• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1876-1884
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• 2020

Ethanol often accumulates during the process of wine fermentation, and mitophagy has critical role in ethanol output. However, the relationship between mitophagy and ethanol stress is still unclear. In this study, the expression of ATG11 and ATG32 genes exposed to ethanol stress was accessed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The result indicated that ethanol stress induced expression of the ATG11 and ATG32 genes. The colony sizes and the alcohol yield of atg11 and atg32 were also smaller and lower than those of wild type strain under ethanol whereas the mortality of mutants is higher. Furthermore, compared with wild type, the membrane integrity and the mitochondrial membrane potential of atg11 and atg32 exhibited greater damage following ethanol stress. In addition, a greater proportion of mutant cells were arrested at the G1/G0 cell cycle. There was more aggregation of peroxide hydrogen (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2•-) in mutants. These changes in H2O2 and O2•- in yeasts were altered by reductants or inhibitors of scavenging enzyme by means of regulating the expression of ATG11 and ATG32 genes. Inhibitors of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC) also increased production of H2O2 and O2•- by enhancing expression of the ATG11 and ATG32 genes. Further results showed that activator or inhibitor of autophagy also activated or inhibited mitophagy by altering production of H2O2 and O2•. Therefore, ethanol stress induces mitophagy which improves yeast the tolerance to ethanol and the level of mitophagy during ethanol stress is regulated by ROS derived from mtETC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.912-920
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• 2021

SOS response is a conserved response to DNA damage in prokaryotes and is negatively regulated by LexA protein, which recognizes specifically an "SOS-box" motif present in the promoter region of SOS genes. Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 possesses a lexA gene, and while the deletion of lexA had no significant effect on either bacterial morphology, UV-C resistance, or sporulation, it did delay growth. UV-C radiation resulted in 651 upregulated genes in M. xanthus, including the typical SOS genes lexA, recA, uvrA, recN and so on, mostly enriched in the pathways of DNA replication and repair, secondary metabolism, and signal transduction. The UV-irradiated lexA mutant also showed the induced expression of SOS genes and these SOS genes enriched into a similar pathway profile to that of wild-type strain. Without irradiation treatment, the absence of LexA enhanced the expression of 122 genes that were not enriched in any pathway. Further analysis of the promoter sequence revealed that in the 122 genes, only the promoters of recA2, lexA and an operon composed of three genes (pafB, pafC and cyaA) had SOS box sequence to which the LexA protein is bound directly. These results update our current understanding of SOS response in M. xanthus and show that UV induces more genes involved in secondary metabolism and signal transduction in addition to DNA replication and repair; and while the canonical LexA-dependent regulation on SOS response has shrunk, only 5 SOS genes are directly repressed by LexA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1592-1598
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• 2024

Genotype V (GV) Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has been predominantly reported in the Republic of Korea (ROK) since 2010. GV JEV exhibits higher virulence and distinct antigenicity compared to other genotypes, which results in reduced efficacy of existing vaccines. Research on GV JEV is essential to minimize its clinical impact, but the only available clinical strain in the ROK is K15P38, isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient in 2015. We obtained this virus from National Culture Collection for Pathogens (NCCP) and isolated a variant forming small plaques during our research. We identified that this variant has one amino acid substitution each in the PrM and NS5 proteins compared to the reported K15P38. Additionally, we confirmed that this virus exhibits delayed propagation in vitro and an attenuated phenotype in mice. The isolation of this variant is a critical reference for researchers intending to study K15P38 obtained from NCCP, and the mutations in the small plaque-forming virus are expected to be useful for studying the pathology of GV JEV.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.206-215
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• 2020

Trichoderma reesei is the major filamentous fungus used to produce cellulase and there is huge interest in promoting its ability to produce higher titers of cellulase. Among the many factors affecting cellulase production in T. reesei, the mycelial phenotype is important but seldom studied. Herein, a close homolog of the Neurospora crassa COT1 kinase was discovered in T. reesei and designated TrCOT1, which is of 83.3% amino acid sequence identity. Functional disruption of Trcot1 in T. reesei by RNAi-mediated gene silencing resulted in retarded sporulation on potato dextrose agar and dwarfed colonies on minimal medium agar plates containing glucose, xylan, lactose, xylose, or glycerol as the sole carbon source. The representative mutant strain, SUS2/Trcot1i, also displayed reduced mycelia accumulation but hyperbranching in the MM glucose liquid medium, with hyphal growth unit length values decreased to 73.0 ㎛/tip compared to 239.8 ㎛/tip for the parent strain SUS2. The hyperbranching phenotype led to slightly but significantly increased cellulase secretion from 24 to 72 h in a batch culture. However, the cellulase production per unit of mycelial biomass was much more profoundly improved from 24 to 96 h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1916-1927
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• 2018

