• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.215-222
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• 2020

The marine microorganism PX-1, which can hydrolyze xylan, was isolated from coastal sea water of Jeju Island, Korea. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and chemotaxonomy analysis, PX-1 was identified as a species of the genus Aestuariibacter and named Aestuariibacter sp PX-1. From the culture broth of PX-1, an extracellular xylanase was purified to homogeneity through ammonium sulfate precipitation and subsequent adsorption chromatography using insoluble xylan. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration chromatography estimated the molecular weight of the purified putative xylanase (XylA) as approximately 64 kDa. XylA showed xylanase activity toward beechwood xylan, with a maximum enzymatic activity at pH 6.0 and 45℃. Through thin-layer chromatographic analysis of the xylan hydrolysate produced by XylA, it was confirmed that XylA is an endo-type xylanase that decomposes xylan into xylose and xyloligosaccharides of various lengths. The K_m and V_max values of XylA for beechwood xylan were 27.78 mM and 78.13 μM/min, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.242-250
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• 2017

Actinobacteria tolerating extreme conditions can be a rich source of bioactive compounds and enzymes. In this study filamentous actinobacteria were isolated from soils of Ulleung Island, and their physiological properties were examined. Soil samples were collected, serially diluted and spread on various agar media. The average viable counts of total bacteria were $1.28{\times}10^7CFU/g$ for soil sample 1 (ULS1) and $2.05{\times}10^7CFU/g$ for soil sample 2 (ULS2). As a result, 34 strains of actinobacteria were isolated and assigned to the genera Streptomyces (16 strains), Isoptericola (5 strains), Rhodococcus (4 strains), Agromyces (3 strains), Micrococcus (2 strains), Arthrobacter (1 strain), Williamsia (1 strain), Microbacterium (1 strain), and Oerskovia (1 strain) based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Enzyme activity and plant growth promoting potential were tested for representative isolates. Multiple strains of Streptomyces degraded starch, casein and Tween 80. As for plant growth promoting potential, strains of Oerskovia, Williamsia, Isoptericola, and Streptomyces solubilized phosphate, and those of Agromyces, Oerskovia, Micrococcus, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces, and Isoptericola produced 3-indole-acetic acid (IAA), respectively. Selected strains of Streptomyces exhibited strong antagonistic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis as well as Candida albicans. This study confirms that actinobacteria from Ulleung Island can be a good source of novel bioactive compounds.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.259-269
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• 2019

Brown spot and sheath rot of rice are caused by fungal pathogens such as Curvularia lunata, Cochliobolus miyabeanus, and Sarocladium oryzae, and cause losses such as reduced rice yield and quality, which is an enormous problem with serious long-term effects. To search biological control agents of phytopathogenic fungi, five kinds of useful Bacillus-like isolates which are excellent in extracellular enzyme activity and produce siderophore were selected from paddy soil of Sunchang in Korea. The selected isolates were tested for excellent antifungal activity against three of the phytopathogenic fungi that frequently occur in rice, and JSRB 177 strain had the most excellent antifungal activity. Based on the experimental results, JSRB 177 is finally selected as a candidate for biological control and identified to Bacillus subtilis through 16S rRNA sequence analysis. In addition, physiological characteristics of JSRB 177 confirmed by analysis of carbohydrate fermentation patterns and enzyme production ability. Based on the above results, JSRB 177 is expected to be used as a biological control agent for the rice pathogenic fungi. In the future, further studies related to industrialization such as port test and establishment of mass production process are needed.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.188-193
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to isolate lactic acid bacteria, useful in the fermentation industry from Hahyangju Nuruk. Five strains were isolated, and identified as Lactobacillus based on growth inhibition by 10% (v/v) alcohol at pH 4.0. Isolated strains were identified to species, and named Lactobacillus plantarum L-3, L. sakei L-10, and L. curvatus strains L-8, L-11, and L-12. Morphological characteristics, physiological data, carbohydrate fermentation patterns, and 16S rRNA sequence data, were all used to characterize the bacterial isolates. L. plantarum L-3 showed the highest lactic acid productivity of all isolates, but grew only poony in the presence of 10% (v/v) alcohol at pH 4.0. The other strains exhibited lower lactic acid productivity than did L. plantarum L-3 and did not grow in the presence of 10% (v/v) alcohol at pH 4.0. The optimal temperature and pH for lactic acid production were $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0 7.0, respectively. The lactic acid productivity of L. plantarum L-3, L. sakei L-10 and the three L. curvatus strains L-8, L-11, and L-12 were (% v/v of culture supematant) 1.55, 1.0, 1.06, 1.0, and 0.99, respectively, at $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0. While L. plantarum L-3 suffered growth inhibition in the presence of 10% (v/v) alcohol, growth of the other strains was inhibited at 8% (v/v) alcohol.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2018

In August of 2011, a wilting disease of ginseng was observed at Bongwha, Gyeongbuk province, Korea. Affected plants initially show withering symptoms on leaves of ginseng. As the disease progresses, withering leaves spread downward, eventually encompassing the whole plant. Leaves lose vigor but remain pale green. Symptoms of roots were brown, and soft rots characterized by moist and watery decay of the whole ginseng root, which initiated as small brown, water-soaked lesions of hairy roots and enlarged to the entire roots. The causal organism isolated from the infected roots was identified as Serratia plymuthica based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, by cellular fatty acid composition (GC-FAME), the utilization of carbon sources (BioLog System), and 16S rRNA sequence of the isolated bacterium were 99% homologous to those of Serratia plymuthica strains. Artificial inoculation of the bacterium produced the same brown or soft rot symptoms on the ginseng roots, from which the same bacterium was isolated. This is the first report of bacterial root rot caused by the Serratia plymuthica in ginseng in Korea. Serratia plymuthica has been used as antagonistic microorganism for biological control on several crop plants. But it was proved pathogen of ginseng at humid condition in this study.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.260-264
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• 2019

