• 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.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2013

Some rhizobacteria producing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase can make plant to continue growth under the stress conditions through lowering the level of phytohormone, ethylene which inhibits the plant growth and accelerates plant aging. In this study, some rhizobacteria producing ACC deaminase have been isolated from the rhizosphere of plants grown at sand beaches, and identified as Escherichia hermannii m-2, Enterobacter asburiae m-4, Pseudomonas thivervalensis BD2-26 and Pseudomonas brassicacearum subsp. neoaurantiaca BD3-35 through sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Strain BD3-35 showed the highest activity of ACC deaminase among the isolates, 20.26 ${\alpha}$-ketobutyrate ${\mu}M/mg$ protein/h. Strains BD3-35 and BD2-26 secreted a phytohormone cytokinin, and strains m-4 and m-2 could produce auxin and abscisic acid, respectively. When these bacteria were applied to the 7-day old tomato plant under drought stress for 7 days, strains BD3-35, m-2, and m-4 increased the length of tomato root by 14, 15, and 35%, respectively, and strains m-2, BD2-26 and BD3-35 increased the dry weight of tomato plant by 22, 33, and 68%, respectively compared to the uninoculated control tomatoes. Therefore, these rhizobacteria may be utilized as a microbial fertilizer for the plants under drought stress.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.364-369
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• 2002

Streptomyces shows a eukaryotic characteristic that vegetative cell can grow into mycelial form and has morphological and physiological differentiation at a certain period during its life cycle. Streptomyces has been used for the production of many biologically active compounds, such as antibiotics and pronase. Production of second metabolites and differentiation of the vegetative cell share the certain period of its lift cycle. Therefore, second metabolites may affect the differentiation of the vegetative cell. One of the microbial hormone, called A-factor, regulates the production of second metabolites, sporulation and differentiation of the cells. Streptomyces griseus produces streptomycin as well as many different kinds of proteinase. As mentioned, period of proteinases production overlaps with the period of differentiation of the vegetative cells. Protease may play a important role for the differentiation of the cells. In this paper, function of the SGPD gene cloned from S. griseus IFO 13350 tested whether it affects for the differentiation of A-factor mutated S. griseus HH1 and S. griseus IFO13350. pWHM3 and pWHM3-sprD plasmid was transformed into S. griseus HH1 and S. griseus IFO13350. Chymotrypsin activity of the cultured medium of the transformants with pWHM3-sprD plasmid didn't show any change with that of the transformants with plasmid only. The transformants with pWHM3-sprD plasmid didn't show the increase of the production of actinorhodin as well as morphological change in S. griseus IFO 13350 and HH1, as well. The promoter sequences of the SGPA and SGPB gene which encode chymotrypsin-like protease, were compared with that of SGPD gene. Regulatory mechanism of gene expression of proteinase genes will be studied for the development of high production system for protease as well as the function of the proteases.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2003

A 1.3-kb of chitosanase gene (choA) encoding 45-kDa polypeptide was cloned, expressed, and characterized from a newly isolated Bacillus cereus H-1. The chitosanase protein (ChoA) of B. cereus H-l was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and CM-sephadex column chromatography. Optimum pH was around 7, and stable pH range in the incubation at 50 C was 4-11. Optimum temperature was around 50 C, and enzyme activity was relatively stable below 45 C. ChoA showed the activities toward carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in addition to soluble or glycol chitosan. Based on MALDI-TOF MS analysis of purified ChoA, the entire amino acid sequence of ChoA was interpreted by database searching of previously known Bacillus chitosanases. A 1.6 kb of PCR product of corresponding chitosanase gene was obtained and its DNA sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid of choA revealed that ChoA have a 98% homology with those of Bacillus sp. No.7-M strain and Bacillus sp. KCTC0377BP. The recombinant ChoA protein was expressed in E. coli DH5$\alpha$. Deduced amino acid comparison of choA with other chitosanases suggested that it belongs to family 8 microbial endo-chitosanase with chitosanase-cellulase activity.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 1987

The most active strain for the amylase activity from the native Youngkwang koji, was isolated and identified as Aspergjllus awamori. The optimal conditions for the production of ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase were investigated and the properties of these enzymes were also examined. Maximum yields of ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase were obtained at $30^{\circ}C$, pH 5.0 for days. The production of these two enzymes were increased with the addition of maltose, urea, $K_2HPO_4$, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, and $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$. The activities of these enzymes were maximized at $50^{\circ}C$, $pH\;5{\sim}6$. The heat stabilites of ${\alpha}-amylase$ and glucoamylase were maintained at $50^{\circ}C$ for 20min and 40min, respectively. Also, the addtion of $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, $K_2HPO_4$, and $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ salt increased the heat stabilities of these enzymes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1467-1475
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• 2015