Corynebacterium glutamicum is an excellent platform for the production of amino acids, and is widely used in the fermentation industry. Most industrial strains are traditionally obtained by repeated processes of random mutation and selection, but the genotype of these strains is often unclear owing to the absence of genomic information. As such, it is difficult to improve the growth and amino acid production of these strains via metabolic engineering. In this study, we generated a complete genome map of an industrial L-valine-producing strain, C. glutamicum XV. In order to establish the relationship between genotypes and physiological characteristics, a comparative genomic analysis was performed to explore the core genome, structural variations, and gene mutations referring to an industrial L-leucine-producing strain, C. glutamicum CP, and the widely used C. glutamicum ATCC 13032. The results indicate that a 36,349 bp repeat sequence in the CP genome contained an additional copy each of lrp and brnFE genes, which benefited the export of L-leucine. However, in XV, the kgd and panB genes were disrupted by nucleotide insertion, which increase the availability of precursors to synthesize L-valine. Moreover, the specific amino acid substitutions in key enzymes increased their activities. Additionally, a novel strategy is proposed to remodel central carbon metabolism and reduce pyruvate consumption without having a negative impact on cell growth by introducing the CP-derived mutant $H^+$/citrate symporter. These results further our understanding regarding the metabolic networks in these strains and help to elucidate the influence of different genotypes on these processes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.114-120
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• 2002

A 1,989-bp genomic region encoding nickel resistance genes was isolated from Legionella pneumophila, a pathogen for legionellosis. From a sequencing and computer analysis, the region was found to harbor two structural genes, a nreB-like protein gene (1,149 bp) and a nreA-like protein gene (270 bp), in a row. Both genes exhibited a significant degree of similarity to the corresponding genes from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 ($54\%$ amino acid sequence identity) and Achromobacter xylosoxidans 31A ($76\%$). The gene was successfully expressed in E. coli MG1655 and conferred a nickel resistance of up to 5 mM in an LB medium and 3 mM in a TMS medium including gluconate as the sole carbon source. E. coli harboring the nickel resistance gene also exhibited a substantial resistance to cobalt, yet no resistance to cadmium or zinc. Since the extracellular concentration of nickel remained constant during the whole period of cultivation, it was confirmed that the nickel resistance was provided by an efflux system like the $Ni^2＋$permease (nrsD) of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. Since polyphosphate (poly-P) is known as a global regulator for gene expression as well as a potential virulence factor in E. coli, the nickel resistance of a ppk mutant of E. coli MG 1655 harboring the nickel resistance gene from L. pneumophila was compared with that of its parental strain. The nickel resistance was significantly attenuated by ppk inactivation, which was more pronounced in an LB medium than in a TMS medium.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2000

Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in periodontal diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that cardiovascular disease is the most prevalent medical problem in patients with periodontal diseases. In order to check the possibility that P. gingivalis is involved in coronary heart disease, the present study was performed to observe P. gingivalis adherence and invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and production of cytokines and growth factors by HCAEC upon P. gingivalis infection. $^3H$-labeled P. gingivalis 381 was incubated with HCAEC for 90 min. The radioactivity of the washed HCAEC was a measure of the absorbed (adhering and invading) P. gingivalis. The absorption radioactivity of the HCAEC infected by P. gingivalis was determined to be 59.58% of the input bacterial cells. In contrast, the absorption radioactivity of the cells infected by S. gordonii Challis which was employed as a control was negligible (0.59%). DPG3, a P. gingivalis mutant defective of fimbriae, appeared to be impaired to some extent in capability of adherence/invasion as compared to that of the parental strain 381, showing 43.04% of the absorption radioactivity. The absorption radioactivity of the HCAEC infected by P. gingivalis 381 in the presence of excessive fimbriae at the concentrations of $50\;{\mu}g$ and $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ was 57.27 and 45.44%, respectively. Invasion of HCAEC by P. gingivalis 381 was observed by an antibiotic (metronidazole) protection assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the antibiotic protection assay, invasion by the bacterium was measured to be 0.73, 1.09, and 1.51% of the input bacterial cells after incubation for 30, 60, and 90 min, respectively. Invasion by DPG3 was shown to be 0.16% after 90-min incubation. In comparison of invasion efficiency at 90 min of the incubation, the invasion efficiency of DPG3 was 0.37% while that of its parental strain 381 was 2.54%. The immunoblot analysis revealed fimbriae of P. gingivalis did not interact with the surface of HCAEC. These results suggest that fimbriae are not the major contribution to the adherence of P. gingivalis to HCAEC but may be important in the invasion of HCAEC by the bacterium. The presence of cytochalasin D ($1\;{\mu}g/ml$) and staurosporine ($1\;{\mu}M$) reduced the invasion of HCAEC by P. gingivalis 381 by 78.86 and 53.76%, respectively, indicating that cytoskeletal rearrangement and protein kinase of HCAEC are essential for the invasion. Infection of P. gingivalis induced HCAEC to increase the production of TNF-${\alpha}$. by 60.6%. At 90 min of the incubation, the HCAEC infected with P. gingivalis cells was apparently atypical in the shape, showing loss of the nuclear membrane and subcellular organelles. The overall results suggest that P. gingivalis may cause coronary heart disease by adhering to and invading endothelial cells, and subsequently damaging the cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1460-1468
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• 2007

