• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2012

Flavonoids, which form a major component in Houttuynia cordata Thunb., display a wide range of pharmacological activities. The expression of plant flavonoids is partly regulated by fermentation. Therefore, we studied the effects of fermentation on H. cordata in order to identify the strains present during the fermentation process, and to determine whether fermented H. cordata could be used as a probiotic. Our results showed that all 6 of the bacterial strains isolated from fermented H. cordata (FHC) belonged to the genus Bacillus. As expected, fermenting H cordata also increased the flavonoid content as increases were observed in the levels of rutin, quercitrin, and quercetin. To test the effects of fermentation, we treated LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with non-fermented H. cordata extracts (HCE) or FHC extracts (FHCE). Compared to the HCE-treated cells, the FHCE-treated cells showed increased viability. No cytotoxic effects were detected in the FHCE-treated groups in the 2 cell lines used in the study, namely, RAW264.7 and RBL-2H3. FHCE-treated HepG2 cells showed decreased growth, compared to HCE-treated HepG2 cells. These results indicate that the fermented H. cordata predominantly contained Bacillus strains. Furthermore, FHCE are able to prevent LPS-induced inflammatory effects and inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.732-736
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• 2010

Five strains of tannic acid degrading bacteria were isolated and identified by phenotypic characterization. All the five isolates showed cell-associated activity, whereas only three showed extracellular activity. Serratia ficaria DTC, showing the highest cell-associated activity (0.29 U/l), was selected for further shake-flask studies. Tannase synthesis was growth associated and reached the peak in the late stationary phase of growth. Organic nitrogen sources enhanced the tannase production. Peak tannase production of 0.56 U/l was recorded in the medium having the initial pH of 6. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were found to be 8.9 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. This is the first report of cell-associated activity in the case of bacterial tannase. Cell-associated tannase of Serratia ficaria DTC could be industrially important from the perspective of its activity at broad temperature and pH ranges, and its unusually high activity at pH 8.9.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.322-322
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• 1994

Gram 음성균의 세포벽 성분인 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)는 생체내에서 각종 생리 활성 물질의 생성을 증진 시킴으로써 내독성 shock등의 병변을 유발하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 이중 prostaglandin (PG)합성 증진 작용에 대해서는 많은 보고가 이루어져 있으나 그 자세한 작용 기전이나 특성등에 대해서는 아직 많은 연구가 되어 있지 않다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 랫드의 폐포 macrophage를 대상으로 하여 LPS의 PG 합성 증진 작용에 대한 특성을 확인코자 하였다. 우선 LPS에 의한 PG 합성 profile을 시간별로 확인한 결과 처리 6 시간 이후에 현저한 합성 증가를 관찰하였으며, 이는 주로 cyclooxygenase의 활성 증가에 기인하는 것으로 추정되었다. LPS는 짧은 시간 동안의 처리에 의해서도 PG 합성을 증진 시켰으나, 양적인 면에서, 장시간 처리에 비해 극히 적었고, 이 작용은 phospholipase $A_2$ 활성 증가에 기인하는 것으로 추정 되었다. LPS에 의한 PG합성 증진 작용은, TNF나 PAF의 생성을 매개로 하지는 않았으며, serum의 존재가 필수적임을 확인하였다. EGF, PDGF 등의 growth factor들은 그 자체로는 PG 합성을 유의적으로 증가시키지는 않았으나 LPS와의 병용 처리에 의해 어느 정도의 증진 작용을 나타내었다. 또한, 정상 랫드 serum도 LPS와의 병용 처리에 의해 PG 합성을 현저히 증가 시켰으며, 따라서, LPS는 serum 중의 각종 growth factor 외에도 LBP등의 serum factor들과의 상호 작용을 통하여 PG합성 증진 작용을 나타내는 것으로 추정 되었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1849-1855
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• 2006

It has been shown that the initial conditions of bacterial cultivation are extremely important for the successful production of hyaluronic acid (HA) by fermentation. We investigated several parameters that affect cell growth rate and the productivity and molecular weight of hyaluronic acid--i.e., agitation speed, aeration rate, culture temperature, pH, and pressure--to determine how to optimize the production of HA by Streptococcus zooepidemicus on an industrial scale. Using a 30-1 jar fermentor under laboratory conditions, we achieved maximum HA productivity and biomass when the agitation speed and aeration rate were increased simultaneously. By shifting the temperature downward from 35$^{\circ}C$ to 32$^{\circ}C$ at key levels of cell growth during the fermentation process, we were able to obtain HA with a molecular weight of $2.8{\times}10^6$ at a productivity of 5.3 g/l. Moreover, we reproduced these optimized conditions successfully in three 30-1 jar fermentors. By reproducing these conditions in a 3-$m^3$ fermentor, we were able to produce HA with a molecular weight of $2.9{\times}10^6$ at a productivity of 5.4 g/l under large-scale conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.792-802
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• 2009

