• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.694-699
• /
• 2014

Indigenous microorganisms play decisive roles in biodegradation. In this study, eighty strains of hydrocarbon-degrading microbes were isolated from Incheon Bay. Among them, 12 strains were selected by an oil film collapsing method. The bacterial strain 'Incheon9' was eventually selected based on its relatively higher lipase and emulsification activities, and was identified as Acinetobacter sp. (NCBI accession code: KF54854). The optimum condition for the growth and emulsification activity of Acinetobacter sp. Incheon9 was $20^{\circ}C$, pH 7, and 1% NaCl. The optimum time for the best production of biosurfactant was 72 hrs. The oil degradation ability of Acinetobacter sp. Incheon9 was investigated by measuring the residual oils in the culture medium by gas chromatography (FID). This research provides foundational data for eco-friendly environmental remediation by microorganisms.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.399-422
• /
• 2020

Remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals due to urbanization and industrialization is very important not only for human health but also for ecosystem sustainability. Of the available remediation technologies for heavy metal-contaminated soils, phytoremediation is a relatively low-cost environment-friendly technology which preserves biodiversity and soil fertility. The application of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) during the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils can enhance plant growth against heavy metal toxicity and increase heavy metal removal efficiency. In this study, the sources of heavy metals that have adverse effects on microorganisms, plants, and humans, and the plant growth-promoting traits of PGPB are addressed and the research trends of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation over the last 10 years are summarized. In addition, the effects of environmental factors and PGPB inoculation methods on the performance of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation are discussed. For the innovation of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation, it is necessary to understand the behavior of PGPB and the interactions among plant, PGPB, and indigenous microorganisms in the field.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.863-868
• /
• 2004

Lectin activities and chemical characteristics of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. originating from the porcine cecal mucosal layer were studied based on hemagglutination assay (HA) and hemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA). Although all the bacterial strains were able to agglutinate erythrocytes of porcine or rabbit origin, much higher HA titers were consistently observed for Lactobacillus spp. than for E. coli or for Bifidobacterium spp. A remarkable reduction in HA titers occurred by the treatment of E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. with protease or trypsin and of Bifidobacterium spp. with protease, trypsin or periodate. There were no significant effects on the HA titers of the three groups of bacteria after the treatment with lipase. Hemagglutination of E. coli was strongly inhibited by D (+)-mannose and D (+)-galactose; Lactobacillus spp. by $\alpha$-L-rhamnose and methyl-$\beta$-galactopyranoside; Bifidobacterium spp. by D (+)-alactose, $\alpha$-L-rhamnose, $\alpha$-L-fucose, L (+)-arabinose, D (+)-mannose, D (-)-fructose at a relatively low concentration (1.43 to 3.75 mg/ml). These results, combined with the enhanced HA activities of the three bacterial strains by modification of rabbit erythrocytes with neuraminidase and abolished HA activity of E. coli after treatment with $\beta$-galactosidase, indicate that it might be the glycoproteinous substances surrounding the surface of the bacterial cells that are responsible for the adhesions of these microorganisms by recognizing the specific receptors on the red blood cell.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.276-286
• /
• 2020

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host. This study was conducted for the isolation of potential lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with probiotic properties from goat milk and yogurt. Several tests were conducted in vitro using the standard procedures for evaluating the inhibitory spectra of LAB against pathogenic bacteria; tolerance to NaCl, bile salt, and phenol; hemolytic, milk coagulation, and bile salt hydrolase activities; gastrointestinal transit tolerance; adhesion properties; and antibiotic susceptibility. Among 40 LAB strains screened according to culture characteristics, five isolates exhibited antagonistic properties. Three were identified as Pediococcus acidilactici, and two were identified as Enterococcus faecium, exploiting 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All the isolates succeeded in the gastrointestinal transit tolerance assay and successively colonized mucosal epithelial cells. Based on the results of these in vitro assays, both P. acidilactici and E. faecium can be considered as potential probiotic candidates.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.543-548
• /
• 2014

Aquifer recharge and recovery is a technology used to ensure a stable supply of clean water. During the process, river water is injected into a soil aquifer and stored. The stored water is then recovered and used to produce drinking water. It is important to understand quality improvement of the injected water while it is stored in the aquifer. In the present study, a lab-scale column reactor containing saturated-zone soil was employed to mimic an aquifer. The reactor was used to investigate microbial removal of nitrate that is a major inorganic contaminant detected in the Nakdong River. The reactor was introduced with river water that contained nitrate at concentrations (5.07, 6.81, 8.27, and 11.07 mg $NO_3{^-}/l$) detected downstream of the Nakdong River in the past 2 years. The nitrate concentrations decreased during the introduced water is retained in the reactor. Effluent from the reactor contained 1.49 mg $NO_3{^-}/l$ or less and had an average pH of 7.98 regardless of the nitrate concentrations of the influent. However abiotic control reactor showed similar nitrate-concentrations in its influent and effluent. Considering the result of abiotic control, the decreased nitrate concentration observed in the test column suggested that microorganisms in saturated-zone soil removed nitrate in the river water introduced into the reactor. Results of this study will be used to better understand microbial improvement of water quality in aquifer recharge and recovery technology.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.757-763
• /
• 2006

