A total of 62 bacterial isolates were obtained from Gomsohang mud flat, Mohang mud flat, and Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Among them, the isolate CNU114001 showed significant antagonistic activity against pathogenic fungi by dual culture method. The isolate CNU114001 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by morphological observation and molecular data analysis, including 16SrDNA and gyraseA (gyrA) gene sequences. Antifungal substances of the isolate were extracted and purified by silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography. The heat and UV ray stable compound was identified as iturin, a lipopeptide (LP). The isolate CNU114001 showed broad spectrum activity against 12 phytopathogenic fungi by dual culture method. The semi purified compound significantly inhibits the mycelial growth of pathogenic fungi (Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinera, Colletotrichum orbiculare, Penicillium digitatum, Pyricularia grisea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) at 200 ppm concentration. Spore germ tube elongation of Botrytis cinerea was inhibited by culture filtrate of the isolate. Crude antifungal substance showed antagonistic activity against cucumber scleotiorum rot in laboratory, and showed antagonistic activity against tomato gray mold, cucumber, and pumpkin powdery mildew in greenhouse condition.

This study investigated the distribution of endophytic fungi obtained from the surface sterilized tissues of leaves, stems and roots of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants in seedling, flowering and fruiting stages in Korea and their antifungal activity. A total of 481 isolates were recovered and were identified using molecular techniques. Based on rDNA ITS gene sequence and phylogenetic analysis, 21 fungal genera were characterized, belonging to 16 Ascomycota and 5 Basidiomycota. Penicillium in seedling stage, Fusarium in flowering stage, Colletotrichum followed by Fusarium, Alternaria and Xylaria in fruiting stage was predominant and Alternaria, Cladosporium and Fusarium were common in all growth stages. Among 481 endophytes 90 phenotypes were evaluated for the antimicrobial activity against three major pathogens (Phytophthora capsici, Colletotrichum acutatum and Fusarium oxysporum) of chili pepper. Among them 16 isolates inhibited the growth of at least one test microorganisms. Three strains showed a broad spectrum antifungal activity and displayed strong inhibition against chili pepper pathogenic fungi.

A Gram-reaction-negative, yellow-pigmented, strictly aerobic bacterium, designated M0116T, was isolated from the sediment of the Mohe Basin in north-east China. Flexirubin-type pigments were produced. Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive and non-gliding rods. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain M0116T was a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae and was most closely related to members of the genera Empedobacter , Wautersiella and Weeksella with 90.5–91.0 % sequence similarities. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The major respiratory quinone was MK-6 and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content was 38.2 mol%. Based on phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic data, strain M0116T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Flavobacteriaceae , for which the name Moheibacter sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M0116T ( = CGMCC 1.12708T = JCM 19634T). Emended descriptions of Empedobacter brevis , Wautersiella falsenii and Weeksella virosa are also proposed.

Escherichia albertii is a newly emerging enteric pathogen that has been associated with gastroenteritis in humans. Recently, E. albertii has also been detected in healthy and sick birds, animals, chicken meat and water. In the present study, the prevalence and characteristics of the eae-positive, lactose non-fermenting E. albertii strains in retail raw meat in China were evaluated. Thirty isolates of such strains of E. albertii were identified from 446 (6·73%) samples, including duck intestines (21·43%, 6/28), duck meat (9·52%, 2/21), chicken intestines (8·99%, 17/189), chicken meat (5·66%, 3/53), mutton meat (4·55%, 1/22) and pork meat (2·44%, 1/41). None was isolated from 92 samples of raw beef meat. Strains were identified as E. albertii by phenotypic properties, diagnostic PCR, sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, and housekeeping genes. Five intimin subtypes were harboured by these strains. All strains possessed the II/III/V subtype group of the cdtB gene, with two strains carrying another copy of the I/IV subtype group. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed high genetic diversity of E. albertii in raw meats. Our findings indicate that E. albertii can contaminate various raw meats, posing a potential threat to public health.