• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.692-697
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• 2004

Biological phosphorus removal is characterized by complex interactions between different intracellular components of energy as PHA. Therefore, fundamental understanding of the behavior of the intracellular components and their influence on the removal of phosphorus is essential before control strategies to stabilize the proper process. The purpose of this study is to investigate relationship between release of phosphorus and synthesis of intracellular storage polymer. Mass of stored intracellular storage polymer was 21.2 mg PHA/L, 28.8 mg PHA/g MLSS. And phosphorus release/intracellular storage polymer synthesis rate was 1.8545 mg stored polymer/mg Phosphate. In the aerobic phase, mass of PAOs synthesis is 49.37 mg PAOs/L. And PAOs fraction was 6.7-6.9%. Thus intracellular storage polymer synthesis by PAOs is calculated as 493mg PHA/g PAOs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1120-1124
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• 2005

Pseudomonas putida KCTC 1639 was newly identified as a potential producer of biodegradable medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates. It exhibited a carbon assimilation pattern quite different from other known P. putida strains, but a more similar pattern with P. oleovorans, which assimilates the carbon sources mainly through ${\beta}$-oxidation rather than the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. The PHA synthesis gene cluster from P. putida KCTC1639 was composed of two gene loci; the PHA synthase gene locus and granule-associated gene locus, which were cloned and deposited in the GenBank under accession numbers AY286491 and AY750858 as a new nucleotide sequence, respectively. The molecular structure and amino acid homology of the new gene cluster were compared with those from Pseudomonas species, including other P. putida strains and P. oleovorans, and a higher than $90\%$ homology was observed.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.239-243
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• 2010

Six strains of Ralstonia eutropha were grown to investigate characteristics of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) synthesis from vegetable oils or glycerol. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) homopolymer was formed using soybean oil, olive oil, or glycerol as carbon source, while poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) or poly(3-hydroxybutyrateco-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymers were synthesized by co-feeding $\gamma$-butyrolactone or pentanoic acid, respectively. Optimum strain was determined as R. eutropha KCTC 2662 in terms of final cell concentration and PHA content. From 20 g/L of soybean oil (optimum substrate), cell concentration and PHA content at 72 h ranged 1.7~9.2 g/L and 70~92 wt%, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.391-396
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• 1997

Two series of carbon sources, linear primary $C_1$~$C_9$ alcohols and linear $C_2$~$C_{10}$ monocarboxylic acids were tested for PHA synthesis in Paracoccus denitrificans. The results showed that the growth-associated synthesis of PHA could be referred only to the carbon sources with odd number of carbon except methanol. For all carbon sources with even number of carbon, nitrogen limitation was required to induce PHA synthesis in P. denitrificans. Poly(3-hydroxyvalerate)[P(3HV)] homopolymer was synthesized from $C_5$, $C_7$, and $C_9$ while growing in the presence of nitrogen, but the nitrogen depletion in the later growth period incorporated 3-hydroxybutyrate(3HB) unit into the polymer chain. The optimum C/N ratio for P(3HV) homopolymer production was found to be 10 when the strain was grown on 10 ml/l of valeric acid for 96 h. P. denitrificans synthesized P(3HB-co-3HV) copolymers from n-hexanoic and n-octanoic acid. The microstructural characterics of the P(3HB-co-3HV) copolymer from n-propanol was investigated using $^13C$-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, showing a structural heterogeneity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.363-368
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• 2017

Methylotrophy is able to use reduced one-carbon compound, such as methanol and methylamine, as a sole carbon source. Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 is the most extensively studied methylotroph utilizing serine-isocitrate lyase cycle. Because the Poly 3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis pathway in M. extorquens AM1 is likely to interlink with EMCP (ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway), glyoxylate, and TCA cycles, regulation of PHB production is needed to produce EMCP-derived acid or TCA acids. To adjust carbon flux to PHB production, PhaR, which seems to have function of regulator of PHB synthesis and acetyl-CoA flux, was knocked out in M. extorquens AM1 by using markerless gene deletion methods. As a result, PHB granules were remarkably reduced in the knockout strain ${\Delta}phaR$ compared to parental strain. Although lag phase was extended for 12h, ${\Delta}phaR$ showed similar cell growth and methanol consumption rate compared to wild type.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2015

A series of wholly aromatic poly(hydroxyamide)s(PHAs), containing varying amounts of 2,6-dimethylphenoxy group and quinoxaline ring in the main chain, were synthesized by a direct polycondensation method. The inherent viscosities of the PHAs in either DMAc or DMAc/LiCl solution at $35^{\circ}C$ were found to be in the range of 1.02~1.90 dL/g. In the solubility study, we observed that PHA 1, PHA 2, and PHA 3 were dissolved in aprotic solvents such as DMAc, NMP, DMF, and DMSO with LiCl on heating; however, PHA 4, PHA 5, and PHA 6 could be dissolved in aprotic solvents on heating without LiCl. For poly(benzoxazole)s(PBOs), the 10% and maximum weight loss temperatures were in the range of $582{\sim}622^{\circ}C$ and $630{\sim}659^{\circ}C$, respectively. Residues of PBOs at $900^{\circ}C$ were found to be relatively high, which were in the range of 65.3~70.8%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2014

