• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1060-1077
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• 2021

Food additives are required to maintain the freshness and quality of foods, particularly meats. However, chemical additives may not be preferred by consumers, and natural materials with antimicrobial and antioxidant effects may be used as replacements for common chemical additives. Accordingly, in this study, we compared the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of natural compounds extracted with ethanol and hot water, and emulsion sausage prepared with natural ethanol extracts was analyzed for pH, color, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and Clostridium perfringens growth during storage. The antimicrobial activities of 49 natural extract candidates against Listeria monocytogenes, C. perfringens, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli were analyzed, and six natural materials with excellent antibacterial activities, i.e., Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. f. nakaiana (Araki) H. Ohba, Punica granatum L., Ecklonia cava, Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner, and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., and Rubus coreanus Miq. were evaluated to determine their total polyphenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities. The total polyphenol contents of ethanol extracts were higher than those of hot water extracts, whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be higher in hot water extracts. The TBARS values of emulsion sausages were significantly increased as storage time increased, and the TBARS values of emulsion sausages prepared with natural extracts were lower than those of control sausages. Natural extract-treated emulsion sausages showed a 99% reduction in bacterial contents compared with untreated sausages on day 2, with greater than 99.9% reduction after day 3. Thus, these results demonstrated that natural extracts could have applications as natural preservatives in meat products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1088-1097
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• 2021

Grouper nervous necrosis virus (GNNV) infection causes mass grouper mortality, leading to substantial economic loss in Taiwan. Traditional methods of controlling GNNV infections involve the challenge of controlling disinfectant doses; low doses are ineffective, whereas high doses may cause environmental damage. Identifying potential methods to safely control GNNV infection to prevent viral outbreaks is essential. We engineered a virus-binding bacterium expressing a myxovirus resistance (Mx) protein on its surface for GNNV removal from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), thus increasing the survival of grouper fin (GF-1) cells. We fused the grouper Mx protein (which recognizes and binds to the coat protein of GNNV) to the C-terminus of outer membrane lipoprotein A (lpp-Mx) and to the N-terminus of a bacterial autotransporter adhesin (Mx-AIDA); these constructs were expressed on the surfaces of Escherichia coli BL21 (BL21/lpp-Mx and BL21/Mx-AIDA). We examined bacterial surface expression capacity and GNNV binding activity through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; we also evaluated the GNNV removal efficacy of the bacteria and viral cytotoxicity after bacterial adsorption treatment. Although both constructs were successfully expressed, only BL21/lpp-Mx exhibited GNNV binding activity; BL21/lpp-Mx cells removed GNNV and protected GF-1 cells from GNNV infection more efficiently. Moreover, salinity affected the GNNV removal efficacy of BL21/lpp-Mx. Thus, our GNNV-binding bacterium is an efficient microparticle for removing GNNV from 10‰ brackish water and for preventing GNNV infection in groupers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.527-537
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• 2019

Three types of meongge (Halocynthia roretzi) jeotgal (MJ) were prepared with 3 different types of salts (12%, w/v): purified salt (PS), solar salt aged for 3 years (SS), and bamboo salt that had been recrystalized 3 times (BS). One set of MJ was fermented with starters, Bacillus subtilis JS2 and Tetragenococcus halophilus BS1-37 (each 6 log CFU/g), and another set without starters for 42 days at $10^{\circ}C$. The LAB count of the SSMJ (non-starter) was highest at day 28 (2.30 log CFU/g). The pH of the PSMJ and SSMJ was 5.72-5.77 at day 0, and 5.40-5.50 at day 42. BSMJ showed higher pH and lower titratable acidities than other samples. Amino-type nitrogen (ANN) increased continuously, and SSMJ showed higher values than other samples from day 14. Bacterial species of non-starter MJ were examined by culture independent method. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes were constructed in Escherichia coli from total DNA from non-starter MJ samples at day 0, 14, and 28. Thirty clones per each sample were randomly selected and DNA sequences were analyzed. Variovorax sp., uncultured bacterium, and Acidovorax sp. were the most dominant group at day 0, 14, and 28, respectively. Lactobacillus sakei and Streptococcus sp. were the next dominant group in SSMJ at day 28. A Streptococcus sp. was detected from PSMJ at day 28. Sensory evaluation for MJ samples at day 28 showed that SSMJ got higher overall acceptability scores. These results showed that solar salt can cause desirable changes in the microbial community of fermented foods, thereby positively affecting their overall quality.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.245-255
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• 2018

