• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.285-294
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• 2005

A bacterial strain M4-7 capable of degrading various polyesters, such as poly$(\varepsilon-caprolactone)$, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate), and poly(3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate), was isolated from a marine environment and identified as Pseudomonas alcaligenes. The relative molecular mass of a purified extracellular medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (MCL-PHA) depolymerase $(PhaZ_{palM4-7})$ from P. alcaligenes M4-7 was 28.0 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. The $PhaZ_{palM4-7}$ was most active in 50 mM glycine-NaOH buffer (pH 9.0) at $35^{\circ}C$. It was insensitive to dithiothreitol, sodium azide, and iodoacetamide, but susceptible to p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid, N-bromosuccinimide, acetic anhydride, EDTA, diisopropyl fluorophosphate, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, Tween 80, and Triton X-100. In this study, the genes encoding MCL-PHA depolymerase were cloned, sequenced, and characterized from a soil bacterium, P. alcaligenes LB19 (Kim et al., 2002, Biomacro-molecules 3, 291-296) as well as P. alcaligenes M4-7. The structural gene $(phaZ_{palLB19})$ of MCL-PHA depolymerase of P. alcaligenes LB19 consisted of an 837 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 278 amino acids with a deduced $M_r$ of 30,188 Da. However, the MCL-PHA depolymerase gene $(phaZ_{palM4-7})$ of P. alcaligenes M4-7 was composed of an 834 bp ORF encoding a protein of 277 amino acids with a deduced Mr of 30,323 Da. Amino acid sequence analyses showed that, in the two different polypeptides, a substrate-binding domain and a catalytic domain are located in the N-terminus and in the C-terminus, respectively. The $PhaZ_{palLB19}$ and the $PhaZ_{palM4-7}$ commonly share the lipase box, GISSG, in their catalytic domains, and utilize $^{111}Asn$ and $^{110}Ser$ residues, respectively, as oxyanions that play an important role in transition-state stabilization of hydrolytic reactions.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2007

We evaluated the use of citrus fruit fermented by lactic acid bacteria, as a feed supplement for flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) cultivation. For the fermentation, a lactic acid bacterial strain W-44 showing antibacterial activity was isolated from kimchi. From the phylogenetic analysis based on, 16S rDNA sequence, the strain W-44 was identified as Lactococcus lactis. After the fermentation of citrus fruit with L. lactis W-44, the contents of naringenin and hesperetin, bioactive flavonoid aglycones, were increased about ten-fold and six-fold, respectively. The effects of fermented citrus fruit-based feed additives (CFBFA) were tested on the growth of flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. There were significant differences in average total length and body weight between the experimental and control group. The growth rate of the experimental group fed with the 0.2% CFBFA-supplemented diet was increased 4.5% and 20.9% more than the control group in total length and body weight, respectively. These results suggest that the fermented citrus fruit could be used as a functional feed additive for flounder cultivation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2008

Two hundred and sixty-eight bacterial strains were isolated from pine mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) basal soil. In the course of screening for antifungal activity against seven plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum gloeosprioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytopthora capsici, Pythium ultimum, Rizoctonia solani) of isolates, strain KM1-15 showed strong antibiotic activity against Alternaria panax and Colletotrichum gloeosprioides. In determining its relationship on the basis of 16S rDNA sequence, KM1-15 strain was most closely related to Bacillus $koguryoae^T$ (AY904033) (99.62%). When assayed with the API 50CHE Kit, unlike Bacillus koguryoae, it is positive for utilization of L-arabinose, cellobiose, inulin, and D-turanose. Results of cellular fatty acid analysis showed that major cellular fatty acids were 15:0 anteiso (35.78%) and 17:0 anteiso (17.97%). In particular, hydroxyl fatty acids such as 13:0 iso 3-OH, 14:0 iso 3-OH, 15:0 iso 3-OH, and 17:0 iso 3-OH were only restricted to strain KM1-15. DNA G+C content was 43.7 mol% and quinone system was MK-7 (100%) in strain KM1-15.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.419-429
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• 2000

