• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2121-2132
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• 2018

Abnormal melanin synthesis results in several hyperpigmentary disorders such as freckles, melanoderma, age spots, and other related conditions. In this study, we investigated the anti-melanogenic effects of an extract from the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CE) and potential mechanisms responsible for its inhibitory effect in B16F10, normal human epidermal melanocyte cells, and human skin-equivalent models. The CE extract showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating, hormone-induced melanin synthesis in cells. Additionally, the CE extract exhibited suppressive effects on the mRNA and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, and tyrosinase-related protein-2. The CE extract also inhibited the phosphorylation of protein kinase A and extracellular signal-related kinase, which function as upstream regulators of melanogenesis. Using a three-dimensional, reconstructed pigmented epidermis model, the CE-mediated, anti-pigmentation effects were confirmed by Fontana-Masson staining and melanin content assays. Taken together, CE extract can be used as an anti-pigmentation agent.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.261-273
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• 2021

Leuconostoc mesenteroides H40 (H40) was isolated from kimchi, and its probiotic properties and neuroprotective effect was evaluated in oxidatively stressed SH-SY5Y cells. H40 was stable in artificial gastric conditions and can be attached in HT-29 cells. In addition, H40 did not produce β-glucuronidase and showed resistant to several antibiotics. The conditioned medium (CM) was made using HT-29 cells refined with heat-killed probiotics (Probiotics-CM) and heated yogurts (Y-CM) to investigate the neuroprotective effect. Treatment with H40-CM not only increased cell viability but also significantly improved brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) expression and reduced the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in oxidatively stress-induced SH-SY5Y cells. Besides, probiotic Y-CM significantly increased BDNF mRNA expression and decreased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The physicochemical properties of probiotic yogurt with H40 was not significantly different from the control yogurt. The viable cell counts of lactic acid bacteria in control and probiotic yogurt with H40 was 8.66 Log CFU/mL and 8.96 Log CFU/mL, respectively. Therefore, these results indicate that H40 can be used as prophylactic functional dairy food having neuroprotective effects.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.88-94
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• 2024

In July 2021, symptoms of soft rot were observed on the stems of Ficus carica in Yeongam, Jeollanamdo, Korea. To accurately diagnose the cause, infected stem was collected and bacterial strain was isolated. Among these, the pathogenic strain KNUB-08-21 was identified as Pectobacterium aroidearum through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the dnaX, leuS, and recA genes. The affiliation of the isolate with this bacterial species was also confirmed by its biochemical characteristics obtained using API ID 32 GN system. Artificial inoculation confirmed the strain's pathogenicity in figs, causing significant damage to both stems and fruits. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. aroidearum causing soft rot disease in F. carica in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.545-572
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• 2011

