• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2011

To estimate the effects of limitation nutrients for phytoplankton growth and its influences on short-term variations of a winter phytoplankton community structure, we investigated the abiotic and biotic factors of surface and bottom waters at 20 stations of inner and offshore areas from 6 to 7 February in Gwangyang Bay, Korea. Also, several algal bio-assay studies were conducted to identify any additional nutrient effects on phytoplankton assemblage using surface water for the assay. The dominant species in the bay was diatom Skeletonema costatum, which occupied more than 70% of total species in most stations (St.1-16) of the inner bay. According to a cluster and multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis based on phytoplankton community data from each station, the bay was divided into three groups. The first group included stations from the south-western parts of Myodo lsland, which can be characterized as a semien-closed eutrophic area with high phytoplankton abundance. The second group included most stations from the north-eastern part of Myodo lsland, influenced indirectly by surface water currents from offshore of the bay. The standing phytoplankton crops were lower than those of the first group. The other cluster was restricted to samples collected from offshore of the bay. In the bay, silicon (Si) and phosphorus (P) were not a major limiting factor for phytoplankton production. However, since the DIN: DIP and DSi: DIN ratios clearly demonstrated that there were potential stoichiometric N limitations, nitrogen (N) was considered as a limiting factor. Based on the algal bio-assay, in vivo fluorescence values in N (+) added experiments were higher compared to control and P added experiments. Our results suggested that nitrogen may act as one of the most important factors in controlling primary production during winter in Gwangyang Bay.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2000

Three 'stress probe' plasmids were constructed and characterized which utilize a green fluorescent protein (CFP) as a non-invasive reporter to elucidate Escherichia coli cellular stress responses in quiescent or 'resting' cells. Facile detection of cellular stress levels was achieved by fusion of three heat shock stress protein promoter elements, those of the heat shock transcription factor ${\sigma}^{32}$, pretense subunit ClpB, and chaperone DnaK, to the reporter gene $gfp_{uv}$. When perturbed by chemical or physical stress (such as heat shock, nutrient (amino acid) limitation, addition of IPTG, acetic acid, ethanol, phenol, antifoam, and salt (osmotic shock), the E. coli cells produced GFPuv which was easily detected from within the cells as emitted green fluorescence. A temporal and amplitudinal mapping of these responses was performed, demonstrating regions where quantitative delineation of cell stress was afforded.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.305-312
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• 2007

This study focused on the involvement of the unusual nucleotide (p)ppGpp, a stringent factor, during the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces coelicolor. Two genes, relA and rshA, were disrupted to demonstrate the roles of the stringent factor in the differentiation. The intracellular concentration of (p)ppGpp in the wild-type (M600) and disrupted mutants was measured in relation to the intentional starvation of a specific nutrient, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate or the in situ depletion of nutrients in a batch culture. As a result, it was found that the morphological characteristic of the ${\Delta}relA$ mutant was a bld phenotype forming condensed mycelia, whereas the ${\Delta}rshA$ mutant grew fast-forming spores and straightforward mycelia. In both mutants, the production of actinorhodin (Act) was completely abolished, yet the undecylprodigiosin (Red) production was increased. Intracellular (p)ppGpp was detected in the ${\Delta}relA$ mutant in the case of limited phosphate, yet not with limited carbon or nitrogen sources. In contrast, (p)ppGpp was produced in the ${\Delta}rshA$ mutant under limited carbon and nitrogen conditions. Therefore, (p)ppGpp in S. coelicolor was found to be selectively regulated by either the RelA or RshA protein, which was differentially expressed in response to the specific nutrient limitation. These results were also supported by the in situ ppGpp production during a batch culture. Furthermore, it is suggested that RelA and RshA are bifunctional proteins that possess the ability to both synthesize and hydrolyze (p)ppGpp.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.spc
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• pp.35-41
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• 2008

