• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.150-159
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• 2017

This study analyzed the distribution of endophytic fungi in 3 coastal environments with different climatic, geographical, and geological characteristics: the volcanic islands of Dokdo, the East Sea, and the West Sea of Korea. The isolated fungal endophytes were characterized and analyzed with respect to the characteristics of their host environments. For this purpose, we selected common native coastal halophyte communities from three regions. Molecular identification of the fungal endophytes showed clear differences among the sampling sites and halophyte host species. Isolates were also characterized by growth at specific salinities or pH gradients, with reference to previous geographical, geological, and climate studies. Unlike the East Sea or West Sea isolates, some Dokdo Islands isolates showed endurable traits with growth in high salinity, and many showed growth under extremely alkaline conditions. A smaller proportion of West Sea coast isolates tolerate compared to the East Sea or Dokdo Islands isolates. These results suggest that these unique fungal biota developed through a close interaction between the host halophyte and their environment, even within the same halophyte species. Therefore, this study proposes the application of specific fungal resources for restoring sand dunes and salt-damaged agricultural lands and industrialization of halophytic plants.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 2009

Microorganisms play an important role in the geochemical cycles, industry, environmental cleanup, and biotechnology among other fields. Given the high microbial diversity, identification of the microorganism is essential in understanding and managing the processes. One of the most popular and powerful method for microbial identification is comparative 16S rRNA gene analysis. Due to the highly conserved nature of this essential gene, sequencing and later comparison of it against known rRNA databases can provide assignment of the bacteria into the taxonomy, and the identity of its closest relatives. Isolation and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes directly from natural environments (either from DNA or RNA) can also be used to study the structure of the whole microbial community. Nowadays, novel sequencing technologies with massive outputs are giving researchers worldwide the chance to study the microbial world with a depth that was previously too expensive to achieve. In this article we describe commonly used research approaches for the study of individual microorganisms and microbial communities using the tools provided by Ribosomal Database Project website.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2021

This study aimed to understand whether the geo-ecological segregation of native plant species affects the root-associated fungal community. Rhizoplane (RP) and rhizosphere (RS) fungal microbiota of Sedum takesimense native to three geographically segregated coastal regions (volcanic ocean islands) were analyzed using culture-independent methods: 568,507 quality sequences, 1399 operational taxonomic units, five phyla, and 181 genera were obtained. Across all regions, significant differences in the phyla distribution and ratio were confirmed. The Chao's richness value was greater for RS than for RP, and this variance coincided with the number of genera. In contrast, the dominance of specific genera in the RS (Simpson value) was lower than the RP at all sites. The taxonomic identity of most fungal species (95%) closely interacting with the common host plant was different. Meanwhile, a considerable number of RP only residing fungal genera were thought to have close interdependency on their host halophyte. Among these, Metarhizium was the sole genus common to all sites. These suggest that the relationship between potential symbiotic fungi and their host halophyte species evolved with a regional dependency, in the same halophyte species, and of the same natural habitat (volcanic islands); further, the fungal community differenced in distinct geographical regions. Importantly, geographical segregation should be accounted for in national culture collections, based on taxonomical uniqueness.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: For sustainable agriculture, there are various agricultural practices including low input. Over the last few decades high input of chemical fertilizer and compounds results in environmental pollution and deterioration of soil fertility. Soybean (Glycine max L.) is well known eco-friendly crop due to their symbionts. Soybean has a relationship with nitrogen fixation bacteria called rhizobia. In this research work, we investigated effects of soybean cultivation on soil microorganism activities. METHODS AND RESULTS: Experiments were conducted in pots and potato cultivation was used as reference. Soil chemical properties were analyzed considering soil nutrient over cropping period. For the soil microbial community analysis, dehydrogenase activity analysis (DHA) analyzed along with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The results showed that higher soil organic matter in the soybean cultivation soil than in the potato cultivation soil. Available $P_2O_5$ concentration increased gradually in both pots but showed higher value in the potato cultivation soil. DHA value implying microbial activities showed higher value in the soybean cultivation soil over all cropping period. CONCLUSION: The cause of high microbial activity in the soybean cultivation soil was considered to the effects of some specific microorganisms related to soybean cultivation. Therefore, the availability of soybean cultivation for sustainable agriculture should be encouraged in terms of microorganism community activity in soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.162-168
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• 2016

