• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 1992

A $\alpha$-l, 4-D-glucan maltohydrolase $(\beta$-amylase), secreted by the mesophilic aerobic bacterium Bacillus polymyxa No.26, was purified and characterized. The enzyme production was increased after a logarithmic phase of bacterial growth and paralleled with the onset of bacterial sporulation. By applying anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration the enzyme was purified 16.7-fold and had a specific activity of 285.7 units/mg. Two enzyme activities were eluted on a column of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and they were designated as E-I for a major enzyme peak and E-II for a minor peak. Of them, E-I enzyme peak was further purified by using gel chromatography. The molecular mass of this enzyme was determined to be 64, 000 daltons and consisted of a single subunit, showing an isoelectric point of 8.9. The enzyme was able to attack specifically the $\alpha$-l, 4-glycosidic linkages in soluble starch and caused its complete hydrolysis to maltose and $\beta$-limited dextrin. This amylolytic enzyme displayed a temperature optimum at $45^\circ{C}$ and a pH optimum at 7.0. The amino acid composition of the purified enzyme was quite similar to the other bacterial $\beta$-amylases reported. Surprisingly, the purified enzyme from this aerobe only exhibited hydrolytic activity on soluble starch, not on starch granules. The degradation of from starch by $\beta$-amylase was greatly stimulated by pullulanase addition. These results differentiated from other $\beta$-amylases reported. Based on a previous result that showed the enzyme system involves in effective degradation of raw starch granules, this result strongly suggested that the purified enzyme (E-I) can be a synergistic part of starch granule-digestion and E-II plays a crucial role in digestion of starch granules.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.522-529
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• 2004

In the grilled fish paste stored at $5^{\circ}C$, the total aerobic bacterial counts were effectively reduced by 2.5 kGy or more. In the samples stored at $30^{\circ}C$, the total aerobic bacterial counts of the samples irradiated at 7.5 kGy were below to the limit of detection (2 log CFU/g). The TBA values of the irradiated samples were considerably higher than those of the controls but not proportional to the irradiation dose. It is apparent that an irradiation treatment causes very little textural degradation and the sensorial quality of the sample was maintained by an irradiation at 7.5 kGy or more.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.387-400
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• 2023

Ruminal protozoa, especially entodiniomorphs, engulf other members of the rumen microbiome in large numbers; and they release oligopeptides and amino acids, which can be fermented to ammonia and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by amino acid-fermenting bacteria (AAFB). Studies using defaunated (protozoa-free) sheep have demonstrated that ruminal protozoa considerably increase intraruminal nitrogen recycling but decrease nitrogen utilization efficiency in ruminants. However, direct interactions between ruminal protozoa and AAFB have not been demonstrated because of their inability to establish axenic cultures of any ruminal protozoan. Thus, this study was performed to evaluate the interaction between Entodinium caudatum, which is the most predominant rumen ciliate species, and an AAFB consortium in terms of feed degradation and ammonia production along with the microbial population shift of select bacterial species (Prevotella ruminicola, Clostridium aminophilum, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius). From an Ent. caudatum culture that had been maintained by daily feeding and transfers every 3 or 4 days, the bacteria and methanogens loosely associated with Ent. caudatum cells were removed by filtration and washing. An AAFB consortium was established by repeated transfers and enrichment with casamino acids as the sole substrate. The cultures of Ent. caudatum alone (Ec) and AAFB alone (AAFB) and the co-culture of Ent. caudatum and AAFB (Ec + AAFB) were set up in three replicates and incubated at 39℃ for 72 h. The digestibility of dry matter (DM) and fiber (NDF), VFA profiles, ammonia concentrations, pH, and microscopic counts of Ent. caudatum were compared among the three cultures. The co-culture of AAFB and Ent. caudatum enhanced DM degradation, VFA production, and Ent. caudatum cell counts; conversely, it decreased acetate: propionate ratio although the total bacterial abundance was similar between Ec and the Ec + AAFB co-culture after 24 h incubation. The ammonia production and relative abundance of C. aminophilum and P. anaerobius did not differ between AAFB alone and the Ec + AAFB co-culture. Our results indicate that Ent. caudatum and AAFB could have a mutualistic interaction that benefited each other, but their interactions were complex and might not increase ammoniagenesis. Further research should examine how such interactions affect the population dynamics of AAFB.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1617-1626
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• 2013