The genetic diagnosis methods by RT-PCR and Virion capture (VC)/RT-PCR against Rice stripe virus (RSV) were developed. Three diagnosis methods of seedling test, ELISA and RT-PCR were compared in virus detection sensitivity (VDS) for RSV. The VDS of ELISA for RSV viruliferous small brown plant hopper (SBPH) was higher with 40.5% than that of seedling test. The VDS of RT-PCR was higher with 21% than that of ELISA. The VDS of ELISA and VC/RT-PCR was same with 9.2% in average on the SBPH collected from fields at the areas of Gimpo, Pyungtaeg and Sihueng, Gyeonggi province in 2009. The specific primers of RSV for SBPH and rice plant were developed for the diagnosis by Real time PCR. The RQ value of Real time PCR for the viruliferous and non viruliferous SBPH was 1 for 50 heads of non viruliferous SBPH, 96.5 for 50 heads of viruliferous SBPH, 23.1 for 10 heads of viruliferous SBPH + 40 heads of non viruliferous SBPH, and 75.6 for 30 heads of viruliferous SBPH + 20 heads of non viruliferous SBPH. The RQ value was increased positively by the ratio of viruliferous SBPH. Full sequences of 4 genomes of RSV RNA1, RNA2, RNA3 and RNA4 were analysed for the 13 RSV isolates from rice plants collected from different areas. Genetic relationships among the RSV isolates of Korea, Japan and China were classified as China + Korea, and China + Korea + Japan by phylogenetic analysis for RSV RNA1 and RNA2. In case of RNA3 involved in pathogenicity, genetic relationship of RSV among the three countries was grouped into 3 as China, China + Korea, and Korea + Japan. According to the genetic relationships in RSV RNA4, RSV isolates were grouped into 4 as China, Korea, China + Korea + Japan, and Korea + Japan. Viruliferous insect rate (VIR) of RSV in average increased in each year from 2008 to 2010, and the rates were 4.3%, 6.1%, and 7.2%, respectively, at the 28 major rice production areas in 7 provinces including Gyeonggido. The highest VIR in each year was 11.3% of Gyeonggido in 2008, 20.1% of Jellanamdo in 2009 and 14.2% of Chungcheongbukdo in 2010. The highest VIR depending upon the investigated areas was 22.1% at Buan of Jellabukdo in 2008, 36% at Wando and Jindo of Jellanamdo in 2009, and 30.0% at Boeun of Chungcheongbukdo in 2010. Average population density (APD) of overwintered SBPH was 13.1 heads in 2008, 13.9 heads in 2009 and 5.6 heads in 2010. The highest APD was 39.1 and 60.4 heads at Buan of Jellabukdo in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and 14.0 heads at Pyungtaeg of Gyeonggido. The acreage of RSV occurred fields was 869 ha in the western and southern parts, mainly at Jindo and Wando areas, of Jellanamdo in 2008. In 2009, RSV occurred in the acreage of 21,541 ha covered whole country, especially, partial and whole plant death were occurred with infection rate of 55.2% at 3,025 plots in 53 Li, 39 Eup/Myun, 19 Si/Gun of Gyeonggido, Incheonsi, Chungcheongnamdo, Jeollabukdo and Jeollanamdo. Seasonal development of overwintered SBPH was investigated at Buan, Jeollabukdo, and Jindo, Jeollanamdo for 3 years from 2008. Most SBPH developed to the 3rd and 4th instar on the periods of May 20 to June 10, and they developed to the adult stage for the 1st generation on Mid and Late June. In 2009, all SBPH trapped by sky net trap were adult on May 31 to June 1 at Mid-western aeas of Taean, Seosan and Buan, and South-western areas of Sinan and Jindo. The population density of adult SBPH was 963 heads at Taean, 919 at Seocheon and 819 at Sinan area. The origin of these higher population of adult SBPH were verified from the population of non-overwintered SBPH but immigrant SBPH. From Mid May to Mid June in 2010, adult SBPH could not be counted as immigrant insects by sky net trap. The variation of RSV VIR was high with 2.1% to 9.5% for immigrant adult SBPH trapped by sky net trap at Hongsung of Chungcheongbukdo, Buan of Jeollabukdo and so forth in 2009. The highest VIR for the immigrant adult SBPH was 9.5% at Boryung of Chungcheongnamdo, followed by 7.9% at Hongsung of Chungcheongnamdo, 6.5% at Younggwang of Jeollanamdo, and 6.4% at Taean of Cheongcheongnamdo. The infection rate of RSV on rice plants induced by the immigrant adult SBPH cultivated near sky net trap after about 10 days from immigration on June 12 in 2009 was 84.6% at Taean, 65.4% at Buan and 92.9% at Jindo, and 81% in average through genetic diagnosis of RT-PCR. Barley known as a overwintering host plant of RSV had very low infection rate of 0.2% from 530 specimens collected at 10 areas covering whole country including Pyungtaeg of Gyeonggido. Twenty nine plant species were newly recorded as natural hosts of RSV. In winter annual plant species, 11 plants including Vulpia myuros showed RSV infection rate of 24.9%. The plant species in summer annual ecotype were 13 including Digitaria ciliaris with 44.9%, Echinochloa crusgalli var. echinata with 95.2% and Setaria faberi with 65.5% in infection rate of RSV. Five perennial plants including Miscanths sacchariflorus with infection rate of 33.3% were recorded as hosts of RSV. Rice cultivars, 8 susceptible cultivars including Donggin1 and 17 resistant ones including Samgwang, were screened in field conditions at 3 different areas of Buan, Iksan and Ginje in 2009. All the susceptible cultivars were showed typical symptom of mosaic and wilt. In 17 genetic resistant cultivar, 12 cultivars were susceptible, however, 5 cultivars were field-resistant plus genetic resistant to RSV as non symptom expression. When RSV was artificially inoculated at seedling stage to 4 cultivars known as genetic resistant and 3 cultivars known as genetic susceptible, the symptom expression in resistant cultivars was lower as 19.3% in average than that of 53.3% in susceptible ones. In comparison of symptom expression rate and viral infection rate using resistant Nampyung and susceptible Heugnam cultivars by artificial inoculation of RSV at seedling stage, the symptom expression of Heugnam was higher as 28% than 12% of Nampyung. However, virion infection of resistant Nampyung cultivar was higher as 12% reversely than 85% of susceptible Heugnam. Yield loss of rice was investigated by the artificial inoculation of RSV at the seedling stage of resistant cultivars of Nampyung and Onnuri, and susceptible cultivars of Donggin1 and Ungwang for 3 years from 2008. The average yield per plant was 7.8 g, 8.5 g and 13.8 g on rice plants inoculated at seedling stage, tillering stage and maximum tillering stage, respectively. The yield loss rate was increased by earlier infection of RSV with 51% at seedling stage, 46% at tillering stage and 13% at maximum tillering stage. In resistant rice cultivars, there was no statistically significant relation between infection time and yield loss. In natural fields on susceptible rice cultivar of Ungwang at Taean and Jindo areas in 2009, the yield loss rate was increased with same tendency to the infection hill rate having the corelation coefficient of 0.94 when the viral infection was over 23.4%.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2015

