• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.207-208
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• 2000

Since trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) arise from anaerobic degradation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and TCE, there is interest in creating aerobic remediation systems that avoid the highly toxic VC and cis-DCE which predonominate in anaerobic degradation. However, it seemed TCE could not be degraded aerobically without an inducing compound (which also competitively inhibits TCE degradation). It has been shown that TCE induces expression of both the toluene dioxygenase of p. putida F1 as well as toluene-p-monooxygenase of P.mendocina KRI. We investigated here the ability of PCE, TCE, and chlorinated phenols to induce toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from P.stutzeri OX1. ToMO has a relaxed regio-specificity since it hydroxylates toluene in the ortho, meta, and para positions; it also has a broad substrate range as it oxidizes o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and naphthalene; chlorinated compounds including TCE, 1, 1-DCE, cis-DCE, trans-DCE, VC, and chloroform : as well as mixtures of chlorinated aliphatics (Pseudomonas 1999 Maui Meeting). ToMO is a multicomponent enzyme with greatest similarity to the aromatic monooxygenases of Burkholderia pickettii PKO1 and P.mendocina KR1. Using P.sturzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces P.mendocina KR1 Using P.situtzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces ToMO activity measured as naphthalene oxygenase activity 2.5-fold, TCE induces 2.3-fold, and toluene induces 3.0 fold. With the mutant P.stutzeri M1 which does not express ToMO, it was also found there was no naphthalene oxygenate activity induced by PCE and TCE; hence, PCE and TCE induce the tow path. Using P.putida PaW340(pPP4062, pFP3028) which has the tow promoter fused to the reporter catechol-2, 3-dioxygenase and the regulator gene touR, it was determined that the tow promoter was induced 5.7-, 7.1-, and 5.2-fold for 2-, 3-, 4-chlorophenol, respectively (cf. 8.9-fold induction with o-cresol) : however, TCE and PCE did not directly induce the tou path. Gas chromatography and chloride ion analysis also showed that TCE induced ToMO expression in P.stutzeri OX1 and was degraded and mineralized. This is the first report of significant PCE induction of any enzyme as well as the first report of chlorinated compound induction of the tou operon. The results indicate TCE and chlorinated phenols can be degraded by P.stutzeri OX1 without a separate inducer of the tou pathway and without competitive inhibition.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2013

Entomopathogenic fungal species have been investigated for their potential use as biological control agents owing to their natural role as insect pathogens. These fungi produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with high therapeutic values, such as antibiotics and cytotoxic substances. To evaluate the antibacterial activity of entomopathogenic fungi, 10 isolates from Korean soil were selected and tested for their activity against Escherichia coli by using fungal culture filtrates. Antibacterial activity was assessed using a two-step process: (1) a screening assay for the selection of fungal isolates and (2) a quantitative assay to evaluate the activity of select fungi. Although 4 fungal isolates were selected through the screening assay, only 3 fungal isolates, from Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, showed high antibacterial activity according to the quantitative assay. The antibacterial activity of selected fungal culture filtrates was stable when exposed to heat and proteolytic enzyme treatments, which indicated that the antibacterial compound is not a protein. These entomopathogenic fungal metabolites might be useful as a source for bacterial control and in the pharmaceutical industry.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1073-1080
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• 2014

A total of 10 cellulase-producing bacteria were isolated from soil samples irrigated with paper and pulp mill effluents. The sequencing of 16S rRNA gene revealed that all isolates belonged to different species of genus Bacillus. Among the different isolates, B. subtilis IARI-SP-1 exhibited a high degree of ${\beta}$-1,4-endoglucanase (2.5 IU/ml), ${\beta}$-1,4-exoglucanase (0.8 IU/ml), and ${\beta}$-glucosidase (0.084 IU/ml) activity, followed by B. amyloliquefaciens IARI-SP-2. CMC was found to be the best carbon source for production of endo/exoglucanase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase. The ${\beta}$-1,4-endoglucanase gene was amplified from all isolates and their deduced amino acid sequences belonged to glycosyl hydrolase family 5. Among the domains of different isolates, the catalytic domains exhibited the highest homology of 93.7%, whereas the regions of signal, leader, linker, and carbohydrate-binding domain indicated low homology (73-74%). These variations in sequence homology are significant and could contribute to the structure and function of the enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1114-1120
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• 2010

A chitosan-degrading fungus, BSF114, was isolated from soil. The culture preparation showed strong chitosanolytic enzyme activity at an optimum pH of 4.0 and optimum temperature of $60^{\circ}C$ after 36-40 h fermentation. The rapid decrease in the viscosity of the chitosan solution early in the reaction suggested an endo-type cleavage of the polymeric chitosan chains. To identify the isolated fungus, molecular biological and morphological methods were used. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region 1 was amplified, sequenced, and then compared with related sequences in the GenBank database using BLAST. The phylogenetic relationships were then analyzed, and the results showed that the fungus belongs to Aspergillus fumigatus. Morphological observations were also used to confirm the above conclusion. The chitooligosaccharides (COS) obtained through hydrolyzing the colloidal chitosan showed that A. fumigatus BSF114 is suitable for degrading chitosan and producing chitooligosaccharides on a large scale. High concentrations of the COS (1,000 and 500 ${\mu}g/ml$) significantly proliferated mice marrow cells.

