• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2011

Toxicokinetics of Korean Traditional Medicines(TKM) is the description of what rate TKM will enter the body and what happens to it once it is in the body in terms of toxicology. However, it is not easy to understand TKM toxicokinetics because of various factors such as a mixture of 2-30 kinds of herbal materials containing thousands of chemicals, and complex chemical properties. For these reasons, little is known about toxicokinetics of TKM. This study was aimed to characterize and review the absorption, distribution and metabolism of korean traditional medicines in a view of toxicokinetics. For this aim, some of korean traditional medicines were reviewed on a basis of drug-drug interaction, biotransformation and intestinal metabolisms by bacteria. As the factors affecting mainly on toxicokinetics of TKM, individual herbal material's degree of lipophilicity and metabolic rate, and decoction components according to different kinds of herbal materials were considered. Other factors such as intestinal pH and bacterial activity for metabolism affecting on TKM toxicokinetics, especially in small intestine. It would be a better way for improving the adverse or poor effects caused by TCM if the factors affecting on toxicokinetics of TKM is considered.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.118-124
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• 2005

In this research, we examined the effect of NaCl on the growth, energy metabolism, and proton motive force of Halomonas salina, and the effect of compatible solutes on the bacterium growing in the high salinity environment. H. salina was isolated from seawater and identified by 16srDNA sequencing. The growth of H. salina was not enhanced by the addition of external compatible solutes (choline and betaine) in the high salinity environment. The resting cells of H. salina absorbed more glucose in the presence of 2.0 M NaCl than in its absence. H. salina did not grow in the medium with either KCl, RbCl, CsCl, $Na_2SO_4$, or $NaNO_3$, in place of NaCl. The optimal concentration of NaCl for the growth of H. salina ranged from 1.4 M to 2.5 M, and the growth yield was decreased in the presence of NaCl below 1.4M and above 2.5M. The activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase of H. salina was not inhibited by NaCl in in vitro test. The proton translocation of H. salina was detected in the presence of NaCl only. These results indicate that NaCl is absolutely required for the normal growth and energy metabolism of H. salina, but the bacterial growth is not enhanced by the compatible solutes added to the growth medium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.795-803
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• 2024

Microorganisms usually coexist as a multifaceted polymicrobial community in the natural habitats and at mucosal sites of the human body. Two opportunistic human pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus commonly coexist in the bacterial infections for hospitalized and/or immunocompromised patients. Here, we observed that autolysis of the P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing (QS) mutant (lasRmvfR) was suppressed by the presence of the S. aureus cells in vitro. The QS mutant still displayed killing against S. aureus cells, suggesting the link between the S. aureus-killing activity and the autolysis suppression. Independent screens of the P. aeruginosa transposon mutants defective in the S. aureus-killing and the S. aureus transposon mutants devoid of the autolysis suppression revealed the genetic link between both phenotypes, suggesting that the iron-dependent metabolism involving S. aureus exoproteins might be central to both phenotypes. The autolysis was suppressed by iron treatment as well. These results suggest that the interaction between P. aeruginosa and S. aureus might be governed by mechanisms that necessitate the QS circuitry as well as the metabolism involving the extracellular iron resources during the polymicrobial infections in the human airway.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2018

The present study aimed to investigate the microbial diversity in Gouda cheese within the four months of ripening, via next-generation sequencing (NGS). Lactococcus (96.03%), and Leuconostoc (3.83%), used as starter cultures, constituted the majority of bacteria upon 454 pyrosequencing based on 16S rDNA sequences. However, no drastic differences were observed among other populations between the center and the surface portions of Gouda cheese during ripening. Although the proportion of subdominant species was <1%, slight differences in bacterial populations were observed in both the center and the surface portions. Taken together, our results suggest that environmental and processing variables of cheese manufacturing including pasteurization, starter, ripening conditions are important factors influencing the bacterial diversity in cheese and they can be used to alter nutrient profiles and metabolism and the flavor during ripening.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.252-256
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• 1990

Oxidative damage to DNA can be caused by excited oxygen species, which are produced by radiation or are by-products of aerobic metabolism. Endogenous evels of 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), an adduct that results from the damage of DNA caused by hydroxyl radical,have been detected in E. coli and S. typhimurium. Treatment of bacterial cells with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide caused a moderate increase in the 8-OH-dG content. The enzymatic release of 8-OH-dG from asocorbate/Cu(II)-treated DNA was effected by an extract of E. coli cells. These results indicate that 8-OH-dG is formed in vivo inbacterial DNA through endogenous oxidative mechanisms and on treatment with an oxygen radical-producing agent and that it is repairable.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2021

Acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting from pyrite oxidation in mining areas, subsequently leads to soil acidification accompanied by lowering pH and high concentration of metals and metalloids in its surrounding environment. Regarding to this, the microbial amelioration has been considered as a promising option for a more cost-effective and eco-friendlier countermeasure, compared to the use of alkaline chemicals. This study was aimed to evaluate influencing factors in microbially-mediated amelioration of acidic soil spiked by simulated AMD. For this, microcosm experiments were conducted by acid-neutralizing bacterial consortium (dominated by Klebsiella sp. and Raoultella sp.) under the various conditions of AMD spikes (0-2,500 mg SO42-/L), together with acidic mine soil (0-100 g) or sphagnum peat (0-5 g) in the 200 mL of nutrient medium. The employed bacterial consortium, capable of resisting to high level of sulfate concentration (up to 1,500 mg SO42-/L) in low pH, generated the ammonium while concomitantly reduced the sulfate, subsequently contributing to the effective soil stabilization with an evolution of soil pH up to neutral. Furthermore, it demonstrates that suitable condition has to be tuned for successful microbial metabolism to facilitate with neutralization during practical application.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1314-1321
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• 2024

Branched-chain hydroxy acids (BCHAs), produced by lactic acid bacteria, have recently been suggested as bioactive compounds contributing to the systemic metabolism and modulation of the gut microbiome. However, the relationship between BCHAs and gut microbiome remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of BCHAs on the growth of seven different families in the gut microbiota. Based on in vitro screening, both 2-hydroxyisovaleric acid (HIVA) and 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA) stimulated the growth of Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae, with HIVA showing a significant growth promotion. Additionally, we observed not only the growth promotion of probiotic Lactobacillaceae strains but also growth inhibition of pathogenic B. fragilis in a dose-dependent manner. The production of HIVA and HICA varied depending on the family of the gut microbiota and was relatively high in case of Lactobacillaceae and Lachnosporaceae. Furthermore, HIVA and HICA production by each strain positively correlated with their growth variation. These results demonstrated gut microbiota-derived BCHAs as active metabolites that have bacterial growth modulatory effects. We suggest that BCHAs can be utilized as active metabolites, potentially contributing to the treatment of diseases associated with gut dysbiosis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2012

Phosphorous is an essential element for the synthesis of various biomolecules including phospholipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Bacterial cells can uptake it as forms of phosphate and phosphate-containing nutrients from extracellular environments, and reserve extra phosphate to polyphosphate inside the cell. Among five phosphate transport systems, Pst plays central roles in phosphate transport, and its expression is coordinated by the regulation of PhoB-PhoR two component signal transduction system in response to extracellular levels of phosphate. Genomic studies on the response regulator PhoB reveal many genes independent of phosphate metabolism. Based on recent findings on phenotypes of bacteria lacking proper function of each phosphate transport system, this review discusses roles of phosphate transporters in maintaining optimum intracellular phosphate levels, and presents diverse phenotypes of phosphate transporters related with other environmental signals as well as phosphate, then finally points out functional redundancy among phosphate transport systems or their regulators, which emphasize importance of phosphate homeostasis in governing metabolism, adaptation, and virulence of bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.375-382
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• 2006

From its initial colonization to causation of disease, Streptococcus pneumoniae has evolved strategies to cope with a number of stressful in vivo environmental conditions. In order to analyze a global view of this organism's response to heat shock, we established a 2-D electrophoresis proteome map of the S. pneumoniae D39 soluble proteins under in vitro culture conditions and performed the comparative proteome analysis to a 37 to $42^{\circ}C$ temperature up-shift in S. pneumoniae. When the temperature of an exponentially growing S. pneumoniae D39 culture was raised to $42^{\circ}C$, the expression level of 25 proteins showed changes when compared to the control. Among these 25 proteins, 12 were identified by MALDI-TOF and LC-coupled ESI MS/MS. The identified proteins were shown to be involved in the general stress response, energy metabolism, nucleotide biosynthesis pathways, and purine metabolism. These results provide clues for understanding the mechanism of adaptation to heat shock by S. pneumoniae and may facilitate the assessment of a possible role for these proteins in the physiology and pathogenesis of this pathogen.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1729-1738
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• 2020

Salmonellosis is a form of gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella infection. The main transmission route of salmonellosis has been identified as poorly cooked meat and poultry products contaminated with Salmonella. However, in recent years, the number of outbreaks attributed to contaminated raw produce has increased dramatically. To understand how Salmonella adapts to produce, transcriptomic analysis was conducted on Salmonella enterica serovar Virchow exposed to fresh-cut radish greens. Considering the different Salmonella lifestyles in contact with fresh produce, such as motile and sessile lifestyles, total RNA was extracted from planktonic and epiphytic cells separately. Transcriptomic analysis of S. Virchow cells revealed different transcription profiles between lifestyles. During bacterial adaptation to fresh-cut radish greens, planktonic cells were likely to shift toward anaerobic metabolism, exploiting nitrate as an electron acceptor of anaerobic respiration, and utilizing cobalamin as a cofactor for coupled metabolic pathways. Meanwhile, Salmonella cells adhering to plant surfaces showed coordinated upregulation in genes associated with translation and ribosomal biogenesis, indicating dramatic cellular reprogramming in response to environmental changes. In accordance with the extensive translational response, epiphytic cells showed an increase in the transcription of genes that are important for bacterial motility, nucleotide transporter/metabolism, cell envelope biogenesis, and defense mechanisms. Intriguingly, Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1 and SPI-2 displayed up- and downregulation, respectively, regardless of lifestyles in contact with the radish greens, suggesting altered Salmonella virulence during adaptation to plant environments. This study provides molecular insights into Salmonella adaptation to plants as an alternative environmental reservoir.