• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2018

In the present study, long-term heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soil samples from a well-known Pb/Zn smelting area in the southwest of China were collected, and physicochemical and biological characteristics of these samples were evaluated. Soil samples contained different concentrations of HMs, namely Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd. Enzyme activity analyses combined with microcalorimetric analysis were used for soil microbial activity evaluation. Results showed that two soil samples, containing almost the highest concentrations of HMs, also shared the greatest microbial activities. Based on correlation coefficient analysis, high microbial activity in heavily HMs contaminated soil might be due to the high contents of soil organic matter and available phosphorus in these samples. High-throughput sequencing technique was used for microbial community structure analysis. High abundance of genera Sphingomonas and Thiobacillus were also observed in these two heavily contaminated soils, suggesting that bacteria belonging to these two genera might be further isolated from these contaminated soils and applied for future studies of HMs remediation. Results of present study would contribute to the evaluation of microbial communities and isolation of microbial resources to remediate HMs pollution.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1997

The comparison soy protein coagulation by heat-and enzyme-treatment are summarized. The gelation mechanism of glycinin by heating was mainly due to dissociation and aggregation of the basic subunit of 11S globulin. In case of 7S globulin, macro-soluble aggregates may be formed by noncovalent intraction more than 30min at 8$0^{\circ}C$. Whereas, coagulum occured by the microbial enzyme was more minuter than the other Ca-, HCI-coagulum. Heat treatment attacked the basic subunit of 11S globulin and this results agreed very, how-ever, preferred acidic subunit to basic subunit of 11S globulin and attacked the 7S globulin, that could produce coagulum products within 4~5min at $65^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.487-493
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• 2013

The effects of long-term fertilization on soil biological properties and microbial community structure in the plough layer in a rice paddy soil in southern Korea were investigated in relation to the continuous application of chemical fertilizers (NPK), straw based compost (Compost), combination these two (NPK + Compost) for last 40 years. No fertilization plot (Control) was installed for comparison. Though fertilization significantly improved rice productivity over control, the long-term fertilization of NPK and compost combination was more effective on increasing rice productivity and soil nutrient status than single application of compost or chemical fertilizer. All fertilization treatments had shown significant improvement in soil microbial properties, however, continuous compost fertilization markedly increased soil enzyme and microbial activities as compared to sole chemical fertilization. Results of microbial community structure, evaluated by EL-FAME (ester-linked fatty acid methyl esters) method, revealed big difference among Control, NPK, and Compost. However, both Compost and Compost+NPK treatments belonged to the same cluster after statistical analysis. The combined application of chemical fertilizer and organic amendments could be more rational strategy to improve soil nutrient status and promote soil microbial communities than the single chemical fertilizer or compost application.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.760-770
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• 2023

Continuous cropping obstacles have become a serious factor restricting sustainable development in modern agriculture, while companion planting is one of the most common and effective methods for solving this problem. Here, we monitored the effects of companion planting on soil fertility and the microbial community distribution pattern in pepper monoculture and companion plantings. Soil microbial communities were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. Companion plants included garlic (T1), oat (T2), cabbage (T3), celery (T4), and white clover (T5). The results showed that compared with the monoculture system, companion planting significantly increased the activities of soil urease (except for T5) and sucrase, but decreased catalase activity. In addition, T2 significantly improved microbial diversity (Shannon index) while T1 resulted in a decrease of bacterial OTUs and an increase of fungal OTUs. Companion planting also significantly changed soil microbial community structures and compositions. Correlation analysis showed that soil enzyme activities were closely correlated with bacterial and fungal community structures. Moreover, the companion system weakened the complexity of microbial networks. These findings indicated that companion plants can provide nutrition to microbes and weaken the competition among them, which offers a theoretical basis and data for further research into methods for reducing continuous cropping obstacles in agriculture.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.503-512
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• 1995

