• KSBB Journal
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 1993

For the production of biodegradable polymers from microorganisms a bacterial strain producing a biopolymer was isolated from soil. The bacteriological characteristics of this strain and physicochemical Properties of the biopolymer produced were investigated. The bacterial strain was identified as an alkalophilic Alcaligenes sp. The Purified biopolymer treated with cetylpridinium chloride and acetone was identified as an acidic biopolymer having carboxyl groups and showed strong UV absorbance (at 210nm). The biopolymer was composed of 100% glutamic acid and glutamic acid existed as $\gamma$-polyglutamic acid($\gamma$-PGA) in the form of the $\gamma$-peptide bond. The equivalent weight of this $\gamma$-PGA was estimated about 350, indicating that one acidic fraction per 2.7 residue of $\gamma$-polyglutamic acid existed. The molecular weight was $6.5{\times}10^5$ Daltons.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1366-1372
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• 2021

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a biocompatible material with a lot of potential. To make BNC commercially feasible, improvements in its production and surface qualities must be made. Here, we investigated the in situ fermentation and generation of BNC by addition of different cellulosic substrates such as Avicel and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and using Komagataeibacter sp. SFCB22-18. The addition of cellulosic substrates improved BNC production by a maximum of about 5 times and slightly modified its structural properties. The morphological and structural properties of BNC were investigated by using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, a type-A cellulose-binding protein derived from Clostridium thermocellum, CtCBD3, was used in a novel biological analytic approach to measure the surface crystallinity of the BNC. Because Avicel and CMC may adhere to microfibrils during BNC synthesis or crystallization, cellulose-binding protein could be a useful tool for identifying the crystalline properties of BNC with high sensitivity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.404-413
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• 2022

The process of manufacturing craft beer involves a wide variety of spontaneous microorganisms, acting in different stages of the brewing process, that contribute to the distinctive characteristics of each style. The objective of this work was to compare the structure of microbial communities associated with two different craft beer styles (Doppelbock and Märzen lagers), at a late maturation stage, and to identify discriminative, or style-specific taxa. Bacterial and fungal microbial communities were analyzed by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene of prokaryotes and the ITS 2 spacer of fungi (eukaryotes). Fungal communities in maturating beer were dominated by the yeast Dekkera, and by lactic acid (Lactobacillus and Pediococcus) and acetic acid (Acetobacter) bacteria. The Doppelbock barrels presented more rich and diverse fungal communities. The Märzen barrels were more variable in terms of structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities, with occurrence of exclusive taxa of fungi (Aspergillus sp.) and bacteria (L. kimchicus). Minority bacterial taxa, differently represented in the microbiome of each barrel, may underlie the variability between barrels and ultimately, the distinctive traits of each style. The composition of the microbial communities indicates that in addition to differences related to upstream stages of the brewing process, the contact with the wood barrels may contribute to the definition of style-specific microbiological traits.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.135-149
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• 2017

