• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2020

In a redox transition zone, geochemical reactions are facilitated by active bacteria that mediate reactions involving electrons, and arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) cycles are the major electron transfer reactions occurring at such a site. In this study, the effect of repetitive redox changes on soil bacterial community in As-contaminated soil was investigated. The results revealed that bacterial community changed actively in response to redox changes, and bacterial diversity gradually decreased as the cycle repeated. Proportion of strict aerobes and anaerobes decreased, while microaerophilic species such as Azospirillum oryzae group became the predominant species, accounting for 72.7% of the total counts after four weeks of incubation. Bacterial species capable of reducing Fe or As (e.g., Clostridium, Desulfitobacterium) belonging to diverse phylogenetic groups were detected. Indices representing richness (i.e., Chao 1) and phylogenetic diversity decreased from 1,868 and 1,926 to 848 and 1,121, respectively. Principle component analysis suggests that repetitive redox fluctuation, rather than oxic or anoxic status itself, is an important factor in determining the change of soil bacterial community, which in turn affects the cycling of As and Fe in redox transition zones.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.295-303
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• 1988

For microbial production of acetaminophen, a popular analgesic-antipyretic from aniline, we screened various fungi and bacteria. And we succeeded to some extents in acetaminophen production by successful protoplast fusion between S. lividans and S. globisporus and also between S. rimosus and S. aureofaciens. However, more fertile results might be brought via performing the cloning of acetanilide p-hydroxylation genes of Streptomyces in yeast. This study was initiated to determine whether the acetanilide p-hydroxylase of Streptomyces is cytochrome P-450 species or non-heme iron protein species. The p-hydroxylationactivity on acetanilide in S. aureofaciens ATCC 10762 was found to be unstable on exposing to the air. However, 100,000xg supernatant of the cell free extracts which were prepared in $N_2$ atmosphere showed the p-hydroxylation activity. Characteristic absorption peak of cytochrome P-450 after reduction with dithionite and addition of CO was not observed in the region of 450nm. Moreover, metyrapone and 2, 6-dichloroindophenol did not affect this enzyme activity, but sodium azide, sodium cyanide, cupric sulfate, cadmium chloride, ${\alpha}$, ${\alpha}'-dipyridyl$, and o-phenanthroline reduced p-hydroxylase activity considerably. S. fradiae NRRL 2702 was shown to have strong p-hydroxylation activity in intact cells. This activity disappeared in its cell free extracts. In its 100,000xg supernatant, however, characteristic absorption peak of cytochrome P-450 after reduction with dithionite and addition of CO was observed at 446nm. Thus, the results herein presented suggest that acetanilide p-hydroxylase of Streptomyces aureofaciens is not related to cytochrome P-450 and may include non-heme iron protein for its activity. However, it is not clear whether acetanilide p-hydroxylase in S. fradiae belongs to the same category of S. aureofaciens.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.05b
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• pp.1239-1243
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• 2005

The water quality of the Ian Stream, a tributary of the Na14dong River, was estimated to provide an information in establishment of an ecological restoration plan for fan dam which will be constructed in near future. Seven stations were selected in upstream (3 stations) and downstream (4 stations) of Ian Stream, centering the construction site of Ian dam. Samples were collected at the surface water of 7 stations selected on May 1, June 16, and September 1 in 2004. The values of DO, pH, and BOD are satisfied Grade I for river water standard in nearly all sites. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total Phosphorus (TP) showed low level with ranges of $1.10\~2.25\;mgN/L,\;5\~14\;{\mu}gP/L$. However, the total and fecal conform bacteria were detected in nearly stations, especially high at the upstream stations. The number of fecal conform bacteria corresponds to the Grade III for river water standard. In addition, some metals (iron, manganese) were detected during dry season. As a consequence, general water quality of Ian Stream satisfied Grade I for river standard and it is expected that pollution loads from watershed is not significant. However, the detection of fecal conform, which is thought to be from livestock and residents, and some metals originating mimes watershed can have a potential health risk exists for aquatic organisms lived in Ian Stream. It needs to be solved by the construction of wastewater treatment plant to diminish the health risk from stream water polluted by fecal conform and metals, and to provide the safe ecological habitat for aquatic organisms.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.155-172
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• 2015

