A novel Gram-positive, aerobic bacterium, strain JH1 T , was isolated from deep-sea sediment of the East Sea, South Korea, and identified by methods of polyphasic taxonomy. The strain was oxidase-positive, motile and coccus-shaped. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain JH1T was 47 mol%. The major fatty acid of strain JH1 T was anteiso-C 15 : 0 and the predominant menaquinones were MK-7 and MK-8. Similarity of the 16S rRNA gene sequence (1452 nt) of strain JH1 T to those of species of the genera Planococcus and Planomicrobium was 96.0-98.2 %. The signature nucleotides in the 16S rRNA gene sequence were compared with those of previously studied type strains of species in the genera Planococcus and Planomicrobium, and suggested that strain JH1 T belongs to the genus Planococcus. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed that strain JH1 T was located within the cluster comprising Planococcus antarcticus and Planococcus kocurii. DNA-DNA hybridization showed that it had 9.3 % genomic relatedness with Planococcus antarcticus DSM 14505 T and 22.9 % with Planococcus kocurii DSM 20747 T

A Gram-reaction-negative, non-motile, aerobic bacterium, designated HJ50T , was isolated from deep seawater of the East Sea, South Korea. Cells were ovoid to rod-shaped (0.5-0.8¾1.3-3.0 mm), often with unequal ends, suggesting a budding mode of reproduction. The strain had an absolute requirement for sea salts and tolerated up to 20 % (w/v) sea salts. T and the type strains of Roseovarius species were grown on MA at 30 u C for 3 days.Morphology and cell size were determined by phasecontrast microscopy (Nikon 80i). Gram staining was performed with BD Gram stain kits according to the instructions of the manufacturer and by the non-staining method as described by Buck (1982). Flagellation was examined by transmission electron microscopy using cells grown on MA at 30 u C. A Formvar-coated grid was floated on a droplet of sample on Parafilm for 1 min to permit adsorption of the specimen. The grid was then transferred onto a drop of negative stain (1 % phosphotungstic acid) for 30 s, blotted with filter paper and then air-dried. The

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was found in 35 of 60 (58.3%) meju samples with an average concentration of 7.3 ng/g by ELISA. Contamination of AFB1 was confirmed in 25 of 60 samples (41.6%) using HPLC, with an average concentration of 6.9 ng/g. Mean recoveries from meju ranged from 107% to 170% for AFB1 using ELISA at a spiking range of 1 to 50 ng/g. Over the same range, recoveries using HPLC were from 70% to 83%. The levels of AFB1 determined by ELISA and by HPLC demonstrated a close relationship between the two methods (r2 = 0.9324) employed in this study. In order to evaluate the potential health risks of AFB1 on Koreans consuming meju, we calculated the estimated probable daily intake (PDI) based on the average contamination levels and compared it with the estimated tolerable daily intake (TDI). The PDIs of AFB1 from kanjang and dwenjang were determined to be 0.04 and 0.21 ng/kg bw/day, respectively, and were higher than TDIs.

A yellow-pigmented, Gram-staining-negative, non-motile, strictly aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated CS100 T , was isolated from soil in Chungbuk, Korea. Phylogenetic analysis and comparative studies based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain CS100 T belonged to the genus Flavobacterium in the family Flavobacteriaceae. Strain CS100 T showed the highest sequence similarities to Flavobacterium glaciei JCM 13953 T (97.6 %) and Flavobacterium johnsoniae KACC 11410 T (97.1 %). Sequence similarity to other members of the genus Flavobacterium was 91.5-97.0 %. Growth occurred at 4-30 6C, at pH 5.0-9.0 and in the presence of 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl. Flexirubin-type pigments were produced. Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was the major respiratory quinone and the major fatty acids were iso-C 15 : 0 (17.3 %), summed feature 3 (comprising iso-C 15 : 0 2-OH and/or C 16 : 1 v7c, 15.5 %) and C 16 : 0 (11.8 %). The DNA G+C content was 36.4 mol%. Strain CS100 T hydrolysed skimmed milk and gelatin, but not chitin or pectin, and showed oxidase and catalase activities. DNA-DNA relatedness was 3.0 % with F. glaciei JCM 13953 T and 11.5 % with F. johnsoniae KACC 11410 T . On the basis of the evidence from this study, strain CS100 T represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium chungbukense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CS100 T (5KACC 15048 T 5JCM 17386 T ).

T , but they differed from this strain in the hydrolysis of biopolymers and in the production of carotenoid and flexirubin-type pigments. Both strains possessed iso-C 15 : 0 , summed feature 4 (C 16 : 1 v7c and/or iso-C 15 : 0 2-OH) and C 15 : 0 as major cellular fatty acids. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The G+C contents of the genomic DNA of strains PCP11T and PCP104 were 39.6 and 41.9 mol%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic data and phylogenetic inference, it is proposed that the two isolates represent a novel species, Reichenbachiella faecimaris sp. nov., with strain PCP11 T (5KACC 14523 T 5JCM 16588 T ) as the type strain. Emended descriptions of the genus Reichenbachiella and Reichenbachiella agariperforans are also proposed.