• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.641-645
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the possibility of using three commercial bifidobacteria as a starter for soybean paste fermentation. In order to determine susceptibility to inhibition by high concentrations of salt in soybean paste, cell growth of three strains in sterilized soybean paste was analyzed. Bifidobacterium breve KCTC 5081 was the most resistant to salt, whereas Bifidobacterium bifidum KCTC 5082 showed low cell viability. Conversion efficiencies from glycoside isoflavone to aglycon isoflavone in soybean paste ranged from 11.3~28.6%, with Bifidobacterium longum KCTC 5734 the best strain. Therefore, B. longum KCTC 5734 may be used as a starter for Cheonggukjang fermentation, which is low-salt fermented soybean paste.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.111-114
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• 2000

Streptomyces are widespread in nature and play a very important role in the biosynthesis as well as biodegradation of natural and unnatural aromatic compounds. Both qualitatively and quantitatively through TLC and UV spectrophotometric assays, it was observed that the thermophilic soil bacteria S. setonii (ATCC 39116), which can utilize a benzoate as a sole carbon and energy source in a minimal liquid culture, was not very sensitive to the benzoate concentation and to the culture conditions such as the pH and temperature. The in vitro conversion of a catechol to a cis, cis-muconic acid by a crude S. setonii lysate implies that the aromatic ring cleavage by S. setonii is initiated by a thermostable catechol-1,2-dioxygenase, the key enzyme in the ortho-cleavage pathway of aromatic compound biodegradation. Unlike non-degrading S. lividans, S.setonii was also highly resistant to other similar hazardous aromatic compounds, exhibiting almost no adverse effect on its growth in a complex liquid culture.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.778-785
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• 2018

Autophagy is a complex signaling process and has been implicated in tumor suppression and anticancer therapy resistance. Autophagy can produce tumor-suppressive effect by inducing autophagic cell death, either in collaboration with apoptosis. In this current study, we found that celecoxib (CCB), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with multifaceted effects, induced autophagy including enhanced LC3 conversion (LC3-I to LC3-II) and reduced autophagy substrate protein p62 level in multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells. CCB sensitized human multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer cells to the ansamycin-based HSP90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), a benzoquinoid ansamycin, which causes the degradation of several oncogenic and signaling proteins, by inducing autophagic cell death and apoptosis. CCB significantly augmented 17-AAG-mediated level of LC3-II/LC-I, indicating the combined effect of 17-AAG and CCB on the induction of autophagy. Autophagic degradation of mutant p53 (mutp53) and activation of caspase-3 in 17-AAG-treated MDR cells were accelerated by CCB. Inhibition of caspase-3-mediated apoptotic pathway by Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, did not completely block CCB-induced cell death in MCF7-MDR cells. In addition, treatment of MDR cells with Z-DEVD-FMK failed to prevent activation of autophagy by combined treatment with 17-AAG and CCB. Based on our findings, the ability of clinically used drug CCB to induce autophagy has important implications for its development as a sensitizing agent in combination with Hsp90 inhibitor of MDR cancer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.566-568
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• 1998

Partial nucleotide sequence (nt 1-1842) of chloramphenicol resistance plasmid pKH7 has been reported previously and residual nucleotide sequence (nt 1843-4118) of pKH7 was determined and then the complete nucleotide sequence of pKH7 was obtained. pKH7 consists of 4118 bp and has three ORFs. Besides Rep and CAT proteins described in previous paper, Pre protein which mediates site-specific recombination in Staphylococcus aureus was found to be on pKH7. R $S_{A}$, a site-specific recombination site of Pre protein, and palA, a specific lagging-strand conversion signal, was also found in pKH7. Amino acid sequence of Pre protein of pKH7 was compared with those of other antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus plasmids.s.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.287-293
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• 1999

