, we investigated psm deletion mutants including Δpsmα, Δpsmβ, and Δpsmαβ. These mutants exhibited increased β-lactam antibiotic resistance to ampicillin and oxacillin that was shown to be caused by increased N-acetylmannosamine kinase (nanK) mRNA expression, which regulates persister cell formation, leading to changes in the pattern of phospholipid fatty acids resulting in increased anteiso-C15:0, and increased membrane hydrophobicity with the deletion of PSMs. When synthetic PSMs were applied to Δpsmα and Δpsmβ mutants, treatment of Δpsmα with PSMα1-4 and Δpsmβ with PSMβ1-2 restored the sensitivity to oxacillin and slightly reduced the biofilm formation. Addition of a single fragment showed that α1, α2, α3, and β2 had an inhibiting effect on biofilms in Δpsmα; however, β1 showed an enhancing effect on biofilms in Δpsmβ. This study demonstrates a possible reason for the increased antibiotic resistance in psm mutants and the effect of PSMs on biofilm formation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.791-807
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• 2017

The type II secretion system (T2SS), which transports selected periplasmic proteins across the outer membrane, has rarely been studied in nonpathogens or in organisms classified as Betaproteobacteria. Therefore, we studied Cupriavidus metallidurans (Cme), a facultative chemilithoautotroph. Gel analysis of extracellular proteins revealed no remarkable differences between the wild type and the T2SS mutants. However, enzyme assays revealed that native extracellular alkaline phosphatase is a T2SS substrate, because activity was 10-fold greater for the wild type than a T2SS mutant. In Cme engineered to produce three Ralstonia solanacearum (Rso) exoenzymes, at least 95% of their total activities were extracellular, but unexpectedly high percentages of these exoenzymes remained extracellular in T2SS mutants cultured in rich broth. These conditions appear to permit an alternative secretion process, because neither cell lysis nor periplasmic leakage was observed when Cme produced a Pectobacterium carotovorum exoenzyme, and wild-type Cme cultured in minimal medium secreted 98% of Rso polygalacturonase, but 92% of this exoenzyme remained intracellular in T2SS mutants. We concluded that Cme has a functional T2SS despite lacking any abundant native T2SS substrates. The efficient secretion of three foreign exoenzymes by Cme is remarkable, but so too is the indication of an alternative secretion process in rich culture conditions. When not transiting the T2SS, we suggest that Rso exoenzymes are probably selectively packaged into outer membrane vesicles. Phylogenetic analysis of T2SS proteins supports the existence of at least three T2SS subfamilies, and we propose that Cme, as a representative of the Betaproteobacteria, could become a new useful model system for studying T2SS substrate specificity.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 1999

To improve Bacillus strains producing biopolymer, conditions for protoplast formation and regeneration were investigated in biopolymer producing Bacillus subtilis K-1 and lactose utilizing Bacillus coagulans. Bacillus subtilis K-1 mutant (SM-2) and Bacillus coagulans mutants (CM-12) were marked auxotrophic and antibiotics-resistant (SM-2) and an antibiotics-resistant mutants, respectively. To formate protoplasts derived from the mutants, conditions were established as follows. For B. subtilis mutant SM-2, its culture in mid-logarithmic phase was added with penicillin G (1.0 unit/ml) and further reacted for 1.5 hr. Cells were collected and then treated in lysis fluid (pH 7.0) containing 0.4 M sucrose and lysozyme $25\;{\mu}g/ml$ for 40 min at $37^{\circ}$. Protoplast formation was very successful (99.6%) and the ratio of cell wall regeneration was 2.4%. For Bacillus coagulans mutant CM-12, its mid-logarithmic phase culture was treated with penicillin G (0.3 unit/ml) and glycine (0.5%) for 1hr. Cells were collected and then resuspended in lysis buffer (pH 7.0) containing 0.6 M lactose and lysozyme $(300\;{\mu}g/ml)$ for 30 min at $37^{\circ}$. Protoplast formation was also successful (90.8%) and cell wall regeneration ratio was similar to SM-2 (2.2%). To improve regeneration frequency, regeneration medium was obtained as followed condition,. Cell wall regeneration was improved 2-4 folds with 5.1% for B. subtilis SM-2 and 10.3% for B. coagulans CM-12 when protoplasts mixed with soft top agar(0.4%) was overlaid onto trypticase soy broth medium containing 0.4 M sucrose, 0.7% casamino acid, 1% PVP, 25 mM $MgCl_2,\;25\;mM\;CaCl_₂$ and 1.5% agar.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.552-557
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• 2001

