• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.279-285
• /
• 2001

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a halophilic bacterium associated with seafood gastroenteritis. An unusual strain of Kanagawa-positive urease producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus O1:K1 was isolated from the environment and identified . A polymerase chain reaction assay revealed that this strain harbored both the tdh and the genes. The urease from this strain was studied. Maximum urease production was induced in LB medium containing 0.2% urea, 0.5% glucose, 2% NaCl and pH 5.5 with 6h of culti-vation at 37$\^{C}$ under aeration. Purification of urease was achieved by the process of whole cell lysate, 65% ammonium sulphate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography, Sepharose CL-6B gel filtration and oxirane activated Sepharose 6B-urea affinity chromatography with 203 fold purification and 2.2% yield. Analysis of the purified enzyme by SDS-PAGE demonstrated the presence of the subunits with a molecular weight of 85kDa, 59kDa, 41kDa and the molecular weight for the native enzyme by nondenaturing PAGE and gel filtration chromatography was 255kDa. The purified urease was stable at pH 7.5 and the opeimal pH in HEPES buffer was 8.0 The enzyme was stable at 60$\^{C}$ for 2 h with a residual activity of 32% . The addition of 10$\mu$M if NiCl$_2$maintained stability for 30 min. The Km value of the purified enzyme was 35.6 mM in urea substrate. The TD$\_$50/(median toxic dose) of the purified urease was 2.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml on human leukemia cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2000

The genes involved in riboflavin synthesis (ribI, II, III, and IV) were found immediately downstream of luxG in the lux operon from Photobacterium species. The single stranded DNA containing the intergenic region of lux genes and rib genes from Photobacterium phosphoreum was fully protected by P. phosphoreum mRNA from the S1 nuclease mapping assay suggesting that a transcriptional terminator was not present in the region. In addition, the levels of riboflavin synthase activity in P. phosphoreum was increased during the development of bacterial bioluminescence in the same fashion as the luciferase and fatty acid reductase activities. Insertion of the Photobacterium leiognathi DNA extending from luxB to ribII, between a strong lux promoter and a reporter gene (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, CAT) and transferred by conjugation into P. leiognathi, did not affect expression of reporter gene. Moreover the CAT gene was not expressed in an analogous construct missing the lux promoter indicating that a promoter was not present in this region. Based on the data here, it can be concluded that the lux genes and rib genes in Photobacterium species are under common regulation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.85-91
• /
• 1989

The effect of SV40 and murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) enhancers on the general and tissue-specific gene expression was investigated. Recombinant plasmids containing these transcriptional engancers downstream of a structural gene for chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) were constructed. The transient expression of CAT gene from these plasmids was measured in monkey (CV1PD) and HeLa cells. Both SV40 and MCMV engancers activated the expression of CAT gene by more than 20 and 150 folds, respectively, compared with engancerless plasmids. When the SV40 promoter, upstream of CAT gene, was replaced with 2.2 kbp of promoter regulatory region of bovine growth hormone (bGH) gene, there was no expression of CAT even in the presence of enhancers, reflecting the tissue-specific expression of bGH genes. However, when the bGH regulatory region was shortened to 230 bp, the expression level increased dramatically in the presence of SV40 enhancers. In contrast, the expression from the shortened promoter was only marginally activated by the stronger MCMV enhancer.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.300-304
• /
• 2001