In order to obtain promising rice growth-promoting microbial strains that can be used as substitutes for chemical fertilizers, 172 bacterial strains were isolated from rice roots grown in Korean and Russian soils. Out of them, the strains KR076, KR083, KR181 and RRj228 showed plant growth-promoting activities on maize seedlings. Bacillus megaterium KR076 and Bacillus sp. KR083 showed both nitrogen-fixing and plant growth-promoting activities, while Rhizobium sp. KR181 and Pseudomonas sp. RRj228 appeared to support only plant growth-promotion, but not $N_2$ fixation. Especially, RRj228 showed high growth promoting activity at low concentrations. Inoculation studies with KR083 and RRj228 revealed a high affinity to the Japonica rice variety such as Junambyeo than the Korean Tongil type variety such as Arumbyeo. Both KR083 and RRj228 strains showed rhizoplane and/or endophytic colonization in Japonica and Tongil types rice when soaked with the bacterial suspension of $1.1{\times}10^5cfu\;ml^{-1}$ for six and twelve hours. However, the total bacterial cell numbers were higher in the roots of Japonica variety than in the Tongil type. In inoculation trials with Daesanbyeo rice variety, the seedlings inoculated with KR181 and RRj228 at the rate of $2.0{\times}10^6cfu\;ml^{-1}$ showed yield increment of 35% and 33% (p < 0.01), respectively, so that they contributed to the replacement of chemical fertilizer at half doses of N, $P_2O_5$, and $K_2O$ in pots. In Junambyeo rice seedlings, the strain RRj228, when inoculated with a cell suspension of $1.8{\times}10^6cfu\;ml^{-1}$, promoted 3.4% higher yield at 70% dose than at a full dose level of N $110kg\;ha^{-1}$ in field. These results suggest that the rhizobacteria KR181 and RRj228 are prospective strains for enhancing rice performance.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1432-1437
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate cane molasses pretreatments for the production of cellulose by Acetobacter sp. V6, which has excellent bacterial cellulose (BC) producing capacity in the shaking culture. Among pretreatments of cane molasses, 1% (w/v) tricalcium phosphate (TP) treatment was more efficient in BC production. The physico-chemical properties of BCs that were produced in static and shaking cultures were also investigated. Although BC had an emulsifying ability, its emulsion stability was low. Water holding capacity (WHC) of BC was high; the WHC of BC produced in static culture was 14 times higher than that of $\alpha$-cellulose. In addition, the viscosity of BC was higher than that of $\alpha$-cellulose. Composition analysis by FT-IR showed no difference in composition between BC and plant cellulose. In the crystallinity analysis by XRD, all BC samples showed crystallinity. All BC samples showed reticulated structures consisting of ultrafine cellulose fibriles. Microfibriles of cellulose from static culture were especially more compact than those of cellulose from shaking culture.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 2018

This study was conducted to reuse spent mushroom substrates (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus and improve their nitrogen content by bacterial treatment. Two kinds of bacteria were used to investigate the increase in total nitrogen (T-N) content. Bacillus sp. (GM20-4) was isolated from SMS of oyster mushroom, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RS) was obtained from Gwangju Si Agricultural Technology Center. SMS samples were collected from three oyster mushroom cultivation farms located in Gyeonggi-do province, Korea. When dried SMS was inoculated with 30% culture broth of GM20-4 and RS and incubated at room temperature ($25{\pm}2^{\circ}C$) for 5 days, T-N content increased. To investigate the T-N content of other SMS, three dried SMS samples (A, B, and C) were treated by the same method using GM20-4 and RS. As a result, the T-N content of sample B was 20% higher than that of the control, whereas the T-N content of samples A and C increased to 17% and 12%, respectively. The change in T-N content by bacterial treatment of wet SMS was slightly higher than that of the control. The changes in amino acid content were also found to be higher than those in the control in all SMS samples by GM20-4 and RS treatment. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid contents were the highest among all amino acid compositions. Especially, the aspartic and glutamic acid contents of sample B increased by 2.9 folds higher than the control.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 1987

A laboratory experiment was conducted to find out the effect of inoculation with plant growth of associative $N_2$-fixing bacteria on the combination of eight different rice seedling with seven different associative $N_2$-fixing bacteria in which were isolated and identified from grasses and rice in saline and reclaimed saline paddy soil. Those were examined in N-free axenic culture medium. The result of this experiment exemplified the contribution of associative $N_2$-fixing bacteria to their host plant were varied much by the combination of rice cultivars and bacterial strains. Acetylene reduction ($N_2$-fixation) activity seems to be more variable with respect to the combination of rice cultivars and bacterial strains. The relationship between acetylene reduction activity and rice performance such as dry matter weight, plant height, root length, and number of root were statistically insignificant. However, in comparision with the control, the dry matter yield of Annapuruna was increased by inoculation of all the seven bacteria strains. Among the seven rice cultivars, the average acetylene reducing activity was the highest in Annapuruna, and Shingwang, and the lowest in IR-8 inoculated with Pseudomonas sp H8. Among the seven bacterial strains the highest acetylene reducing activity was obtained by the combination of Shingwang with Pseudomonas sp H8.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.453-459
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• 2016

