Microbacterium horticulturae sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from flowerpot soil.

Strain CJN36-1NT, a Gram-stain-positive, non-flagellated, strictly aerobic and short rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from flowerpot soil sampled in the Jeonju region of the Republic of Korea. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and the resulting phylogenetic tree, the strain belonged to the genus Microbacterium. Strain CJN36-1NT contained a chromosome of 3.6 Mbp with a G+C content of 68.5 mol%. The strain grew at 10-37 °C (optimally at 28 °C), at pH 5.0-8.0 (optimally at pH 8.0), and in the presence of 0-7 % NaCl (w/v; optimally with 0 % NaCl). Digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity and average amino acid identity values between strain CJN36-1NT and its closest related species, Microbacterium protaetiae DFW100M-13T, were 82.0, 81.2, and 23.2 %, respectively. We propose naming this novel species Microbacterium horticulturae sp. nov., with CJN36-1NT (=KACC 23027T=NBRC 116065T) as the type strain.

Complete genome sequence of the Microbacterium rhizosphaerae type strain KACC 19337T.

We report the whole genome sequence of Microbacterium rhizosphaerae KACC 19337T. The genome consists of a 4.05-Mb circular chromosome, with a G + C content of 69.7 %, and 3,627 total coding genes predicted.

Sphingobacterium oryzagri sp. nov., isolated from rice paddy soil.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative and short rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated M6-31T, was isolated from rice paddy soil sampled in Miryang, Republic of Korea. Growth was observed at 4-35 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and in the presence of 0-4 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences grouped strain M6-31T with Sphingobacterium bambusae IBFC2009T, Sphingobacterium griseoflavum SCU-B140T and Sphingobacterium solani MLS-26-JM13-11T in the same clade, with the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities ranging from 95.8 to 96.6 %. A genome-based phylogenetic tree reconstructed by using all publicly available Sphingobacterium genomes placed strain M6-31T with S. bambusae KACC 22910T, 'Sphingobacterium deserti' ACCC 05744T, S. griseoflavum CGMCC 1.12966T and Sphingobacterium paludis CGMCC 1.12801T. Orthologous average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain M6-31T and its closely related strains were lower than 74.6 and 22.0 %, respectively. The respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7, and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C15 : 0 iso, C17 : 0 iso 3OH and summed feature 3. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data obtained in this study showed that strain M6-31T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium oryzagri sp. nov. (type strain M6-31T=KACC 22765T=JCM 35893T) is proposed.

Lacticaseibacillus pabuli sp. nov., isolated from fermented cattle feed.

Strain BSF-3MT is a Gram-stain-positive, non-flagellated, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterium that was isolated from fermented feed collected at a cattle farm in the Daejeon region of the Republic of Korea. It was studied using polyphasic taxonomic methods. Using 16S rRNA gene sequences and the resulting phylogenetic tree, the strain was primarily identified as a member of the genus Lacticaseibacillus. Strain BSF-3MT contained a chromosome of 2.5 Mbp and a plasmid of 33.4 kbp. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 51.3 mol%. Strain BSF-3MT had the highest ortho-average nucleotide identity value of 73.7 % with Lacticaseibacillus songhuajiangensis 7-19T, its closest relative in the phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the phylogenomic tree based on up-to-date bacterial core genes. Based on the results of a polyphasic taxonomic study, strain BSF-3MT represents a novel species in the genus Lacticaseibacillus, for which the name Lacticaseibacillus pabuli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BSF-3MT (=KACC 23028T=NBRC 116014T).

Re-identification of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Species Complex Isolates in Korea and Their Host Plants.

The Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex includes many phytopathogenic species, causing anthracnose disease on a wide range of host plants and appearing to be globally distributed. Seventy-one Colletotrichum isolates in the complex from different plants and geographic regions in Korea were preserved in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC). Most of them had been identified based on hosts and morphological features, this could lead to inaccurate species names. Therefore, the KACC isolates were re-identified using DNA sequence analyses of six loci, comprising internal transcribed spacer, gapdh, chs-1, his3, act, and tub2 in this study. Based on the combined phylogenetic analysis, KACC strains were assigned to 12 known species and three new species candidates. The detected species are C. siamense (n = 20), C. fructicola (n = 19), C. gloeosporioides (n = 9), C. aenigma (n = 5), C. camelliae (n = 3), C. temperatum (n = 3), C. musae (n = 2), C. theobromicola (n = 2), C. viniferum (n = 2), C. alatae (n = 1), C. jiangxiense (n = 1), and C. yulongense (n = 1). Of these, C. jiangxiense, C. temperatum, C. theobromicola and C. yulongense are unrecorded species in Korea. Host plant comparisons showed that 27 fungus-host associations are newly reported in the country. However, plant-fungus interactions need to be investigated by pathogenicity tests.

