• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1299-1306
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• 2014

Background: Nano-biotechnology is recognized as offering revolutionary changes in various fields of medicine. Biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles have a wide range of applications. Materials and Methods: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized with an aqueous extract of Pterocladiella (Pterocladia) capillacea, used as a reducing and stabilizing agent, and characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis (EDX). The biosynthesized AgNPs were tested for cytotoxic activity in a human hepatocellular carcinoma ($HepG_2$) cell line cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 1% antibiotic and antimycotic solution and 2 mM glutamine. Bacterial susceptibility to AgNPs was assessed with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis [Gram+ve] and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli [Gram-ve]. The agar well diffusion technique was adopted to evaluate the bactericidal activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs using Ampicillin and Gentamicin as gram+ve and gram-ve antibacterial standard drugs, respectively. Results: The biosynthesized AgNPs were $11.4{\pm}3.52$ nm in diameter. FT-IR analysis showed that carbonyl groups from the amino acid residues and proteins could assist in formation and stabilization of AgNPs. The AgNPs showed potent cytotoxic activity against the human hepatocellular carcinoma ($HepG_2$) cell line at higher concentrations. The results also showed that the biosynthesized AgNPs inhibited the entire panel of tested bacteria with a marked specificity towards Bacillus subtillus. Conclusions: Cytotoxic activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs may be due to the presence of alkaloids present in the algal extract. Our AgNPs appear more bactericidal against gram-positive bacteria (B. subtillus).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

A prokaryotic cell has various histone-like proteins also known as nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). These proteins bind AT-rich sequence at DNA, which induce DNA wrapping, bending, and bridging, and subsequently regulate the gene expression in bacteria. Because NAPs function in transcriptional silencing of virulence genes, it is important to study their roles in gene silencing and specific mechanisms of these proteins. In this review, we discussed two well-known NAPs, H-NS, and HU, and summarized their roles for gene expression in Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Through the oligomerization and filamentation of H-NS, it represses the expression of virulence genes in human pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella Typhimurium, and it works with other NAPs positively or negatively. Recently, H-NS also regulates typhoid toxin expression, which causes typhoid fever and systemic disease in human. Additionally, HU regulates the expression of genes related to both virulence and physiology of Salmonella. Therefore, we suggest that NAPs like H-NS and HU are crucial factors to reveal the molecular mechanisms of virulence gene expression in bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.264-269
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• 2012

Recently, we reported that the synthetic Coprisin analog peptide 9-mer dimer CopA3 (consisted of all-L amino acid sequence) was designed based on a defensin-like peptide, Coprisin isolated from Copris tripartitus. The 9-mer dimer CopA3 (L-CopA3) had antibacterial activity and induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells via a caspase-independent pathway. In this study, all of amino acid sequences of L-CopA3 were modified to all D-form amino acids (DCopA3) to develop a more effective antimicrobial peptide. We investigated whether D-CopA3 had antimicrobial activities against pathogenic microorganisms and pro-apoptotic effects in human leukemia cells (U937, Jurkat, and AML-2). The synthetic peptide D-CopA3 had antimicrobial activities against various pathogenic bacteria and yeast fungus with MIC values in the 4~64 ${\mu}M$ range. Moreover, D-CopA3 caused cell growth inhibition, and increased the chromosomal DNA fragmentation and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL1-${\beta}$, transcripts in human leukemia cells. The all-D amino acid peptide DCopA3 proved as effective as the L-CopA3 reported previously. These results provide the basis for developing D-CopA3 as a new antibiotic peptide.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Probiotics have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects on human health. In particular, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains have gained considerable attention as major groups of probiotic bacteria that improve gastrointestinal health. However, emerging evidence suggests that probiotics offer benefits beyond those observed in the gut recent studies suggest that probiotics and/or their components exert favorable effects on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) pathogenesis such as decreasing intestinal permeability, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria growth, increasing the activity of alcohol metabolism enzymes, modulating the adaptive immune system, and suppressing fatty acid synthesis genes. In this review, we discuss the results of in vivo and in vitro studies that have examined the use of probiotics to prevent ALD, primarily focusing on those that explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the activities of promising probiotic strains. The evidence presented in this review could help in screening for probiotic strains that have protective effects in ALD patients and in further elucidating the mechanisms of their actions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1397-1402
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• 2010

Papyriflavonol A (PapA), a prenylated flavonoid [5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6,5'-di-(${\gamma},{\gamma}$-dimethylallyl)-flavonol], was isolated from the root barks of Broussonetia papyrifera. Our previous study showed that PapA has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. In this study, the mode of action of PapA against Candida albicans was investigated to evaluate PapA as an antifungal agent. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 10~25 ${\mu}g/ml$ for C. albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium), and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus). The kinetics of cell growth inhibition, scanning electron microscopy, and measurement of plasma membrane florescence anisotrophy revealed that the antifungal activity of PapA against C. albicans and S. cerevisiae is mediated by its ability to disrupt the cell membrane integrity. Compared with amphotericin B, a cell-membrane-disrupting polyene antibiotic, the hemolytic toxicity of PapA was negligible. At 10~25 ${\mu}g/ml$ of MIC levels for the tested strains, the hemolysis ratio of human erythrocytes was less than 5%. Our results suggest that PapA could be a therapeutic fungicidal agent having potential as a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.4.1-4.5
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• 2017

