• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2017

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect cattle material from processed meat products. Seventy-eight different commercial processed meat products were purchased from several big food marts. Among them, 17 products contained cattle material (10 samples contained only cattle, 5 samples mixed with cattle and porcine, 2 samples mixed with cattle, porcine and chicken). The genomic DNA was extracted directly from the processed meat products, and strain-specific primer targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA mitochondrial gene was used. All PCR products were cloned into the pGEM-T easy vector and sequenced. Consequently, the PCR products were amplified from 10 processed meat products, which contained only cattle material in our conditions. Furthermore, PCR reactions showed the same results at mixed samples. The DNA sequence obtained from pGEM-T easy/PCR products showed more than 95% identity with Bos taurus 16S rRNA gene using homology analysis. In conclusion, we suggest that the method using PCR, as performed in this study, could be useful in detecting cattle material in processed meat products. Moreover, our system could be applicable in inspection procedures to improve the verification of correct labeling for import and export processed meat products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1823-1833
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• 2018

Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is a common and popular method used to investigate microbial communities in natural and engineered environments. In this study, two specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, CLZ and KCLZ, were designed and verified to quantify the genus Clostridium and the species Clostridium kluyveri. The optimal concentration of hybridization buffer solution for both probes was 30% (w/v). The specificity of the designed probes was high due to the use of pellets from pure reference strains. Feasibility was tested using samples of Chinese liquor from the famed Luzhou manufacturing cellar. The effectiveness of detecting target cells appears to vary widely in different environments. In pit mud, the detection effectiveness of the target cell by probes CLZ and KCLZ was 49.11% and 32.14%, respectively. Quantitative analysis by FISH technique of microbes in pit mud and fermented grains showed consistency with the results detected by qPCR and PCR-DGGE techniques, which showed that the probes CLZ and KCLZ were suitable to analyze the biomass of Clostridium spp. and C. kluyveri during liquor fermentation. Therefore, this study provides a method for quantitative analysis of Clostridium spp. and C. kluyveri and monitoring their community dynamics in microecosystems.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.586-593
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• 2016

A new methanogen was isolated from an anaerobic digester using pig slurry in South Korea. Only one strain, designated KOR-1, was characterized in detail. Cells of KOR-1 were straight or crooked rods, non-motile, 5 to $15{\mu}m$ long and $0.7{\mu}m$ wide. They stained Gram-positive and produced methane from $H_2+CO_2$ and formate. Strain KOR-1 grew optimally at $38^{\circ}C$. The optimum pH for growth was 7.0. The strain grew at 0.5% to 3.0% NaCl, with optimum growth at 2.5% NaCl. The G+C content of genomic DNA of strain KOR-1 was 41 mol%. The strain tolerated ampicillin, penicillin G, kanamycin and streptomycin but tetracycline inhibited cell growth. A large fragment of the 16S rRNA gene (~1,350 bp) was obtained from the isolate and sequenced. Comparison of 16S rRNA genes revealed that strain KOR-1 is related to Methanobacterium formicicum (98%, sequence similarity), Methanobacterium bryantii (95%) and Methanobacterium ivanovii (93%). Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced mcrA gene sequences confirmed the closest relative as based on mcrA gene sequence analysis was Methanobacterium formicicum strain (97% nucleic acid sequence identity). On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic characteristics, strain KOR-1 is proposed as a new strain within the genus Methanobacterium, Methanobacterium formicicum KOR-1.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1318-1331
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• 2018

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a major ingredient used in many food recipes in South Korea. Lettuce samples were collected during their maximum production period between April and July in order to investigate the microbiota of lettuce during different seasons. 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing was conducted using Illumina MiSeq, and real-time PCR was performed for quantification. The number of total bacterial was greater in lettuce collected in July than in that collected in April, albeit with reduced diversity. The bacterial compositions varied according to the site and season of sample collection. Potential pathogenic species such as Bacillus spp., Enterococcus casseliflavus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed season-specific differences. Results of the network co-occurrence analysis with core genera correlations showed characteristics of bacterial species in lettuce, and provided clues regarding the role of different microbes, including potential pathogens, in this microbiota. Although further studies are needed to determine the specific effects of regional and seasonal characteristics on the lettuce microbiota, our results imply that the 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing approach can be used to detect pathogenic bacteria in lettuce.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1670-1680
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• 2017

