Entomopathogenic fungi have been studied to control insect pests as an alternative to chemical insecticides. However, all fungi haven't a high virulence against pests. In this study, we compared the biological characteristics of Metarhizium anisopliae strains. First, we selected four M. anisopliae strains and compared the thermotolerance, conidial productivity, and virulence. For the thermotolerance test, conidial suspensions were exposed to 0, 30, 60, and 90 min at 45 °C. As a result, the conidial germination rates were over 95% when exposed for 0 min but, were 64, 37.7, 6, and 3% when exposed for 30 min at 45°C, respectively. To compare conidial productivity, 200g of millet were used and inoculated with a conidial suspension of 1 ml (1×107 conidia/ml). Conidial productivity was investigated after 14 days. As a result of conducting a virulence test against mealworms using a spray method, differences in virulence between strains were confirmed.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects cloven-hoofed animals, is economically important because of its highly contagious nature. FMD virus (FMDV), the causative agent of FMD, involves seven serotypes (O, A, Asia1, C, and SAT 1-3). Serotype Asia1 is unique to the Asian territory and is subdivided into nine genetic groups (G-I-IX) based on nucleotide variations in the VP1 sequence. Asia1 Shamir, the most representative Asia1 vaccine, is not highly protective against the Asia1/MOG/05 (G-V) lineage found in North Korea in 2007. Therefore, we investigated whether a chimeric virus strain (Asia1/MOG/Shamir), in which the VP4, VP2, and VP3 sequences of Asia1/MOG/05 were combined with the VP1 sequence of Asia1 Shamir, can simultaneously protect against both viruses. We determined the optimal viral growth conditions for the commercial utilization of this chimeric virus strain. Of the three types of cell culture media, the Cellvento medium resulted in the highest amount of antigen in the samples. The chimeric strain was proliferated in a small bioreactor to produce a test vaccine, and its immunogenicity was evaluated in pigs. The virus neutralization (VN) titer against the Asia1 Shamir virus was > 1/100 after the second immunization with the chimeric vaccine in pigs. In addition, a single dose of the test vaccine resulted in a VN titer of > 1/100 against the Asia1/MOG/05 strain. Taken together, our chimeric vaccine strain provided sufficient protection against the Asia1/MOG/05 and Asia1 Shamir viruses, suggesting its potential as a novel vaccine for both these strains.

프로바이오틱스 제품에 대한 수요가 지속적으로 증가하 고 있으며, Lactobacillus 균주가 가장 대중적인 프로바이 오틱스로 널리 사용되고 있다. 프로바이오틱스는 기준에 적합한 균수의 확보가 중요하며 제조원가나 시간 등을 낮 추기 위해 배양법의 개발이 필요하므로 Lactobacillus 생 산을 위한 배양 조건이 최적화되었다. 반응표면방법론에 의한 통계적 최적화에서 반응 변수에 영향을 미치는 독립 변수의 최적 조건은 Lactobacillus acidophilus의 경우 22.55 시간(배양시간), 25oC(배양온도), 3.41%(프리바이오틱스 농 도); Lactiplantibacillus plantarum의 경우 24시간, 30.86oC, 2.00%; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus의 경우 66.67시간, 35oC, 3.41%이었다. Lactobacillus의 최적 배양조건은 예측 한 결과와 실제 결과가 밀접하게 일치하는 것을 확인하였 다. 이러한 데이터는 수율 높은 Lactobacillus를 생산하는 데 중요한 포인트를 제공할 것이다.

