• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2016

Though there is an abundant supply of nitrogen in the atmosphere, it cannot be used directly by the biological systems since it has to be combined with the element hydrogen before their incorporation. This process of nitrogen fixation ($N_2$-fixation) may be accomplished either chemically or biologically. Between the two elements, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a microbiological process that converts atmospheric di-nitrogen ($N_2$) into plant-usable form. In this review, the genetics and mechanism of nitrogen fixation including genes responsible for it, their types and role in BNF are discussed in detail. Nitrogen fixation in the different agricultural systems using different methods is discussed to understand the actual rather than the potential $N_2$-fixation procedure. The mechanism by which the diazotrophic bacteria improve plant growth apart from nitrogen fixation such as inhibition of plant ethylene synthesis, improvement of nutrient uptake, stress tolerance enhancement, solubilization of inorganic phosphate and mineralization of organic phosphate is also discussed. Role of diazotrophic bacteria in the enhancement of nitrogen fixation is also dealt with suitable examples. This mini review attempts to address the importance of diazotrophic bacteria in nitrogen fixation and plant growth improvement.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1680-1687
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• 2020

Fungal endophytes are symbiotic microorganisms that are often found in asymptomatic plants. This study describes the genetic diversity of the fungal endophytes isolated from the roots of plants sampled from the west coast of Korea. Five halophytic plant species, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda australis, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda glauca Bunge, and Phragmites australis, were collected from a salt marsh in Gochang and used to isolate and identify culturable, root-associated endophytic fungi. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 was used as the DNA barcode for the classification of these specimens. In total, 156 isolates of the fungal strains were identified and categorized into 23 genera and two phyla (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), with Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes as the predominant classes. The genus Alternaria accounted for the largest number of strains, followed by Cladosporium and Fusarium. The highest diversity index was obtained from the endophytic fungal group associated with the plant P. australis. Waito-C rice seedlings were treated with the fungal culture filtrates to analyze their plant growth-promoting capacity. A bioassay of the Sm-3-7-5 fungal strain isolated from S. maritima confirmed that it had the highest plant growth-promoting capacity. Molecular identification of the Sm-3-7-5 strain revealed that it belongs to Alternaria alternata and is a producer of gibberellins. These findings provided a fundamental basis for understanding the symbiotic interactions between plants and fungi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2007

Growth promotion of wild plants by some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was examined in the microcosms composed of soils collected separately from a grass-covered site and a nongrass-covered site in a lakeside barren area at Lake Paro, Korea. After sowing the seeds of eight kinds of wild plants and inoculation of several strains of PGPR, the total bacterial number and microbial activity were measured during 5 months of study period, and the plant biomasses grown were compared at the end of the study. Acridine orange direct counts in the inoculated microcosms, $1.3-9.8{\times}10^9\;cells{\cdot}g\;soil^{-1}$ in the soil from the grass-covered area and $0.9-7.2{\times}10^9\;cells{\cdot}g\;soil^{-1}$ in the soil from the nongrass-covered site, were almost twice higher than those in the uninoculated microcosms. The number of Pseudomonas sp., well-known bacteria as PGPR, and the soil dehydrogenase activity were also higher in the inoculated soils than the uninoculated soils. The first germination of sowed seeds in the inoculated microcosm was 5 days earlier than the uninoculated microcosm. Average lengths of all plants grown during the study period were 26% and 29% longer in the inoculated microcosms starting with the grass-covered soil and the nongrass-covered soil, respectively, compared with those in the uninoculated microcosms. Dry weights of whole plants grown were 67-82% higher in the inoculated microcosms than the uninoculated microcosms. Microbial population and activity and growth promoting effect by PGPR were all higher in the soils collected from the grass-covered area than in the nongrass-covered area. The growth enhancement of wild plants seemed to occur by the activities of inoculated microorganisms, and this capability of PGPR may be utilized for rapid revegetation of some barren lands.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.202-207
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• 2010

Plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF) are well known for the production of useful secondary metabolites. However, limited information is available on the gibberellin (GA) production capacity of PGPF of endophytic origin. In the current study, 15 fungal endophytes were isolated from the roots of Crown daisy, and then screened on Waito-c rice, in order to identify plant growth promoting fungi. The fungal isolate MH7 significantly increased the shoot length (12.1 cm) of Waito-c in comparison with control treatment (7.9 cm). In a separate experiment, the culture filtrate (CF) of MH7 significantly promoted the growth attributes of Crown daisy. The MH7 CF was analyzed for gibberellins and it contained all physiologically active gibberellins ($GA_1$, 1.37 ng/ml; $GA_3$, 5.88 ng/ml; $GA_4$, 8.62 ng/ml; and $GA_7$, 2.05 ng/ml) in conjunction with physiologically inactive $GA_9$ (0.83 ng/ml), $GA_{12}$ (0.44 ng/ml), $GA_{15}$ (0.74 ng/ml), $GA_{19}$ (1.16 ng/ml), and $GA_{20}$ (0.98 ng/ml). The CF of MH7 produced higher amounts of $GA_3$, $GA_4$, $GA_7$, $GA_9$, and $GA_{12}$ than wild-type Fusarium fujikuroi, which was used as a control for GA production. The fungal isolate MH7 was later identified as a new strain of Penicillium on the basis of its morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the 188 rDNA sequence.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

Pseudomonas veronii MS1 and P. migulae MS2 have several mechanisms of copper resistance and plant growth promoting capability, and also can alleviate abiotic stress in plant by hydrolysis of a precursor of stress ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) by ACC deaminase. In 4-week pot test for tomato growth in soil contained 700 mg/kg Cu, inoculation of MS1 and MS2 significantly increased root and shoot lengths, wet weight and dry weight of tomato plants compared to those of uninoculated control. The inoculated tomato plants contained less amounts of proline that can protect plants from abiotic stress, and malondialdehyde, an oxidative stress marker than those of control. ACC synthase genes, ACS4 and ACS6, and ACC oxidase genes, ACO1 and ACO4, both involved in ethylene synthesis, were strongly expressed in Cu stressed tomato, whereas significantly reduced in tomato inoculated with MS1 and MS2. Also, a gene encoding a metal binding protein metallothionein, MT2 showed similar expression pattern with above genes. All these results indicated that these rhizobacteria could confer Cu resistance to tomato plant under Cu stress and allowed a lower level of Cu stress and growth promotion.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.823-826
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• 2000

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of plant growth retardants (daminozide, chlormequat, hexaconazole, uniconazole, paclobutrazole) and fungicides of triazole chemical (microbutanil, difenoconazole, terbuconazole, bitertanol) on the rooting of 'New Guinea' impatiens cuttings. In both 'Papete' and 'Anguilla', the formation of adventitious roots was promoted by all concentrations of chlormequat, hexaconazole, uniconazole, and paclobutrazole treated. More adventitious roots were formed with hexaconazole, uniconazole, and paclobutrazole than with chlormequat. Length of the longest root and rooting zone decreased at higher concentrations of chlormequat, hexaconazole, uniconazole, and paclobutrazole in 'Papete', while 'Anguilla' showed less responses. In contrast with plant growth retardants, the formation of adventitious roots was remarkably promoted by fungicides of triazole chemical such as microbutanil, difenoconazole, terbuconazole, and bitertanol in 'Pepete' and 'Martinique' impatiens, but was not in 'Pagopago'. However, length of the longest root and rooting zone showed more sensitive response in 'Martinique' and 'Pagopago' than in 'Pepete'. These results suggest that fungicides of triazole chemical can be effectively used for rooting promotion of impatiens cuttings.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.346-357
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• 2024

