Diversity of the Bambusicolous Fungus in Korea: Discovery of New Species.

Many species have been isolated from bamboo plants - to date, 34 bambusicolous species have been recorded. They are known as saprophytes, endophytes, and plant pathogens. In this study, 242 bambusicolous were isolated from various bamboo materials (branches, culms, leaves, roots, and shoots) and examined using DNA sequence similarity based on the internal transcribed spacer, 28S large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, and beta-tubulin regions.

Fungal melanin as a biocompatible broad-spectrum sunscreen with high antioxidant activity.

Melanin is considered a bio-inspired dermo-cosmetic component due to its high UV absorption and antioxidant activity. Among various melanin sources, fungal melanin is a promising candidate for sunscreen because of its sustainability and scalability; however, quantitative assessment of its function has not yet been sufficiently explored. In this study, melanin samples derived from were prepared, followed by the evaluation of their sunscreen performance, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity.

The genus Arthrinium (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Apiosporaceae) from marine habitats from Korea, with eight new species.

Species of Arthrinium are well-known plant pathogens, endophytes, or saprobes found in various terrestrial habitats. Although several species have been isolated from marine environments and their remarkable biological activities have been reported, marine Arthrinium species remain poorly understood. In this study, the diversity of this group was evaluated based on material from Korea, using morphological characterization and molecular analyses with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, β-tubulin (TUB), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF).

Utilization of extracellular fungal melanin as an eco-friendly biosorbent for treatment of metal-contaminated effluents.

Fungal melanins have been considered as potential biosorbents due to their metal-binding properties, stability, and scalability. Previous studies established scalable fungal melanin production methods with promising strains, however, their applicability for metal-contaminated effluents treatment has not been sufficiently reported. Herein, melanin pigment derived from Amorphotheca resinae was produced and characterized using microscopy and spectroscopy techniques.

Selection and characterization of toxic spore-specific DNA aptamer using spore-SELEX.

As airborne spores of toxic species cause mild symptoms to invasive fungal infections, their indoor concentration should be controlled through real-time management. Aptamer-based biosensors could provide economical and simple solutions for point-of-care. In this study, we isolated aptamers binding to the spores of three representative toxic species (, , and ) for the first time, using cell-SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands through exponential enrichment).

sp. nov., a halophilic bacterium isolated from sediment of a salt flat.

A Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, cream-coloured, marine bacterium, with rod-shaped cells, designated strain YJ-S3-2, was isolated from salt flat sediment of Yongyu-do, Republic of Korea. YJ-S3-2 grew at pH 5.0-9.

Production and characterization of melanin pigments derived from Amorphotheca resinae.

As melanin has emerged as functional pigment with cosmetic, health and food applications, the demand for the pigments is expected to increase. However, the conventional sources (e.g.

A proposed stepwise screening framework for the selection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading white rot fungi.

This study suggests a simple three-step screening protocol for the selection of white rot fungi (WRF) capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which combines easily applicable bioassay techniques, and verifies that protocol by evaluating the PAH degradation activity, ligninolytic enzyme secretion, and relevant gene expressions of the selected PAH-degraders. Using 120 fungal strains, a sequence of bioassay techniques was applied: Bavendamm's reaction (Step 1), remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) decolorization (Step 2); assays for tolerance to four mixed PAHs-phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene (Step 3). This stepwise protocol selected 14 PAH-degrading WRF, including Microporus vernicipes, Peniophora incarnata, Perenniporia subacida, Phanerochaete sordida, Phlebia acerina, and Phlebia radiata.

Recovery of the benthic bacterial community in coastal abandoned saltern requires over 35 years: A comparative case study in the Yellow Sea.

Salt is an essential nutrient for humans, and salterns exist worldwide. Although the construction of salterns has stopped and typical salterns are now mostly abandoned, there has been no research on the ecological recovery of the abandoned salterns. Here, we analyzed the bacterial diversity and community structure in three pairs of abandoned salterns that have undergone 1-35 years of natural restoration and tidal flats to determine the recovery time and process.

Fungal Diversity in Intertidal Mudflats and Abandoned Solar Salterns as a Source for Biological Resources.

Intertidal zones are unique environments that are known to be ecological hot spots. In this study, sediments were collected from mudflats and decommissioned salterns on three islands in the Yellow Sea of South Korea. The diversity analysis targeted both isolates and unculturable fungi via Illumina sequencing, and the natural recovery of the abandoned salterns was assessed.

Improvement of Euglena gracilis Paramylon Production through a Cocultivation Strategy with the Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Producing Bacterium Vibrio natriegens.

We investigated the putative effects on the growth and paramylon production of of cocultivation with heterotrophically cocultivated with displayed significant increases in biomass productivity and paramylon content. In addition, the effects of the bacterial inoculum density and the timing of inoculation on the growth of were examined, to determine the optimal conditions for cocultivation. With the optimal deployment of , biomass productivity and paramylon content were increased by more than 20% and 35%, respectively, compared to those in axenic cultures.

Serinicoccus sediminis sp. nov., isolated from tidal flat sediment.