In our previous studies, we have isolated bacteria from BTEX-contaminated sediment, which utilized BTEX as a sole carbon source and $NO_3$-N as an electron acceptor. For the possibility of field application, we have applied co-culture of those isolates in the BTEX-contaminated soil and evaluated their biodegradation efficiencies. To investigate the relationship between the isolates and indigenous microorganism in soil, changes of microbial community structure in soil samples with respect to time were monitored. To examine this, soil samples were artificially contaminated with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene. BTEX-degrading bacteria such as Pseudomonas stutzeri strain 15(DQ 202712), Klebsiells sp. strain 20(DQ 202715) and Citrobacter sp. strain A(DQ 202713) were injected into the soil samples in the ratio of 2:1:1. Our results showed that the highest BTEX biodegradation efficiency was achieved when both BTEX and $NO_3-N$ existed simultaneously. The change in soil microbial community structure was characterized by PCR-DGGE analysis comparing the relative DGGE band intensities. The band intensities of indigenous microorganisms in the soil were reduced by injecting co-culture of the three isolates. On the contrary, the relative band intensities of the isolates were increased. Among the three isolates, Pseudomonas stutzeri strain 15 rendered the highest band intensity. This indicates that the Pseudomonas stutzeri was the dominant microbial species found in the soil samples.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.121-125
• /
• 2009

We measured the influence of antifungal antagonists Bacillus subtilis AH18 and Bacillus licheniformis K11 on soil microbial community in microcosms. Both antifungal antagonists were confirmed to suppress hot pepper phytophthora blight. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) were analyzed to investigate the soil microbial community. B. subtilis AH18 changed the total PLFA composition and bio-indicators of PLFA, compared with other treatments. B. subtilis AH18 decreased the proportion of bacteria and gram negative/gram positive bacteria, and increased the fungi/bacteria and anaerobic/aerobic microorganisms. In addition cy19:0/18:$1{\omega}7c$, which means adaptation to unfavorable environmental conditions, was increased by the application of B. subtilis AH18. On the other hand the inoculation of B. licheniformis K11 or combined inoculation of both antifungal strains did not affect soil microbial community. The suppression of phytophthora blight and preservation of indigenous soil microbial community may be achieved by the combined application of B. subtilis AH18 and B. licheniformis K11.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.302-308
• /
• 2005

Nitrate is one of common contaminants frequently found in the bank filtrate. Biological autotrophic denitrification into permeable reactive barrier(PRB) system to reduce nitrate concentration in bank filtrate was implanted. The objectives of research are to investigate effect of inoculation, to evaluate alternative alkalinity sources, and to determine effect of hydraulic characteristics, such as retention time, flow rate on the performance of semi-pilot PRB system. Semi-pilot scale biological PRB system was installed using elemental sulfur and limestone/oyster shell as reactive materials near Nakdong River in Kyoungnam province, Korea. Nitrate concentration in bank filtrate was reduced by indigenous microorganisms in oyster shell as welt as by inoculating microorganisms isolated from the sludge of an anaerobic digester in a wastewater treatment plant. Oyster shell as well as limestone can be used as an alkalinity source. However, oyster shell resulted in suspended solids of effluent. As the flow rate in the system increased from 66 to 132 mL/min and accordingly the residence time decreased from 15 to 7.5 hours, nitrate concentration in effluent increased and nitrate removal efficiencies decreased from 75 to 58% at the fixed thickness of 80 cm of PRB.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.375-383
• /
• 2000

A mixed culture isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil was enriched on toluene as a sole carbon and energy source, and degradation characteristics of BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes) was observed. In the single-substrate experiments, all the BTEX compounds were degraded, and it was degraded as following orders; toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene. In the degradation experiments of BTEX mixtures, the degradation rate was decreased compared to that in the single substrate experiment and ethylbenzene was degraded faster than benzene. In the experiments of binary-mixtures, various substrate interactions such as inhibition, stimulation, and non-interaction were observed, and ethylbenzene was shown to be most potent inhibitor of BTEX degradation. In the degradation characteristic studies of xylene isomers, m-xylene and p-xylene were degraded as carbon sources, and it was stimulated in the presence of either benzene or toluene. However, degradation of o-xylene was enhanced only in the presence of benzene.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.730-734
• /
• 2019

Cryopreservation is one of the ideal and suitable methods for long-term storage of plant germplasm. The plant contaminated with diseases and pathogens are decreased the multiplication rate, survival rate and high quality of plants after cryopreservation. The aim of this work was to improve a micropropagation method for lily in Korea, which is indigenous plant. In the last process of rinsing scales after surface-sterilization, we tried to control the diseases and pathogens lived within the tissue by rinsing in 0.03% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) instead of sterile distilled water. Bulb scales of Lilium were cultured in vitro on MS medium supplemented with Plant Preservative Mixture (PPM). The results showed that L. tsingtauense accessions were observed ranged from 53.9 to 100% with a mean value of 76.8% and L. hansonii accessions were checked from 84.5 to 85.5% with a mean of 85% survival rate. The newly small bulb formed from bulb-scales was transferred to MS medium. We checked the presence of microorganisms and survival rate after 3 weeks in culture after examination of bacterial incidences. The results indicated that the non-contamination rate were shown ranged from 75.0 to 94.1% with mean value of 83.2% in L. tsingtauense species, and that L. hansonii were observed 85.1 to 91.7% with mean value of 88.4%. This study will provide a valuable basis for establishment of effective axenic cultures for in vitro micropropagation of Korean native lily species.