For selecting Bacillus strains producing high-quality Cheonggukjang, 8 strains were isolated from the different Cheonggukjang samples. Seven of them exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of over 99.9% to Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis and one of them showed the similarity to B. licheniformis. All the strains showed positive activities for amylase, cellulase, protease and lipase, and 6 strains are positive for fibrinolytic activity. To confirm the safety of the strains isolated from the samples of Cheonggukjang which are manufactured by traditional method, strains were analyzed for the presence of seven toxin genes of Bacillus cereus and results were found negative. And 7 strains did not produce at all or merely produce both histamine and tyramine, the representative biogenic amines. Biogenic amine degradation analysis by HPLC revealed that, most of them exhibited tyramine degradation activity. For Cheonggukjang fermented by artificial inoculation of selected strains, fermentation property, sensory test, volatile basic nitrogen production and metabolic profiles by $^1H-NMR$ were tested. Seven strains were confirmed to make high-quality Cheonggukjang.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1428-1433
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• 2011

In this study, we isolated and characterized plant-associated lactic acid bacteria which are able to produce angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antioxidative activities. Five lactic acid bacteria were isolated from plants (grape and leek), a plant-associated fermentative product (Kimchi) and Korean traditional alcohol (Dongdongju). Strains K-1 and K-21 from Kimchi, strain L-5 from leek, strain G-3 from grape, and strain D-3 from Dongdongju were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Weissella cibaria, L. plantarum, and L. brevis, respectively, by 16S rRNA gene analysis. ACE inhibitory activities of isolated strains ranged from 44.3 to 71.9% in the MRS broth. G-3, L-5 and K-1 strains especially showed high ACE inhibitory activities (59.8-98.69%) in the MRS broth containing skim milk. DPPH radical scavenging activities of the strains were in the range of 42.5-82.7%. All strains showed varying levels of resistance in artificial gastric fluid (pH 2.5), retaining viability ranging from 42.2 to 88.1% after 3 hr of incubation. All strains showed high resistance to 0.3% oxgall after 24 hr of incubation; survival rates were in the range of 55.4-112.8%. Isolated strains were found to be antagonistic to some pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 1998

To define the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in the aqutic ecosystem, Lake Soyang, the largest artificial reservoir in Korea, a new method, fluorescent in situ hybridization was applied. This technique relies on the specific hybridization of the nucleic acid probes to the naturally amplified intracellular rRNA. By this method, the bacterial community composition of Lake Soyang and bacterial numbers belong to eubacteria, proteobacteria and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium group were estimated. Total bacterial numbers ranged from $0.3{\times}10^6{\sim}2.0{\times}10^6cells{\cdot}ml^{-1}$, and vertical profile of total bacteria showed the peak at 2 and 5 m depths. The ratio of eubacteria to total bacteria were 22~100% and varied with depth and season. The percentage of Proteobacteria ${\alpha}$-group ranged 2.6~66.7%, ${\beta}$-group 4.5~53.5%, ${\gamma}$-group 4.6~76.7% and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium group 2.1~35.9%. Also, bacteria] community had spatial and temporal characteristics. The dominant groups were ${\beta}$-group in winter, ${\gamma}$-group in spring and early summer and ${\alpha}$-group in summer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2011

