• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.612-619
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• 2004

A competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cdELISA) was developed for selective and rapid detection of a glycopeptide antibiotic, teicoplanin (TP). TP was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) for use as an immunogen. Repeated subcutaneous injections of 0.5 mg of the conjugate was effective in generating specific polyclonal antibody (PAb) toward TP in rabbits, as determined by cdELISA. TP-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (TP-HRP) was used as an enzyme marker. The cdELISA was developed based on a competition reaction between TP-BSA PAb and TP-HRP conjugate. The TP-BSA PAb was highly sensitive (detection limit, 0.3 ng/ml and specific toward teicoplanin, showing no cross-reactivity to other glycopeptide antibiotics including vancomycin. There were good correlations ($r^2$=0.84 and 0.76, respectively) between cdELISA and microbiological assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The cdELISA system developed in this work is expected to be useful not only for selective and rapid monitoring of TP but also for study of TP pharmacokinetics.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.255-259
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• 2000

For rapid and sensitive measurement of antiviral activities, application of a recombinant virus containing firefly luciferase gene was attempted. Recombinant human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) containing luciferase gene driven by HCMV late gene pp28 promoter (HCMV/pp28-luc) was used to test the antiviral activities of three known compounds and the result was compared with results from the conventional plaque assay for measuring the production of infectious viruses. When human fibroblast cells were infected with HCMV/pp28-luc, luciferase activity was observed at 2 days after infection and reached maximum at 6 days after infection, whereas the production of infectious virus was maximal at 4 days after infection. The antiviral activities of ganciclovir, acyclovir, and papaverine were measured in HFF cells infected with HCMV/PP28-luc and the luciferase activity was compared with the infectious virus titers. Luciferase activity decreased as the concentration of ganciclovir or papaverine increased, while there was a slight decrease in luciferase activity with acyclovir. The level of the decrease in Luciferase activity was comparable to the level of decrease in the production of infectious virus. Therefore, the antiviral assay using recombinant virus HCMV/pp28-luc resulted in sensitivity similar to the conventional plaque assay with a significant reduction in assay time.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.205.4-205
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.118-121
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• 2003

A method for detection and quantification of aceticlastic methanogens using a real-time PCR with a TaqMan probe was developed. Two sets of primers and probes targeting the family Methanosarcinaceae and Methanosaetaceae were designed by using the Ribosormal Database Project (RDP) II, and softwares for phylogenetic probe design and sequence analysis. Target-group specificity of each set of primers and probe was verified by testing DNAs isolated from pure cultures of 28 archaeal strains purchased from DSMZ. Cell numbers in the 28 archaeal cultures and in the samples from anaerobic processes were quantified using a real-time PCR with the sets of primers and probe. In conclusion, the real-time PCR assay was very specific for the corresponding target methanogenic family and was proved to be a powerful method for quantification of aceticlastic methanogens in anaerobic processes.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.3-14
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• 2002

Functional genomics aims at uncovering useful information carried on genome sequences and at using it to understand the mechanisms of biological function. Elucidating the unknown biological functions of new genes based upon the genomics rationales will greatly speed up the extensive understanding of biocatalysis and biodegradation in biological world including microorganisms. DNA microarrays generate a system for the simultaneous measurement of the expression level of thousands of genes in a single hybridization assay. Their data mining (transcriptome) strategy has two categories: differential gene expression and coordinated gene expression. Furthermore, measurement of proteins (proteome) generates information on how the transcribed sequences end up as functional characteristics within the cell, and quantitation of metabolites yields information on how the functional proteins act to produce energy and process substrates (metabolome). Various composite functional genomics databases containing genetic, enzymatic and metabolic information have been developed and will contribute to the understanding of the life blue print and the new discoveries and practices in biocatalysis and biodegradation that could enrich their industrial and environmental applications.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2012

With the rapid growth of fresh-cut produce market, the South Korean fresh-cut industry is facing the challenge of ensuring food safety. As the estimation of the microbial numbers in fresh-cut produce processing lines (tools, and equipment) using the conventional microbiological techniques takes days, so there is a need for faster and easier monitoring methods. This study was conducted to investigate the use of ATP bioluminescence assay to measure the degree of microbial contamination from three actual fresh-cut processing lines. The samples collected from frech-cut vegetables, and fresh-cut fruits processing plants were tested for the estimation of the bacterial number, using the ATP bioluminescence and microbiological methods. The result of former was transferred to log RLU/100 $cm^2$, and that of the latter was transferred to log CFU/100 $cm^2$. A positive linear correlation between the ATP bioluminescence assay value and aerobic-plate count was found for fresh-cut processing lines, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8772 (n=50). The results of this study indicate that ATP bioluminescence assay can be used to monitor microbial contamination in fresh-cut produce processing plants, and can help improve the hygiene therein.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2000