Whole-genome sequence of the Halobacillus naozhouensis type strain KACC 21980.

We present the whole-genome sequence of Halobacillus naozhouensis Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) 21980T, isolated from China by Chen et al.. The genome of Halobacillus naozhouensis KACC 21980T comprises a circular chromosome (4.2 Mb) and one plasmid (17 kb). It includes a total of 4,168 predicted coding genes.

Five novel Hymenobacter species isolated from air: Hymenobacter cellulosilyticus sp. nov., Hymenobacter cellulosivorans sp. nov., Hymenobacter aerilatus sp. nov., Hymenobacter sublimis sp. nov. and Hymenobacter volaticus sp. nov.

Five Hymenobacter strains isolated from air samples collected from the Suwon and Jeju regions of the Republic of Korea were studied using polyphasic taxonomic methods. Using 16S rRNA gene sequences and the resulting phylogenetic tree, the strains were primarily identified as members of the genus Hymenobacter. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and average nucleotide identities values for species delineation (70 and 95-96 %, respectively) between the five strains and their nearest type strains indicated that each strain represented a novel species. All strains were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, mesophilic, rod-shaped and catalase- and oxidase-positive, with red to pink coloured colonies. The genome sizes of the five strains varied from 4.8 to 7.1 Mb and their G+C contents were between 54.1 and 59.4 mol%. Based on their phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characteristics, we propose to classify these isolates into five novel species within the genus Hymenobacter for which we propose the names, Hymenobacter cellulosilyticus sp. nov., Hymenobacter cellulosivorans sp. nov., Hymenobacter aerilatus sp. nov., Hymenobacter sublimis sp. nov. and Hymenobacter volaticus sp. nov., with strains 5116 S-3T (=KACC 21925T=JCM 35216T), 5116 S-27T (=KACC 21926T=JCM 35217T), 5413 J-13T (=KACC 21928T=JCM 35219T), 5516 S-25T (=KACC 21931T=JCM 35222T) and 5420 S-77T (=KACC 21932T=JCM 35223T) as the type strains, respectively.

Re-identification of Colletotrichum acutatum Species Complex in Korea and Their Host Plants.

Colletotrichum acutatum species complex is one of the most important groups in the genus Colletotrichum with a high species diversity and a wide range of host plants. C. acutatum and related species have been collected from different plants and locations in Korea and deposited into the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC), National Institute of Agricultural Sciences since the 1990s. These fungal isolates were previously identified based mainly on morphological characteristics, and a limitation of molecular data was provided. To confirm the identification of species, 64 C. acutatum species complex isolates in KACC were used in this study for DNA sequence analyses of six loci: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS), betatubulin 2 (TUB2), histone-3 (HIS3), glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1), and actin (ACT). The molecular analysis revealed that they were identified in six different species of C. fioriniae (24 isolates), C. nymphaeae (21 isolates), C. scovillei (12 isolates), C. chrysanthemi (three isolates), C. lupini (two isolates), and C. godetiae (one isolate), and a novel species candidate. We compared the hosts of KACC isolates with "The List of Plant Diseases in Korea", previous reports in Korea and global reports and found that 23 combinations between hosts and pathogens could be newly reported in Korea after pathogenicity tests, and 12 of these have not been recorded in the world.

Whole-Genome Sequence of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis Strain KACC 16571T.

We report the whole-genome sequence of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis type strain KACC 16571, which was isolated from rotten wood in South Korea. The genome of Mucilaginibacter jinjuensis KACC 16571T consists of a 6.16-Mb circular chromosome, with a G+C content of 42.1% and 5,262 total predicted coding genes.

Draft Genome Sequences of Three Type Strains, Acetobacter farinalis KACC 21251, Acetobacter suratthaniensis KACC 21252, and Acetobacter thailandicus KACC 21253.

As part of a genome database construction of type strains, we report the draft genome sequences of three strains of acetic acid bacteria, i.e., Acetobacter farinalis KACC 21251T, Acetobacter suratthaniensis KACC 21252T, and Acetobacter thailandicus KACC 21253T.

Blue mold rot caused by Penicillium expansum on Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum.

Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum, called "Dunggulle", is cultivated in East Asia to obtain rhizomes. In Korea and China, these rhizomes are used in traditional teas, health beverages, and herbal medicines (Zhao and Li, 2015). In 2019, Dunggulle was cultivated in 47 hectares, with an annual output of 120M/T in Korea. In November 2020, Dunggulle rhizomes with symptoms of blue mold rot were observed at a Dunggulle farm storage (36°06'01''N, 127°29'20''E) in Geuman, Korea, where the temperature ranged from 9 to 13°C, with an average humidity of 70%. The disease incidence was 2 to 3% out of 200 rhizomes across all markets surveyed. The disease begins with a greenish blue mold covering the rhizome surface (30 to 60%), followed by rhizome rot with a dark brown color as the disease progresses. Leading edges of the rotten rhizome pieces were sterilized with 1% NaOCl and 70% ethanol and placed on MEA (Malt Extract Agar) with penicillin G and streptomycin (both 50 µg/mL). After 7 days of incubation at 25°C, greenish-blue colonies appeared, from which a monospore was isolated. A representative isolated strain was deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC, Wanju, Korea) with Acc. No. KACC 49832. The strain grew slowly on MEA at 25°C (8 to 18 mm diam. after 7 days), producing greenish blue conidia. The conidiophores were hyaline and mostly terverticillate; the branches were appressed against the main axis; the stipes were smooth-walled; and the metulae were cylindrical, 10 to 13 × 2.7 to 3.2 µm, with 6 to 10 flask-shaped phialides, measured 9 to 12 × 2.7 to 3.1 µm. The conidia were globose or subglobose and 2.8 to 4.1 µm diam. These morphological characteristics fit well with the description of Penicillium expansum (Frisvad & Samson, 2004). Genomic DNA was extracted from the mycelia of the KACC 49832 MEA plate. ITS rDNA, beta-tubulin (BenA), and calmodulin (CaM) gene regions were sequenced for identification (Houbraken et al., 2020), and the rsulting sequences were deposited in GenBank (Acc. Nos. MZ189258, MZ226688, and MZ226689, respectively). Comparison with the GenBank sequences revealed that the Korean isolate was highly similar to P. expansum (ITS rDNA 99.8%, BenA 98.6%, and CaM 97.8%). Phylogenetic results based on the maximum-likelihood analysis revealed that KACC 49832 was grouped with P. expansum. To demonstrate pathogenicity, 10 µL of conidial suspension (1.3 × 105 conidia/mL) was dropped on the surface of three Dunggulle rhizomes scratched with a syringe needle. For the control, sterile water was applied on three control rhizomes. All rhizomes were surface-sterilized as referred above before being sprayed and dried. All inoculated and control rhizomes were kept in incubator at 25°C and 90-95% relative humidity. After a week, the inoculated points showed symptoms similar to those of the initial infection, whereas controls remained symptomless. The re-isolated fungus matched KACC 49832 based on morphological and sequence analyses, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. The experiment was performed three times. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. expansum as a Dunggulle rhizome pathogen in Korea. As this pathogen is known to produce patulin, a carcinogenic fungal metabolite, further studies on the mycotoxicity of the infected rhizomes are required. This report might help manage the storage conditions of Dunggulle rhizomes to prevent the blue mold rot.

A Differential Evolution Approach to Optimize Weights of Dynamic Time Warping for Multi-Sensor Based Gesture Recognition.

In this research, we present a differential evolution approach to optimize the weights of dynamic time warping for multi-sensory based gesture recognition. Mainly, we aimed to develop a robust gesture recognition method that can be used in various environments. Both a wearable inertial sensor and a depth camera (Kinect Sensor) were used as heterogeneous sensors to verify and collect the data. The proposed approach was used for the calculation of optimal weight values and different characteristic features of heterogeneous sensor data, while having different effects during gesture recognition. In this research, we studied 27 different actions to analyze the data. As finding the optimal value of the data from numerous sensors became more complex, a differential evolution approach was used during the fusion and optimization of the data. To verify the performance accuracy of the presented method in this study, a University of Texas at Dallas Multimodal Human Action Datasets (UTD-MHAD) from previous research was used. However, the average recognition rates presented by previous research using respective methods were still low, due to the complexity in the calculation of the optimal values of the acquired data from sensors, as well as the installation environment. Our contribution was based on a method that enabled us to adjust the number of depth cameras and combine this data with inertial sensors (multi-sensors in this study). We applied a differential evolution approach to calculate the optimal values of the added weights. The proposed method achieved an accuracy 10% higher than the previous research results using the same database, indicating a much improved accuracy rate of motion recognition.

Combined Dynamic Time Warping with Multiple Sensors for 3D Gesture Recognition.

Cyber-physical systems, which closely integrate physical systems and humans, can be applied to a wider range of applications through user movement analysis. In three-dimensional (3D) gesture recognition, multiple sensors are required to recognize various natural gestures. Several studies have been undertaken in the field of gesture recognition; however, gesture recognition was conducted based on data captured from various independent sensors, which rendered the capture and combination of real-time data complicated. In this study, a 3D gesture recognition method using combined information obtained from multiple sensors is proposed. The proposed method can robustly perform gesture recognition regardless of a user's location and movement directions by providing viewpoint-weighted values and/or motion-weighted values. In the proposed method, the viewpoint-weighted dynamic time warping with multiple sensors has enhanced performance by preventing joint measurement errors and noise due to sensor measurement tolerance, which has resulted in the enhancement of recognition performance by comparing multiple joint sequences effectively.