• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.303-309
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• 2012

Keratinases are of particular interest because of their action on insoluble keratins and generally on a broad range of protein substrates. Alkalophilic and neutrophilic actinomycete strains isolated from different soil samples, rich in keratinaceous substances were screened for keratinolytic activity. An alkalophilic isolate, TBG-S13A5, was found to possess good keratinolytic activity and was able to utilize feather as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. TBG-S13A5 exhibited an off-white aerial mass color with a rectus-flexibilis type of spore chain. The morphological, microscopical and biochemical characters were comparable with that of Streptomyces albidoflavus. Fatty acid methyl ester profiling (FAME) and 16S rDNA sequence analysis confirmed its identity as a strain of S. albidoflavus. Under submerged fermentation conditions, maximum protease production was recorded on the $5^{th}$ day of incubation at $30^{\circ}C$, using basal broth of pH 9.0 with 0.25% (w/v) white chicken feather. This strain could affect feather degradation when the initial pH was 8 and above and maximum protease production was recorded when the initial pH was around 10.5. The effectiveness of the crude enzyme in destaining and leather dehairing were also demonstrated.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2003

The hormonal requirement suiting micropropagation of Morus alba during any season throughout the year was studied. Sprouting frequency from axillary buds of M. alba was greatly influenced by the time of explant collection, the highest value was achieved when nodal explants were collected at the end of bud dormancy period (late in March) and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with low concentration (0.5 mg/L) of BAP, kinetin or IBA (85-68%). In addition, they showed higher axillary bud sprouting on growth-regulators-free medium (49%) than others collected in autumn or winter and cultured on medium supplemented with various growth regulators (47-48%). Regardless of that period, young explants with greenish buds collected in summer exhibiting high sprouting frequency (66%) on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L kinetin and 0.5 mg/L GA3. Shoot multiplication via adventitious bud formation was achieved when the nodal explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L IBA. Further multiplication via nodal explants of in vitro grown shoots was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mglL BAP and 0.5 mg/L GA3. While half strength MS medium supplemented with low concentration (0.5 mg/L) of IBA, IAA or 2,4-D stimulated adventitious root formation, IBA was the best. After transfer the plantlets to the soil, acclimatization for three weeks was essential prerequisite for survival in high frequency (92%). Peroxidase activity is related to break of bud dormancy where maximum enzyme activity was detected when the lateral buds were induced to commence growth under field condition (early in spring) or in vitro.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Fenton oxidation method using hydrogen peroxide is an eco-friendly oxidation method used in water treatment and soil restoration. When removing pollutants by this method, it is quite important to properly regulate the concentration of hydrogen peroxide according to the concentration of the contaminants. In this study, electrochemical biosensors using HRP (horseradish peroxidase) enzymes were manufactured and studies were conducted on the activity of enzymes and the detection characteristics of hydrogen peroxide. HRP were electro deposited with chitosan and AuNP on the working electrode surface of the SPCE (Screen Printed Carbon Electrode). Then, the fixation of enzymes was confirmed using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The activity of HRP enzymes was also identified from chronoamperometry (CA) and UV spectroscopy. After immersing the biosensor in PBS solution the current generated from electrodes by titrating hydrogen peroxide was measured from CA analysis. The generated current increased linearly for the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and a calibration curve was derived that could predict the concentration of hydrogen peroxide from the current.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.18-18
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• 2010

Molecular insights on the role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in potato tuberization are reported in the present study. The PGPRwere isolated from the soil collected from potato fields of Highland Agricultural Research Centre, Pyeongchang, Korea and they were identified to the genus level based on the 16S rRNA sequence analysis. These PGPR were heat-killed, filtered and the filtrates were addedindividually at a concentration of $10^7\;cfu\;mL^{-1}$ in MS (Murashige and Skoog's) medium supplemented with 7% (w/v) sucrose to study their influence on in vitro potato tuberization. Tuber initiation occurred early in untreated control, while tuber growth was pronounced in case of PGPR treatments. The control explants showed tuber formation as a result of sub-apical swelling of stolons while several sessile tubers formed directly in the axils of nodal cuttings in case of PGPR treatments, which is an indication of strong induction for tuberization. Theexplants cultured on MS medium supplemented with bacterial isolate 6 (Bacillus firmus strain 40) showed highest average tuber yield (Ca. 12.56 g per treatment) after 30 days of culture, which was 3 folds increase over the untreated control. A significant increase in lipoxygenase (LOX1) mRNA expression and activity of LOX enzyme were also detected in the tubers induced on PGPR treatments as compared to untreated control. This LOX expression level correlated with increased tuber growth and tuber yield. Further studies focused on the role of bacteria cell wall components, growth regulators and signal molecules released by PGPR are under investigation to elicit clues for PGPR-mediated signal pathway controlling potato tuberization.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.252-258
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• 2011

A bacterial strain capable of hydrolyzing xylan and locust bean gum (LBG) was isolated from farm soil by enrichment culture using mixture of palm kernel meal (PKM) and wheat bran as carbon source. Nucleotide sequence of 16S rDNA amplified from the isolate YB-1107 showed high similarity with those of genus Cellulosimicrobium strains. Xylanase productivity was increased when the Cellulosimicrobium sp. YB-1107 was grown in the presence of wheat bran or oat spelt xylan, while mannanase productivity was increased drastically when grown in the presence of PKM or LBG. Particularly, maximum mannanase and xylanase activities were obtained in the culture filtrate of media containing 0.7% PKM or 1% wheat bran, respectively. Both enzyme activities were produced at stationary growth phase. Mannanase from the culture filtrate showed the highest activity at $55^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.5. Xylanase activity was optimal at $65^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5. The predominant products resulting from the mannanase or xylanase hydrolysis were oligosaccharides for LBG or xylan, respectively. In addition, the enzymes could hydrolyze wheat bran and rice bran into oligosaccharides.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2000

Decomposition rate of organic matiter in the mud flat of Sunchon Bay was estimated. Physicochemical parameters, cellulose degradation rate. distribution of heterotrophic bacteria, and extracellular enzymatic activities were measured from August 1997 to July 1998. Soil temperatures, water contents, concentration of $PO_4$-P and organic matter were -1-~$30^{\circ}C$, 42.1-53.1%, 0.0779-0.1961 mgig and 1.99-7.64%, respectively. Decomposition rate of cellulose film ranged from 7.7 to 100%imonth, high in summer and low in winter. The number of heterotrophic bacteria ranged from $0.87{\times}10^6 to 3.6{\times}10^7 $CUFsIg dq soil. Enzymatic activities of phosphatase, $\alpha$-D-gluEosidase, $\beta$-D-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase, which were measured as decomposition rate of methylumbelliferyl(MLiF)-substrate, were 152.23-1779.80 nMIhr, 2.67-202.18 nM/hr, 5.03-258.26 M h r and 3.42-63.07 nM/hr, respectively Cellulose degradaaon rate and extracellular extracellular enzymatic activities were conelated with each other, and showed high correlation coefticiency with soil temperature.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2005

Enterobacter intermedium oxidizes glucose to gluconic acid and sequentially converts gluconic acid to 2-ketogluconic acid (2-KGA) under aerobic condition. Shaking incubation of E. intermedium in a broth medium containing 22.5 g glucose, 8.2 g gluconic acid and 40 g rock phosphate per liter resulted in $1028mg\;L^{-1}$ soluble phosphate. The culture broth was used as phosphate bio-fertilizer (PBF) in this experiment. To evaluate PBF produced by E. intermedium on lettuce growth, five treatments (PBF1/3, PBF2/3, PBF3/3, BP, and MF) were used. In MF and BP treatments, $P_2O_5$ 5.9 kg of mineral fertilizer per 10a was added, while in PBF1/3, PBF2/3, and PBF3/3 treatments, culture broth containing one third, two third, and same amount of soluble $P_2O_5$ 5.9 kg per 10a was applied, respectively. At 20, 35, and 50 days after transplanting of lettuce, plant growth components, biomass, enzyme activities and soil chemical properties were analyzed. Dehydrogenase activity and available phosphate concentration of rhizosphere in phosphate bio fertilizer treatments (PBF1/3, PBF2/3, PBF3/3) were generally higher compared to MF and BP treatments. Soil biomass in PBF3/3 treatment was significantly higher than MF and BP treatments at early growth stage. However, there was no significant difference among all treatments with time. Plant fresh weights in PBF1/3, PBF2/3, and MF treatments were better than those in BP and PBF3/3 treatments. However, in PBF2/3 treatment the highest fresh weight was discovered where alkaline phosphatase activity was generally higher than other treatments at 35 and 50 days. Enhancement of lettuce growth at 35 and 50 days in PBF2/3 treatment was associated with greater phosphate uptake in lettuce tissue. As regarding all results, PBF showed better lettuce growth compared to mineral phosphate fertilizer where PBF2/3 treatment resulted in increase of lettuce fresh weight by 23% and phosphate uptake by 50%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2012

