• 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.35 no.4
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• pp.325-333
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• 2007

One bacterium with high proteinase production and spore-forming ability was isolated from korean traditional soybean paste(doenjang). The isolated strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis, based on gram-staining, biochemical properties and l6S rRNA gene sequencing, and designated as B. subtilis DJI. Its growth rate was very fast, and it reached its stationary phase within 9 h, and then started to form spores. Bacterial-koji and doenjang were prepared using B. subtilis DJI. Chemical components of the doenjang were determined after 2 months of aging period: amino nitrogen 507 mg%, crude protein 14.3%, crude fat 4.8% and water 54.9%. The composition of total and free amino acids and their ratios of doenjang were changed during the aging period. Among total amino acids in DJI doenjang, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine and arginine were the major amino acids. The fibrinolytic activities of DJI doenjang and traditional doenjangs were 909.7 units/ml and $363.3{\sim}618.6\;units/ml$, respectively. Flavor compounds of DJI doenjang and traditional doenjang were extracted by SDE(simultaneous steam distillation and extraction), and analyzed by GC/MS; DJI doenjang possessed the typically favorable flavor compounds in traditional korean doenjang, with reduced off-flavor compounds.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2016

The cause of death was investigated with several dead cabbage moth larvae in breeding box. Bacterial strains were isolated and selected from the dead larvae by bioassay. One of them was identified as Serratia marcescens used by morphological characteristics and gene sequencing. S. marcescens were cultured by Luria Bertani (LB) media broth for bioassay. When 100-fold dilution of culture broth to third larvae of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, it was showed a 100% mortality at 2 days after treatment, and only 10-fold dilution of supernatant liquid was showed 86.6% mortality. When the culture broth of S. marcescens was applied to the larvae of beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, contact and feeding toxicity were 20 and 8% of mortality, respectively. Otherwise, when the culture broth of S. marcescens was applied to 5 major plant pathogens, antibacterial activities against Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Phytophthora capsici and Sclerotinias clerotiorum were 4.7, 11.3, 20, 15.7 and 42.6%, respectively. Also, degradation ability of S. marcescens against protein and chitin were examined.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.399-404
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• 2010

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chicken lysozyme (LYZ) gene were investigated in this study. The identification of SNPs in both exon and intron in LYZ gene has led to understanding of evolution for the domestic chicken populations. A total of 24 samples from two Korean native commercial chicken populations (CCPs) were used for the initial identification of SNPs by mixing three DNA samples for sequencing experiments. By comparing with red jungle fowl (RJF), two commercial chicken populations have 18 common polymorphisms. Between two commercial chicken populations, 15 polymorphisms were identified. Of the 33 polymorphisms identified, two indels (21 and 4 bp) were found. Whereas, only one polymorphism in exon 2 at the bp position 1426 was a non-synonymous substitution (p.Ala49Val), indicating the amino acid changes. The identified non-synonymous substitution (p.Ala49Val) is located close to the catalytic sites of the enzyme, which might affect its activity. In our investigation, the polymorphisms in LYZ gene can provide broad ideas for the variation of Korean native chicken populations from the ancestor of chicken breeds as well as the some biological functions of the LYZ gene.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2013

Lactic acid bacteria are microorganisms that are closely associated with human and/or animal environments, and are categorized as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) organisms due to their ubiquitous appearance in foods and their contribution to the healthy microflora of mucosal surfaces. This study was performed to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria with antagonistic effects against food-borne pathogens. A total of 3,000 acid-producing bacteria were isolated from infant feces, cattle feces, goat feces, dog feces, pig feces, vaginal tracts, vegetables, fruits, Kimchi, Jeotgal, fermented sausages, raw milk, cheese, yogurt, Cheonggukjang, Meju, and Makgeolli cultured on MRS agar with 0.05% bromocresol purple. For the isolation of bacteriocin-producing bacteria, the diameter of the clear zone was measured on MRS agar plates. Twenty-six isolates exhibited strong antibacterial activity against indicator strains such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Lactic acid bacteria were identified as Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus hirae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Pediococcus acidilactici by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. The results of this study suggest that the isolates could be used as potential probiotic starters for functional food applications.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.194-202
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• 2003

To isolate alga-lytic bacteria, a number of samples were collected from Lake of Sukchon and Pal'tang reservoir where cyanobacteria blooming occurred. HY0210-AK1, which exhibited high alga-lytic activity, was isolated using Anabaena cylindrica lawn. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of the isolate HY0210-AK1 were very similar to that of the genus Rhizobium. Taxonomic identification including 16S rDNA base sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate Hy0210-AK1 had a 99.1% homology in its 16S rDNA babe sequence with Sphingobium herbicidovorans. A. cylindrica NIES-19 was susceptible to the alga-lytic bacterial attack. The growth-inhibiting offset of the bacterium was not different on A. cylindrica NIES-19 when Sphingobium herbicidovorans HY0210-AK1 was in the lag, exponential, and stationary growth phase, although the alga-Iytic effect of S. herbici-dovorans HY0210-AK1 that in stationary growth phase was somewhat pronounced at the first time of inoculation. When S. herbicidovorans HY0210-AK1 was inoculated was inoculated with $1\times 10^{8}$ CFU $ml^{-1}$ together with A cylindrica NIES-19, the bacterium proliferated and caused algal lysis. A. cylindrica NIES-19 died when S. herbicidovorans HY0210 AKl was added to the algal culture but not when duly the filtrates from the bacterial culture was added. This suggests that extracellular substances are not responsible for inhibition of A. cylindrica NIES-19 and that algal Iysis largely attributed to direct interaction between S. herbicidovorans HY0210-AK1 and A. cylindrica NIES-19. The alga-lytic bacterium HY0210-AK1 caused cell lysis and death of three strain of Micro-cystis aeruginosa, but revealed no alga-Iytic effects on the Stephanodiscus hantzschii.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2020