The Bacterial community structure and its complexity of the enrichment culture during the isolation and screening of imidacloprid-degrading strain were studied using denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. The dominant bacteria in the original tea rhizosphere soil were uncultured bacteria, Rhizobium sp., Sinorhizobium, Ochrobactrum sp., Alcaligenes, Bacillus sp., Bacterium, Klebsiella sp., and Ensifer adhaerens. The bacterial community structure was altered extensively and its complexity reduced during the enrichment process, and four culturable bacteria, Ochrobactrum sp., Rhizobium sp., Geobacillus stearothermophilus, and Alcaligenes faecalis, remained in the final enrichment. Only one indigenous strain, BCL-1, with imidacloprid-degrading potential, was isolated from the sixth enrichment culture. This isolate was a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium and identified as the genus Ochrobactrum based on its morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties and its 16S rRNA gene sequence. The degradation test showed that approximately 67.67% of the imidacloprid (50 mg/l) was degraded within 48 h by strain BCL-1. The optimum conditions for degradation were a pH of 8 and $30^{\circ}C$. The simulation of imidacloprid bioremediation by strain BCL-1 in soil demonstrated that the best performance in situ (tea soil) resulted in the degradation of 92.44% of the imidacloprid (100 mg/g) within 20 days, which was better than those observed in the ex situ simulations that were 64.66% (cabbage soil), 41.15% (potato soil), and 54.15% (tomato soil).

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.678-683
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• 2007

We isolated a toluene-degrading bacterium, TDB-4, from a bioreactor which designed to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the contaminated air. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene analysis, it was classified as Pseudomonas sp. The toluene degradability was estimated in the variable toluene and bacterial concentrations. The bacterial growth and degradation rate was higher in the samples supplied with 50 ${\mu}mole/vial$ of toluene than with 10 ${\mu}mole/vial$. It was decreased, however, in the samples with 100 ${\mu}mole/vial$, indicating that toluene inhibit the growth or degradation activity of TDB-4 at high concentration. When the degradation ability of other compounds was examined, TDB-4 can degrade other VOCs such as styrene, benzene, and xylene. These results will be helpful to optimize the operating conditions to improve the efficiency of a bioreactor in detoxification of VOCs.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.473-480
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• 2008

In this study we investigated bacterial and cell adhesion to poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) films, that had been synthesized by the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (a global warming chemical) with propylene oxide. We also assessed the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the films in vivo, and their oxidative degradation in vitro. The bacteria adhered to the smooth, hydrophobic PPC surface after 4 h incubation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis had the highest levels of adhesion, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus had the lowest levels, and Staphylococcus epidermidis was intermediate. In contrast, there was no adhesion of human cells (cell line HEp-2) to the PPC films, due to the hydrophobicity and dimensional instability of the surface. On the other hand, the PPC films exhibited good biocompatibility in the mouse subcutaneous environment. Moreover, contrary to expectation the PPC films degraded in the mouse subcutaneous environment. This is the first experimental confirmation that PPC can undergo surface erosion biodegradation in vivo. The observed biodegradability of PPC may have resulted from enzymatic hydrolysis and oxidative degradation processes. In contrast, the PPC films showed resistance to oxidative degradation in vitro. Overall, PPC revealed high affinity to bioorganisms and also good bio-degradability.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2024