The use of microbial extracts containing plant hormones is a promising technique to improve crop growth. Little is known about the effect of bacterial cell-free extracts on plant growth promotion. This study, based on phytohormonal analyses, aimed at exploring the potential mechanisms by which Enterococcus faecium LKE12 enhances plant growth in oriental melon. A bacterial strain, LKE12, was isolated from soil, and further identified as E. faecium by 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The plant growth-promoting ability of an LKE12 bacterial culture was tested in a gibberellin (GA)-deficient rice dwarf mutant (waito-C) and a normal GA biosynthesis rice cultivar (Hwayongbyeo). E. faecium LKE12 significantly improved the length and biomass of rice shoots in both normal and dwarf cultivars through the secretion of an array of gibberellins (GA₁, GA₃, GA₇, GA₈, GA₉, GA₁₂, GA₁₉, GA₂₀, GA₂₄, and GA₅₃), as well as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study indicating that E. faecium can produce GAs. Increases in shoot and root lengths, plant fresh weight, and chlorophyll content promoted by E. faecium LKE12 and its cell-free extract inoculated in oriental melon plants revealed a favorable interaction of E. faecium LKE12 with plants. Higher plant growth rates and nutrient contents of magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, silicon, zinc, and nitrogen were found in cell-free extract-treated plants than in control plants. The results of the current study suggest that E. faecium LKE12 promotes plant growth by producing GAs and IAA; interestingly, the exogenous application of its cell-free culture extract can be a potential strategy to accelerate plant growth.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.603-610
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• 2009

This research was performed to improve removal efficiency of toluene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) using Candida tropicalis, one of the yeast species. An airlift loop bioreactor (ALB) was employed to enhance the capability of mass transfer for toluene and MEK from the gas phase to the liquid, microbial phase. Polymer gel media made from PAC, alginate and PEG was applied for the effective immobilization of the yeast strain on the polymer gel media. The experimental results indicated that the mass transfer coefficient of toluene without polymer gel media was 1.29 $min^{-1}$ at a gas retention time of 15 sec, whereas the KLa value for toluene was increased to 4.07 $min^{-1}$ by adding the media, confirming the enhanced mass transfer of volatile organic compounds between the gas and liquid phases. The removal efficiency of toluene and MEK by using yeast-immobilized polymer gel media in the ALB was greater than 80% at different pollutant loading rates (5, 10, 19 and 37 g/$m^3$/hr for toluene, 4.5, 8.9, 17.8 and 35.1 g/$m^3$/hr for MEK). In addition, an elimination capacity test conducted by changing inlet loading rates stepwise demonstrated that maximum elimination capacities for toluene and MEK were 70.4 and 56.4 g/$m^3$/hr, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 1979

To know the influence of temperature on the fermentation process, a strain of Lactobacillus bulgarius was experimentally cultured three different temperature conditions of $39^{\circ}C,\;42^{\circ}C\;and\;45^{\circ}C$, pH 5.8 and mechanical agitation of 500rpm. During 20 hour's fermentation, the microbial growth attained the maximum concentration under the conditions mentioned above. However, the culturing conditions resulted different outcomes in terms of maximum concentration of the microbes and the residual concentration of substrate. Among the three temperature conditions, the fermentation at $45^{\circ}C$ was most effective and the maximum specific growth temperature conditions, the fermentation at $45^{\circ}C$ was most effective and the maximum specific growth rate was 0.58/hr. Activation energy deduced from the Arrhenius equation was 9,220cal/mole and entropy was $-33.74\;cal/^{\circ}K$ mole. Activation enthalpy was 9,845 cal/mole and free energy was 19,800 cal/mole.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.5644-5651
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• 2014

Propolis is an extremely safe natural antimicrobial substance that has been reported to have powerful antibacterial efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of propolis against Candida albicans (C. albicans). Propolis was collected from the honey bee Apis mellifera. The strain of C. albicans was cultivated overnight in liquid media incubated at $37^{\circ}C$. The antimicrobial activity was investigated using phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 0.1% chorhexidine (CHX), and propolis extracts ($5{\mu}l/ml$, $10{\mu}l/ml$). C. albicans were sensitive to 3% NaOCl, 0.1% CHX, and propolis ($5{\mu}l/ml$, $10{\mu}l/ml$) with zones of inhibition of 15, 14.5, 16, and 17 mm, respectively. The CFU of PBS, 3% NaOCl, 0.1% CHX, $5{\mu}l/ml$ and $10{\mu}l/ml$ of propolis led a 1, 7, 7, 5 and 7-log reduction. Among the groups tested, C. albicans was most sensitive to $10{\mu}l/ml$ of propolis, which showed the largest inhibition zones. Therefore, propolis can be a new antimicrobial therapy for oral mucosa disease in traditional medicine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.861-868
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• 2011

A xylanase gene, xyn7c, was cloned from Paenibacillus sp. 12-11, an alkalophilic strain isolated from the alkaline wastewater sludge of a paper mill, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The full-length gene consists of 1,296 bp and encodes a mature protein of 400 residues (excluding the putative signal peptide) that belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 10. The optimal pH of the purified recombinant XYN7C was found to be 8.0, and the enzyme had good pH adaptability at 6.5-8.5 and stability over a broad pH range of 5.0-11.0. XYN7C exhibited maximum activity at $55^{\circ}C$ and was thermostable at $50^{\circ}C$ and below. Using wheat arabinoxylan as the substrate, XYN7C had a high specific activity of 1,886 U/mg, and the apparent $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values were 1.18 mg/ml and 1,961 ${\mu}mol$/mg/min, respectively. XYN7C also had substrate specificity towards various xylans, and was highly resistant to neutral proteases. The main hydrolysis products of xylans were xylose and xylobiose. These properties make XYN7C a promising candidate to be used in biobleaching, baking, and cotton scouring processes.