• 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 Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.47-55
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• 2014

Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 possesses several monooxygenases (CphC-I, CphC-II, and CphB) that can catalyze the transformation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) to hydroxylated intermediates in the initial steps of substrate metabolism. The corresponding genes of the monooxygenases were cloned, and the competent cells were transformed with these recombinant plasmids. Although CphC-II and CphB were expressed as insoluble forms, CphC-I was successfully expressed as a soluble form and isolated by purification. The specific activity of the purified CphC-I was analyzed by using 4-CP, 4-chlorocatechol (4-CC), and catechol (CAT) as substrates. The specific activities for 4-CP, 4-CC, and CAT were determined to be 0.312 U/mg, 0.462 U/mg, 0.246 U/mg, respectively. The results of this study indicated that CphC-I is able to catalyze the degradation of 4-CC and CAT in addition to 4-CP, which is a primary substrate. This research is expected to provide the fundamental information for the development of an eco-friendly biochemical degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.636-643
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• 2001

Bacillus sp. AIR-5, a strain from soil, produced an extracellular maltopentaose-forming amylase from amylose and soluble starch. This bacterium produced 8.9 g/l of maltopentaose from 40 g/l of soluble starch in a batch fermentation and the maltopentaose made up 90 % of the maltooligosaccharides produced (from maltose to maltoheptaose). The culture supernatant was concentrated using a 30 K molecular weight cut-off membrane and purified by DEAE-Cellulose and Sephadex G-150 column chromatographies. The purified protein showed one band on a native-PAGE and its molecular mass was estimated as 250 kDa. The 250-kDa protein was composed of tetramers of a 63-kDa protein. the isoelectric point of the purified protein was pH 6.9, and the optimum temperature for the enzyme activity was $45^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was quickly inactivated above $55^{\circ}C$, and showed a maximum activity at pH 8.5 and over 90% stability between a pH of 6 to 10. The putative N-terminal amino acid sequence of AIR-5 amylase, ATINNGTLMQYFEWYVPNDG, showed a 96% sequence similarity with that of BLA, a general liquefying amylase.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 1992

A bacterium having CMCase activity was isolated form soil and identifed as a Pseudomonas sp YD-15. The optimum conditions for the production of CMCase were avicel 1.2%, yeast extract 0.5%, $KNO_3$ 0.06%, $K_2HPO_4$ 0.2%, $MgSO_4$ $7H_2O$ 0.15%, pH 8.0, $30^{\circ}C$ and 60 hours cultivation. The CMCase was purified 15.2 folds with 14ft yield through ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-sepharose column chromatography and sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 6.0 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was stable between pH 5.0 and 8.0, below $50^{\circ}C$. The molecular weight was calculated about 100,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. $K_m$ value for CMC used as a substrate was 40 mg/ml.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2004

A bacterium producing alkaline cellulase was isolated from soil, leaf mold and compost, and was identified as alkalophilic Bacillus sp. HSH-810 by morphological, cultural and biochemical determination. The optimum cul-ture condition of Bacillus sp. HSH-810 for the growth and alkaline cellulase production was $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 10.0. The maximum alkaline cellulase production was obtained when 1.0%(w/v) CMC, 0.5%(w/v) peptone, 0.02%(w/v) $CaCl_2$ and 0.02(w/v) $CoCl_2$ were used as carbon source, nitrogen source and mineral source, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme activity were pH 10.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. This enzyme was fairly stable in the pH range of 6.0-13.0 and at $50^{\circ}C$. For the effect of surfactants, the activity of alkaline cellulase was stable in the presence of sodium-$\alpha$-olefin sulfonate (AOS), sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), Tween 20 and Tween 80, but inhibited by the presence of 0.1 linear alkyl-benzene sulfonate (LAS) sig-nificantly.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.579-582
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• 2000

(R,S)-3-amino-n-butanoic acid$(DL-\;{\beta}\;-homoalanine)$ has been kinetically resolved using Alcaligenes denitrificans Y2k-2 as a biocatalyst, which was isolated from soil by enrichment culture, which was carried out with minimal media containing (R,S)-3-amino-n-butanoic acid as a sole nitrogen source. The enzyme which peformed this kinetic resolution assumed to belong to the ${\omega}-transaminase$ family, because A. denitrificans used pyruvate as amino acceptor and its transaminase activity was inhibited by gabaculine, aminooxy acetic acid and hydroxylamine. In whole cell reaction, (R,S)-3-amino-n-butanoic acid was kinetically resolved to the corresponding (R)-3-amino-n-butanoic acid with excellent E (>100) in the presence of pyruvate as an amino acceptor at $37^{\circ}C$. (S-specific) We observed the substrate inhibition for pyruvate at 100mM. In this study, characteristics of transaminase activity of Alcaligenes denitrificans Y2k-2, such as substrate specificity and thermostability, are carried out for the development of (R)-3- amino-n-butanoic acid production system.