• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1001-1011
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• 2011

To explore bacterial diversity for elucidating genetic variability in acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) lactonase structure, we screened 800 bacterial strains. It revealed the presence of a quorum quenching (QQ) AHL-lactonase gene (aiiA) in 42 strains. These 42 strains were identified using rrs (16S rDNA) sequencing as Bacillus strains, predominantly B. cereus. An in silico restriction endonuclease (RE) digestion of 22 AHL lactonase gene (aiiA) sequences (from NCBI database) belonging to 9 different genera, along with 42 aiiA gene sequences from different Bacillus spp. (isolated here) with 14 type II REs, revealed distinct patterns of fragments (nucleotide length and order) with four REs; AluI, DpnII, RsaI, and Tru9I. Our study reflects on the biodiversity of aiiA among Bacillus species. Bacillus sp. strain MBG11 with polymorphism (115Alanine > Valine) may confer increased stability to AHL lactonase, and can be a potential candidate for heterologous expression and mass production. Microbes with ability to produce AHL-lactonases degrade quorum sensing signals such as AHL by opening of the lactone ring. The naturally occurring diversity of QQ molecules provides opportunities to use them for preventing bacterial infections, spoilage of food, and bioremediation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.283-284
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• 2005

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1709-1715
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• 2021

Outbreaks of food poisoning due to the consumption of norovirus-contaminated shellfish continue to occur. Male-specific (F+) coliphage has been suggested as an indicator of viral species due to the association with animal and human wastes. Here, we compared two methods, the double agar overlay and the quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR)-based method, for evaluating the applicability of F+ coliphage-based detection technique in microbial contamination tracking of shellfish samples. The RT-PCR-based method showed 1.6-39 times higher coliphage PFU values from spiked shellfish samples, in relation to the double agar overlay method. These differences indicated that the RT-PCR-based technique can detect both intact viruses and non-particle-protected viral DNA/RNA, suggesting that the RT-PCR based method could be a more efficient tool for tracking microbial contamination in shellfish. However, the virome information on F+ coliphage-contaminated oyster samples revealed that the high specificity of the RT-PCR- based method has a limitation in microbial contamination tracking due to the genomic diversity of F+ coliphages. Further research on the development of appropriate primer sets for microbial contamination tracking is therefore necessary. This study provides preliminary insight that should be examined in the search for suitable microbial contamination tracking methods to control the sanitation of shellfish and related seawater.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.178-183
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• 2006

Microbes are one of the most important bioresources in bioindustry and provide high economic values. Although there are currently about 6,000 bacterial species with validly published names, microbiologists generally assume that the number may account for less than 1% of the bacterial species present on Earth. To discover the remaining species, studies of metagenomes, metabolomes, and proteomes related to microbes have recently been carried out in various fields. We have constructed an information system that integrates various data on microbial resources and manages bioinformation to support efficient research of microorganisms. We have designated this system 'Bio-Meta Information System (Bio-MIS).' Bio-MIS consists of an integrated microbial resource database, a microbial resource input system, an integrated microbial resource search engine, a microbial resource online distribution system, a portal service, and management via the Internet. In the future, this system is expected to be connected with various public databases. We plan to implement useful bioinformatics software for analyzing microbial genome resources. The Web site is accessible at http://biomis.probionic.com.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.57-60
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• 2000

$(R)-\beta-acetylmercaptoisobutyric$ acid (RAM), a chiral compound, is an important intermediate for the chemical synthesis of various antihypertensive and congestive heart failure drugs. Microorganisms capable of converting $(R,S)-\beta-acetylmercaptoisobutyric$ acid ((R,S)-ester) to RAM were screened from soil microorganisms. A strain of Pseudomonas sp. 1001 screened from a soil sample was selected to be the best. Cells showed an activity of 540 U/mL from culture broth and the enzyme was thermostable up to $70^{\circ}C$. This strain could produce RAM asymmetrically from (R,S)-ester.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.375-380
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• 2000

The preliminary screening of several cyanobacteria, using mice bioassay, reveale the production of a hepatotoxin by the cyanobacterium Scytonema sp. strain BT 23 isolated from soil. An intraperitoneal injection of the crude toxin (LD50 56 mg/kg body wt) from this strain caused the death of the mice within 40 min, and the anmals showed slinical signs of mice within 40 min, and the animals showed clinical signs of hepatotoxicity. The toxin was purified and partially characterized. The active fraction appears to be nonpolar in nature and shows absorption peaks at 240 and 285 nm. The purified toxin had an LD50 of TEX>$100<\mu\textrm{g}/kg$ body wt and the test mice died within 40 min of toxin administration. The toxin-treated mice showed a 1.65-fold increase in liver weight at 40 min and the liver color chnged to dark red due to intrahepatic hemorrhage and pooling of blood. Furthermore, the administration of the toxin to test mice induced a 2.58, 2.63, and 2.30-fold increse in the activity of the serum enzymes alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase, respectively. Further experiments with the 14C-labeled toxin revealed a maximum accumulation of the toxin in the liver. The clinical symptoms in the mice were similar to those produced by microcystin-L.R. These results suggest that hepatotoxins may also be produced in non bloom-forming planktonic cyanobacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.469-474
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• 1999

Thermoactinomyces sp. E79 produced two types of thermostable alkaline proteases extracellularly. A minor protease was separated from a major protease by using DEAE-column chromatography. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate and DEAE-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography. The purified minor protease showed different biochemical properties compared to the major protease. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated by SDS-PAGE to be 36 kDa. Its optimum temperature and pH for proteolytic activity against Hammarsten casein were $70^{\circ}C$ and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to$75^{\circ}C$ and in an alkaline pH range of 9.0-11.0. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and $Hg^{2+}, indicating that the enzyme may be a cysteine-dependent serine protease. In addition, the enzyme cleaved the endoproteinase substrate, succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p- nitroanilide, and the $K_m$ value for the substrate was 1.2 mM.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 1998

In order to maximize the secretory expression of human serum albumin (HSA) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a series of HSA expression vectors were constructed with a combination of different promoters, 5' untranslated regions (5'UTR), and secretion signal sequences. The expression vector composed of the galactose-inducible promoter GALl0, the natural 5'UTR, and the natural signal sequence of HSA directed the most efficient expression and secretion of HSA among the constructed vectors when introduced into several S. cerevisiae strains. Although the major form of HSA expressed and secreted in the yeast transformants was the mature form of 66 kDa, the truncated form of 45 kDa was also detected both in the cell extract and in the culture supernatant. The level of the intact HSA protein in the culture supernatant reached up to 30 mg/l at 24 h of cultivation in a shake-flask culture but began to decrease afterwards, indicating that the secreted HSA protein was unstable in a prolonged culture of yeast.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 1995

The effect of inorganic phosphate on the fermentative production of aminopeptidase M inhibitors MR-387A and B by Streptomyces sp. SL-387 has been studied. With inorganic phosphate concentrations higher than 0.78 mM, an inverse correlation was found between the maximum inhibitor production and the initial phosphate concentration added. Growth sensitivity of this actinomycete to arsenate, a phosphate analogue, and the use of magnesium carbonate, a phosphate-trapping agent, suggested that the inhibitor formation was under phosphate repression. Exogenous ATP further increased the degree of phosphate interference in both phosphate-repressed and non repressed culture conditions. The use of a phosphate analogue and a protein synthesis inhibitor also suggested that the phosphate itself repressed inhibitor formation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.288-291
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• 2004