In this study, an approx. 2.5-kb gene fragment including the catalase gene from Rhodospirillum rubrum S1 was cloned and characterized. The determination of the complete nucleotide sequence revealed that the cloned DNA fragment was organized into three open reading frames, designated as ORF1, catalase, and ORF3 in that order. The catalase gene consisted of 1,455 nucleotides and 484 amino acids, including the initiation and stop codons, and was located 326 bp upstream in the opposite direction of ORF1. The catalase was overproduced in Escherichia coli UM255, a catalase-deficient mutant, and then purified for the biochemical characterization of the enzyme. The purified catalase had an estimated molecular mass of 189 kDa, consisting of four identical subunits of 61 kDa. The enzyme exhibited activity over a broad pH range from pH 5.0 to pH 11.0 and temperature range from $20^{\circ}C$ to $60^{\circ}C$C. The catalase activity was inhibited by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, cyanide, azide, and hydroxylamine. The enzyme's $K_m$ value and $V_{max}$ of the catalase for $H_2O_2$ were 21.8 mM and 39,960 U/mg, respectively. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the ratio of $A_{406}$ to $A_{280}$ for the catalase was 0.97, indicating the presence of a ferric component. The absorption spectrum of catalase-4 exhibited a Soret band at 406 nm, which is typical of a heme-containing catalase. Treatment of the enzyme with dithionite did not alter the spectral shape and revealed no peroxidase activity. The combined results of the gene sequence and biochemical characterization proved that the catalase cloned from strain S1 in this study was a typical monofunctional catalase, which differed from the other types of catalases found in strain S1.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.628-632
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• 2013

Arthrospira platensis (A. platensis) is an economically important microalgae because it has carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and a number of phytochemicals. It is also a valuable source used in the production of biodiesel and functional foods. In this study, A. platensis was exposed to electron beam irradation (240 kGy) and induced random mutagenesis for strain improvement. Several mutants were obtained, and the resulting mutant was designated as EB29. The growth rate and chlorophyll content of EB29 was similar to those of wild type. However, the lipid content of EB29 was increased seven-fold compared to that of wild type when comparing the nile red fluorescent intensity. Semi-quantitative analysis of EB29 using the calibration plot of standard lipid, triolein, represented $78.6{\mu}g/mL$, which increased 2 times compared to wild type ($41.4{\mu}g/mL$). When analyzing the fatty acid profile of EB29, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in EB29 increased about six-fold. Moreover, fatty acids affecting the quality of biodiesel increased compared to that of wild type. Thus, electron beam could be used for the strain improvement of microalgae in order to accumulate PUFAs and alteration of fatty acid profile for biodiesel.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.106-112
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• 2014

Very few plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to produce gibberellins (GAs). The current study aimed to isolate a phytohormone-producing PGP rhizobacterium from soil and assess its potential to enhance plant growth. The newly isolated bacterium was identified as Leifsonia soli sp. SE134 on the basis of partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. Application of L. soli culture filtrate significantly increased the biomass, hypocotyl, and root lengths of cucumber seeds as compared with non-inoculated sole medium and distilled water treated controls. Furthermore, the PGPR culture was applied to the GA-deficient mutant rice cultivar Waito-C. Treatment with L. soli SE134 significantly increased the growth of Waito-C rice seedlings as compared with controls. Upon chromatographic analysis of L. soli culture, we isolated, detected and quantified different GAs; namely, $GA_1$ ($0.61{\pm}0.15$), $GA_4$ ($1.58{\pm}0.26$), $GA_7$ ($0.54{\pm}0.18$), $GA_8$ ($0.98{\pm}0.15$), $GA_9$ ($0.45{\pm}0.17$), $GA_{12}$ ($0.64{\pm}0.21$), $GA_{19}$ ($0.18{\pm}0.09$), $GA_{20}$ ($0.78{\pm}0.15$), $GA_{24}$ ($0.38{\pm}0.09$), $GA_{34}$ ($0.35{\pm}0.10$), and $GA_{53}$ ($0.17{\pm}0.05$). Plant growth promotion in cucumber, tomato, and young radish plants further evidenced the potential of this strain as a PGP bacterium. The results suggest that GA secretion by L. soli SE134 might prove advantageous for its ameliorative role in crop growth. These findings can be extended for improving the productivity of different crops under diverse environmental conditions.