A 990 bp full-length gene (xynAHJ2) encoding a 329-residue polypeptide (XynAHJ2) with a calculated mass of 38.4 kDa was cloned from Bacillus sp. HJ2 harbored in a saline soil. XynAHJ2 showed no signal peptide, distinct amino acid stretches of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 intracellular endoxylanases, and the highest amino acid sequence identity of 65.3% with the identified GH 10 intracellular mesophilic endoxylanase iM-KRICT PX1-Ps from Paenibacillus sp. HPL-001 (ACJ06666). The recombinant enzyme (rXynAHJ2) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzyme (exhibiting optimum activity at $35^{\circ}C$, 62% at $20^{\circ}C$, and 38% at $10^{\circ}C$; thermolability at ${\geq}45^{\circ}C$). Compared with the reported GH 10 low-temperature-active endoxylanases, which are all extracellular, rXynAHJ2 showed low amino acid sequence identities (<45%), low homology (different phylogenetic cluster), and difference of structure (decreased amount of total accessible surface area and exposed nonpolar accessible surface area). Compared with the reported GH 10 intracellular endoxylanases, which are all mesophilic and thermophilic, rXynAHJ2 has decreased numbers of arginine residues and salt bridges, and showed resistance to $Ni^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, or EDTA at 10 mM final concentration. The above mechanism of structural adaptation for low-temperature activity of intracellular endoxylanase rXynAHJ2 is different from that of GH 10 extracellular low-temperature-active endoxylanases. This is the first report of the molecular and biochemical characterizations of a novel intracellular low-temperature-active xylanase.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.603-613
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• 2019

This study was carried out to examine the antagonistic effect against phytopathogenic fungi of isolated strains from soil samples collected from Busan, Changwon, and Jeju Island: Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, Corynespora cassiicola, Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora capsici, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. According to results of our studies, isolated strains showed an antagonistic effect against phytopathogenic fungi. Such an antagonistic effect against phytopathogenic fungi is seen due to the production of siderophores, antibiotic substances, and extracellular amylase, cellulase, protease, and xylanase enzyme activities. Extracellular enzymes produced by isolated strains were significant, given that they inhibited the growth of phytopathogenic fungi by causing bacteriolysis of the cell wall of plant pathogenic fungi. This is essential to break down the cell wall of plant pathogenic fungi and thus help plant growth by converting macromolecules, which cannot be used by the plant for growth, into small molecules. In addition, they are putative candidates as biological agents to promote plant growth and inhibit growth of phytopathogenic fungi through nitrogen fixation, indole-3-acetic acid production, siderophore production, and extracellular enzyme activity. Therefore, this study suggests the possibility of using Bacillus subtilis ANGa5, Bacillus aerius ANGa25, and Bacillus methylotrophicus ANGa27 as new biological agents, and it is considered that further studies are necessary to prove their effect as novel biological agents by standardization of formulation and optimization of selected effective microorganisms, determination of their preservation period, and crop cultivation tests.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.91-97
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• 1976

During the course of studies on the production and utilization of thermostable ${\alpha}$-amylase from a thormophilic actinomycete species isolated from soil, partial characterization of the ${\alpha}$-amylase has been (arried out. The optimum pH for the dextrinogenic activity of the enzyme was found to be 6.5 and the maximum reaction rate was achieved at a temperature range of 55$^{\circ}$ to 65$^{\circ}C$. Calcium ion was recognized to have a slight effect in activating the enzyme, while heavy metal salts especially ferrous and cupric ions showed a remarkable inhibition effect. The enzyme was best protected iron thermal denaturation at pH 8.0 with tris-HCI buffer；inactivation was rapid at higher or lower pH values. Furthermore, its thermal stability was greatly increased by calcium ion, particulary at the final concentration of 1${\times}$10$\^$－2/ mole in the reaction mixture. The Km value for the ${\alpha}$-amylase was calculated to be 2.17${\times}$10$\^$－4/g per $m\ell$ and the energy of activation for the dextrinogenic reaction to be 12,000${\pm}$580 ㎈ per mole.