In this study, a complete set of recirculating cooling water system and the required instruments were built in a semi-industrial-scale and a 50 g/h ozone generation plant and a chlorine system were designed for cooling water treatment. Both chlorination and ozonation treatment methods were studied and the results were analyzed during two 45-days periods. The concentrations of ozone and chlorine in recirculating water were constant at 0.1 mg/lit and 0.6 mg/lit, respectively. In ozone treatment, by increasing the concentration cycle to 33%, the total water consumption decreased by 26% while 11.5% higher energy efficiency achieved thanks to a better elimination of bio-films. In case of Carbon Steel, the corrosion rate reached to 0.012 mm/yr and 0.025 mm/yr for the ozonation and chlorination processes, respectively. Furthermore, consumptions of the anti-corrosion and anti-sedimentation materials in the ozone cooling water treatment were reduced about 60% without using any oxidant and non-oxidant biocides. No significant changes in sediment load were seen in ozonation compared to chlorination. The Chemical Oxygen Demand of the blow-down in ozonation method decreased to one-sixth of that in the chlorination method. Moreover, the soluble iron and water turbidity in the ozonation method were reduced by 97.5% and 70%, respectively. Although no anaerobic bacteria were seen in the cooling water at the proper concentration range of ozone and chlorine, the aerobic bacteria in chlorine and ozone treatment methods were 900 and 200 CFU/ml, respectively. The results showed that the payback time for the ozone treatment is about 2.6 years.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1607-1611
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• 2011

To analyze the role of Bombyx mori transferrin (BmTf) in response to microbes or oxidative stress, we investigated the level of BmTf transcripts in B. mori treated with various microbes and oxidative stress inducers. BmTf mRNA was mainly expressed in the epidermis and fat in the bodies of B. mori injected with Escherichia coli, and up regulated in response to microbes such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses, but was hardly altered in response to oxidative stress inducers such as $H_2O_2$, Cu, or $FeCl_3$. We also confirmed that BmTf mRNA expression was increased in Bm5 cells treated with ERK, PLC, PKA, PI3K, MAPK, or JNK inhibitors, respectively. To identify the major inducer of BmTf expression, we analyzed the amount of serum iron in the hemolymph of B. mori after injection or feeding with E. coli or $FeCl_3$. The results showed that the amount of serum iron was not changed by injection and feeding with E. coli, although BmTf mRNA was increased by injection with E. coli. On the contrary, injection and feeding with $FeCl_3$ significantly increased the amount of serum iron, although they did not alter the BmTf mRNA level. On the basis of these results, we assume that up-regulation of BmTf in B. mori is closely related to the defense of microorganism, and BmTf may be expressed at the basal constitutive level when it plays a role in iron metabolism by maintaining iron homeostasis and in the insect defense mechanism against oxidative stress.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.503-510
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• 2009

This study investigated the effects of tannic acid (TA) in the diets for weanling pigs prepared with/without supplemental Fe on performance, hematology, fecal microflora and diarrhea incidence. Limestone and calcium phosphate used in Experiment 1 and 2 were of semi-synthetic and feed-grade quality, respectively; while the trace-mineral premix used in both the experiments was prepared without any added Fe source. In Experiment 1, 108 weaned pigs (Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire ${\times}$ Duroc, initially 6.46 ${\pm}$ 1.04 kg BW) were allotted to 3 treatments including control (diet added with $FeSO_4$ and antibiotic), T1 (diet devoid of $FeSO_4$ and antibiotic) and T2 (T1 diet added with 125 mg/kg TA). Each treatment had 4 replicates with 9 pigs in each pen. Feeding of T1 diet had a negative effect on the performance and plasma Fe status of pigs, while addition of TA to T1 diet resulted in performance of pigs comparable to pigs fed the control diet, reduced diarrhea incidence but had a negative influence on the hematological and plasma Fe indices. Additionally, pigs fed T2 diet had fewer (p<0.05) total anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium spp. and coliforms than pigs fed T1 diet, and greater number of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in feces when compared with pigs fed control and T1 diets. In Experiment 2, 144 weaned pigs (Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire ${\times}$ Duroc, initially 6.00 ${\pm}$ 1.07 kg BW) were allotted to 4 dietary treatments including control (diet added with $FeSO_4$ and antibiotic) and diets devoid of supplemental Fe added with antibiotic (An), TA and both (AnTA). Each treatment had 4 replicates with 9 pigs in each pen. Addition of An, TA or both to diets devoid of supplemental Fe did not have any effect on performance, blood hematology and plasma Fe but resulted in reduced (p<0.05) diarrhea incidence and lower (p<0.05) fecal coliform population than pigs fed the control diet. These results suggest that TA has a negative influence on blood hematology and plasma Fe status when diets are inadequate in Fe; however, TA reduced diarrhea incidence and might have antimicrobial activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1032-1041
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• 2010