The cultural and physiological conditions for the T-2 toxin [4,15-diacetoxy-8-(3-mety1butyloxy)-12,13- epoxy-trichothec-9-en-3-01, $C_{24}H_{30}O_9$] production by Fusarium spp. were studied. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) assay and the microbiological assay uslng Rhodotomla rubra were used to quantitate tbe T- 2 toxin. Among the four strains of Fusarium spp., F tn'cinctum NRRL 3299 was best for T-2 toxin production. In solid culture, white com grit medium was best for T-2 toxm production. Temperature played a critical role in the production of T-2 toxin. T-2 toxin production was favored by long duration of low-temperature incubation. The growth and toxin production were relatively high on galactose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose media, when each was used as a sole carbon source, and relatively low on sorbitol, glycerol, and lactose media. For nitrogen sources, $NH_4^(+) and NO_3^{-}were used well as a sole nitrogen source, but $NO_2^-$ was not used. Initial pH and speed of shaker also affected the production of T-2 toxin. From temperature shifting experiment, it is clear that T-2 toxin metabolic pathway is regulated by temperature-dependent enzyme depression or enzyme induction system.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.453-459
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• 2007

We developed a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay to simultaneously detect Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Corynebacterium spp. and seudomona aeruginosa. This method employs a single tube and multiple specific primers which yield 200, 281, 346, 423, 542, and 1,427 bp PCR products, respectively. All the PCR products were easily detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and were sequenced to confirm the specificity of the reactions. To test this method, DNA extracted from urine samples was collected from 96 sexually transmitted disease or prostatitis patients at a local hospital clinical center, and were subjected to the mPCR assay. The resulting amplicons were cloned and sequenced to exactly match the sequences of known pathogenic isolates. N. gonorrhoeae and Corynebacterium spp. were the most frequently observed pathogens found in the STDs and prostatitis patients, respectively. Unexpectedly, P. aeruginosa was also detected in some of the STD and prostatitis samples. More than one pathogen species was found in 10% and 80.7% of STD and prostatitis samples, respectively, indicating that STD and prostatitis patients may have other undiagnosed and associates. The sensitivity of the assay was determined by sing purified DNA from six pathogenic laboratory strains and revealed that this technique could detect pathogenic DNA at concentrations ranging from 0.018 to $1.899\;pg/{\mu}l$. Moreover, the specificities of this assay were found to be highly efficient. Thus, this mPCR assay may be useful for the rapid diagnosis of causative infectious STDs and prostatitis. useful for the infectious STDs and prostatitis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 1989

The purpose of the present investigation was to improve several procedures being used in the adherence assay of Streptococcus sanguis cells to hydroxyapatite (HA) beads and to study the effect of the beads on the counting of radioactivity. The standard adhere assay involved the adherence of radiolabeled bacteria to 40mg of HA beads. The beads were mixed with ['H]thymidine-labeled bacterial cells and incubated for 60 minutes at room temperature. Unadsorbed cells were removed, the beads with adsorbed cells were dried, and the radioactivity was monitered in a scintillation spectrometer. The 30 seconds sonication of cells in a form of long chains appeared to be adequate for obtaining mostly singlet or doublet cells. Unlike the counting of S. sanguis cell suspension, bacterial cells adhered to HA or saliva-coated HA(SHA) required smaller volume (2.5ml) of scintillaton fluid for better counting. Eighteen percent quenching of counts could be attributed to the beads. Among 3 procedures commonly used to equilibrate the beads for adherence assay, no differences were found in their effectiveness. The HA beads on which the bacteria remained attached in scintillant during the counting were found to be the source of sample self-absorption representing 34.5% of the total radioactivity counts resulting from the beads dissolved in HCl solution.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1993

육류중에 잔류하는 항생물질 및 항균제를 검출하기 위해 본 실험에서는 3종의 균주 Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341, BAcillus cereus var. mycoides ATCC 11778을 사용하여 실험하였다. 시료의 clean-up은 항생·항균제의 물리화학적 성질을 고려하여 우선 McIlvaine buffer를 가하여 homogenize하고 hexane으로 defatting 시킨 후, chloroform으로 추출한 액과 Sep-Pak C18과 Bakerbond SPE carboxylic acid column에 흡착시킨 후 추출한 액을 각각 시험용액 A, B, C,로 하였다. 각 test solution을 paper disk를 사용하여 함균 배지에 올려놓고 overnight culture 후 inhibition pattern을 통해 여러 종류의 항생·항균제를 계통적으로 검출하였다. 본 실험에서 macrolide계와 tetracycline계 등은 0.1ppm 이하의 detection limit을 보였으며, penicillinrP는 0.001ppm이하의 높은 detection limit을 나타내므로서 시료중에 잔류하는 극미량까지도 검출할 수 있었다. 본 방법은 식육중의 잔류 항생·항균제를 동시에 간단하게 계통적으로 분류하는데 있어 좋은 방법이라고 생각되며 항생·항균제의 체계적인 1차 screening 수단으로서 유용한 방법이라 사료된다.