Background: Medical treatment of multiple drug resistant(MDR) pulmonary tuberculosis has been quite unsuccessful. We analyzed our experience to identify the benefits and complications of the pulmonary resection in MDR pulmonary tuberculosis. Material and Method: A retrospective review was performed in 27 patients who unerwent pulmonary resection for MDR pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1994 and March 1998. Mean age was 40 years and the average history of diagnosis prior to surgery was 3.1 years. All had resistance to an average of 4.4 drugs, and received second line drugs selected according to the drug sensitivity test. Most patients (93%) had cavitary lesions as the main focus. Bilateral lesions were identified in 19 patients (70%), however, the main focus was recognized in one side of the lung. Eleven patients (41%) were converted to negative sputum smear and/or culture before surgery. Result: Pneumonectomy was performed in 9 patients, lobectomy in 16 and segmentectomy in 2. There was no operative mortality. Morbidity had occurred in 7 patients (26%), prolonged air leak in 3 patients, reoperation due to bleeding in 2, bronchopleural fistula in 1, and reversible neurologic defect in 1. Median follow up period was 15 months (3-45 months). Sputum negative conversion was initially achieved in 22 patients (82%), and with continuous postopertive chemotherapy negative conversion was achieved in other 4 patients (14%). Only one pneumonectized patient (4%) failed due to considerable contralateral cavity. Conclusion: For patients with localized MDR pulmonary tuberculosis and with adequate pulmonary reserve function, surgical pulmonary resection combined with appropriate pre and postoperative anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy can achieve high success rate with acceptable morbidity.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2020

Purpose: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of high dose ampicillin-sulbactam and colistin combination therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in the pediatric intensive care unit of Pusan National University Children's Hospital. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 17 pediatric patients with VAP caused by CRAB from June 2017 to August 2018. Ten (58.8%) patients were treated with high dose ampicillin-sulbactam and colistin combination therapy (combination therapy group), whereas 7 were treated with colistin only or with various combinations with or without colistin (other antibiotics group). Clinical and bacteriological outcomes were compared between the groups. Results: The mean duration of fever after antibiotic use was 1.30±1.70 days in the combination therapy group and 1.71±1.49 days in the other antibiotics group. The mean duration of days for negative conversion of endotracheal aspirate bacterial culture after antibiotic therapy was 3.40±1.71 days in the combination therapy group and 11.80±8.86 days in the other antibiotics group. The mortality rate within 30 days of antibiotic therapy was 1/10 (10%) in the combination therapy group and 3/7 (42.9%) in the other antibiotics group. Conclusions: High dose ampicillin-sulbactam and colistin combination therapy as early antibiotic treatment in VAP caused by CRAB in children could improve clinical outcomes.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.23 no.1 s.58
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• pp.7-14
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• 1984

Recently, a symptom similiar to black spot caused by Alternaria kikuchiana on the pear leaves is prevailing in Naju, Chonnam Province. This experiment was conducted in order to clarify causal agent and to survey present status on it. Disease lesions on the leaves were brown or black brown in color, circle or irregular circle in shape, $2\~6mm$ in diameter, and faintly zonal. Central part of lesions was gradually changed to greyish-white. The causal fungus was identified as Alternaria kikuchiana Tanaka causing black spot of pear reported previously on variety I-sib-se-gi (Nijisseki) of pear. However, this disease differed from that of typical black spot reported already in some aspects; It occurred more highly on matured leaves than on young ones. And it occurred severely in varieties Shin-heung, Shin-ko, Man-sam-gil(Okusankichi) etc. which have been reported as resistant varieties, while slightly in varieties Cho-ok(Hayadama), Park-da-cheung (Hakadahare) etc. which have been known as susceptible ones. From the results described above, it is considered that this disease is due to the differentiation in pathogenicity of Alternaria kikuchiana Tanaka in that area.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 2009