One of the serious modern environmental problems is pollution caused by highly toxic pesticides. Only small amounts of applied pesticides reach their target, and the rest ends up in soil and water. Chlorpyrifos is a toxic, broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide. In humans, chlorpyrifos inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the peripheral and central nervous system, and particularly in children, small amounts of this pesticide cause neurotoxic damage. As the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos and its persistence in the environment require its removal from contaminated sites, it is essential to study the biological diversity of chlorpyrifos-degrading microorganisms. In this study, we sought to determine the chlorpyrifos-degrading ability of the bacterial strain Ochrobactrum intermedium PDB-3. This strain was isolated from soil contaminated with various pesticides and identified as PDB-3 based on morpho-cultural characteristics, MALDI-TOF MS, and 16S rRNA. Studies were conducted for 30 days in sterile soils containing initial concentrations of 50, 75, 100, and 125 mg/kg of chlorpyrifos. To determine the degradation of chlorpyrifos, a liquid culture of the strain was added to the soil at three optical densities: 0, and after 24 and 48 h (OD = 0.03, 0.2 and 0.32). Using GX-MS, we determined that chlorpyrifos was converted to 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP). We also found that with increasing optical density, rapid degradation of the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos occurred. Sterile soil without strain PDB-3 was used as a control sample.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.330-337
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• 2018

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including naphthalene, are widely distributed in nature. Naphthalene has been regarded as a model PAH compound for investigating the mechanisms of bacterial PAH biodegradation. Pseudomonas sp. AS1 isolated from an arseniccontaminated site is capable of growing on various aromatic compounds such as naphthalene, salicylate, and catechol, but not on gentisate. The genome of strain AS1 consists of a 6,126,864 bp circular chromosome and the 81,841 bp circular plasmid pAS1. Pseudomonas sp. AS1 has multiple dioxygenases and related enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds, which might contribute to the metabolic versatility of this isolate. The pAS1 plasmid exhibits extremely high similarity in size and sequences to the well-known naphthalene-degrading plasmid pDTG1 in Pseudomonas putida strain NCIB 9816-4. Two gene clusters involved in the naphthalene degradation pathway were identified on pAS1. The expression of several nah genes on the plasmid was upregulated by more than 2-fold when naphthalene was used as a sole carbon source. Strains have been isolated at different times and places with different characteristics, but similar genes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds have been identified on their plasmids, which suggests that the transmissibility of the plasmids might play an important role in the adaptation of the microorganisms to mineralize the compounds.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.18-23
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• 2016

Cell walls of microalgae consist of a polysaccharide and glycoprotein matrix providing the cells with a formidable defense against its environment. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of microalgae is primarily inhibited by the chemical composition of their cell walls containing biopolymers able to resist bacterial degradation. Adoption of pre-treatments such as thermal, thermal hydrolysis, ultrasound and enzymatic hydrolysis have the potential to remove these inhibitory compounds and enhance biogas yields by degrading the cell wall, and releasing the intracellular algogenic organic matter (AOM). This paper preproposal stage investigated the effect of different pre-treatments on microalgae cell wall, and their impact on the quantity of soluble biomass released in the media and thus on the digestion process yields. This Paper present optimum approach to degradation of the cell wall by ultra-sonication with practical design specification parameter for ultrasound based pretreatment system. As a result of this paper presents, a microalgae system in a wastewater treatment flowsheet for residual nutrient uptake can be justified by processing the waste biomass for energy recovery. As a conclusion on this result, Low energy harvesting technologies and pre-treatment of the algal biomass are required to improve the overall energy balance of this integrated system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.337-345
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• 2005

The degradation of phenanthrene, a model PAH compound, by microorganisms either in the mixed culture or individual strain, isolated from oil-contaminated soil in oil refmery vicinity sites, was examined. The effects of pH, temperature, initial concentration of phenanthrene, and the addition of carbon sources on biodegradation potential were also investigated. Results showed that soil samples collected from four oil refinery sites in Korea had different degrees of PAH contamination and different indigenous phenanthrene-degrading microorganisms. The optimal conditions for phenanthrene biodegradation were determined to be 30$^{circ}C$ and pH 7.0. A significantly positive relationship was observed between the microbial growth and the rate of phenanthrene degradation. However, the phenanthrene biodegradation capability of the mixed culture was not related to the degree of PAH contamination in soil. In low phenanthrene concentration, the growth and biodegradation rates of the mixed cultures did not increase over those of the individual strain, especially IC10. High concentration of phenanthrene inhibited the growth of microbial strains and biodegradation of phenanthrene, but was less inhibitory on the mixed culture. Finally, when non-ionic surfactants such as Brij 30 and Brij 35 were present at the level above critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), phenanthrene degradation was completely inhibited and delayed by the addition of Triton X100 and Triton N101.