비브리오패혈증균은 세계에서 치사율이 50%에 달하는 가장 치명적인 수인성식품매개 병원균으로 해수에서 흔히 있으며, 특히 따뜻한 계절에 발생한다. 본 연구는 제주도 의 해수, 유통 수산물, 수족관물에서 분리한 비브리오패혈 증균에 대해서 RT-PCR을 이용한 독소 유전자, Vitek을 이 용한 항생제 내성, PFGE를 이용한 유전적 특성을 조사하 였다. 총 487개의 시료를 조사한 결과 비브리오패혈증균 46주(중복 균주 포함)가 해수에서 44주, 유통수산물에서 1 주, 수족관물에서 1주 분리되었다. rtxA, viu와 같은 독소 유전자는 각각 8주(17.4%), 9주(19.6%) 검출되었고, vvhA 와 같은 독소 유전자는 모든 균주에서 검출되었다. 항생 제 내성 실험결과 cefoxitin 항상제에 대해서 100% 내성 이 나타났다. 비브리오패혈증균 46주에 대한 PFGE 분석결과 총 6유형이 100% 상동성을 보였고, 유사도는 81.3- 98.0%로 나타났다. 수산물과 수족관물에서 분리된 비브리 오패혈증균은 해수와의 상동성 결과 유사도는 불일치로 나타났고 지역과 시료 사이에는 유사성이 없었다. 독소 유 전자를 가진 비브리오패혈증균에 의한 식중독 환자가 제 주도에서 발생한 점을 고려해볼 때, 해수, 유통 수산물, 수 족관물에서 분리한 비브리오패혈증균에 대한 모니터링이 지속되어야 할 것으로 보인다.

Screening of Bacillus subtilis strains capable of producing extracellular hydrolases, including lipolytic enzyme was carried out. Within the scope of this study, total 61 strains were isolated from various domestic specific environmental samples such as seawater, soil, Jeju ranch, hot spring, salt farm, and fermented food and identified as Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rRNA sequences. Among the isolates, 4 strains had extracellular lipase activity. The growth profile of the strains revealed that 4 strains showed well growth at 50℃, 3 strains at 55℃, and pH 7.0. All strains could tolerate salinity up to 5%(w/v), 3 strains up to 10%(w/v), and only one strain showed growth at 15%(w/v). Additionally, amylolytic and proteolytic activities were detected in these strains. The highest lipolytic, amylolytic, and proteolytic activity was detected in Bacillus subtilis YS-YR 5A. These results demonstrate the potential application of extracellular hydrolase-producing Bacillus subtilis strains, especially strain YS-YR 5A, as fermentation starter to enhance the functionality and multiplication of functional natural products in the food/medicine/cosmetics/bio industries.

This study aimed to isolate and identify the new strains which can be utilized in fermentation process for the production of functional materials. Isolation of the new microorganism in wood vinegar, natural liquid material generated from the carbonization of various trees was studied. Marine agar medium was used for the isolation of halo-tolerant bacteria. Using a sterilized toothpick, transfer same shape colonies to agar plates and continuous cultivation of colonies at 37℃ for several days, 2 colonies were isolated. Through the 16S-based ID service, isolated strains were identified as Cytobacillus species. Verifying the industrial values of the two isolated strains, the productivities of various enzymes such as amylase, lipase, and protease were confirmed. As a result, isolated 2 strains showed amylase and protease activities which means the possibility of applying to biological processes in the food and cosmetic industries.

The demand for novel strains has been rising in the domestic market to increase the production of sclerotia from Wolfiporia hoelen. To improve strain breeding efficiency, we investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) gene, which may be linked to the mating type locus, are useful for distinguishing monokaryons from dikaryons in Korean W. hoelen strains. We designed a specific primer set to efficiently amplify a region of RPB2 using PCR with the genomic DNA of 12 cultivated strains and 31 wild strains of W. hoelen collected from Korea. Nucleotide sequences of the PCR-amplified RPB2 genes were determined and analyzed for the presence of SNPs among the 43 W. hoelen strains. Previously reported SNP loci were detected in the RPB2 gene of all W. hoelen strains tested. However, these previously reported SNP loci could not be applied to differentiate monokaryons from dikaryons in approximately one-third of Korean wild strains with homozygous genotypes. Three additional SNPs in the RPB2 gene, which may improve the ability to distinguish monokaryons from dikaryons, were identified by searching through the multiple sequence alignments of the 43 W. hoelen strains. The applicability of these three novel SNPs, together with the previously known SNPs, in the RPB2 gene to W. hoelen strain breeding was verified by examining the hybrid strains and their parental strains.