Lignocellulose, composed mostly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin generated through secondary growth of woody plant, is considered as promising resources for biofuel. In order to use lignocellulose as a biofuel, biodegradation besides high-cost chemical treatments were applied, but knowledge on the decomposition of lignocellulose occurring in a natural environment is insufficient. We analyzed the 16S rRNA gene and metagenome to understand how the lignocellulose is decomposed naturally in decayed Torreya nucifera (L) of Bija forest (Bijarim) in Gotjawal, an ecologically distinct environment. A total of 464,360 reads were obtained from 16S rRNA gene sequencing, representing diverse phyla; Proteobacteria (51%), Bacteroidetes (11%) and Actinobacteria (10%). The metagenome analysis using single molecules real-time sequencing revealed that the assembled contigs determined originated from Proteobacteria (58%) and Actinobacteria (10.3%). Carbohydrate Active enZYmes (CAZy)- and Protein families (Pfam)-based analysis showed that Proteobacteria was involved in degrading whole lignocellulose, and Actinobacteria played a role only in a part of hemicellulose degradation. Combining these results, it suggested that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria had selective biodegradation potential for different lignocellulose substrates. Thus, it is considered that understanding of the systemic microbial degradation pathways may be a useful strategy for recycle of lignocellulosic biomass, and the microbial enzymes in Bija forest can be useful natural resources in industrial processes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1162-1169
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• 2023

16S rRNA short amplicon sequencing-based microbiota profiling has been thought of and suggested as a feasible method to assess food safety. However, even if a comprehensive microbial information can be obtained by microbiota profiling, it would not be necessarily sufficient for all circumstances. To prove this, the feasibility of the most widely used V3-V4 amplicon sequencing method for food safety assessment was examined here. We designed a pathogen (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) contamination and/or V. parahaemolyticus-specific phage treatment model of raw oysters under improper storage temperature and monitored their microbial structure changes. The samples stored at refrigerator temperature (negative control, NC) and those that were stored at room temperature without any treatment (no treatment, NT) were included as control groups. The profiling results revealed that no statistical difference exists between the NT group and the pathogen spiked- and/or phage treated-groups even when the bacterial composition was compared at the possible lowest-rank taxa, family/genus level. In the beta-diversity analysis, all the samples except the NC group formed one distinct cluster. Notably, the samples with pathogen and/or phage addition did not form each cluster even though the enumerated number of V. parahaemolyticus in those samples were extremely different. These discrepant results indicate that the feasibility of 16S rRNA short amplicon sequencing should not be overgeneralized in microbiological safety assessment of food samples, such as raw oyster.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2017

At the present, fish farms are suffering a lot of economic losses due to infectious diseases caused by various pathogens including aeromonad. Aeromonad is ubiquitous bacteria that causes infectious diseases. At least 26 species in the genus Aeromonas have been reported to cause fatal infections not only in salmonid fishes, but also in other freshwater and seawater fishes. Molecular techniques based on nucleic acid sequences of 16S rDNA and housekeeping genes can be used to identify the Aeromonas species. In this study, The genus Aeromonas was isolated from salmonid fishes of sixteen fish farms in Gangwon-Do, Korea and phylogenetically identified based on the sequences of 16S rDNA and housekeeping genes for Aeromonad, i.e. RNA polymerase sigma factor ${\sigma}^{70}$ (rpoD) or DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB). Consequently, 96 strains were collected from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), masou salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and 36 isolates were identified as the genus Aeromonas by 16S rDNA analysis. Thirty six Aeromonad isolates were further analysed based on rpoD or gyrB gene sequences and found Aeromonas salmonicida (24 isolates), A. sobria (10 isolates), A. media (1 isolates) and A. popoffii (1 isolates), indicating that A. salmonicida is a main infectious bacteria in Salmonid fishes in Gangwon-Do. It was also proved that the phylogenetic identification of Aeromonas species based on the sequences of housekeeping gene is more precise than the 16S rDNA sequence.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.512-521
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• 2016