By UV-irradiation of Eremothecium ashbyii DTl, a higWy flavinogenic mutant (UV-18-57) and a nonflavinogenic mutant (UV -85) were obtained. The physio-morphological characteristics of these three strains were studied on glucose medium in submerged fermentation. Glucose utilization and mycelial growth occurred in 0 - 2 days of fermentation. By the third day, the biomass had declined. Extracellular riboflavin excretion was distinct from the second day, reaching a maximum rate by the fourth day. The hyphae of the highly flavinogenic mutant UV-18-57 were broader than DTl, while the nonflavinogenic UV-85 hyphae were very thin. Riboflavin accumulation was high in UV-18-57 (extracellular riboflavin,$825\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ , and intracellular, $490\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) and caused the mycelia to swell into bulbous forms. Riboflavin accumulation was less in DTl ($108\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ extracellular and $24\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ intracellular) and correspondingly its hyphae were thinner than those of UV-18-57 and swollen bulbous mycelia were not prominent. UV-85 was nonflavinogenic and, accordingly, its mOlphological characteristics included long thin filaments with no intracellular riboflavin accumulation. A large number of greenish fluorescence spores were seen in UV-18-57, whereas DTI had less spores and UV-85 was nonsporulating. Sporulation is correlated with riboflavin production. UV-18-57 had better mycelial integrity and lysis started only by the seventh day, whereas DTI and UV -85 started to lyze earlier by 4 -5 days. By the late stage of fermentation (eighth day), DTl had a few long, thin filaments indicating some secondary growth, whereas UV -85 showed a compact pellet form of mycelia. Most mycelia of UV-18-57 still appeared intact.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.561-567
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• 1991

This study was designed to investigate the productivity of L-methionine by the method of protoplast fusion between Brevibacterium flavum ATCC 14067 and Corynebacterium glutamicm ATCC 13032, and then L-methionine production was performed to continuous fermentation using the immobilized fusant cells. Mutants B. flavum K 104($thr\;met\;Km^{r}\;Et^{r}\;Sm^{r}\;Tm^{r}\;as\;genetic\;marker$) and C. glutamicum B 70($thr\;Hos\;Km^{r}\;Et^{r}\;Sm^{r}\;Tm^{r}as\;genetic\;marker$) were isolated by MNNG treatment. On the other hand, protoplast of mutants were formed to treat with lysis solution containing $500{\mu}g/ml$ of lysozyme. The ratios of protoplast formation and regeneration were 99% and $64{\sim}66%$ respectively. Fusion frequency between B. flavum K 104 and C. glutamicum B 70 showed the $3.5{\times}10^{5}$ in the 35% polyethylene glycol(PEG6000) containing 3% PVP solution. The productivity of L-methionine by fusant BFCG 37 immobilized with sodium alginate was 0.89 g/l the batch fermentation and was $18.75mg/^{1}hr\;^{1}$ on the continuous fermentation at $30^{\circ}C$ for 72 hr.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2007