A novel Gram-strain-positive, non-spore-forming bacterial strain, designated GP-T3-3, was isolated from sediment sampled at a tidal flat in Gopado, Republic of Korea. Cells were aerobic, catalase-negative, oxidase-positive, non-motile cocci that occurred singly, in pairs or in clusters. Strain GP-T3-3 grew at 4-45 °C (optimum, 28-37 °C), at pH 4.

Importance of functional diversity in assessing the recovery of the microbial community after the Hebei Spirit oil spill in Korea.

Over 10 years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill (HSOS), the concentrations of pollutants, such as TPH and PAHs, in spilled crude oil have recovered to background levels, but in some areas, the environment has not fully recovered. In particular, PAHs were more resistant to degradation, and their persistence could have deleterious impacts on the sediment ecosystem. This study aimed to evaluate the microbial recovery of coastal sediments from the HSOS by analyzing the structure and diversity of the microbial community and its functional contribution to PAHs degradation.

Gemmobacter lutimaris sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a tidal flat.

A novel cream-pigmented marine bacterium, designated strain YJ-T1-11, was isolated from a tidal flat at Yeongjong-do, Republic of Korea. Cells were rod-shaped, non-motile, aerobic, Gram-reaction-negative, oxidase-positive and catalase-positive. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YJ-T1-11 clustered with Gemmobacter fontiphilus JS43 (98.

Desorption and solubilization of anthracene by a rhamnolipid biosurfactant from Rhodococcus fascians.

The rhamnolipid biosurfactant-producing bacterium, strain SDRB-G7, was isolated from the sediment of Sindu-ri beach and identified as Rhodococcus fascians based on a phylogenetic analysis. Optimal activity, with the highest yield (2.441 g/L) and surface tension-reducing activity (24.

Decolorizing an anthraquinone dye by : Intra-species characterization.

Remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) is an anthraquinone dye derived from anthracene that is decolorized by a white rot fungus, . Interestingly, produces two phenomena of yellowish and pinkish colors during the degradation of RBBR. Here, we characterized the decolorization of RBBR by .

Heterologous expression of a new manganese-dependent peroxidase gene from Peniophora incarnata KUC8836 and its ability to remove anthracene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The white rot fungus Peniophora incarnata KUC8836 has received an attention as the greatest degrader of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are hazardous xenobiotics and recalcitrant pollutants. To characterize the mechanisms through which MnP degrades PAHs, heterologous expression of manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) gene pimp1 was performed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 via the pGEM-T Easy vector, resulting in the recombinant plasmid pESC-URA/pimp1 containing the MnP signal peptide. MnP was significantly secreted into the culture medium with galactose as an active protein with higher efficiency (3.

Bioleaching of spent Zn-Mn or Ni-Cd batteries by Aspergillus species.

This research explores the recovery of metals from spent Zn-Mn or Ni-Cd batteries by a bioleaching using six Aspergillus species. Two different nutrients, malt extract and sucrose, were used to produce different types of organic acids. Oxalic acid and citric acid were shown to be the dominant organic acid in malt extract and sucrose media, respectively.

Enhanced removal of PAHs by Peniophora incarnata and ascertainment of its novel ligninolytic enzyme genes.

The hazardous effects of the PAHs should be managed by removal using white rot fungal ligninolytic enzymes. The white rot fungus Peniophora incarnataKUC8836 was stimulated to produce ligninolytic enzymes in a liquid medium by the addition of four substances: 0.5 g L(-1) Tween 80, 70 mg L(-1) CuSO4·5H2O, 10 mg L(-1) MnSO4·H2O, and 0.

Isolation and analysis of the enzymatic properties of thermophilic fungi from compost.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on thermophilic fungi isolated in Korea. Three species of thermophiles were isolated from compost and were identified as Myriococcum thermophilum, Thermoascus aurantiacus, and Thermomyces lanuginosus. They can grow at temperatures above 50℃ and produce high levels of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes at high temperatures.

Biotechnological procedures to select white rot fungi for the degradation of PAHs.

White rot fungi are essential in forest ecology and are deeply involved in wood decomposition and the biodegradation of various xenobiotics. The fungal ligninolytic enzymes involved in these processes have recently become the focus of much attention for their possible biotechnological applications. Successful bioremediation requires the selection of species with desirable characteristics.

The antioxidant properties of solid-culture extracts of basidiomycetous fungi.

Current studies of the antioxidant activity of fungal resources are mainly focused on the fruiting bodies of edible mushrooms. To access the potential of basidiomycetes in culture-state applications, extracts of solid cultures of 83 basidiomycetous fungi newly isolated from woody materials were prepared at the same concentration (10 mg/ml), and their antioxidant activities were measured using ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging assays. Among the basidiomycetes tested, Cryptoporus volvatus, Daedalea dickinsii, Gloeophyllum abietinum, G.

Optimization of bioleaching conditions for metal removal from CCA-treated wood by using an unknown Polyporales sp. KUC8959.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of extraction conditions (i.e., culture filtrate concentration, extraction temperature, and extraction time) on the removal of metals from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood particles by using an unknown Polyporales sp.