This study was carried out to screen the antifungal activity against Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum dematium, and Colletotrichum coccodes. Bacterial isolate GP-P8 from pepper soil was found to be effective against the tested pathogens with an average inhibition rate of 70.7% in in vitro dual culture assays. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis result showed that the effective bacterial isolate as Bacillus siamensis. Biochemical characterization of GP-P8 was also performed. According to the results, protease and cellulose, siderophore production, phosphate solubilization, starch hydrolysis, and indole-3-acetic acid production were shown by the GP-P8. Using specific primers, genes involved in the production of antibiotics, such as iturin, fengycin, difficidin, bacilysin, bacillibactin, surfactin, macrolactin, and bacillaene were also detected in B. siamensis GP-P8. Identification and analysis of volatile organic compounds through solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS) revealed that acetoin and 2,3-butanediol were produced by isolate GP-P8. In vivo tests showed that GP-P8 significantly reduced the anthracnose disease caused by C. acutatum, and enhanced the growth of pepper plant. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of pepper fruits revealed that GP-P8 treated pepper plants showed increased expression of immune genes such as CaPR1, CaPR4, CaNPR1, CaMAPK4, CaJA2, and CaERF53. These results strongly suggest that GP-P8 could be a promising biocontrol agent against pepper anthracnose disease and possibly a pepper plant growth-promoting agent.

• Plant Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.42-47
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• 2011

One of domestic power generation companies, Korea East-West Power Corporation(EWP) had no performance in overseas business just two short years ago. However, EWP has accomplished breakthrough results with the profit of KRW 17.8 billion in 2010, only overseas business part. With overseas power plant growing fast, there is a possibility that EWP may face the limitation of sustainable growth with the current low income structure, which is mainly focused on commissioning and power plant management. Accordingly, this study was made on overseas biomass plant business participation plan through the establishment of joint venture. The characteristics of a joint venture establishment was searched, choosing business partner; the ideas of how to organize a joint venture was drawn, what the role of each partner in joint venture is, and what proper capital share is; and chose business field, considering changing global energy mix, renewable energy market scale, and growth prospects. Considering government policy for renewable energy vitalization and renewable energy market share, We chose the European union as a market to which our business entered.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 2006

Since there could be more and rather various diazotrophs in rhizosphere of wild crops than those in rhizosphere of cultivars, some wild gramineous crops grown in Korea were collected for isolating nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Six diazotrophs were purified from their roots using nitrogen-free media. The isolated bacteria were partially identified as 4 genera by 16S rDNA sequence analysis: Stenotrophomonas sp., Bosea sp., Klebsiella sp., and Azorhizobium sp. By PCR amplification and sequence analysis, DNA fragments extracted from all isolates turned out to have an individual nifH homologous gene. Five isolates (KNUC163, KNUC165, KNUC169, KNUC170, and KNUC171) showed auxin activity and four isolates (KNUC163, KNUC166, KNUC170, and KNUC171) produced siderophores. Especially,3 strains of S. maltophilia showed both auxin and siderophore activities. In conclusion, the isolated nitrogen-fixing bacteria might have capabilities for plant growth promotion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.777-790
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• 2011

To elucidate the biodiversity of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Korea, 7,638 bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of plant species growing in many different regions were screened. A large number of PGPR were identified by testing the ability of each isolate to promote the growth of cucumber seedlings. After redundant rhizobacteria were removed via amplified rDNA restriction analysis, 90 strains were finally selected as PGPR. On the basis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, 68 Gram-positive (76%) and 22 Gram-negative (24%) isolates were assigned to 21 genera and 47 species. Of these genera, Bacillus (32 species) made up the largest complement, followed by Paenibacillus (19) and Pseudomonas (11). Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the Grampositive PGPR fell into two categories: low- and high- G+C (Actinobacteria) strains. The Gram-negative PGPR were distributed in three categories: ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria, ${\beta}$- proteobacteria, and ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria. To our knowledge, this is the largest screening study designed to isolate diverse PGPR. The enlarged understanding of PGPR genetic diversity provided herein will expand the knowledge base regarding beneficial plant-microbe interactions. The outcome of this research may have a practical effect on crop production methodologies.