• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 1985

A Bacillus licheniformis ATCC31667 gene coding for a glucose isomerase has been cloned and expressed in glucose isomerase negative mutant of Escherichia coli. A recombinant plasmid, constructed by ligation of a EcoRI fragment of B.licheniformis chromosomal DNA to vector plasmid pBR322, was expressed glucose isomerase positive in E.coli LE392-6 with growth on minimal medium containing xylose as a sole carbon source. This recombinant plasmid, designated pBGI6, had the insery of 4.1Kb of Bacillus gene in EcoRI site, and restriction map of the plasmid was established. The plasmid pBG16 was very stable after 10days of serial transfer to a fresh medium. The activity of glucose isomerase from the transformed cell containing pBGI6 was increased about 20 fold than its wild type of host.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.2541-2547
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• 2010

In this paper, we propose a design technique which replaces logic transistors of 1.2V with medium-voltage transistors of 3.3V having small off-leakage current in repetitive block circuits where speed is not an issue, to implement a low-power eFuse OTP memory IP in the stand-by state. In addition, we use dual-port eFuse cells reducing operational current dissipation by reducing capacitances parasitic to RWL (Read word-line) and BL (Bit-line) in the read mode. Furthermore, we propose an equivalent circuit for simulating program power injected to an eFuse from a program voltage. The layout size of the designed 512-bit eFuse OTP memory IP with a 90nm CMOS image sensor process is $342{\mu}m{\times}236{\mu}m$. It is confirmed by measurement experiments on 42 samples with a program voltage of 5V that we get a good result having 97.6 percent of program yield. Also, the minimal operational supply voltage is measured well to be 0.9V.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2018

Vibrio vulnificus needs various responsive mechanisms to survive and transmit successfully in alternative niches of human and marine environments, and to ensure the acquisition of steady energy supply to facilitate such unique life style. The bacterium had genetic constitution very different from that of Escherichia coli regarding metabolism of glycogen, a major energy reserve. V. vulnificus accumulated more glycogen than other bacteria and at various levels according to culture medium and carbon source supplied in excess. Glycogen was accumulated to the highest level in Luria-Bertani (3.08 mg/mg protein) and heart infusion (4.30 mg/mg protein) complex media supplemented with 1% (w/v) maltodextrin at 3 h into the stationary phase. Regarding effect of carbon source, more glycogen was accumulated when maltodextrin (2.34 mg/mg protein) was added than when glucose or maltose (0.78.1-14 mg/mg protein) was added as an excessive carbon source to M9 minimal medium, suggesting that maltodextrin metabolism might affect glycogen metabolism very closely. These results were supported by the analysis using the malP (encoding a maltodextrin phosphorylase) and malQ (encoding a 4-${\alpha}$-glucanotransferase) mutants, which accumulated much less glycogen than wild type when either glucose or maltodextrin was supplied as an excessive carbon source, but at different levels (3.1-80.3% of wild type glycogen). Therefore, multiple pathways for glycogen metabolism were likely to function in V. vulnificus and that responding to maltodextrin might be more efficient in synthesizing glycogen. All of the glycogen samples from 3 V. vulnificus strains under various conditions showed a narrow side chain length distribution with short chains (G4-G6) as major ones. Not only the comparatively large accumulation volume but also the structure of glycogen in V. vulnificus, compared to other bacteria, may explain durability of the bacterium in external environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.782-787
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• 2015

In this study, we developed an assay system for missense mutations in human phenylalanine hydroxylases (hPAHs). To demonstrate the reliability of the system, eight mutant proteins (F39L, K42I, L48S, I65T, R252Q, L255V, S349L, and R408W) were expressed in a mutant strain (pah^-) of Dictyostelium discoideum Ax2 disrupted in the indigenous gene encoding PAH. The transformed pah - cells grown in FM minimal medium were measured for growth rate and PAH activity to reveal a positive correlation between them. The protein level of hPAH was also determined by western blotting to show the impact of each mutation on protein stability and catalytic activity. The result was highly compatible with the previous ones obtained from other expression systems, suggesting that Dictyostelium is a dependable alternative to other expression systems. Furthermore, we found that both the protein level and activity of S349L and R408W, which were impaired severely in protein stability, were rescued in HL5 nutrient medium. Although the responsible component(s) remains unidentified, this unexpected finding showed an important advantage of our expression system for studying unstable proteins. As an economic and stable cell-based expression system, our development will contribute to mass-screening of pharmacological chaperones for missense PAH mutations as well as to the in-depth characterization of individual mutations.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.88-93
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• 1989

