• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.206-216
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• 2006

In this study, we have attempted to characterize the functions of YlaC and YlaD encoded by ylaC and ylaD genes in Bacillus subtilis. The GUS reporter gene, driven by the yla operon promoter, was expressed primarily during the late exponential and early stationary phase, and its expression increased as the result of hydrogen peroxide treatment. Northern and Western blot analyses revealed that the level of ylaC transcripts and YlaC increased as the result of challenge with hydrogen peroxide. A YlaC-overexpressing strain evidenced hydrogen peroxide resistance and a three-fold higher peroxidase activity as compared with a deletion mutant. YlaC-overexpressing and YlaD-disrupted strains evidenced higher sporulation rates than were observed in the YlaC-disrupted and YlaD-overexpressing strains. Analyses of the results of native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of recombinant YlaC and YlaD indicated that interaction between YlaC and YlaD was regulated by the redox state of YlaD in vitro. Collectively, the results of this study appear to suggest that YlaC regulated by the YlaD redox state, contribute to oxidative stress resistance in B. subtilis.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.183-186
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• 2004

Recently, we have developed an easy, simple and convenient circular DNA cloning system named plasmid capture system (PCS). To investigate usefulness of PCS in cloning of plasmids from Bacillus thuringiensis strains, PCS donors, pPCS-S and pPCS-L were applied to clone plasmids of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis by in vitro transposition using 4{TnsABC^*}$ transposase. In result, 3 small plasmids were cloned, and these were consistent with pTX14-1, pTX14-2 and pTX14-3 reported previously from B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. Therefore, the PCS can be successfully applied to clone small plasmids from B. thuringiensis strains.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.486-497
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• 2019

Citrus canker is a devastating disease of citrus caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc). A total of 134 endophytic bacteria were isolated from various gymnospermic and angiospermic plants. They were screened for their antagonistic activities against three wild-type and six streptomycin-resistant Xcc strains. TbL-22 and TbL-26, both later identified as Bacillus thuringiensis, inhibited all the wild and resistant Xcc strains. TbL-22 exerted the highest antagonistic activity against XccW3 and XccM6 with inhibition zones of $20.64{\pm}0.69$ and $19.91{\pm}0.87mm$, respectively. Similarly ethyl acetate extract of TbL-22 showed highest inhibition zones $15.31{\pm}2.08$ and $19.37{\pm}3.17mm$ against XccW3 and XccM6, respectively. TbL-22 reduced canker incidence on infected leaves by 64.05% relative to positive controls. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cell membranes of Xcc treated with ethyl acetate extract of TbL-22 were ruptured, lysed, and swollen. B. thuringiensis TbL-22 can effectively and sustainably controls streptomycin-resistant citrus canker.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.307-314
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• 2021

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important agricultural crop worldwide. Recently, Colletotrichum scovillei, a member of the C. acutatum species complex, was reported to be the dominant pathogen causing pepper anthracnose disease in South Korea. In the present study, we isolated bacterial strains from rhizosphere soil in a pepper field in Gangwon Province, Korea, and assessed their antifungal ability against C. scovillei strain KC05. Among these strains, a strain named BS1 significantly inhibited mycelial growth, appressorium formation, and disease development of C. scovillei. By combined sequence analysis using 16S rRNA and partial gyrA sequences, strain BS1 was identified as Bacillus velezensis, a member of the B. subtilis species complex. BS1 produced hydrolytic enzymes (cellulase and protease) and iron-chelating siderophores. It also promoted chili pepper (cv. Nockwang) seedling growth compared with untreated plants. The study concluded that B. velezensis BS1 has good potential as a biocontrol agent of anthracnose disease in chili pepper caused by C. scovillei.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.490-502
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• 2022

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and it is among the most destructive pathogen responsible for severe yield losses. Potential bacterial biocontrol agents (BCAs) with plant growth promotion (PGP) abilities can be applied to better manage the BLB disease and increase crop yield, compared to current conventional practices. Thus, this study aimed to isolate, screen, and identify potential BCAs with PGP abilities. Isolation of the BCAs was performed from internal plant tissues and rhizosphere soil of healthy and Xoo-infected rice. A total of 18 bacterial strains were successfully screened for in vitro antagonistic ability against Xoo, siderophore production and PGP potentials. Among the bacterial strains, 3 endophytes, Bacillus sp. strain USML8, Bacillus sp. strain USML9, and Bacillus sp. strain USMR1 which were isolated from diseased plants harbored the BCA traits and significantly reduced leaf blight severity of rice. Simultaneously, the endophytic BCAs also possessed plant growth promoting traits and were able to enhance rice growth. Application of the selected endophytes (BCAs-PGP) at the early growth stage of rice exhibited potential in suppressing BLB disease and promoting rice growth.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.154-158
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• 2013