The aim was to investigate the effect of reducing the odorous and complex odor released during the decomposition of food wastes using effective microorganism (EM) as a function of time at $20^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$. The variation of total microbial counts and dominant species counts in EM and leachate produced during food wastes decomposition was also observed. In general, the cumulative concentration of sulfur compounds ($H_2S$, $CH_3SH$) and complex odor released during food wastes decomposition increased with increasing elapsed time. The nitrogen compounds ($NH_3$, trimethyl amine), however, was not observed in all samples. The addition of EM in food wastes resulted in the reduction of concentration of sulfur compounds and complex odor, in spite of the increase of $CH_3CHO$ concentration. The dominant microbial species detected in EM were Lactobacillus species(Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus casei). In the leachate produced during food wastes decomposition, however, the various microbial community alternative to that detected in EM was observed. The EM could be potentially useful as a tools for reducing odor induced from the food waste decomposition process.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.885-892
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• 2011

The bacterial communities in the intestinal tracts of earthworm were investigated by culture-dependent and -independent approaches. In total, 72 and 55 pure cultures were isolated from the intestinal tracts of earthworms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Aerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (40%), Bacillus (37%), Photobacterium (10%), Pseudomonas (7%), and Shewanella (6%). Anaerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (52%), Bacillus (27%), Shewanella (12%), Paenibacillus (5%), Clostridium (2%), and Cellulosimicrobium (2%). The dominant microorganisms were Aeromonas and Bacillus species under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In all, 39 DNA fragments were identified by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis. Aeromonas sp. was the dominant microorganism in feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms. The DGGE band intensity of Aeromonas from feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms was 12.8%, 14.7%, and 15.1%, respectively. The other strains identified were Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Photobacterium, Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Streptomyces, uncultured Chloroflexi bacterium, and uncultured bacterium. These results suggest that PCR-DGGE analysis was more efficient than the culturedependent approach for the investigation of bacterial diversity and the identification of unculturable microorganisms.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.158-161
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• 2004

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) especially perchlorethylene (PCE) and trichlooethylene (TCE) are common groundwater contaminants in Korea. PCE and TCE were often reductively dechiorinated in an aquifer. Several isolates dechlorinate PCE to TCE or cis-1,2 dichloroethylene (c-DCE) were obtained from contaminated and pristine sites in USA and Europe. However in Korea, no information on indigenous microorganism being involved in reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE is available and different dechlorinating microorganisms might be reside in Korea, since geochemical, and hydrogeological conditions are different, compared to those in the other sites. So we evaluate that: 1) if reductive dechlorinating microorganisms are present in PCE-contaminated site in Korea, 2) if so, what kinds of microorganisms are present; 3) to what extent PCE is reductively dechlorinated. As a results in some PCE-contaminated aquifers in Korea other dechlorinating microorganisms but Dehalococcoides ethenogenes may be responsible for PCE dechlorination. More detailed molecular works are required to evaluate that different dechlorinating microorganisms would reside in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.456-460
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• 2009

Biofilm is a structured community of microorganism encapsulated within a self-developed polymeric matrix and adherent to a living or a solid surface. In this study, we investigated the effects of various substrates on the formation of biofilm in Vibrio parahaemolyticus. We found that biofilm formation profoundly increased in a substrate, that consisted of calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, and calcium sulfate in 1% peptone water. On the other hand, a dramatic reduction in biofilm formation was observed in a substrate, that consisted of glucose and ferric chloride in LB broth. These results suggest that V. parahaemolyticus prefer to form a biofilm on the surface of a crustacean or a clam, where calcium ion is rich, and also where seawater temperature is relatively lower. In contrast, high levels of glucose in a crustacean or a clam body resulting from increased seawater temperature, can make V. parahaemolyticus detach from it and lead to free floating.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.440-446
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• 2017

This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of carbohydrate, protein and lipid content of substrate on hydrogen yields and microbial communities. The hydrogen yields were linearly correlated to carbohydrate content of substrates while others (content of proteins and lipids) did not make a significant contribution. The chemical composition of substrates produced effects on the final products of anaerobic hydrogen fermentation. Acetate and butyrate were the main fermentation products, with their concentration proving to correlate with carbohydrate and protein content of substrates. The result of microbial community analysis revealed that the relative abundances of Clostridium butyricum increased and Clostridium perfringens decreased as the carbohydrate content increased.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.401-404
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• 2014

A new recorded species of Mortierella was recovered during the investigation of fungal communities in soil samples collected from different locations of Gangwon-do, Korea. The species was identified and described as Mortierella alpina on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer sequences and morphological characteristics. This species has not been officially reported from Korea thus far.