Red pepper, one of the major economic crops in Korea, is being affected by anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. To control this disease, an antagonistic bacterial strain, Bacillus subtilis YGB36 identified by 16S rDNA sequencing, physiological and biochemical analyses is used as a biological control agent. In vitro screening revealed that the strain YGB36 possess strong antifungal activity against the pathogen Cylindrocarpon destructans. The strain exhibited cellulase, protease, amylase, siderophore production and phosphate solubility. In vitro conidial germination of C. acutatum was most drastically inhibited by YGB36 cell suspensions (10⁶ cfu/ml) or culture filtrate. Development of anthracnose symptoms was reduced on detached immature green pepper fruits by treatment with cell suspensions, and its control value was recorded as 65.7%. The YGB36 bacterial suspension treatment enhanced the germination rate of red pepper seeds and promoted root development and growth under greenhouse conditions. The in vitro screening of fungicide and insecticide sensitivity test against YGB36 revealed that the bacterial growth was not affected by any of the insecticides, and 11 fungicides out of 21 used. Collectively, our results clearly suggest that the strain YGB36 is considered as one of the potential biocontrol agents against anthracnose disease in red pepper.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.952-959
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• 2011

A new bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which has been isolated from kimchi was identified as Pediococcus damnosus by use of API kit and 16S rDNA sequencing, and designated as P. damnosus JNU 534. The bacteriocin produced by P. damnosus JNU 534 markedly inhibited the growth of some of LAB and Listeria monocytogenes, whereas other pathogens including Gram negative bacteria were not susceptible. The production of bacteriocin started at the beginning of exponential phase and reached maximum activity at the early stationary phase. The bacteriocin was stable on the wide pH range of 2-9 and heat treatment up to $100^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The antimicrobial compound was inactivated by treatments of proteolytic enzymes indicating its proteinaceous in nature. The bacteriocin was purified by 30% ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by hydrophobic interaction column and $C_{18}$ column chromatography. The estimated molecular weight of the bacteriocin using tricine SDS-PAGE was approximately 3.4 kDa and the identified N-terminal amino acid sequence was $NH_2$-ILLEELNV.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2153-2158
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• 2014

Beclin 1 is a key factor for initiation and regulation of autophagy, which is a cellular catabolic process involved in tumorigenesis. To investigate the role of alternative splicing of Beclin1 in the regulation of autophagy in leukemia cells, Beclin1 mRNA from 6 different types of cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 2 healthy volunteers was reversely transcribed, subcloned, and screened for alternative splicing. New transcript variants were analyzed by DNA sequencing. A transcript variant of Beclin 1 gene carrying a deletion of exon 11, which encoded a C-terminal truncation of Beclin 1 isoform, was found. The alternative isoform was assessed by bioinformatics, immunoblotting and subcellular localization. The results showed that this variable transcript is generated by alternative 3' splicing, and its translational product displayed a reduced activity in induction of autophagy by starvation, indicating that the spliced isoform might function as a dominant negative modulator of autophagy. Our findings suggest that the alternative splicing of Beclin 1 might play important roles in leukemogenesis regulated by autophagy.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.545-551
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• 2003

A cDNA of bovine brain glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was isolated from a cDNA library by recombinant PCR. The isolated cDNA has an open-reading frame of 1677 nucleotides, which codes for 559 amino acids. The expression of the recombinant bovine brain GDH enzyme was achieved in E. coli. BL21 (DE3) by using the pET-15b expression vector containing a T7 promoter. The recombinant GDH protein was also purified and characterized. The amino acid sequence was found 90% homologous to the human GDH. The molecular mass of the expressed GDH enzyme was estimated as 50 kDa by SDS-PAGE and Western blot using monoclonal antibodies against bovine brain GDH. The kinetic parameters of the expressed recombinant GDH enzymes were quite similar to those of the purified bovine brain GDH. The $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values for $NAD^+$ were 0.1 mM and $1.08\;{\mu}mol/min/mg$, respectively. The catalytic activities of the recombinant GDH enzymes were inhibited by ATP in a concentration-dependent manner over the range of 10 - $100\;{\mu}M$, whereas, ADP increased the enzyme activity up to 2.3-fold. These results indicate that the recombinant-expressed bovine brain GDH that is produced has biochemical properties that are very similar to those of the purified GDH enzyme.