The unnatural dead body refers to a corpse which is suspicious of unusual death and the dead case has been occurred more than 20 thousands times every year during the recent five years and most of them are found decayed. Police Scientific Investigators investigate unnatural dead bodies and its surroundings in all-around way and determine whether the death is involved with a crime, and most of the Scientific Investigators are exposed to a danger to get infected with pathogenic bacteria which are generated during the decaying process of dead body and are mostly to cause serious injuries on human beings. In line with the fact, the present study conducted a bacterial analysis by collecting excretions from 60 dead bodies and culturing the bacteria to evaluate infection risk of the police agents. The study cultured bacteria from 60 bodies and classified pathogenic bacteria of 108 strains, and its main bacteria are found to be them (; Acinetobacter baumannii 20 strains (19%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 19 strains (18%), E. coli 18 strains (17%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 11 strains (10%), Proteus mirabillis 10 strains (9%), Enterococcus faecium 10 strains (9%), Staphylococcus aureus 9 strains (8%), Bacillus spp. 5 strains (5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae 3 strains (3%), Candida albicans 2 strains (2%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis 1 strains (1%)). The study results are expected to be used as educational data for preventing the Police Scientific Investigator from infections with bacteria or as a minimum data for improving work environment of the agents.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1998

The cryIB, truncated cryIB$[cryIB({\alpha})]$, cryIA(b), and cytA genes, encoding 135-, 89-, 131-, and 27-kDa proteins, respectively, from Bacillus thuringiensis were cloned into a shuttle vector pBES and expressed in E. coli and Bacillus species. The morphology and solubility in alkaline buffer of the insecticidal crystal proteins were investigated. Transformation of intact cells of E. coli and Bacillus species was achieved by electroporation. High field strength of 11.0 kV/cm and resistance of 129 ohms were required for efficient transformation of E. coli strains and 4.5 kV/cm and 48 ohms for Bacillus species. Strains of recombinant E. coli and Bacillus species produced the insecticidal crystal proteins and accumulated as the same bipyramidal and irregular structures as those of CryIB and IA(b) and CytA of B. thuringiensls, respectively. The insecticidal crystal proteins accumulated in recombinant E. coli wire smaller in size than those in recombinant Bacillus species. The solubility in alkaline buffer of the insecticidal crystal proteins of recombinant E. coli increased gradually as the pH increased, whereas in the case of Bacillus species the solubility increased gradually as the pH increased up to 9 and then the solubility increased greatly up to two times higher than that of E. coli proteins.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2018

At high salt concentration, glycine betaine is transported into Bacillus subtilis and growing rate of the cell is not suppressed. Also according to recent studies, cell growth is maintained normal growth rate at low temperature. Low temperature results in a stress response of Bacillus subtilis that is characterized by strong repression of major metabolic activities such as translation machinery and membrane transport. In this regards, genes showing cold sensitive phenotype are cold-induced DEAD box RNA helicases (ydbR, yqfR) and fatty acid desaturases (bkdR, des). Therefore to understand the effect of glycine betaine on cold growth of Bacillus subtilis, we investigated the effect of glycine betaine on growth rate of these deletion mutants showing cold sensitive phenotype. Glycine betaine strongly stimulated growth of wild type Bacillus subtilis JH642 and deletion mutants of ydbR and yqfR at $20^{\circ}C$ (190~686 min $T_d$ difference). On the other hands, glycine betaine does not show growth promoting effects on deletion mutants of bkdR, and des at cold conditions. Same cold protectant growth results were shown with the precursor choline instead of glycine betaine. We investigated the effects of detergents on the cell membrane in bkdR and des deficient strains associated with cell membrane. It was identified that bkdR deficient strain shows retarded growth with detergent such as Triton X-100 or N-lauryl sarcosine compared with wild type cell. Thus, it is possible that deletion mutation of bkdR modifies membrane structure and effects on transport of glycine betaine.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 1995

Using the alkalophillic Bacillus sp. SH-8 and its mutant Bacillus sp. SH-8M capable of growing at the neutral pH, the amino acid compositions of the cell wall and cell membrane were studied at varying cultivation pH's. The pattem of protein electrophoresis was also tested. It was elucidated that the amino acids consisting of the cell wall were alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, aspartic acid, and meso-diaminopimelic acid. There was not any significant difference in the amino acid compositqon betweeo`two straqns regardless of the culture pH. As the results of HPLC ssay, glutamic acid and aspartic aciu accounted for more than 50% in the amqno acid composytqon of the cell wall. By the isolatqon of the crude cell membrane and the SDS-PAGE analysis, it was found that there was a considerable difference qn the protein pattern when the straqns were cultured at the neutral pH. In addition, by the two dimensional gel electrophoresis, it was confirmed that there was a difference in the protein patterns between two strains cultivated at the neutral pH medium but no difference at the alkaline medium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 2002

Bacillus subtilis CAU131 (KCCM 10257) isolated from a fermented shrimp product produces subtilein, tentatively named as a bacteriocin, which exhibited a bactericidal effect against closely related species such as Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, and several other strains of Bacillus sp. The purification of the subtilein was achieved by applying a mono-Q anion exchange chromatography on FPLC and $C_18$ reverse-phase chromatography on HPLC. After purification, specific activity of subtilein was increased about 3,000-fold compared with culture broth and its molecular mass was about 5,000 Da on SDS-PAGE. The antimicrobial activity of subtilein was well maintained at acidic and neutral pHs between 3 and 8. Subtilein was relatively heat stable, and its antimicrobial activity remained for 2 h at $80^{\circ}C$. However, the activity was reduced after heating at $100^{\circ}C$, and about $80\%$ of the activity was found after 1 h incubation at $100^{\circ}C$. The treatment of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 with subtilein led to morphological changes in stationary-phase cells and most cells appeared to be lysed.