Epstein-Barr Virus(EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid B cell lines, BLCL which expresse antigens, are potential antigen-presenting cells(APCs) for the induction of CTL in vitro. However transfection of BLCLs with subsequent selection by antibiotics is notoriously difficult because plating efficiencies of BLCLsare reported to be 1% or less. To generated stable transfectants of BLCLs we produced high titers of retroviruess encoding pp 65 antigen of human cytomegalovirus of foreign antigens and trans-duced them of BLCLs. The pp 65 gene was cloned into the retroviral vector pLXSN. The recombinant retroviral vector was transfected to ecotropic packaging cell line, CP&E86, and this polyclonal recom-binant retrovirus was transduced to PA317 that is amphotropic pakaging cell line. The titers of colned PA317 amphotropic retroviruses ranged from 5 to $\times$10$^{6}$ colony forming units (CFU)per ml (CFU/ml) We performed three rounds of consecutive transductions to BLCLs in order to improve the clon-ing effieiencies. The expression of recombinant HCMV-pp65 antigen was more than 20% after the final transduction. THe third-transduced BLCLs were easily selected in optimal concentration of G418. BLCLs expressing foreign antigens could be used as target cells for CTL assay and/or as APCs for induction of in vitro CTL responses specific for viral and tumor antigens.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 2007

The Hantaan virus (HTNV) is an enveloped virus that is capable of inducing low pH-dependent cell fusion. We molecularly cloned the viral glycoprotein (GP) and nucleocapsid (NP) cDNA of HTNV and expressed them in Vero E6 cells under the control of a CMV promoter. The viral gene expression was assessed using an indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunoprecipitation. The transfected Vero E6 cells expressing GPs, but not those expressing NP, fused and formed a syncytium following exposure to a low pH. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against envelope GPs inhibited cell fusion, whereas MAbs against NP did not. We also investigated the N-linked glycosylation of HTNV GPs and its role in cell fusion. The envelope GPs of HTNV are modified by N-linked glycosylation at five sites: four sites on G1 (N134, N235, N347, and N399) and one site on G2 (N928). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct eight GP gene mutants, including five single N-glycosylation site mutants and three double-site mutants, which were then expressed in Vero E6 cells. The oligosaccharide chain on residue N928 of G2 was found to be crucial for cell fusion after exposure to a low pH. These results suggest that G2 is likely to be the fusion protein of HTNV.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.227-231
• /
• 2007

Many of antimicrobial components used in the mouthwash have disadvantages such as coloring of periodontal tissue and homing sensation. To find the more biocompatible antimicrobial agent, we have screened the 2,125 kinds of natural plant extracts obtained from by the Plant Extract Bank (Daejeon, Korea). The antimicrobial activity was determined by spectrophotometric growth inhibition assay for the major dental pathogens. For the Porphyromonas gingivalis, 19 plant extracts had an antimicrobial activity, 17 plant extracts for the Prevotella intermedia, 45 plant extracts for the Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans and 85 plant extracts for the Streptococcus mutans. Among these effective extracts, 8 kind of natural plant extracts had an antimicrobial activity for more than 3 species of dental pathogens. In our experiment, Cudrania tricuspidata, Morus bombycis and Mallotus japonicas have antibacterial effects on the all kinds of major dental pathogens. Therefore these plant extracts have a possibility to be a candidate for major antibacterial components in dental products.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.185-196
• /
• 2006

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease of poultry that can cause severe economic losses throughout the world. Vaccination has been used for a long time and proved as one of the most effective method to reduce the economic loss due to ND virus infection, The measurement of antibody titer such as hamagglutination-inhibition (Hl) test with sera has been used as a useful method to evaluate the immunity leve of host. However, Hl test is gradually being replaced by the enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA), To evaluate the efficacy of ELISA in the chickens vaccinated with different procedure, present study has been performed. After SPF chicks and commercial broilers were vaccinated with different kinds of live vaccines such as V4, VG/GA and/or Bl at various time, the antibody level has been measured using both HI test and ELISA. Challenge test with velogenic viscerotropic NDV was also performed to measure the protective level of antibody. In the SPF chickens, the mean ELISA titer after vaccination and survival rate after challenge was increased and correlated with days post inoculation. More than 80% of chickens with higher than 1,000 ELISA titer after vaccination were survived after challenge with velogenic ND virus and had good correlation between survival rate and antibody titier. In commercial broiler chickens, most of them at market age had low level of ELISA titer regardless of the number of vaccination, and had a low correlation between survival rate and ELISA titer. However, the ELISA titer of remaining birds after challenge was increased. This result indicated that ELISA titer had good response against velogenic NOV infection compared to Hl titer.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.388-393
• /
• 2007

Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) is a disease of the sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.)], which is caused by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, a phytopathogenic bacterium that has been shown to infect all sweet orange cultivars. Sweet orange trees have been occasionally observed to be infected by Xylella fastidiosa without evidencing severe disease symptoms, whereas other trees in the same grove may exhibit severe disease symptoms. The principal endophytic bacterial species isolated from such CVC-asymptomatic citrus plants is Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens. The Madagascar periwinkle [Citrus sinensis (L.)] is a model plant which has been used to study X. fastidiosa in greenhouse environments. In order to characterize the interactions of X. fastidiosa and C. flaccumfaciens, periwinkle plants were inoculated separately with C. flaccumfaciens, X. fastidiosa, and both bacteria together. The number of flowers produced by the plants, the heights of the plants, and the exhibited disease symptoms were evaluated. PCR-primers for C. flaccumfaciens were designed in order to verify the presence of this endophytic bacterium in plant tissue, and to complement an existing assay for X. fastidiosa. These primers were capable of detecting C. flaccumfaciens in the periwinkle in the presence of X. fastidiosa. X. fastidiosa induced stunting and reduced the number of flowers produced by the periwinkle. When C. flaccumfaciens was inoculated together with X. fastidiosa, no stunting was observed. The number of flowers produced by our doubly- inoculated plants was an intermediate between the number produced by the plants inoculated with either of the bacteria separately. Our data indicate that C. flaccumfaciens interacted with X. fastidiosa in C. roseus, and reduced the severity of the disease symptoms induced by X. fastidiosa. Periwinkle is considered to be an excellent experimental system by which the interaction of C. flaccumfaciens and other endophytic bacteria with X. fastidiosa can be studied.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.194-197
• /
• 2016

The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay is a rapid and convenient method for verifying milk pasteurization. Since colorimetric ALP assays rely on subjective visual assessments, their results are especially unreliable near the detection limits. In this study, we attempted to establish quantitative criteria for residual ALP in milk by using a more objective method based on spectrophotometric measurements. Raw milk was heat-treated for 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 min and then subjected to ALP assays. The quantitative criteria for residual ALP in the milk was determined as 2 μg phenol/mL of milk, which is just above the ALP value of milk samples heat-treated for 30 min. These newly proposed methodology and criteria could facilitate the microbiological quality control of milk.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.53-60
• /
• 1997

Pseudomonas sp. P20 and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 isolated from the polluted environment are capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) to produce benzoic acid and 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4CBA) respectively, by pcbABCD-encoded enzymes. 4CBA can be further degraded by Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, but not by Pseudomonas sp P20. However, the meta-cleavage activities of 2, 3-dihydroxybiphenyl (2, 3-DHBP) and 4-chloro-2, 3-DHBP dioxygenases (2, 3-DHBD) encoded by pcbC in Pseudomonas sp. P20 were stronger than Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. In this study, the pcbC gene encoding 2, 3-DHBD was cloned from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas sp. P20 by using pKT230. A hybrid plasmid pKK1 was constructed and E. coli KK1 transformant was selected by transforming the pKK1 hybrid plasmid carrying pcbC into E. coli XL1-Blue. By transferring the pKK1 plasmide of E. coli KK1 into Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 by conjugation, a recombinant strain Pseudomonas sp. P20, Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, and the recombinant cell assay methods. Pseudomonas sp. DJ12-C readily degraded 4CB and 2, 3-DHBP to produce 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2, 4-dienoic acid (HOPDA), and the resulting 4CBA and benzoic acid were continuously catabolized. Pseudomonas sp. DJ12-C degraded 1 mM 4CB completely after incubation for 20 h, but Pseudomonas sp. P20 and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 showed only 90% and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 had, but its degradation activity to 2, 3-DHBP, 3-methylcatechol, and catechol was improved.