One of the major challenges in metabolic engineering for enhanced synthesis of value-added chemicals is to design and develop new strains that can be translated into well-controlled fermentation processes using bioreactors. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of various fed-batch strategies in the performance of metabolically engineered Pseudomonas putida strains, ${\Delta}gcd$ and ${\Delta}gcd-pgl$, for improving production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) using glucose as the only carbon source. First we developed a fed-batch process that comprised an initial phase of biomass accumulation based on an exponential feeding carbon-limited strategy. For the mcl-PHA accumulation stage, three induction techniques were tested under nitrogen limitation. The substrate-pulse feeding was more efficient than the constant-feeding approach to promote the accumulation of the desirable product. Nonetheless, the most efficient approach for maximum PHA synthesis was the application of a dissolved-oxygen-stat feeding strategy (DO-stat), where P. putida ${\Delta}gcd$ mutant strain showed a final PHA content and specific PHA productivity of 67% and $0.83g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$, respectively. To our knowledge, this mcl-PHA titer is the highest value that has been ever reported using glucose as the sole carbon and energy source. Our results also highlighted the effect of different fed-batch strategies upon the extent of realization of the intended metabolic modification of the mutant strains.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6029-6038
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• 2013

In this study we attempt to modify the backbone structure and improve processibility of PBO having high melting and glass transition temperature. A series of aromatic poly(o-hydroxyamide)s(PHAs) were synthesized by direct polycondensaton of diacides containing diimide unit with two types of bis(o-aminophenol)s including 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine and 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane. PHAs were studied by FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR, DSC and TGA. PHAs exhibited inherent viscosities in the range of 0.34~0.65 dL/g at $35^{\circ}C$ in DMAc solution. The PHA 1 and 6F-PHA 6, introducing o-phenylene unit in the main chain showed excellent solubilities in aprotic solvents such as NMP etc. However, the PHA 3, having p-phenylene unit was not even dissolved perfectly with LiCl salt. 6F-PHAs were readily soluble at room temperature in aprotic solvents except 6F-PHA 3. But they showed better solubility than that of PHAs. The polybenzoxazoles(PBOs) were quite insoluble in other solvents except partially soluble in sulfuric acid. PBOs exhibited relatively high glass transition temperatures(Tg) in the range of 306~$311^{\circ}C$ by DSC. The maximum weight loss temperature and char yields of PHA3 and 6F-PHA3 showed the highest values of $658^{\circ}C$ and $653^{\circ}C$, 62.6 % and 62.1 %, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1958-1965
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• 2008

A denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating bacterium (YKP-9) was isolated from activated sludge of a 5-stage biological nutrient removal process with step feed system. This organism was a Gram-negative, coccus-shaped, facultative aerobic chemoorganotroph. It had a respiratory type of metabolism with oxygen, nitrate, and nitrite as terminal electron acceptors. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain YKP-9 was most similar to the 16S rRNA gene sequence of Paracoccus sp. OL18 (AY312056) (similarity level, 97%). Denitrifying polyphosphate accumulation by strain YKP-9 was examined under anaerobic-anoxic and anaerobic-oxic batch conditions. It was able to use external carbon sources for polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHA) synthesis and to release phosphate under anaerobic condition. It accumulated polyphosphate and grew a little on energy provided by external carbon sources under anoxic condition, but did neither accumulate polyphosphate nor grow in the absence of external carbon sources under anoxic condition. Cells with intracellular PHA cannot accumulate polyphosphate in the absence of external carbon sources under anoxic condition. Under oxic condition, it grew but could not accumulate polyphosphate with external carbon sources. Based on the results from this study, strain YKP-9 is a new-type denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating bacterium that accumulates polyphosphate only under anoxic condition, with nitrate and nitrite as the electron acceptors in the presence of external carbon sources.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2019

Lichens are generally known as self-sufficient, symbiotic life-forms between fungi and algae/cyanobacteria, and they also provide shelter for a wide range of beneficial bacteria. Currently, bacterial-derived biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is grabbing the attention of many researchers as a promising alternative to non-degradable plastics. This study was conducted to develop a new method of PHA production using unexplored lichen-associated bacteria, which can simultaneously degrade two ubiquitous industrial toxins, anthracene and naphthalene. Here, 49 lichen-associated bacteria were isolated and tested for PHA synthesis. During the GC-MS analysis, a potential strain of EL19 was found to be a 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3-HHx) accumulator and identified as Pseudomonas sp. based on the 16S rRNA sequencing. GC analysis revealed that EL19 was capable of accumulating 30.62% and 19.63% of 3-HHx from naphthalene and anthracene, respectively, resulting in significant degradation of 98% and 96% of naphthalene and anthracene, respectively, within seven days. Moreover, the highly expressed phaC gene verified the genetic basis of $PHA_{mcl}$ production under nitrogen starvation conditions. Thus, this study strongly supports the hypothesis that lichen-associated bacteria can detoxify naphthalene and anthracene, store energy for extreme conditions, and probably help the associated lichen to live in extreme conditions. So far, this is the first investigation of lichen-associated bacteria that might utilize harmful toxins as feasible supplements and convert anthracene and naphthalene into eco-friendly 3-HHx. Implementation of the developed method would reduce the production cost of $PHA_{mcl}$ while removing harmful waste products from the environment.