Background : Despite recent advances in cancer management, prognosis of ovarian cancer is poor. Anticancer effects of herbal medicine, such as Euonymus alatus Sieb, Oldenlandia diffusa (Willd.) Roxburgh, and Orostachys japonicus A. Berger, have been reported in treatment of ovarian and cervical cancers, but the systematic approaches to explain their molecular mechanism(s) have not yet been established. Objectives : To establish a basis of understanding for anti-cancer mechanisms of herbal medicine, we profiled protein expression in human ovarian and cervical cancer cells treated with the extracts from Euonymus alatus Sieb, Oldenlandia diffusa (Willd.) Roxburgh and Orostachys japonicus A. Berger. Methods : Human ovarian cancer cell line NIH:OVCAR-3, and human cervical cancer cell line HeLa were employed in the present study. Whole protein was obtained from the cells harvested at 48 hours after the treatment with herbal water-extract, and analyzed by 2DE-based proteomic approach. Results : Various changes of protein expression induced by the herbal treatment were monitored : down-regulation of molecular chaperone (calreticulin variant), glycolytic enzymes (D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and alpha-enolase), RNA processing molecules (hnRNP A2/B1), and antioxidant protein (peroxiredoxin 1). Conclusions : Repression of glycolysis has been accepted as the mechanism to increase anticancer reagent's effect. Thus, down-regulation of glycolytic enzymes by the herbal extracts suggested a possible synergistic effect of herbs in the presence of platinum-based therapeutics. In further study, as well as the synergistic effect of the herbs, it has to be further validated whether artificial regulation of hnRNP A2/B1 in ovarian cancer cells affects various cancer survival factors, since RNA processing can be interrupted by deranged expression of hnRNP subtypes, and it results in an inhibition of cancer cell growth.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2015

An agarolytic marine bacterium (H9) was isolated from the coastal seawater of the West Sea, South Korea. The isolate, H9, was gram-negative and rod-shaped with a smooth surface and polar flagellum. Cells grew at 20-30℃, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and in ASW-YP (Artificial Sea Water-Yeast extract, Peptone) media containing 1-5% (w/v) NaCl. The G+C content was 41.56 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone in strain H9 was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C_16:1ω7c (34.3%), C_16:0 (23.72%), and C_18:1ω7c (13.64%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and biochemical and chemotaxonomic characterization, the strain was designated as Pseudoalteromonas sp. H9 (=KCTC23887). In liquid culture supplemented with 0.2% agar, the cell density and agarase activity reached a maximum level of OD = 4.32 (48 h) and OD = 3.87 (24 h), respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the extracellular crude agarases of H9 were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the agarase hydrolysis products revealed that the crude agarases hydrolyze agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose. Therefore, the new agar-degrading strain, H9, can be applicable for the production of valuable neoagarooligosaccharides and for the complete degradation of agar in bio-industries.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.896-904
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the probiotic characteristics and immune activities of selected lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains as feed additives in livestock. 301 LAB strains isolated from traditional fermented foods were first assessed for their antibacterial activity potential. Of the 301 isolates, five showed antibacterial activity against five livestock pathogens (Esherichia coli KCCM11234, Listeria monocytogens KCTC3710, Salmonella Typhimurium KCTC1926, Staphylococcus aureus KCCM11593, and Shigella flexneri KCTC2517). The probiotic characteristics of the five selected strains were also investigated by antioxidative activity, hemolysis, bile salt hydrolase, acid resistance and bile tolerance. The SRCM102607 strain was found to have superior probiotic properties and was selected for further experimentation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that SRCM102607 is Pediococcus acidilactici, which was labeled as P. acidilactici SRCM102607 (KCCM 12246P). The survival characteristics of P. acidilactici SRCM102607 in artificial gastrointestinal conditions were assessed under exposed acidic (pH 2.0) and bile (0.5% and 1.0%) conditions. P. acidilactici SRCM102607 was also confirmed to have resistance to various antibiotics, including amikacin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and etc. The TNF-α production by P. acidilactici SRCM102607 was 171.86±4.00 ng/ml. These results show that P. acidilactici RCM102607 has excellent potential for use as a probiotic livestock feed additive.