Natural environmental resources are considered a prospective source of microorganisms capable of producing biocatalysts with great potential in industrial areas. Arable soil fertilized with peat moss is a habitat for various microorganisms. The present research focused on the isolation and identification of hydrolase-producing bacteria that thrive at a broad temperature range. In this study, a total of 33 strains were isolated from arable soil fertilized with peat moss (Silla Garden in Busan, South Korea). The isolated bacteria were mesophiles and thermophiles with a wide temperature range. Taxonomic identification showed that the isolated strains belonged to 2 phyla, 5 families, 10 genera, and 24 species. Subsequently, the isolated strains were screened for hydrolase (amylase, lipase, and protease) activity. All isolates possessed activity of at least one enzyme and six bacterial isolates produced combined extracellular enzymes. Diversity of soil bacteria species in the present study suggest the potential of soil bacteria in the various industrial applications.

In order to isolate thermophilic compost-promoting bacteria with high activity of cellulase and xylanase, spent mushroom substrates with sawdust were collected from mushroom cultivation farm, Jinju, Gyeongnam in Korea. Among of the isolates, one strain, designated HJ01 was selected by agar diffusion method. The strain HJ01 was identified as members of the Bacillus subtilis by biochemical characteristics using Bacillus ID kit and VITEK 2 system. Comparative 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain HJ01 formed a distinct phylogenetic tree within the genus Bacillus and was most closely related to Bacillus subtilis with 16S rDNA gene sequence similarity of 99.3%. On the basis of its physiological properties, biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain HJ01 was classified within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus subtilis HJ0 is proposed. The cellulase and xylanase activity of B. subtilis HJ0 was slightly increased according to bacterial population from exponential phase to stationary phase in growth curve for B. subtilis HJ01.

자류철석 표면에 부착한 고온성박테리아들과 이차 생성물을 전자현미경분석을 통하여 조사하였다. 일본 산성 온천수에서 채취된 고온성박테리아를 자류철석에 42℃, 52℃, 62℃에 각각 접종하였다. 반응된 자류철석 표변에는 2차 생성물과 막대 모양의 박테리아들이 각각 부착하여 나타났다. 자류철석 표면에 부착한 박테리아들의 크기는 0.4×1.5μm에서 0.3×11.9μm 범위였다. 박테리아들은 세포외중합체물질을 생성하는 것으로 관찰되었으며 이들 세포외중합체물질의 기능은 극한 환경으로부터 박테리아 자신을 보호하는 보호막 역할을 하는 것으로 추정되었다. 원소 황, 철수산화물, S와 Fe로 구성된 결정들, 그리고 O, P, Fe 결정들이 2차 생성물로 관찰되었다.

벼의 산지 및 품종별로는 중온 및 고온성 세균의 분포에 큰 차이가 없었으며, 도정도가 낮을수록 저장기간이 길수록 각각의 균들이 많이 존재하였다. 전기밥솥에서 고온성 세균의 증식은 75이하에서 보온온도가 낮을수록 빠르게 나타났으며, 보온 초기에는 나타나지 않았으나 18∼24시간 사이에 증식속도가 빨라지는 경향을 나타내었다. 전기밥솥 밥의 고온성 세균수와 이상취 발생의 상관성은 있었으며, 고온성 세균수는 오븐내 밥의 표면중앙이 중심이나 밑바닥에 비하