To improve a new yeast strain capable of converting xylan to ethanol directly, we tried protoplast fusion between xylose fermenting yeast (Candida sp. X-6-41) and xylan assimilating yeast (Crypto-coccus sp. XB-33), finally selected the most promising two fusants (XFU-1 and XFU-2). As the optimum conditions for protoplast formation, the yeast cells were cultured to exponential phase in YPD and YPX containing 0.6M KCI, respectively, and then treated with zymolyase (0.25mg/$m\ell$), cellulase(4mg/$m\ell$) and 100mM 2-mercaptoethanol at pH 8 and 3$0^{\circ}C$. The protoplasts of parental auxotrophs were fused in the presence of 20mM CaCl$_2$and 40% polyethylene glycol(M.W.4000). The physiological and morphological characteristics of the fusants, such as assimilation of carbon sources, cell size, growth rate, xylanase activity and xylan fermentation ability were investigated. Xylanase activity of fusants that cultured in chemically minimal medium was higher than that of fusants that cultured in completed medium, because xylanase producing activity of xylose fermenting yeast(X-6-41) was inhibited by isoleucine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1288-1295
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• 2012

Exposure to bioaerosols causes various adverse health effects including infectious and respiratory diseases, and hypersensitivity. Controlling exposure to bioaerosols is important for disease control and prevention. In this study, we evaluated the efficacies of various functional filters coated with antimicrobial chemicals in deactivating representative microorganisms on filters or as bioaerosols. Tested functional filters were coated with different chemicals that included (i) Ginkgo and sumac, (ii) Ag-apatite and guanidine phosphate, (iii) $SiO_2$, ZnO, and $Al_2O_3$, and (iv) zeolite. To evaluate the filters, we used a model ventilation system (1) to evaluate the removal efficiency of bacteria (Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila), bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis spore), and viruses (MS2 bacteriophage) on various functional filters, and (2) to characterize the removal efficiency of these bioaerosols. All experiments were performed at a constant temperature of $25^{\circ}C$ and humidity of 50%. Most bacteria (excluding B. subtilis) rapidly decreased on the functional filter. Therefore, we confirmed that functional filters have antimicrobial effects. Additionally, we evaluated the removal efficiency of various bioaerosols by these filters. We used a six-jet collision nebulizer to generate microbial aerosols and introduced it into the environmental chamber. We then measured the removal efficiency of functional filters with and without a medium-efficiency filter. Most bioaerosol concentrations did not significantly decrease by the functional filter only but decreased by a combination of functional and medium-efficiency filter. In conclusion, functional filters could facilitate biological removal of various bioaerosols, but physical removal of these by functional was minimal. Proper use of chemical-coated filter materials could reduce exposure to these agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.207-216
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• 2003

A number of different sources, such as composts, leachates, and pig feces samples, were collected from different pig farms in Korea, and several microorganisms were screened for their ability to deodorize the malodorous gases. Consequently, a novel malodorous gases-deodorizing bacterial strain, KJ-108. was isolated, because it was highly abundant in nitrate-supplemented minimal medium ($MM-NO_3^-$) under anaerobic culture conditions. Airtight crimp-sealed serum bottles containing $MM-NO_3^-$ , medium were inoculated with KJ-108. Nitrate concentration was decreased rapidly after 20 h of incubation, and incubation was carried out until nitrite production reached almost zero. Taxonomic identification, including 16S rDNA base sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, indicated that the isolate had $100\%$ homology in its 165 rDNA base sequence with Lactobacillus pentosus. Among the volatile fatty acids, acetic acid contained in large amounts in fresh piggery slurry was decreased by about $40\%$ after 50 h incubation with strain KJ-108. n-Butyric acid, n-valeric acid, and isovaleric acid were gradually decreased, and isobutyric acid and capronic acid were dramatically eliminated at theinitial period with the treatment. Moreover, NH, removal efficiency reached a maximum of $98.5\%$ after 50 h of incubation, but the concentration of $H_2S$ was not changed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.729-734
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• 2002