The comparative influence of two nanoparticles [viz., superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and nanobarium titanate (NBT)] upon the in vitro and in situ low-density polyethylene (LDPE) biodegradation efficiency of a potential polymer-degrading microbial consortium was studied. Supplementation of 0.01% concentration (w/v) of the nanoparticles in minimal broth significantly increased the bacterial growth, along with early onset of the exponential phase. Under in vitro conditions, ${\lambda}$-max shifts were quicker with nanoparticles and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) illustrated significant changes in CH/$CH_2$ vibrations, along with introduction of hydroxyl residues in the polymer backbone. Moreover, simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) reported multiple-step decomposition of LDPE degraded in the presence of nanoparticles. These findings were supported by scanning electron micrographs (SEM), which revealed greater dissolution of the film surface in the presence of nanoparticles. Furthermore, progressive degradation of the film was greatly enhanced when it was incubated under soil conditions for 3 months with the nanoparticles. The study highlights the significance of bacteria-nanoparticle interactions, which can dramatically influence key metabolic processes like biodegradation. The authors also propose the exploration of nanoparticles to influence various other microbial processes for commercial viabilities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1819-1825
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• 2006

Four naphthalene-degrading bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. strains O1, W1, As1, and G1) were isolated feom pollutant-contaminated sites. Examination of their substrate utilization and analyses of key naphthalene-catabolic regulatory genes revealed that the pathway and regulation of naphthalene-degradation in all four strains resemble those of NAH7 from P. putida G7. Superoxide anion production, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity during their growth on naphthalene-amended medium increased significantly, compared with those with glucose-amended medium. Addition of ascorbate, an antioxidant, or ferrous iron ($Fe^{2+}$) increased the growth rates of all tested microorganisms on naphthalene. Northern blot and HPLC analyses showed that both nahA gene expression and naphthalene degradation increased under those conditions. Our data suggest that naphthalene degradation can impose severe oxidative stress, and defenses against oxidative stress would play an important role in the metabolism of naphthalene.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.260-265
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• 2003

The experimental methods to rapidly and stably reproduce Microbially Influenced Corrosion (MIC) of stainless steel by sulfate-reducing bacteria such as Desulfovibrio vulgaris were developed. In this study, using two types of stainless steel, 304 and 444, obtained from Pohang Steel & Iron Co., Ltd. (POSCO)., three major factors were tested; overall medium composition, dilution ratio, and chloride concentration. In the overall medium tests, three different media were prepared according to $FeSO_4$ concentration; PM (original Postgate's medium No. 2), MPM 1 (modified PM, no $FeSO_4$, MPM 2 (modified PM, 1/10 $FeSO_4$). The effects of various dilution ratios (3, 1, 1/3, 1/10, 1/30, and 1/100 times) and chloride concentrations (0.0067M, 0.01M, 0.05M, and 0.1M) were examined during 2 months cultivation. Through SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) observation, the diluted and modified media, particularly the $1/3{\times}MPM$ I medium, showed more micro-pitting points on surfaces compared to the original PM medium. High concentrations of chloride ions (above 0.05M) were not adequate for observation of MIC since those brought about non-microbiologically induced corrosion. From this study, the optimization of medium composition was very effective to routinely observe MIC in a laboratory system.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.956-966
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• 2011

Bioleaching studies of metals from a spent catalyst were conducted using both adapted and unadapted bacterial cultures. The bacterium used in this experiment was Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. A comparison of the kinetics of leaching was made between the two cultures by varying the leaching parameters, including the pulp density, particle size and temperature. Both cultures showed similar effects with respect to the above parameters, but the leaching rates of all metals were higher with the adapted compared to the unadapted bacterial cultures. The leaching reactions were continued for 240 h in the case of the unadapted bacterial culture, but only for 40 h in the case of the adapted bacterial culture. The leaching reactions followed first order kinetics. In addition, the kinetics of leaching was concluded to be a diffusion control model; therefore, the product layers were impervious.