• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2019

Biological factors (e.g. microorganism activity) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) play essential roles for degradation and/or removal of organic matters. In this study, to understand the microbial functional roles in WWTP, we tried to isolate and characterize a bacterial strain from activated sludge sample. Strain S16 was isolated from the activated sludge of a municipal WWTP in Daejeon metropolitan city, the Republic of Korea. The cells were a Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, facultative anaerobe, and rod-shaped. Strain S16 grew at a temperature of $15{\sim}40^{\circ}C$ (optimum, $30^{\circ}C$), with 0~9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0~2.0%), and at pH 5.5~9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0~7.5). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S16 was most closely related to the unique species Miniimonas arenae NBRC $106267^T$ (99.79%, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) of the genus Miniimonas. The cell wall contained alanine, glutamic acid, serine, and ornithine. Although the isolation source of the type strain NBRC $106267^T$ which considered as a marine microorganism is sea sand, that of strain S16 is terrestrial environment. It might raise an ecological question for habitat transition. Therefore, comparative genome analysis will be valuable investigation for shedding light on their potential metabolic traits and genomic streamlining.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 2014

The affiliations and physiological characteristics of culturable bacteria isolated from the sediments of Ross Sea, Antarctica were investigated. Sixty-three isolates obtained by cultivation were grouped into 21 phylotypes affiliated with the phyla Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes and with the classes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Based on phylogenetic analysis (<98.65% sequence similarity), approximately 49% of total isolates represented potentially novel species or genus. Among them, extracellular protease, lipase, and exopolysaccharide activities at $10^{\circ}C$ or $20^{\circ}C$ were detected in approximately 46%, 25%, and 32% of the strains, respectively. Forty-three isolates produced at least one type of extracellular material and 21 of them produced at least two extracellular protease, lipase, and/or exopolysaccharides. Our findings indicate that culturable bacterial diversity present within the marine sediments of Ross Sea, Antarctica may contribute to the hydrolysis of the major organic constituents which is closely related with carbon and nitrogen cycling in this environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2015

An agarolytic marine bacterium (H9) was isolated from the coastal seawater of the West Sea, South Korea. The isolate, H9, was gram-negative and rod-shaped with a smooth surface and polar flagellum. Cells grew at 20-30℃, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and in ASW-YP (Artificial Sea Water-Yeast extract, Peptone) media containing 1-5% (w/v) NaCl. The G+C content was 41.56 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone in strain H9 was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C_16:1ω7c (34.3%), C_16:0 (23.72%), and C_18:1ω7c (13.64%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and biochemical and chemotaxonomic characterization, the strain was designated as Pseudoalteromonas sp. H9 (=KCTC23887). In liquid culture supplemented with 0.2% agar, the cell density and agarase activity reached a maximum level of OD = 4.32 (48 h) and OD = 3.87 (24 h), respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the extracellular crude agarases of H9 were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the agarase hydrolysis products revealed that the crude agarases hydrolyze agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose. Therefore, the new agar-degrading strain, H9, can be applicable for the production of valuable neoagarooligosaccharides and for the complete degradation of agar in bio-industries.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2017

An agar-degrading bacterium, designated as the GNUM08123 strain, was isolated from samples of red algae collected from the Yongil Bay near East Sea, Korea. The isolated GNUM08123 strain was gram-negative, aerobic, motile, and beige-pigmented, with $C_{16:0}$ (25.9%) and summed feature 3 (comprising $C_{16:1}{\omega}7c/iso-C_{15:0}2-OH$, 34.4%) as its major cellular fatty acids. A similarity search based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that it belonged to class Gammaproteobacteria and shared 97.7% similarity with the type strain Vibrio chagasii $R-3712^T$. The DNA G+C content of strain $GNUM08123^T$ was 46.9 mol%. The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-8. The results of DNA-DNA relatedness and 16S rRNA sequence similarity analyses, in addition to its phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, suggest that strain GNUM08123 is a novel species within genus Vibrio, designated as Vibrio sp. GNUM08123. Agarase production by strain GNUM08123 was induced by agar and sucrose, but was repressed probably owing to carbon catabolite repression by glucose and maltose.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2010

Emerging of antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria is now a very serious problem in the clinics to treat the diseases, which have been easy to cure by antibiotic treatments before. Unfortunately, antibiotics developed till now are not effective any more against the resistant bacteria. Lots of efforts to discover new antibiotics having novel and unique structures and functions are really urgent and undergoing in the whole world. In this study, we tried to screen and isolate Same unique bacterial strains producing antibacterial substances from the sea water, which is the poor environment for bacteria 10 make their growing. Three bacterial strains among 916 strains isolated showed inhibition clear zone on the marine agar plate growing pathogenic bacteria including Acinetobacter baumannii, Edwardsiella tarda, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica. One of them, which was identified as Bacillus sp. DH-9 from 16S rRNA gene analysis, showed especially considerable antibacterial activity against S. aureus which is notorious for methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The growth of S. aureus was totally inhibited when the supernatant of Bacillus sp. DH-9 culture was treated on.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1453-1463
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• 2007

This study presents a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the harmful dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides, by use of partial sequence of small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene from most of the major taxa(24 species) in dinoflagellates. The class Dinophyceae clade formed a strong monophyletic relationship with C. polykrikoides and several taxa. On the basis of deeper nodes, the phylogenetic relationships placed C. polykrikoides closer to the order Prorocentrales rather than to the order Gymnodiniales, which was supported by a strong bootstrap value (100%) in the analyses of Neighbor-Joining and Parsimony methods. There is strong support for C. polykrikoides being placed in the same branch as Gymnodiniaceae and being connected in a clade with Prororcentrum micans among Prorocentrales. Morphological data show that C. polykrikoides is well associated with the genus Gyrodinium; however, this species is genetically closer to Gymnodinium than to Gyrodinium. The placement of C. polykrikoides always formed an independent branch separated from other dinoflagellates. In conclusion, planktonic P. micans plays an important role as an ancestor of Gymnodinium, whereas C. polykrikoides appears to be used an intermediate position between P. micans and Gymnodinium based on evolution.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2003

Purpose : Nosocomial infection with Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin resistant S. aureus, has become a serious concern in the neonatal intensive care unit. The aim of this study is to investigate the virulence factors, and the relationship between the antibiotic resistance and the associated genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal cavity of neonates. Methods : Fifty one isolates of S. aureus were obtained from nasal swab taken in 28 neonates in the NICU and nursery of Pusan National University Hospital between February and May, 2001. They were tested in regard to antibiotic susceptibility, coagulase test and typing, plasmid DNA profile, as well as reactivity to enterotoxin A-E(sea, seb, sec, sed, see) genes and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1(tst) gene by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Associated genes such as mecA, mecR1, mecI, and femA were also determined by PCR. The origin of MRSA strains was assessed using DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction(AP-PCR). Results : Twenty three(45.1%) and six(11.8%) isolates were resistant to oxacillin and vancomycin respectively. Multidrug resistance to three or more of the antibiotics tested was observed in 51.0% of the isolates. Forty two isolates were coagulase positive and twenty two isolates had mecA gene. Sixteen isolates had both mecA and femA genes and had type I-III plasmids. 64.7% of isolates carried sec gene, and 80.4% carried tst gene. DNA fingerprinting by AP-PCR for 12 MRSA strains showed 10 distinct patterns, suggesting different origins. Conclusion : We confirmed that the prevalence of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus, especially vancomycin resistance, is very high in neonates who were admitted in NICU and nursery. It is possible that these pathogens are responsible for serious nosocomial infections in neonates. The need for improved surveillance and continuous control of pathogens is emphasized.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.461-467
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• 2009

A bacterial strain was screened and identified from sea sediments in Tongyeong coastal area in order to obtain proteases or peptidase cleaving C-terminal of glutamic acid. Strain TS0611, which showed the highest activity from 5 isolated protease producing strains, was selected and its properties investigated. Strain TS0611 was a gram-positive rod, $1.2\;{\mu}m$ in cell length, catalase positive, motility-positive, melanin-negative and grew at 15~$50^{\circ}C$, and hydrolyzed gelatin and casein. This strain was identified as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bacillus cereus based on results from the API system(API 50 CHB) which examined saccharides properties, fatty acid composition of cell wall, and 16S rRNA gene sequence.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.219-221
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• 2017

In 2015, white cottony tufts were observed on gametophytes of the kelp Saccharina japonica. Wet mount and histopathology examination revealed numerous fungal hyphae and mycelium around the gametophytes. The gametophytes surrounded by fungal hyphae were generally round and empty. A specific 610-bp fragment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-5.8S rDNA-ITS gene of fungi was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and the nucleotide sequence showed 100% identity with those of Acremonium sclerotigenum, Acremonium sp. and Ascomycota sp. When fungus-infected gametophytes were mixed with healthy gametophytes, a high transmission rate (100%) resulted. This is the first report of mycosis of gametophytes in Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2016

To investigate the indigenous prokaryotic species diversity in Korea, various environmental samples from diverse ecosystems were examined taxonomically. The isolated bacterial strains were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, and those exhibiting at least 98.7% sequence similarity with known bacterial species but never reported in Korea were selected as unrecorded species. As an outcome of this study, 10 unrecorded bacterial species belonging to the phylum Firmicutes were discovered from various sources such as soil, tidal flat, fresh water, sea water, kimchi and gut of Fulvia mutica. The unrecorded species were assigned to 7 different genera of 5 families, namely Bacillus and Ornithinibacillus of Bacillaceae, Exiguobacterium of Exiguobacteriaceae, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus of Paenibacillaceae, Staphylococcus of Staphylococcaceae, and Lactococcus of Streptococcaceae. The selected isolates were subjected to further taxonomic characterization including the analysis of Gram reaction, cellular and colonial morphology, biochemical activities, and phylogenetic trees. The descriptive information on the 10 unrecorded species are provided.