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered to be a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics for future generations. We identified four novel hexapeptides with antimicrobial activity: KCM11 (TWWRWW-$NH_2$), KCM12 (KWRWlW-$NH_2$), KCM21 (KWWWRW-$NH_2$), and KRS22 (WRWFIH-$NH_2$), through positional scanning of a synthetic peptide combinatorial library (PS-SCL). The ability of these peptides to inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria and unicellular fungi was evaluated. KCM11 and KRS22 preferentially inhibited the normal growth of fungal strains, whereas KCM12 and KCM21 were more active against bacterial strains. Bactericidal activity was addressed in a clear zone assay against phytopathogenic bacteria, including Pectobacterium spp., Xanthomonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., etc. KCM21 showed the highest activity and was effective against a wide range of target organisms. Application of KCM21 with inoculation of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum on detached cabbage leaves resulted in an immune phenotype or a significant reduction in symptom development, depending on the peptide concentration. Cytotoxicity of the four hexapeptides was evaluated in mouse and human epithelial cell lines using an MTT test. The results revealed a lack of cytotoxic effects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.690-695
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• 2014

Bacterial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxlyate (ACC) deaminase (AcdS) is an enzyme that cleaves ACC, a precursor of the plant hormone ethylene, into ${\alpha}$-ketobutyrate and ammonia. The acdS gene was cloned from Pseudomonas fluorescens, which was capable of improving the seedling of Chinese cabbage under salinity condition. The recombinant AcdS (rAcdS) exhibited optimal activity at pH 8.5 and $30^{\circ}C$. Strong activity was sustained at up to 100 mM NaCl. The polyclonal anti-P. fluorescens AcdS antibody was produced in a rabbit that had been immunized with the purified rAcdS. This antibody successfully recognized the homologous antigens derived from the total proteins of isolated plant growth-promoting microorganisms. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the intensity of hybridization signal and AcdS activity measured by a biochemical method, suggesting its application as a useful indicator for active deaminases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.938-945
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• 2005

For elucidating excessive growth of biofilm that subsequently leads to the clogging problem in a small town's sewer lines of Wisconsin, the FISH method was employed. At the beginning of the simulated experiments, ${\beta}$-subclass proteobacteria prevailed in runs fed with industrial wastewater, while ${\gamma}$-subclass proteobacteria dominated in runs with domestic wastewater. However, the bacterial community structure changed significantly over six weeks; Cytophaga-Flavobacterium (CF)­group bacteria dominated in most runs fed with the small town's wastewater regardless of their source, while CF-group decreased strongly in run fed with domestic sewage from another city (Madison). It was also microscopically confirmed that most of those clogging materials was toilet tissue, which in turn may lead to vigorous growth of cellulose-degrading CF-group bacteria. This dominant presence of CF-group bacteria in the small town's sewer indicates that the main constituent of biofilm, toilet tissue (cellulose) in sewage, might have induced the unique pattern of their microbial community structure. Therefore, it suggests that molecular technique is useful for monitoring the clogging problems in sewer lines.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 1997

Incidence of soybean sprout rot by Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora was examined under several artificial conditions. Under higher temperatures over 3$0^{\circ}C$, disease incidence was increased and the rate of soft rot incidence was 22% at 35$^{\circ}C$. Artificial injuries of inner cotyledon and seed coat induced the disease above 70% and inhibited the soybean sprout growth. Relative humidity above 90% increased the soft rot to 33% and inhibited soybean sprout growth. When the leaked water collected from soybean sprout was reused for irrigation, the disease incidence was increased.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.527-533
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• 1997

From apple skin, we isolated a bacterial strain which strongly inhibited the growth of apple white rot fungus, Botryosphaeria dothidea. The isolated strain, designated as SS279, was identified to be the genus Bacillus. The antifungal activity of Bacillus sp. SS279 was found in the culture filtrate. The production of antifungal substances occurred during logarithmic phase and was the highest when cultures reached the stationary growth phase. The optimum ranges of temperature and pH for its production were 25-30$\circ$C and 4.5-9.0, respectively. The culture filtrate of Bacillus sp. SS279 exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on the spore germination and germ tube elongation of B. dothidea. Autoclaved culture filtrate of Bacillus sp. SS279 showed only a slight decrease in antifungal activity, indicating that the Bacillus sp. SS279 produce heat-stable antifungal substances. In in vivo bioassay, Bacillus sp. SS279 also showed antagonistic activity against apple white rot caused by B. dothidea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.302-309
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• 2010

Formic acid is a representative carboxylic acid that inhibits bacterial cell growth, and thus it is generally considered to constitute an obstacle to the reuse of renewable biomass. In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to elucidate changes in protein levels in response to formic acid. Fifty-seven differentially expressed proteins in response to formic acid toxicity in S. cerevisiae were identified by 1D-PAGE and nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) analyses. Among the 28 proteins increased in expression, four were involved in the MAP kinase signal transduction pathway and one in the oxidative stress-induced pathway. A dramatic increase was observed in the number of ion transporters related to maintenance of acid-base balance. Regarding the 29 proteins decreased in expression, they were found to participate in transcription during cell division. Heat shock protein 70, glutathione reductase, and cytochrome c oxidase were measured by LC-MS/MS analysis. Taken together, the inhibitory action of formic acid on S. cerevisiae cells might disrupt the acidbase balance across the cell membrane and generate oxidative stress, leading to repressed cell division and death. S. cerevisiae also induced expression of ion transporters, which may be required to maintain the acid-base balance when yeast cells are exposed to high concentrations of formic acid in growth medium.