Agarases are classified into α-agarase and β-agarase that produce agarooligosaccharides and neoagarooligosaccharides, respectively. Neoagarooligosaccharides have whitening effect of skin, delay of starch degradation, and inhibition of bacterial growth etc. Hence, the object of this study was to isolate a novel agarase producing marine bacterium and characterization of its β-agarase. A novel agar-degrading bacterium was isolated from seashore of Namhae at Gyeongnamprovine, Korea and purely cultured with Marine agar 2216 media. The isolated bacterium was identified as Simiduia sp. SH-4 after 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The enzymatic sample was obtained from culture media of Simiduia sp. SH-4. Enzymatic activity was highly increased from 20(30% relative activity) to 30℃ (100%) and decreased from 30 to 40℃(75%) and so more. Relative activity was 100% at pH 6 while those were about 91% and 59% at pH 5.0 and 7.0, respectively, meaning the enzyme possesses narrow optimal pH range. Hence, the enzyme exhibited the maximal activity with 120.4 units/l at pH 6.0 and 30℃ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis showed that Simiduia sp. SH-4 produces β-agarase, which hydrolyze agarose to produce biofunctional neoagarooligosaccharides such as neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose. Hence, broad applications would be possible using Simiduia sp. SH-4 and its enzyme in the food industry, cosmetics and medical fields.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2016

In this study, we isolated a new agar-degrading marine bacterium and characterized its agarase. An agardegrading marine bacterium SH-1 was isolated from seawater, collected from the seashore of Namhae in Gyeongnam province, Korea, and cultured in marine agar 2216 media. It was identified as Maribacter. sp. SH-1 by phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. The extracellular agarase was extracted from culture media of Maribacter sp. SH-1 and characterized. Its relative activities were 56, 62, 94, 100, and 8% at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60℃, respectively, whereas 15, 100, 60, and 21% relative activities were observed at pH 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Its extracellular agarase exhibited maximum activity (231 units/l) at pH 6.0 and 50℃, in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Therefore, this agarase would be applicable as it showed the maximum activity at the temperature at which the agar is in a sol state. Furthermore, the agarase activities remained over 90% at 20, 30, and 40℃ after 0.5 h exposure at these temperatures. Thin layer chromatography analysis suggested that Maribacter sp. SH-1 produces extracellular β-agarase, as it hydrolyzes agarose to produce neoagarooligosaccharides, such as neoagarohexaose (34.8%), neoagarotetraose (52.2%), and neoagarobiose (13.0%). Maribacter sp. SH-1 and its β-agarase would be useful for the production of neoagarooligosaccharides, which shows functional properties, like skin moisturizing, skin whitening, inhibition of bacterial growth, and delay in starch degradation.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.852-858
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• 1998

We have isolated a bacterial strain that tends to kill P. micans from the mixed culture of p. minns plus seawater filtrate (poresize, 0.8 $\mu$m) collected at Masan bay in July 1996, in which the mixed culture grown in the f/2 medium. According to the experimental results of the isolated bacterium such as fatty acids analysis, morphological and biochemical characteristic tests, the strain was supposed to be a Pseudomonas and then it was named as Pseudomonas sp. LG-2. The killing effect of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2 against P. micans was proportionally increased with the concentrations of culture filtrate (pore size, 0.8 $\mu$m) is well as with the number of bacterium inoculated. In the mixed culture inoculated with $1.3\times10^6$ cells/ml of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2, the number of P. micans (2,000 cells/ml) was gradually decreased and then killed below 100 cells/ml within 7 days. In addition, the culture filtrate with $30\%$ of final concentration revealed a significant killing effect against P. micans around 3 days after culture. In the relationship between killing effects and growth stage of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2, the culture filtrate at lag phase has little effects on P. micans. In constant, the culture filtrate at mid-log phase showed the killing effect by decreasing P. micans to 112 in number within 5 days. In particular, the culture filtrate at stationary phase showed a significant killing effect against P. micans in which the majority of it was killed after 3 day culture. The species specificity of killing effects of Pseudomonas sp. LG-2 against 5 species of dinoflagellate was only found in P. micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea.