Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer
ABSTRACT Alginate, a carbohydrate polymer produced by seaweed and some bacteria, is widely used in the food and medicine industries. Alginate oligosaccharides, produced by depolymerizing alginate, exhibit diverse biological functions, such as plant protection and growth promotion, enhancement of mic...
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| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03164-24 |
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| author | Seung Hwa Jeong Pyeong Ho Lee Joon Kwan Moon Sujin Lee Yeonjong Koo |
| author_facet | Seung Hwa Jeong Pyeong Ho Lee Joon Kwan Moon Sujin Lee Yeonjong Koo |
| author_sort | Seung Hwa Jeong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Alginate, a carbohydrate polymer produced by seaweed and some bacteria, is widely used in the food and medicine industries. Alginate oligosaccharides, produced by depolymerizing alginate, exhibit diverse biological functions, such as plant protection and growth promotion, enhancement of microbial metabolic activity, and potential applications in biofuel production. This study isolated 13 alginate-degrading bacterial strains from over a thousand seaside soil bacteria in South Korea and investigated their alginate-degrading characteristics. Through 16S rDNA sequencing, Marinomonas sp., Zobellella sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were newly identified at the subspecies level. Notably, this study is the first to report the alginate-degrading capability of Zobellella sp. The substrate specificity of each bacterial strain was analyzed toward poly-α-L-guluronate and poly-β-D-mannuronate, the two major alginate polymeric components. Furthermore, 3 of the 13 isolated strains were demonstrated to synthesize auxin, and their application to Arabidopsis thaliana confirmed enhanced vegetative growth. These findings advance our understanding of alginate degradation and highlight the potential of these bacteria and their alginate lyases as valuable resources in biotechnology applications. In addition, the potential of these bacteria as biofertilizers for promoting plant growth and the production of functional alginate oligosaccharides underscores the need for further exploration and development in this field.IMPORTANCEThis study aimed to isolate alginate-degrading bacteria from the soil samples collected in South Korea’s major seaweed production areas and evaluate their potential as biofertilizers. Alginate, a primary component of brown algae, breaks down into alginate oligosaccharides, which are known to enhance plant growth. In this study, 13 strains of alginate-degrading bacteria were isolated, and some of them showed the potential for plant growth promotion and stress defense through strong biofilm formation and auxin production. Importantly, these bacterial strains exhibited plant growth-promoting potential, demonstrating their applicability in combination with seaweed-based fertilizers. These findings provide valuable insights that could broaden the industrial utilization of seaweed-derived fertilizers, contributing to enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-672242e33c464c269249e5301c71cdae |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj-art-672242e33c464c269249e5301c71cdae2025-08-20T02:24:25ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-06-0113610.1128/spectrum.03164-24Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizerSeung Hwa Jeong0Pyeong Ho Lee1Joon Kwan Moon2Sujin Lee3Yeonjong Koo4Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaHorticultural and Herbal Crop Environment Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Republic of KoreaSchool of Plant Resources and Landscape Architecture, Hankyong National University, Anseong, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Environment and Energy Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Agricultural Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaABSTRACT Alginate, a carbohydrate polymer produced by seaweed and some bacteria, is widely used in the food and medicine industries. Alginate oligosaccharides, produced by depolymerizing alginate, exhibit diverse biological functions, such as plant protection and growth promotion, enhancement of microbial metabolic activity, and potential applications in biofuel production. This study isolated 13 alginate-degrading bacterial strains from over a thousand seaside soil bacteria in South Korea and investigated their alginate-degrading characteristics. Through 16S rDNA sequencing, Marinomonas sp., Zobellella sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were newly identified at the subspecies level. Notably, this study is the first to report the alginate-degrading capability of Zobellella sp. The substrate specificity of each bacterial strain was analyzed toward poly-α-L-guluronate and poly-β-D-mannuronate, the two major alginate polymeric components. Furthermore, 3 of the 13 isolated strains were demonstrated to synthesize auxin, and their application to Arabidopsis thaliana confirmed enhanced vegetative growth. These findings advance our understanding of alginate degradation and highlight the potential of these bacteria and their alginate lyases as valuable resources in biotechnology applications. In addition, the potential of these bacteria as biofertilizers for promoting plant growth and the production of functional alginate oligosaccharides underscores the need for further exploration and development in this field.IMPORTANCEThis study aimed to isolate alginate-degrading bacteria from the soil samples collected in South Korea’s major seaweed production areas and evaluate their potential as biofertilizers. Alginate, a primary component of brown algae, breaks down into alginate oligosaccharides, which are known to enhance plant growth. In this study, 13 strains of alginate-degrading bacteria were isolated, and some of them showed the potential for plant growth promotion and stress defense through strong biofilm formation and auxin production. Importantly, these bacterial strains exhibited plant growth-promoting potential, demonstrating their applicability in combination with seaweed-based fertilizers. These findings provide valuable insights that could broaden the industrial utilization of seaweed-derived fertilizers, contributing to enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03164-24alginateseaweed utilizationalginate-degrading bacteriaalginate lyasePGPR |
| spellingShingle | Seung Hwa Jeong Pyeong Ho Lee Joon Kwan Moon Sujin Lee Yeonjong Koo Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer Microbiology Spectrum alginate seaweed utilization alginate-degrading bacteria alginate lyase PGPR |
| title | Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer |
| title_full | Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer |
| title_short | Characterization of alginate-degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed-producing areas of South Korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth-promoting biofertilizer |
| title_sort | characterization of alginate degrading bacteria isolated from seaweed producing areas of south korean territory and verification of the bacteria as plant growth promoting biofertilizer |
| topic | alginate seaweed utilization alginate-degrading bacteria alginate lyase PGPR |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.03164-24 |
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