Nutrient Enrichment Bioassays (NEBs) were conducted in the laboratory during June $22{\sim}28$, 2006 in order to determine primary limiting factor on the phytoplankton growth. For the NEBs, the water was sampled using a 10L polyethylene-lined container and dispensed into 2.5L container in the laboratory. The algal growths response in the control (C) and three treatments of phosphorus (P), 2-fold phosphorus (2P), and nitrate nitrogen $(NO_3-N)$ were monitored during 7 days. In the cubitainers which were spiked as P (T1) and 2P (T2) Chl-${\alpha}$ concentrations were decreased during the test period and the final concentrations was low than initial values. However, Chl-${\alpha}$ in the cubitainers which were spiked as $NO_3$(T3) and $P+NO_3$(T4) showed significant increases compared to the initial values, indicating that in the short-term experiments, nitrogen seemed to be a primary limiting nutrient during the periods of NEBs experiment. Long-term ambient nutrient data of TP and TN, and TN:TP mass ratios, however, showed a potential phosphorus limitation on phytoplankton growth and previous other researchers showed a variations of limiting nutrients by nitrogen or phosphorus depending on the seasons sampled and locations. In this study nitrogen as primary limiting nutrient in the NEBs seem to be an seasonal effect rather than the consistent nitrogen limitation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2011

The distributions of phytoplankton assemblages and environmental factors in Jinhae Bay and their relationships were investigated to estimate the potential limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth and community structure. In situ algal bioassay experiments were also conducted to assess the species-specific characteristics in phytoplankton responses under different nutrient conditions (control, N(+) and P(+) treatment). During the study periods, bacillariophyceae and cryptophyceae occupied more than 90% of total phytoplankton assemblages. Phytoplankton standing crops in the inner part of Masan Bay were higher than that of Jinhae Bay. The DIN:DIP ratio, pH and transparency showed the significant positive correlation with phytoplankton biomass. According to cluster and multidimensiolnal scaling (MDS) analysis based on phytoplankton community data from each station, the bay was divided into three groups. The first group included stations from the south-western part of Jinhae bay where cryptophyta species were dominated. The second group was distinguished from inner stations in Masan Bay. These stations showed low transpancy and high DIN:DIP ratio. The other cluster included the stations from the eastern part and central part of Jinhae Bay, which was characterized by the high DSi:DIP ratio and dominant of diatom species. Phosphorous (P) was limited in Masan Bay due to significantly increases in the phytoplankton abundances. Based on stoichiometric limitation and algal bio-assay in Jinhae Bay, nitrogen (N) was a major limiting factor for phytoplankton production. However, silicate (Si) was not considered as limiting factor, since Si/DIN and Si/P ratio and absolute concentration of nutrient did not create any potential stoichiometric limitation in the bay. This implies that high Si availability in winter season contributes favorably to the maintenances of diatom species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2014

Cochlodinium polykrikoides is a typical harmful algal species which generates the red-tide in the coastal zone, southern Korea. Accurate algal growth model can be established and then the prediction of the red-tide occurrence using this model is possible if the information on the optimal growth model parameters are available because it is directly related between the red-tide occurrence and the rapid algal bloom. However, the limitation factors on the algal growth, such as light intensity, water temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations, are so diverse and also the limitation function types are diverse. Thus, the study on the algal growth model development using the available laboratory data set on the growth rate change due to the limitation factors are relatively very poor in the perspective of the model. In this study, the growth model on the C. polykrikoides are developed and suggested as the optimal model which can be used as the element model in the red-tide or ecological models. The optimal parameter estimation and an error analysis are carried out using the available previous research results and data sets. This model can be used for the difference analysis between the lab. condition and in-situ state because it is an optimal model for the lab. condition. The parameter values and ranges also can be used for the model calibration and validation using the in-situ monitoring environmental and algal bloom data sets.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.191-203
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• 2018