Background: Biofilms were the third-dimensional structure in the solid surface of bacteria. Bacterial biofilms were difficult to control by host defenses and antibiotic therapies. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella were popular pathogenic bacteria that live in human and animal intestines. Essential oils are aromatic oily liquids from plant materials and well known for their antibacterial activities. Method: This study was conducted to determine effect of essential oil on anti-biological biofilm formation of E. coli and Salmonella strains in in vitro experiment. Two kinds of bacterial strains were separated from 0.2 g pig feces. Bacterial strains were distributed in 24 plates per treatment and each plates as a replication. The sample was coated with a Bacterial biofilm formation was. Result: Photographic result, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella bacteria colony surface were thick smooth surface in control. However, colony surface in blended and single essential oil treatment has shown crack surface layer compared with colony surfaces in control. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study could confirm that essential oils have some interesting effect on anti-biofilm formation of E. coli and Salmonella strains from pig feces.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 1979

On studying of microbes and appearance frequency which are floating around dwelling space and life environments in Seoul area, the results are summarized as follows ; 1. 1931 strains of 29 bacteria are isolated in dwelling spaces, Among them, there are Staphylococcus aureus, S. anthracis which are pathogenic to human beings. 2. In fungi, 76 strains of 13 species are isolated. That of highest frequency is confirmed to be Aspergillus which is pathogens of Aspergillosis (one of a group of diseases of animals and human being caused by various species of Aspergillus). The places, where the number of kinds and the frequency of appearances have been observed highest, are coffee shops, lunch counters and office rooms, while factory districts are of far lower level than expected. 3. 0.1% $HgCl_2$, Leasking oil, and Telephone disinfectant were better than any other in fungicidal effect.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.129-139
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• 2019

The human respiratory tract hosts both pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The development of well-conserved 16S rRNA sequencing and culture-independent techniques has enabled many achievements in the study of the human microbiome. Microbial composition of the respiratory tract in early childhood has been shown to correlate to respiratory health in later stages of life. This review highlights current understandings of respiratory microbiota development in healthy children, examples of microbial interactions, impacts on the host immune system, and the relationship between respiratory tract microbiome and respiratory health.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.227-234
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• 2013

The intestinal immune system has an ability to distinguish between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria, and then activate pro-inflammatory pathways against pathogens for host defense while remaining unresponsive to the microbiota and dietary antigens. In the intestine, abnormal activation of innate immunity causes development of several inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Thus, activity of innate immunity is finely regulated in the intestine. To date, multiple innate immune cells have been shown to maintain gut homeostasis by preventing inadequate adaptive immune responses in the murine intestine. Additionally, several innate immune subsets, which promote Th1 and Th17 responses and are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD, have recently been identified in the human intestinal mucosa. The demonstration of both murine and human intestinal innate immune subsets contributing to regulation of adaptive immunity emphasizes the conserved innate immune functions across species and might promote development of the intestinal innate immunity-based clinical therapy.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.410-419
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• 2018

It is urgently required to construct safety data on agricultural by-products imported for use as medium materials for domestic mushroom production. However, research on microorganisms is insufficient. This study was conducted to investigate the presence of bacteria that have the possibility of harmful effects on human, plants and mushroom in wheat straw, peatmoss, cottonseed hull, cottonseed meal, and beet pulp imported from Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany. Bacteria were found in the range of $1.35{\times}10^2$ to $8.34{\times}10^6CFU/g$. As a result of 16S rDNA sequence analysis, total of 19 genera and 45 species of bacteria were identified. Bacillus genus was dominant, followed by Paenibacillus genus. At the species level, diverse species was in the order of Firmicute, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Regarding the agricultural by-products, straw and peat moss had more diverse bacteria than other agricultural by-products. Among the indentified bacteria, 6 species of 5 genera (Enterobacter asburiae, Enterobacter ludwigii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas monteilii, Bacillus anthracis, and Cellulosimicrobium funkei) were present as potent harmful bacteria to human. Surprisingly, both the human and plant pathogenic Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumonia was present. Bacillus altitudinis was present as a plant pathogen. Lysinibacillus sphaericus, an insect pathogen, and Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense, a mushroom pathogen, were also present. The results of this study confirmed that several kinds of pathogenic bacteria were present in the agricultural by-products for the mushroom cultivation medium imported into Korea. Our work suggests that hygiene inspection and management is urgently needed for imported agricultural by-products to be safely used for mushroom production.