Prevotella intermedia has been implicated as a potent pathogen in many kinds of periodontal, pulpal and periapical diseases. However, it has been isolated from periodontally healthy adults and from edentulous children as well. The intraspecies heterogeneity of Prevotella intermedia has been demonstrated in early studies and finally Shah & Gharbia confirmed the existence of 2 DNA homology groups and proposed dividing Prevotella intermedia into 2 species, Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens. This study was designed to examine the frequency of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens in diseased periodontal pockets and healthy gingival sulcus of Korean people by PCR based on 16s ribosomal DNA sequence. One hundred adults who had adult periodontitis but not taken any periodontal treatment or antibiotics during previous 6 months and 50 adults who had healthy periodontal tissue were selected for this study. The sulcular fluid was collected into VMGA by sterilized paper point and diluted to 1,000 times in anaerobic chamber. $100{\mu}{\ell}$ of sample was cultured in $37^{\circ}C$ for 10 days. Among the bacterial colonies, BPB were selected and cultured in BHI broth and then Prevotella intermedia was identified through Gram staining and biochemical test. Identified Prevotella intermedia was cultured again and centrifuged. DNA was extracted from the pellet using several reagents. PCR was performed by previously designed primer. The results were followed. 1. BPB were isolated from 39 of 100 samples of diseased periodontal pockets(39%). 2. Prevotella intermedia was identified from 24 of 39 BPB samples. 3. Among 24 Prevotella intermedia, 21 were confirmed as Prevotella inter - media(87.5) and 2 were confirmed as Prevotella nigrescens(8.33%). 4. BPB were isolated from 9 of 50 samples of periodontally healthy patients. Among them only two were identified as Prevotella intermedia, that is, one was confirmed as Prevotella intermedia and the other was Prevotella nigrescens.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2013

A bacterium producing a fibrinolytic enzyme was isolated from Cheonggukjang. The bacterium was identified as a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by 16S rDNA analysis and designated as B. amyloliquefaciens HC188. The optimum culture medium appeared to be one containing 0.5% (w/v) maltose and 0.5% (w/v) soytone. Bacterial growth in the optimal medium at $37^{\circ}C$ reached the stationary phase after 27 h of incubation and the fibrinolytic enzyme showed optimum activity at 24 h. The enzyme was purified by 20-80% ammonium sulfate precipitation, CM Sepharose fast flow ion exchange chromatography, and Sephacryl S-200HR column chromatography. Its specific activity was 38359.3 units/mg protein and the yield was 5.5% of the total activity of the crude extracts. The molecular weight was 24.7 kDa and the amino acids of the N-terminal sequence were AQSVPYGVSQIKAPA. The fibrinolytic enzyme activity had an optimum temperature of $40^{\circ}C$ and an optimum pH of 8.0, and the enzyme was stable in the ranges $20-40^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0-8.0. Enzyme activity was increased by $Ca^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ but inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$, EDTA, and PMSF. It is suggested that the purified enzyme is a metallo-serine protease.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.40-45
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• 2001

Raw starch-digesting amylase (BF-2A, M.W. 93, 000 Da) from Bacillus circulans F-2 was converted to two components during digestion with subtilisin. Two components were separated and designated as BF-2A' (63, 000 Da) and BF-2B (30, 000 Da), respectively. BF-2A' exhibited the same hydrolysis curve for soluble starch as the original amylase (BF-2A). Moreover, the catalytic activities of original and modified enzymes were indistinguishable in $K_{m}$, Vmax for, and in their specific activity for soluble starch hydrolysis. However, its adsorbability and digestibility on raw starch was greatly decreased. Furthermore, the enzymatic action pattern on soluble starch was greatly different from that of the BF-2A. A smaller peptide (BF-2B) showed adsorb ability onto raw starch. By these results, it is suggested that the larger peptide (BF-2A') has a region responsible for the expression of the enzyme activity to hydrolyze soluble substrate, and the smaller peptide (BF-2B) plays a role on raw starch adsorption. A similar phenomenon is observed during limited proteinase K, thermolysin, and endopeptidase Glu-C proteolysis of the enzyme. Fragments resulting from proteolysis were characterized by immunoblotting with anti-RSDA. The proteolytic patterns resulting from proteinase K and subtilisin were the same, producing 63- and 30-kDa fragments. Similar patterns were obtained with endopeptidase Glu-C or thermolysin. All proteolytic digests contained a common, major 63-kDa fragment. Inactivation of RSDA activity results from splitting off the C-terminal domain. Hence, it seems probable that the protease sensitive locus is in a hinge region susceptible to cleavage. Extracellular enzymes immunoreactive toward anti-RSDA were detected through whole bacterial cultivation. Proteins of sizes 93-, 75-, 63-, 55-, 38-, and 31-kDa were immunologically identical to RSDA. Of these, the 75-kDa and 63-kDa proteins correspond to the major products of proteolysis with Glu-C and thermolysin. These results postulated that enzyme heterogeneity of the raw starch-hydrolysis system might arise from the endogeneous proteolytic activity of the bacterium. Truncated forms of rsda, in which the gene sequence encoding the conserved domain had been deleted, directed the synthesis of a functional amylase that did not bind to raw starch. This indicates that the conserved region of RSDA constitutes a raw starch-binding domain, which is distinct from the active centre. The possible role of this substrate-binding region is discussed.d.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2013