Two lysis-defective but DNA synthesis non-defective temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of mycobacteriophage L1, L1G23ts23 and L1G25ts889 were found to be defective also in phage-specific RNA synthesis in the late period of their growth at 42$^{\circ}C$each to the extent of 50% of that at 32$^{\circ}C$The double mutant, L1G23ts23G25ts889 showed the ts defect in phage RNA synthesis that was nearly additive of those shown individually by the two single-mutant parents. Both G23 and G25 were shown to start functioning sometimes between 30 and 45 min after infection but the former gene might be dispensable after 45 min, while the latter was not. Northern analysis also shows that at 42$^{\circ}C$>, L1G23ts23 affects RNA synthesis more strongly than L1G25ts889 from L1 DNA segments that serve as the template for late gene transcription. Among the 21 virion and 12 non-virion late proteins synthesized by L1, L1G23ts23 is defective in the synthesis of at least 9 virion and all of non-virion proteins at 42$^{\circ}C$>. In contrast, L1G25ts889 is completely defective in synthesis of all the 33 late proteins. Possible roles of G23 and G25 in the positive regulation of transcription of different sets of late genes of L1 have been discussed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.437-441
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• 1990

For the genetic development of more powerful antagonistic Pseudomom - YPL-1 as a biocontxol agent against soilborne plant pathogenic Fuaarium solani causing root rot of many important crops, mutants improving the productivity of chitinase were obtained by mutation with UV radiation or NTG treatment, P. stutzeri YPL-M26 (UV mutant) and P. stutzeri YPL-MI78 (NTG mutant) could improve the productivity of chitinase by 2.5 and 2.0 times, and its antifungal activity by 1.7 and 1.5 times, respectively. The antifungal mechanism of P. stutzeri YPL-M26 was caused by lysis of the fungal cell wall by hydrolytic enzymes such as chitinase. The antifungal activity of crude chitinase of P. stutzeri YPLM26 on the mycelial growth of F. solani was observed to be much higher than that of the original strain. The enzymes produced by P. stutzeri YPL-M26 were the same as the original strain in enzymatic properties such as optimal pH and temperature.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.464-469
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• 1991

An $\alpha$-amylase producing bacterium, strain 2B, was isolated from soil and identified to genus Bacillus. To enhance $\alpha$-amylase productivity, strain 2B was mutagenized successively with nitrosoguanidine. For an efficient selection of a-amylase hyperproducers, mutants which produced $\alpha$-amylase in the presence of glucose were isolated. The resultant mutant HG4, which was classified as constitutive and catabolite derepressed hyperproducer of a-amylase, produced about 30 folds more $\alpha$-amylase than parental strain in medium containing lactose as carbon source. The strain HG4 grew rapidly and produced enzyme in parallel with cell growth. Moreover, its cell lysis did not occur until time of maximal yield of enzyme, which was considered to be a favorable characteristic for the production and purificiation of enzyme in industrial scale. The enzymatic properties of parental strain 2B and mutant strain HG4 were almost the same. The optimal temperature and pH for enzyme reaction was $70^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0, respectively, in 'the presence of 0.6mM $Ca^[2+}$ as an effective stabilizer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.905-913
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• 2014

Lj-RGD3, an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) toxin protein from the salivary gland of Lampetra japonica, exhibits antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Lj-RGD3 has three RGD motifs and shows homology to histidine-rich glycoprotein. We synthesised two mutant derivatives of Lj-RGD3: Lj-26, which lacks all three RGD motifs and contains no His residues; and Lj-112, which lacks only the three RGD motifs. We investigated the effects of the wild-type and mutated toxins on a gram-positive bacterium (Escherichia coli), a gram-negative bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus), and a fungus (C. albicans). rLj-RGD3 and its mutants exhibited antifungal but not antibacterial activity, as measured by a radial diffusion assay. The C. albicans inhibition zone induced by rLj-112 was larger than that induced by the other proteins, and its inhibitory effect on C. albicans was dose-dependent. In viable-count assays, the rLj-112 MIC was $7.7{\mu}M$, whereas the MIC of the positive control (ketoconazole) was $15{\mu}M$. Time-kill kinetics demonstrated that rLj-112 effectively killed C. albicans at $1{\times}$ and $2{\times}$ MIC within 12 and 6 h, respectively. Electron microscopy analysis showed that rLj-RGD3 and rLj-112 induced C. albicans lysis. Our results demonstrate a novel anticandidal activity for rLj-RGD3 and its mutant derivatives.