Fragilariopsis cylindrus is one of the most successful psychrophiles in the Southern Ocean. To investigate the molecular mechanism of biomineralization in this species, we attempted to synchronize F. cylindrus growth, since new cell wall formation is tightly coupled to the cell division process. Nutrient limitation analysis showed that F. cylindrus cultures rapidly stopped growing when deprived of silicate or light, while growth continued to a certain extent in the absence of nitrate. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that deprivation of either silicate or light could effectively arrest the cell cycle of this diatom species at the G1 phase, suggesting that synchrony can be established using either factor. Fluorescence labeling of new cell walls was faintly detectable as early as approximately 6 h after silicon repletion or light irradiation, and labeling was markedly intensified by 18 h. It is revealed that the synthesis of girdle bands begins before valve synthesis in this species, with active valve synthesis occurring during the G2 / M phase. Expression profiling revealed that selective member(s) of the F. cylindrus SIT genes (FcSIT) respond to silicate and light, with a different set of genes being responsive to each factor. The Si / light double depletion experiments demonstrated that expression of one FcSIT gene is possibly correlated to transition to G2 / M phase of the cell cycle, when the valve is actively formed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.383-392
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of N:P ratio on primary productivity measured as chlorophyll-a (CHL) using the approach of In Situ Nutrient Enrichment Bioassays (NEBs) in Daechung Reservoir. The effects of NEBs on the N:P mass ratios were compared with the field data obtained from monthly-chemical monitoring during 2009~2012. The short-term NEBs showed that the response of primary productivity in the phosphorus spiked treatments (5, 15, 20 and 30 N:P ratios) were greater than the responses in the control (C) and nitrogen spiked treatment (N:P ratio=150, $T_{VI}$). The response in the nitrogen treatment (N:P ratio=150, $T_{VI}$) was less compared to control and all five treatments ($T_I{\sim}T_{VI}$). The outcomes of the NEBs suggest that phosphorus limited the phytoplankton growth and nitrogen addition inhibited the algal growth. In the analysis of nutrients and CHL from the ambient epilimnetic water in Daechung Reservoir, minimum N:P ratios resulted in maximum concentrations of CHL. Overall, our results suggest that the N:P ratio was the key factor in regulating the phytoplankton growth in NEB experiments.

• ALGAE
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.277-288
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• 2008

The relationship between nutrients and phytoplankton dynamics was investigated daily from 12 April to 22 July 2003 in Sagami Bay, Japan. According to multidimensional scaling (MDS) and cluster analysis, phytoplankton community was divided into four distinct groups. The first group was consisted of centric diatom species, such as Guinardia spp., Detonula spp., Letocylindrus danicus, Skeletonema costatum, Eucampia zodiacus and Chaetoceros spp.. The second and third clusters comprised mainly diatoms and dinoflagellates, respectively. The other cluster was restricted to the samples collected during the last sampling period when the rainfall and river discharge was frequently recorded. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to analyze four groups respectively, which focused on the effects of nutrients concentration and ratio on phytoplankton variations. Based on CCA analysis, most species of centric diatom were negatively correlated with DSi concentrations and Si/N ratio. Nutrients were strongly limited phytoplankton growth during the summer when the rainfall was not observed, whereas river discharge by rainfall and counterclockwise coastal currents (although the surface circulation pattern is often altered by Kuroshio Current, the counterclockwise coastal currents are generally dominant) has brought phytoplankton population accumulation and triggered the micoalgae growth in western part of the bay. Phosphorous (P) was strongly limited after significantly increases in the phytoplankton abundances. However, silicate (Si) was not a major limiting factor for phytoplankton production, since Si/DIN and Si/P ratio did not create any potential stoichiometric limitation. This indicates that high Si availability contributes favorably to the maintenance of diatom ecosystems in Sagami Bay.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2009

AfsR2 in Streptomyces lividans, a 63-amino acid protein with limited sequence homology to Streptomyces sigma factors, has been known for a global regulatory protein stimulating multiple antibiotic biosynthetic pathways. Although the detailed regulatory mechanism of AfsK-AfsR-AfsR2 system has been well characterized, very little information about the AfsR2-dependent down-stream regulatory genes were characterized. Recently, the null mutant of afsS in S. coelicolor (the identical ortholog of afsR2) has been characterized through DNA microarray system, revealing that afsS deletion regulated several genes involved in antibiotic biosynthesis as well as phosphate-starvation. Through comparative DNA microarray analysis of afsR2-overexpressed S. lividans, here we also identify several afsR2-dependent genes involved in phosphate starvation, morphological differentiation, and antibiotic regulation in S. lividans, confirming that the AfsR2 plays an important pleiotrophic regulatory role in Streptomyces species.