In this study, cotton fabrics were coated with $TiO_2$ nanoparticles using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane(3-MPTMS), which is highly reactive to cotton fabrics, as a medium, and the characteristics, antimicrobial properties, and photodegradation properties of the fibers were measured. The manufacturing process is as follows. (1) 3-MPTMS was added to isopropanol, and $TiO_2$ colloid was added to the mixture to prepare a solution. (2) Cellulose fibers were immersed in the prepared $3-MPTMS/TiO_2$ solution, stirred for 90 minutes at $45^{\circ}C$ in a constant temperature water bath, and dried thereafter. In order to identify the morphology of the cellulose fibers coated with $TiO_2$ nanoparticles, the surface was observed with a scanning electron microscope(SEM), and SEM-EDS was measured to identify the adhesion of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. The SEM images showed $TiO_2$ nanoparticle and 3-MPTMS coated layers on the fibers and it was identified that $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were attached to the cellulose fibers. The antimicrobial activity of $3-MPTMS/TiO_2$-treated cotton fabrics was measured using a bacterial reduction method. $3-MPTMS/TiO_2$ cellulose fibers which was irradiated by ultra violet light, showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli(ATCC 43895) and Staphylococcus aureus(ATCCBAA-1707) unlike unirradiated fibers. The cellulose fibers were stained with methylene blue and the photodegradation performance of the stained fabrics was analyzed. The stained fabrics showed high degradation performance with photolytic reactions of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.274-282
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• 2019

Mercury-resistant ($Hg^R$) bacteria were isolated from heavy metal polluted wastewater and soil collected near to tanneries of district Kasur, Pakistan. Bacterial isolates AZ-1, AZ-2 and AZ-3 showed resistance up to $40{\mu}g/ml$ against mercuric chloride ($HgCl_2$). 16S rDNA ribotyping and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the characterization of selected isolates as Bacillus sp. AZ-1 (KT270477), Bacillus cereus AZ-2 (KT270478) and Bacillus cereus AZ-3 (KT270479). Phylogenetic relationship on the basis of merA nucleotide sequence confirmed 51-100% homology with the corresponding region of the merA gene of already reported mercury-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The merE gene involved in the transportation of elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) via cell membrane was cloned for the first time into pHLV vector and transformed in overexpressed C43(DE3) E. coli cells. The recombinant plasmid (pHLMerE) was expressed and the native MerE protein was obtained after thrombin cleavage by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The purification of fusion/recombinant and native protein MerE by Ni-NTA column, dialysis and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC/SEC) involved unfolding/refolding techniques. A small-scale reservoir of wastewater containing $30{\mu}g/ml$ of $HgCl_2$ was designed to check the detoxification ability of selected strains. It resulted in 83% detoxification of mercury by B. cereus AZ-2 and B. cereus AZ-3, and 76% detoxification by Bacillus sp. AZ-1 respectively (p < 0.05).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2019

As various populations are rapidly becoming an aging society worldwide and interest in health issues has increased, demand for functional foods including herbal products has increased markedly to maintain a healthy state which has led to safety issues about their intake as an inevitable result. The objective of this study was to identify the safety profile of a Korean red ginseng and Salvia plebeia R. Br. extract mixture (KGC-03-PS) which is a valuable ingredient that can be used as a functional food. In the present study, the subacute oral toxicity and bacterial reverse mutagenicity of KGC-03-PS were evaluated. Sprague Dawley rats were administered KGC-03-PS orally for 28 days by gavage. Daily KGC-03-PS dose concentrations were 0, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day. Bacterial reverse mutation test with KGC-03-PS dose levels ranging from 312.5 to $5,000{\mu}g/plate$ was carried out by OECD test guideline No. 471. Five bacterial strains (Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537, and Escherichia coli WP2) were tested in the presence or absence of metabolic activation by plate incorporation method. There were no toxicological effects related with test substance in the clinical evaluation of subacute oral toxicity test including clinical signs, body weight, and food consumption. Moreover, no toxicological changes related to KGC-03-PS were observed in the hematological and serum biochemical characteristics as well as in the pathological examinations, which included organ weight measurements and in the gross- or histopathological findings. KGC-03-PS did not induce an increase in the number of revertant colonies in all bacterial strains of the bacterial reverse mutation test. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of KGC-03-PS is greater than 2,000 mg/kg bw/day, and KGC-03-PS did not induce genotoxicity related to bacterial reverse mutations under the conditions used in this study.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2019