To isolate antagonistic bacteria against sclerotinia rot of lettuce, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, soil samples were collected from the diseased greenhouse field in Namyangju city, Gyeong-gi province from 2007 to 2008. A total of 196 bacterial isolates were isolated using serial dilution method. In dual culture assay in vitro, 26 isolates showed more than 80% of inhibition rates of mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the 26 isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium, B. cereus, B. subtilis, Arthrobacter nicotianae, A. ramosus, Pseudomonas filiscindens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans and Sphingobacterium faecium. The 26 isolates inhibited the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum up to 80% and the sclerotial germination 0-100%. In the greenhouse pot test of ten isolates conducted in summer, 2 isolates B. megaterium (DK6) and B. cereus (C210) showed control efficacy on sclerotia viability of S. sclerotiorum, 20% and 35%, respectively. In the greenhouse pot test in winter, the disease incidence of the control group was 80%, whereas those of 9 isolates among 26 were approximately 20%. From the result, the 9 isolates are expected as potentially antagonistic bacteria for biological control of sclerotinia rot of lettuce caused by S. sclerotiorum.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.86-89
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• 2011

Phytophthora blight and anthracnose disease caused by Phytophthora capsici and Collectotrichum gloeosporioides are the most important devastating diseases of red pepper plants, worldwide. Five different bacterial isolates were isolated from the red pepper rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil and subsequently tested for antagonistic activity against P. capsisi and C. gloeosporioides. The area of the inhibition zone was taken as a measure for antagonistic activity. Among the 5 isolates tested, S54 exhibited a maximum antagonistic activity under in vitro and in vivo conditions. In greenhouse studies the isolate has successfully reduced the disease symptom. Protect value was 80.8% (Phytophthora blight) and 81.9% (Anthrancnose disease), whereas the infection rate of control plants was 21.3% and 23.2%. Based on the 16S rDNA sequence and API 50CHB Kit analysis the most effective isolate was identified as Bacillus subtilis. The results of the study indicate that the stratin S54 could be used as an potential biological control of Phytophthora blight and anthracnose disease of red pepper.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2003

The antioxidative activity of antioxidative substances produced from several bacterial strains isolated from fermented foods were tested by $DPPH\;({\alpha},{\alpha}'-diphenyl-{\beta}-picrylhydrazyl)$ free radical scavenging activity. One of the strains showing the highest antioxidative activity was identified as Bacillus sp. based on the morphological, biochemical, physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA sequence, and named FF-7. The most optimal medium condition for the production of antioxidative substance from Bacillus sp. FF-7 was 2% galactose as carbon source and l% tryptone as nitrogen source. The antioxidative substance produced from FF-7 in these cultural medium was also tested by in vitro experimental models, the peruxidation of linoleic acid and the peroxidation of rat tissues microsomes by using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) for assay of free malondialdehyde production. The antioxidative activity against lipid peroxidation of rat tissues microsomes was shown in the following order; brain 97.50% > heart 79.95% > kidney 77.84% > spleen 77.47% > testis 69.96% > liver 62.45%. The antioxidative substance produced from FF-7 on linoleic acid peroxidation by IBA method was effectively inhibited during four days, and 0.05% BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) used comparative control was also effectively inhibited. Results showed that the highest antioxidative activity by DPPH method of antioxidative substance produced from Bacillus sp. FF-7 was obtained by supplementing 2% galactose as carton source and l% tryptone as nitrogen source in cultured medium, this substance effectively inhibited the formation of TBARS in brain microsome in vit개 system and in linoleic acid peroxidation.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 2005

In a course of searching for biofungicide to control crisphead lettuce bottom rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani, we have isolated an antagonistic bacterium from lettuce rhisophere soil. A total of 702 bacterial isolates were isolated and tested for in vitro growth inhibition of R. solani. Seven strains appeared to have strong antagonistic effect against R. solani in in vitro growth inhibition assay. In the pot experiments, a strain BW-13 showed the most potent disease control effect on the both lettuce seedlings and adults plants. Therefore, the BW-13 was selected as a biocotrol candidate against crisphead lettuce bottom rot. Based on its morphology, physiological characteristics, and 165 rRNA gene analysis, the BW-13 was finally identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. This study indicated that S. maltophilia BW-13 could be used as a biocontrol agent to control crisphead lettuce bottom rot.