The present paper describes partial results of the study on the activities of microbes in the soil of Quercus mongolica forest from July, 1994 to April, 1995. To determine the relationship between structure and function of soil microbial ecosystem, the author investigated the seasonal change of physical environmental factors, microbial population and soil enzyme activities. The changes of pH was not significant and the temperature of surface soil was 2℃ higher than lower soil through out the year. Moisture contents (％) of soil samples ranged from 7.64％ to 42.11％. However, soils of site 3 at Mt. Komdan in which vegetation is successional have higher moisture content than the others. The bacterial population increased in summer, but continuously decreased in autumn and winter, and then reincreased again in spring. Bacterial population of surface soil was higher than those of 30 cm depth all the year round. Dehydrogenase activity (DHA) was about two-fold higher throughout in surface soil compared to those of lower soil. And the correlation coefficient between DHA and bacterial population size was 0,713, It was suggested that DHA could be used as a primary index of soil microbial population and activity in soil ecosystem.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.132-133
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• 2003

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.207-210
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• 2000

As a typical example of the screening for a microbial biocatalyst from nature, isolation of nitrilesynthesizing microorganisms, characterization of a new enzyme aldoxime dehydratase, and its function in the aldoxime-nitrile pathway are introduced. Catalytic properties of some of our enzymes were improved through a direct evolutionary approach.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2017

A greenhouse experiment was conducted for evaluation of ecological effects of transgenic melon plants in the rhizospheric soil in terms of soil properties, enzyme activities and microbial communities. Organic matter content of soil under transgenic melon plants was significantly higher than that of soil with non-transgenic melon plants. Significant variations were observed in organic matter, total P and K in soil cultivation with transgenic melon plants. There were also significant variations in the total numbers of colony forming units of fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria between soils treated with transgenic and non-transgenic melon plants. Transgenic and non-transgenic melon significantly enhanced several enzymes activities including urease, acid phosphatase, alkalin phosphatase, arysulphtase, ${\beta}$ glucosidase, dehydrogenase, protease and catalase. Soil polyphenoloxidase activity of $T_1$ transgenic melon was lower than that of $T_0$ transgenic melon and a non-melon plant during the same period. The first generation transgenic melon plants ($T_0$) showed significantly greater (p<0.05) effect on the activitiy of arylsulfatase, which increased from $2.540{\times}10^6CFU\;g^{-1}$ (control) to $19.860{\times}10^6CFU\;g^{-1}$ ($T_0$). These results clearly indicated that transgenic melon might change microbial communities, enzyme activities and soil chemical properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.62-72
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• 2001

The N-carbamoyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase (D-carbamoylase) gene (dcb) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens AM 10 has been successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Expression of D-carbamoylase gene under the 17 promoter in different host strains showed that the optimal expression was achieved in E. coli JM109 (DE3) with a 9-fold increase in enzyme production compared to the wild-type strain. The co-expression of the GroEL/ES protein with D-carbamoylase protein caused an in vivo solubilization of D-carbamoylase in an active form. The synergistic effect of GroEL/ES at 28$^{\circ}C$ led to 60 ％ solubilization of the total expressed target protein with a 6.2-fold increase in enzyme activity in comparison to that expressed without GroEL/ES and 43-fold increase in enzyme activity compared to A. tumefaciens AM 10. Attempts to express D-carbamoylase in an altered redox cytoplasmic milieu did not improve the enzyme production in an active form. The Histidyl-tagged D-carbamoylase was purified in a single step by Nickel-affinity chromatography and was found to have a specific activity of 9.5 U/mg protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.646-649
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• 1999

A thermophilic bacterium producing D-stereospecific dipeptidase was isolated from Korean soil samples. The enzyme hydrolyzed the peptide bond between D-alanyl-D-alanine (D-Ala-D-Ala). The isolated bacterial strain was rod shaped, gram-positive, motile, and formed an endospore. Morphological and physiological characteristics suggested this microorganism a thermophilic Bacillus species, and was named as Bacillus sp. BCS-l. The production of D-stereospecific dipeptidase was growth-associated and optimal at $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was applied for the synthesis of D-amino acid-containing peptide, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-aspartyl-D-alanine benzyl ester (Z-L-Asp-D-AlaOBzl), as a model reaction. A thermodynamically controlled synthesis of Z-L-Asp-D-AlaOBzl was achieved in an organic solvent.