An 84-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of pressure sores of the anus. She had a urine catheter when she showed pyuria three times but had no fever. A microscopic examination revealed many grapevine-like Gram positive strains and neutrophils. After 24 hours of urine culture on blood agar, non-hemolytic mucous colonies were found and further enlarged after 48 hours of culture. The capsules were identified after India ink stain. The catalase was positive, but the tube coagulase and latex coagulase were both negative. The S. aureus was identified by Vitek-2 and mass spectrometer Vitek MS V-3 IVD. The strain was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The phenotypically atypical MRSA found in the tube coagulase and latex coagulase were both negative. MRSA often show no beta hemolysis as in this case but are rarely latex coagulase-negative. We report a woman whose urine culture showed non-hemolytic, tube coagulase-negative, and latex coagulase-negative MRSA.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.210-221
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• 2020

This research was executed to select beneficial antagonists from digestive organ of Allomyrina dichotoma larva that can be put on environment friendly control against phytopathogenic fungi. We screened 38 bacterial strains inhibiting mycelial growth against eight plant pathogens through dual culture assay. The 10 strains among 38 bacterial strains were selected as beneficial microbes showing antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea, Plasmodiophora brassicae, Colletotrichum acutatum and Phytophthora capsici through under greenhouse pot trials. The 10 bacterial strains that shown strongest antifungal activity were classified into 3 genera and 10 species, and identified as the genus Bacillus (DM146, DM152, DH2, and DH16), Paenibacillus (DF30, DH14, and DM142) and Streptomyces (DF137, DM48, and DH92) by morphological characteristics and 16s rRNA gene sequence. The 10 bacterial strains had solubilizing activity of insoluble phosphates, production of IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), β-1,3-glucanase and protease. Among the 10 bacterial strains, DM152 strain was produced significant enhancement of all growth parameters of chili pepper and tomato seedlings under greenhouse condition. Thus, this study demonstrated that gut microbes of Allomyrina dichotoma larva will be useful as a potential biocontrol agent against plant pathogens and biofertilizer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.285-289
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• 2022

In this study, the growth characteristics of an agar-degrading bacterium isolated from seawater samples collected from Yeongheungdo, Incheon, and the characteristics of its agarase were analyzed. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolated strain was 95% similar to that of the genus Agarivorans, and thus the isolated strain was named Agarivorans sp. HY-1. When Agarivorans sp. HY-1 was cultured in a marine broth 2216 medium at 27℃ and 250 rpm, it showed maximum growth on day 1 and showed maximum enzymatic activity on day 2. A crude enzyme solution was prepared from secreted agarase in the culture medium. The extracellular agarase of the Agarivorans sp. HY-1 strain showed maximal activity at 40℃ and pH 7.0 (20 mM Tris-HCl) with 591.91 U/l. The agarase exhibited relative activities of 64, 91, 100, 97, 89, and 60% at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70℃, respectively. At pH 5, 6, 7, and 8, the relative activities were 79, 95, 100, and 55%, respectively. Furthermore, the agarase exhibited >86% residual activity at 20, 30, and 40℃ for 2 hr and >44% residual activity at 50℃ after 2 hr. A TLC analysis confirmed that Agarivorans sp. HY-1 produced α-agarase. As the degradation products of α-agarase have anticancer and antioxidant effects, Agarivorans sp. HY-1 and its agarase may well prove useful.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2022

The germination characteristics of the resting cysts of Pheopolykrikos hartmannii collected from the southern coastal sediments of Korea were studied at different temperature conditions, and the morphology and phylogeny of the germlings were examined. The resting cysts of Ph. hartmannii were round and characterized by a red accumulation body and many arrow-like spines and could germinate at temperature of 10 to 30℃. High germination rates (>90%) were observed at 15 and 20℃, indicating that the resting cysts could act as seed populations for the bloom initiation of Ph. hartmannii in Korean coastal waters in early summer or early fall. The morphology of the germlings was generally consistent with the previous description, and an apical groove characterized by a fully enclosed loop was observed. Phylogenetic analysis based on large SubUnit (LSU) rRNA gene sequences revealed that the germlings shared an identical sequence with the Korean and American isolates of Ph. hartmannii and was a sister clade of Polykrikos species.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.27-34
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• 2016

Sclerotium rolfsii is a well known broad host range soil borne plant pathogenic fungus and caused serious damage to various vegetable crops. To develop an effective biological control agent for S. rolfsii, an isolate which showed strong inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of S. rolfsii was selected among the antagonistic bacterial isolates collected from vinyl-house soil. The bacterial isolate was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens KBC1009 based on the morphological, physiological characteristics and by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The growth conditions for B. amyloliquefaciens KBC1009 were optimized in LB media(pH7) by culturing at 30℃ for 72 hrs. Glucose and yeast extract were confirmed as the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. In order to test the inhibitory effect of B. amyloliquefaciens KBC1009 to stem rot of pepper, green house experiment was conducted. Drench of 1/500 diluted bacterial suspension of B. amyloliquefaciens KBC1009(5×108 cfu/ml) to each pepper plant 3 times with 10 days interval showed 66.7% control effectiveness. These results suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens KBC1009 is one of promising biocontrol agent to control stem rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii.