• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.284-289
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• 2004

A PCR assay for the rapid detection of Vibrio vulnificus strains was developed using a virulence gene for elastase found in various Vibrio species. The DNA sequences in the elastase gene facilitated the identification of a species-specific probe for pathogenic V. vulnificus strains from both clinical and environmental sources. Using an elastase gene-based PCR reaction, a species-specific 507-bp PCR product was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. Three different DNA extraction methods were then compared to improve the simplicity and rapidity of detection. A PCR assay using the conventional DNA extraction or boiling method was able to detect as few as 25 V. vulnificus cells, making the detection limits at least 1-log-scale lower than that for the EDT A-treated DNA extraction method. In particular, the boiling method, which does not require purification of the chromosomal DNA, was very effective in terms of simple and rapid detection. Meanwhile, the detection limit in a mixed bacterial culture that included other bacteria, such as Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis, was two V. vulnificus cells, which was 1-log-scale lower than that for the control. Accordingly, when coupled with a new DNA extraction method, the elastase gene-based PCR can provide a rapid, specific, and sensitive method for identifying V. vulnificus in clinical and environmental samples.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2001

The vitellin of firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa, is composed of three polypeptides, designated Vn1 (175 kDa), Vn2 (160 kDa) and Vn3 (45 kDa) in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three subunits of vitellin were presented in the female adult hemolymph, ovary and egg extracts, but not observed in the male. This vitellin was purified from the eggs of P. rufa by the FPLC techniques, anion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. In nature, vitellin of P. rufa has molecular weight of 400 kDa. Western blot analysis using polyclonal antiserum against purified vitellin showed that the antiserum was reacted with the three polypeptides, Vnl, Vn2 and Vn3 from the female adult hemolymph, ovary and egg extracts. Amino acid residues at N-terminus of three subunits were sequenced. The N-terminal sequences of large subunits, Vnl and Vn2, were similar to each other, But, the N-terminal sequences of small subunits Vn3, did not have any signnificant homology with large subunits.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.397-404
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• 2013

Paenibacillus xylanilyticus KJ-03 was isolated from soil samples obtained from a field with Amorphophallus konjac plants. A gene encoding xylanase was isolated from KJ-03 and cloned using a fosmid library. The xynA gene encodes xylanase; it consists of 1,035 bp and encodes 345 amino acids. The amino acid sequence deduced from the P. xylanilyticus KJ-03 xylanase showed 81% and 69% identities with those deduced from the P. polymyxa E681 and Paenibacillus sp. HPL-001 xylanases, respectively. The xynA gene comprises a single domain, consisting of a catalytic domain of the glycosyl hydrolase (GH) 10 family. The xynA gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (trxB), and the recombinant xylanase was purified by Niaffinity chromatography. The purified xylanase showed optimum activity with birchwood xylan as a substrate at $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.4. Treatment with $Mg^{2+}$ and $Li^+$ showed a slight decrease in XynA activity; however, treatment with 5 mM $Cu^{2+}$ completely inhibited its activity. The results of the thin layer chromatography analysis indicated that the major hydrolysis product was xylobiose and small amounts of xylose and xylotriose. XynA showed increased activity with oat spelt xylan and birchwood xylan, but showed only slight activity with locust bean gum.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.489-494
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• 2013

An improved method for the preparation of monomethine cyanine dyes with quinoline nucleus by one-pot three-component using 1-methyl-2-quinolinethione, quaternized 2- or 4-methylheterocyclic compounds and methyl p-toluenesulfonate as starting materials was described. Compared with the traditional methods, the new synthetic method reduced the reaction steps, shortened the reaction time, avoided the separation and purification of the intermediate and reduced cost. The dyes absorbed in the region 478.0-563.0 nm and had molar extinction coefficients of $1.3{\times}10^4-9.4 {\times}10^4L\;mol^{-1}\;cm^{-1}$. Their fluorescence maxima and Stokes shifts were in the range of 525.2-594.4 nm and 16.2-80.6 nm in different solvents, respectively. From the spectral properties of the dyes in different solvents, it could be found that the ${\lambda}_{max}$ of the dyes were shorter in protonic solvents, and showed hypsochromic shifts with the increase of polarity of the solvents.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 2016

A double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus was detected in malformed fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus strain ASI2792, one of bottle cultivated commercial strains of the edible oyster mushroom. The partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of the P. ostreatus ASI2792 mycovirus (PoV-ASI2792) was cloned, and a cDNA sequences alignment revealed that the sequence was identical to the RdRp gene of a known PoSV found in the P. ostreatus strain. To investigate the symptoms of PoV-ASI2792 infection by comparing the isogenic virus-free P. ostreatus strains with a virus-infected strain, isogenic virus-cured P. ostreatus strains were obtained by the mycelial fragmentation method for virus curing. The absence of virus was verified with gel electrophoresis after dsRNA-specific virus purification and Northern blot analysis using a partial RdRp cDNA of PoV-ASI2792. The growth rate and mycelial dry weight of virus-infected P. ostreatus strain with PoV-ASI2792 mycovirus were compared to those of three virus-free isogenic strains on 10 different media. The virus-cured strains showed distinctly higher mycelial growth rates and dry weights on all kinds of experimental culture media, with at least a 2.2-fold higher mycelial growth rate on mushroom complete media (MCM) and Hamada media, and a 2.7-fold higher mycelial dry weight on MCM and yeast-malt-glucose agar media than those of the virus-infected strain. These results suggest that the infection of PoV mycovirus has a deleterious effect on the vegetative growth of P. ostreatus.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2007

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (E.C.2.2.1.6., AHAS) is the enzyme that catalyses the first step in the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine. The AHAS gene (TIGR access code HI2585) from Heamophilus influenzae was cloned into the bacterial expression vector pET-28a and expressed in the Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3). The expressed enzyme was purified by $Ni^{2+}-charged$ HiTrap chelating HP column. The purified enzyme appears as a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of about 63.9 kDa. The enzyme exhibits absolute dependence on the three cofactors FAD, $MgCl_{2}$ and thiamine diphosphate for activity. Specific activity of purified enzyme has 3.22 unit/mg and optimum activity in the pH 7.5 at $37^{\circ}C$. This enzyme activity has an effect on the buffer. When comparing the enzyme activity against the organic solvent, it followed in type and the difference it is but even from the aqueous solution where the organic solvent is included with the fact that the enzyme activity is maintained.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2009

In this research, we investigated the actual conditions of water purification systems at ten elementary schools located in Gunsan, Korea from July to December, 2007. The results were as follows; The population densities of heterotrophic bacteria in water purifiers ranged from 0 to $1.2{\pm}0.2{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml and those of tap water were in the range from 0 to $1.9{\pm}0.3{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml during investigation periods. Ninety percentage of purified water samples in July and September, 87.2% in October and November, and 93.7% in December turned out not to be suitable for drinking. The seasonal variation of the population densities of heterotrophic bacteria from purified waters was not notable. The total coliform, Salmonella and Shigella were not detected in purified water and tap water during investigation periods. Forty-five species of bacteria were isolated from water purifiers. The identified bacterial genera were Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Caulobacter, Novosphingobium, Bosea, Brevundimonas, Aminobacter, Ralstonia, Mitsuaria, Variovorax, Acidovorax, Massilia, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Brevibacillus, Microbacterium, Lapillicoccus, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Janibacter, Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium, and Hymenobacter: Among the isolates, opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Flavobacterium johnsoniae, and Acinetobacter johnsonii were also found.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

A bacteriocin produced by Lab. acidophilus GP4A isolated from fecal contents of pig was characterized. Lab. acidophilus GP4A produced a heat-stable and pH-resistant bacteriocin, which was hydrolyzed by trypsin and pepsin and active against various microorganisms. Lab. acidophilus GP4A produced bacteriocin at maximum rate when grown in MRS broth(pH 6.5${\sim}$7.5) at$37^{\cric}C$ or $40^{\cric}C$. The bacteriocin produced by Lab. acidophilus GP4A inhibited the growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 4794 in early logarithmic phase. The bacteriocin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Octyl sepharose CL-4B column chromatography. The purification resulted in a final yield of 21.7% and a 13.6-fold increase in the specific activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 1999

Protein carboxyl O-methyltransferase (PCMT) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from Sadenosyl-L-methionine to free carboxyl groups of methyl-accepting substrate proteins. Two isozymes were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography from porcine brain cytosol and designated PCMT I and II. Isozymes I and II were further purified by adenosyl homocysteine-Sepharose 4B and Superose HR 12 chromatography. The molecular weights of the purified PCMT I and II were determined by mass spectrometry to be 20,138 Da and 25,574 Da, respectively. The two enzymes displayed different isoelectric points; 7.9 for PCMT I and 5.3 for PCMT II. Isozymes I and II exhibited similar substrate specificities when tested with various methyl-accepting proteins. Myelin basic protein, a component of myelinated neurons, was found to be an excellent methyl-accepting substrate for both PCMT isozymes with different $K_m$ values, $21.1\;{\mu}M$ for PCMT I and $10.6\;{\mu}M$ for PCMT II. The PCMT activity and methyl-accepting capacity displayed similar distribution in the various brain regions with an exception of the lower values in the cerebellum. The overall distribution may relate to a general function of protein repair by PCMT in the brain.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.97-104
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• 2001

Three types of proteases (MEF-1, MEF-2 and MEF-3) were purified from the egg cases of Ten-odera sinensis using ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-60 and affinity chromatography on DEAE Affi-Gel blue gel. The proteases were assessed homogeneous by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and have molecular weight of 31,500, 32,900 and 35,600 Da, respectively. The N-terminal regions of the primary structure were compared and they were found to be different each other. MEFs readily digested the $A\alpha$ - and B$\beta$-chains of fibrinogen and more slowly the ${\gamma}$-chain. The action of the enzymes resulted in extensive hydrolysis of fibrinogen and fibrin, releasing a variety of fibrinopeptides. MEF-1 was inactivated by Cu$^{2+}$ and Zn$^{2+}$ and inhibited by PMSF and chymostatin. MEF-2 was inhibited by PMSF, TLCK. soybean trypsin inhibitor. MEF-3 was only inhibited by PMSF and chymostatin. Antiplasmin was not sensitive to MEF-1 but antithrombin III inhibited the enzymatic activity qf MEF-1. MEF-2 specifically bound to anti plasmin Among the chromogenic protease substrates, the most sensitive one to the hydrolysis of MEFs was benzoyl-Phe-Val-Arg-p-nitroanilide with maximal activity at pH 7.0 and 3$0^{\circ}C$. MEF-1 preferentially cleaved the oxidized B-chain of insulin between Leu15 and Tyr16. In contrast, MEF-2 specifically cleaved the peptide bond between Arg23 and Gly24. D-dimer concentrations increased on incubation of cross-linked fibrin with MEF-1, indicating the enzyme has a strong fibrinolytic activity.ity.