We have reported previously on a replication incompetent recombinant adenoviral vector, AdLPCD, in which the expression of cytosine deaminase gene (CD) is driven by the tumor-specific L-plastin promoter. AdLPCD vector had been evaluated for its efficacy of chemosensitization of ovarian cancer cells to 5-FC. In spite of the fact that ovarian cancer cells, i.e., OVCAR-3 and SK-OV-3, are capable for adenoviral transduction judged by LacZ reporter gene analysis, two cell lines demonstrated quite different sensitivities toward AdLPCD/5-FC system. In OVCAR-3 cells, infection of AdLPCD followed by exposure to 5-FC resulted in the suppression of cell growth with statistical significance. On the other hand, SK-OV-3 cells were more resistant to the CD/5-FC strategy compared with OVCAR-3 cells under the same condition. The object of study was to investigate factors that would determine the sensitivity to AdLPCD/5-FC. We evaluated conversion rate of 5-FC to 5-FU after infection of AdLPCD by HPLC analysis, $IC_{50}$ of 5-FU, the expression level of integrin receptors i.e., ${\alpha}v{\beta}3$ and ${\alpha}v{\beta}5$, and status of p53 in OVCAR-3 and SK-OV-3 cells. The results indicated that OVCAR-3 cells have few favorable features compared with SK-OV-3 cells to be more effective to the AdLPCD/5-FC strategy; higher level of ${\alpha}v{\beta}5$ integrin, higher rate of conversion of 5-FC into 5-FC, and lower $IC_{50}$ of 5-FU. The results suggest that the replacement of 5-FU with CD/5-FC in combination chemotherapy would be less toxic and much greater cytotoxicity than the conventional combination chemotherapy in some patients.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.673-680
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• 2009

Conversion of the normal soluble form of prion protein, PrP ($PrP^C$), to proteinase K-resistant form ($PrP^{Sc}$) is a common molecular etiology of prion diseases. Proteinase K-resistance is attributed to a drastic conformational change from ${\alpha}$-helix to ${\beta}$-sheet and subsequent fibril formation. Compelling evidence suggests that membranes play a role in the conformational conversion of PrP. However, biophysical mechanisms underlying the conformational changes of PrP and membrane binding are still elusive. Recently, we demonstrated that the putative transmembrane domain (TMD; residues 111-135) of Syrian hamster PrP penetrates into the membrane upon the reduction of the conserved disulfide bond of PrP. To understand the mechanism underlying the membrane insertion of the TMD, here we explored changes in conformation and membrane binding abilities of PrP using wild type and cysteine-free mutant. We show that the reduction of the disulfide bond of PrP removes motional restriction of the TMD, which might, in turn, expose the TMD into solvent. The released TMD then penetrates into the membrane. We suggest that the disulfide bond regulates the membrane binding mode of PrP by controlling the motional freedom of the TMD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.409-415
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• 2001

Background : Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) in patients is mainly caused by acquired drug resistance. However, a small proportion of MDR-TB is caused by initial drug resistance(IDR), which may be somewhat different from acquired drug resistance. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of IDR in MDR -TB patients to use the results as basic data in managing the disease. Methods : A retrospective study of 30 IDR cases in MDR-TB patients from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1998 was performed. In order to analyze the clinical characteristics, the age, sex, family history, duration of negative conversion, number of resistant drugs, treatment regimens, duration of treatment, extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray was examined. In order to analyze the level of improvement, the extent of the disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray, tested by Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, and the disease free interval rate of 1-year and 4-year was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results : The mean age of the patients was 46.6 years and the sex ratio 1:1. Six(20%) patients had a family history. The mean negative conversion of the sputum AFB stain was 2.6 months. The number of resistant drugs was 7.6 and the number of used drugs 3.6. Twenty-three(67%) patients were treated for less than 12months and 28(93%) patients were treated with first-line drugs. The extent of the disease and the cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improved after treatment(p<.05). Among 13 patients who were followed up for 22.6 months, 2(15%) patients relapsed and the disease free interval rate of I-year and 4-year was 85%. Conclusion: It is recommended that the duration of treatment of IDR in MDR-TB with first-line drugs be 9-12 months even if the extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improves.