Radiorespirometric analysis revealed that Pseudomonas sp. strain KKI isolated from a soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was able to catabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as phenanthrene and naphthalene. The rate and extent of phenanthrene mineralization was markedly enhanced when the cells were pregrown on either naphthalene or phenanthrene, compared to the cells grown on universal carbon sources (i.e., TSA medium). Deduced amino acid sequence of the Rieske-type iron-sulfur center of a putative phenanthrene dioxygenase (PhnAl) obtained from the strain KKI shared significant homology with DxnAl (dioxin dioxygenase) from Spingomonas sp. RW1, BphA1b (biphenyl dioxygenase) from Spingomonas aromaticivorans F199, and PhnAc (phenanthrene diokygenase) from Burkholderia sp. RP007 or Alcaligenes faecalis AFK2. Northern hybridization using the dioxygenase gene fragment cloned from KKI showed that the expression of the putative phn dioxygenase gene reached the highest level in cells grown in the minimal medium containing phenanthrene and $KNO_3$, and the expression of the phn gene was repressed in cells grown with glucose. In addition to the metabolic change, phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA) analysis revealed that the total cellular fatty acid composition of KKI was significantly changed in response to phenanthrene. Fatty acids such as 14:0, 16:0 3OH, 17:0 cyclo, 18:1$\omega$7c, 19:0 cyclo increased in phenanthrene-exposed cells, while fatty acids such as 10:0 3OH, 12:0, 12:0 2OH, 12:0 3OH, 16:1$\omega$7c, 15:0 iso 2OH, 16:0, 18:1$\omega$6c, 18:0 decreased.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.335-343
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• 1992

A Streptomyces strain No. 182-27, which produced amino acid antimetabolite, was isolated from soil. During the course of screening for new amino acid antimetabolites from the culture broths of Actinomycetes, we found that the strain produced a substance active against Gram-positive bacteria and its activity was reversed by L-Ieucine on the synthetic minimal agar medium in the culture broth. The morphological and cultural characteristics serve to identify the producing organism strain 182-27 as the Streptomyces, although the species of this strain should be resolved in further studies. Fermentation was carried out in the synthetic medium at $28^{\circ}C$ for 78 hours. The fermentation yield reached about 2 mg per liter of the broth. Purification was done by ion exchange resin, active carbon, silica gel column chromatography and obtained 20 mg of pure active substance from the 20 $\ell$ culture broth. The 182-27 substance was obtained as white powder, mp 18SoC. From the physicochemical characteristics of the substance, it was amino acid like substance but unknown about its chemical structure. It is active against some Gram-positive bacteria and reversed by L-Ieucine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.326-336
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• 2016

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most employed cell factories for the production of bioproducts. Although monomeric hexose sugars constitute the preferential carbon source, this yeast can grow on a wide variety of nitrogen sources that are catabolized through central nitrogen metabolism (CNM). To evaluate the effects of internal perturbations on nitrogen utilization, we characterized strains deleted or overexpressed in GLT1, encoding for one of the key enzymes of the CNM node, the glutamate synthase. These strains, together with the parental strain as control, have been cultivated in minimal medium formulated with ammonium sulfate, glutamate, or glutamine as nitrogen source. Growth kinetics, together with the determination of protein content, viability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation at the single cell level, revealed that GLT1 modulations do not significantly influence the cellular physiology, whereas the nitrogen source does. As important exceptions, GLT1 deletion negatively affected the scavenging activity of glutamate against ROS accumulation, when cells were treated with H₂O₂, whereas Glt1p overproduction led to lower viability in glutamine medium. Overall, this confirms the robustness of the CNM node against internal perturbations, but, at the same time, highlights its plasticity in respect to the environment. Considering that side-stream protein-rich waste materials are emerging as substrates to be used in an integrated biorefinery, these results underline the importance of preliminarily evaluating the best nitrogen source not only for media formulation, but also for the overall economics of the process.