The gene encoding an ${\alpha}-{\text\tiny{L}}-arabinofuranosidase$ (BvAF) GH51 from Bacillus velezensis FZB42 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The corresponding open reading frame consists of 1,491 nucleotides which encode 496 amino acids with the molecular mass of 56.9 kDa. BvAF showed the highest activity against sugar beet (branched) arabinan in 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.0) at $45^{\circ}C$. However, it could hardly hydrolyze debranched arabinan and arabinoxylans. The time-course hydrolyses of branched arabinan and arabinooligosaccharides (AOS) revealed that BvAF is a unique exo-hydrolase producing exclusively ${\text\tiny{L}}-arabinose$. BvAF could cleave ${\alpha}-(1,2)-$ and/or ${\alpha}-(1,3)-{\text\tiny{L}}-arabinofuranosidic$ linkages of the branched substrates to produce the debranched forms of arabinan and AOS. Although the excessive amount of BvAF could liberate ${\text\tiny{L}}-arabinose$ from linear AOS, it was extremely lower than that on branched AOS. In conclusion, BvAF is the arabinan-specific exo-acting ${\alpha}-{\text\tiny{L}}-arabinofuranosidase$ possessing high debranching activity towards ${\alpha}-(1,2)-$ and/or ${\alpha}-(1,3)-linked$ branches of arabinan, which can facilitate the successive degradation of arabinan by $endo-{\alpha}-(1,5)-{\text\tiny{L}}-arabinanase$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.765-775
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• 2019

A new ${\alpha}$-amylase-encoding gene (amySL3) of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13 was identified in soda lake isolate Alkalibacterium sp. SL3. The deduced AmySL3 shares high identities (82-98%) with putative ${\alpha}$-amylases from the genus Alkalibacterium, but has low identities (<53%) with functionally characterized counterparts. amySL3 was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme (rAmySL3) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The optimal temperature and pH of the activity of the purified rAmySL3 were determined to be $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.5, respectively. rAmySL3 was found to be extremely halophilic, showing maximal enzyme activity at a nearly saturated concentration of NaCl. Its thermostability was greatly enhanced in the presence of 4 M NaCl, and it was highly stable in 5 M NaCl. Moreover, the enzyme did not require calcium ions for activity, and was strongly resistant to a range of surfactants and hydrophobic organic solvents. The major hydrolysis products of rAmySL3 from soluble starch were maltobiose and maltotriose. The high ratio of acidic amino acids and highly negative electrostatic potential surface might account for the halophilic nature of AmySL3. The extremely halophilic, calcium-independent, and surfactant-resistant properties make AmySL3 a promising candidate enzyme for both basic research and industrial applications.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.557-565
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• 2021

Interest in research on various medicinal plants has increased globally over the last few decades, possibly due to their possible antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The present study was conducted to verify the antioxidant effects, antibacterial activity, and collagen synthesis and cell viability outcomes of adipocytes upon exposure to Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (AdN). Antibacterial activity was measured through the Disc diffusion method to compare the growth ability of pathogenic microorganisms (E.coli, Salmonella). The absorbance was measured at 560 nm to calculate the active oxygen scavenging ability. Fibroblasts were dispensed in a 96-well plate at a density of 1 × 10⁵ cells·well^-1. The amount of procollagen was measured in each case using a procollagen type 1 C-peptide EIA KIT. The cytotoxicity of the Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai extract against animal adipocytes (Hanwoo backfat cells) was determined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay, a method that measures the conversion of MTS to Formazan by means of mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The concentrations of the samples were made to be 0.0125, 0025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5% and all were -completely absorbed into the disc in an incubator at 37℃ for 24 to 36 hours. For the 0.125 mg·disc^-1, effects of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai on the antioxidant effect, antibacterial activity, and cell viability of adipocytes were found. However, Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai had no effect on collagen synthesis, thus suggesting that AdN extracts may be useful for the prevention and/or treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1154-1162
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• 2021

The transcriptional capacities of target genes are strongly influenced by promoters, whereas few studies have focused on the development of robust, high-performance and cross-species promoters for wide application in different bacteria. In this work, four novel promoters (P_k.rtufB, P_k.r1, P_k.r2, and P_k.r3) were predicted from Ketogulonicigenium robustum and their inconsistency in the -10 and -35 region nucleotide sequences indicated they were different promoters. Their activities were evaluated by using green fluorescent protein (gfp) as a reporter in different species of bacteria, including K. vulgare SPU B805, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222, Bacillus licheniformis and Raoultella ornithinolytica, due to their importance in metabolic engineering. Our results showed that the four promoters had different activities, with P_k.r1 showing the strongest activity in almost all of the experimental bacteria. By comparison with the commonly used promoters of E. coli (tufB, lac, lacUV5), K. vulgare (Psdh, Psndh) and P. putida KT2440 (JE111411), the four promoters showed significant differences due to only 12.62% nucleotide similarities, and relatively higher ability in regulating target gene expression. Further validation experiments confirmed their ability in initiating the target minCD cassette because of the shape changes under the promoter regulation. The overexpression of sorbose dehydrogenase and cytochrome c551 by P_k.r1 and P_k.r2 resulted in a 22.75% enhancement of 2-KGA yield, indicating their potential for practical application in metabolic engineering. This study demonstrates an example of applying bioinformatics to find new biological components for gene operation and provides four novel promoters with broad suitability, which enriches the usable range of promoters to realize accurate regulation in different genetic backgrounds.