A bacterial strain was isolated from a soil sample collected on Jeju Island, Korea. The strain, designated WJ-2, exhibited a high xylanase activity, whereas cellulase activity was not detected. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of WJ-2 was highly similar to type strains of the genus Streptomyces. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain WJ-2 is phylogenetically related to Streptomyces atrovirens. Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization analysis confirmed that strain WJ-2 is a novel subspecies of Streptomyces atrovirens. The genomic DNA G+C content was 73.98 mol% and the major fatty acid present was anteiso-C15:0 (36.19%). The growth and xylanase production of strain WJ-2 were significantly enhanced by using soytone and xylan as nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. Crude enzyme preparations from the culture broth of strain WJ-2 exhibited maximal total xylanase activities at pH 7.0 and $55^{\circ}C$. Thin-layer chromatography analysis revealed that the crude enzyme degrades beechwood xylan to yield xylobiose and xylotriose as the principal hydrolyzed end products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.535-541
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• 2017

Two Gram-staining-negative, red-pinkish, coccus-shaped, non-motile, and aerobic bacterial strains, designated $Ant21^T$ and Ant22, were isolated from the Antarctic coastal sea water. Strains $Ant21^T$ and Ant22 showed UVC and gamma radiation resistance. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences determined that these strains belong to the genus Deinococcus. Through the analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strains $Ant21^T$ and Ant22 were found to have 97.7% and 97.8% similarity to Deinococcus marmoris DSM $12784^T$ and 97.0% and 97.2% similarity to Deinococcus saxicola AA-$1444^T$, respectively. The sequence similarity with the type strains of other Deinococcus species was less than 96.9% for both strains. Strains $Ant21^T$ and Ant22 shared relatively high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.3%) and had a closely related DNA reassociation value of $84{\pm}0.5%$. Meanwhile, they showed a low level of DNA-DNA hybridization (<30%) with other closely related species of the genus Deinococcus. The two strains also showed typical chemotaxonomic features for the genus Deinococcus, in terms of the major polar lipid (phosphoglycolipid) and the major fatty acids ($C_{16:0}$, $C_{16:1}$ ${\omega}6c/{\omega}7c$, $iso-C_{17:0}$, and $iso-C_{15:0}$). They grew at temperatures between $4^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ and at pH values of 6.0-8.0. Based on the physiological characteristics, the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis results, and the low DNA-DNA reassociation level with Deionococcus marmoris, strains $Ant21^T$ ($=KEMB\;9004-167^T$ $=JCM\;31436^T$) and Ant22 (KEMB 9004-168 =JCM 31437) represent novel species belonging to the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus rubrus is proposed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the diversity of the Butyrivibrio group bacteria in goat rumen and its response to garlic oil (GO) supplementation as revealed by molecular analysis of cloned 16S rRNA genes. Six wethers fitted with ruminal fistulas were assigned to two groups for a cross-over design with 28-d experimental period and 14-d interval. Goats were fed a basal diet without (control) or with GO ruminal infusion (0.8 g/d). Ruminal contents were used for DNA extraction collected before morning feeding on d 28. A total bacterial clone library was firstly constructed by nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene cloned sequences using universal primers. The resulting plasmids selected by Butyrivibrio-specific primers were used to construct a Butyrivibrio group-specific bacterial clone library. Butyrivibrio group represented 12.98% and 10.95% of total bacteria in control and GO group, respectively. In libraries, clones were classified to the genus Pseudobutyrivibrio, Butyrivibrio and others within the family Lachnospiraceae. Additionally, some specific clones were observed in GO group, being classified to the genus Ruminococcus and others within the family Ruminococcaceae. Based on the criterion that the similarity was 97% or greater with database sequences, there were 29.73% and 18.42% of clones identified as known isolates (i.e. B. proteoclasticus and Ps. ruminis) in control and GO groups, respectively. Further clones identified as B. fibrisolvens (5.41%) and R. flavefaciens (7.89%) were specifically found in control and GO groups, respectively. The majority of clones resembled Ps. ruminis (98% to 99% similarity), except for Lachnospiraceae bacteria (87% to 92% similarity) in the two libraries. The two clone libraries also appeared different in Shannon diversity index (control 2.47 and GO group 2.91). Our results indicated that the Butyrivibrio group bacteria had a complex community with considerable unknown species in the goat rumen.