• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.314-327
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• 1999

This study was investigated to isolate identify the total bacteria and fungi from the indoor air of work-place of the shoes, paint, stainless steel, and plastic industries. The number of bacterial colonies on the nutrient agar plates were calculated by the open petridish method for 30 minutes in indoor air of work-places at the autumn and winter. The isolated bacteria were identified by Gram stain and biochemical test using API Staph and API 20E kits. The isolated fungal colonies were identified by gross appearance of the giant colonies and microscopic examination of their spore and hyphal characteristics on the slide culture method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of several antibiotics against isolated bacteria was determined by the microdilution method with Mueller-Hinton broth. The 70-400 colonies in autumn and 54-236 colonies in winter were isolated from the indoor air of work-places of several industry. The isolation rates of Gram positive cocci, Gram positive bacilli, Gram negative bacilli, and Gram negative cocci were 46.3%, 19.8%, 17.3%, and 16.1%, respectively. In Gram positive cocci, the most strains were identified as Aerococcus spp, Micrococcus spp, and Staphylococcus spp. In Gram positive and negative bacilli, and Gram negative cocci were identified as Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas spp, and Neisseria spp, respectively. The frequently isolated fungi were Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp and Rhizopus spp, respectively. The frequently isolated Aerococcus spp, Micrococcus spp, and Staphylococus spp were highly resistance against ampicillin, erythromycin, methicillin, and tetracycline. These results arouse our attention to microbiologic pollution in the indoor air of work-places of industries.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.20-26
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• 2021

In this work, an indigenous microbial consortium was obtained by selectively cultivating microbes using a long-aged petroleum-contaminated soil (Kuwait) containing recalcitrant petroleum hydrocarbons. The obtained microbial consortium was able to grow on and degrade the remaining petroleum hydrocarbons which could not have been utilized by the indigenous microbes in the original Kuwait soil. The following microbial community analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing suggested that the enhanced degradation of the remaining recalcitrant petroleum hydrocarbons by the novel microbial consortium may have been attributed to the selected bacterial populations belonging to Bacillus, Burkholderia, Sphingobacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella, Haemophilus, Pseudomonas, and Neisseria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.621-629
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• 2022

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) typically contain multiple immunogenic molecules that include antigenic proteins, making them good candidates for vaccine development. In animal models, vaccination with OMVs has been shown to confer protective immune responses against many bacterial diseases. It is possible to genetically introduce heterologous protein antigens to the bacterial host that can then be produced and relocated to reside within the OMVs by means of the host secretion mechanisms. Accordingly, in this study we sought to develop a novel platform for recombinant OMV (rOMV) production in the widely used bacterial expression host species, Escherichia coli. Three different lipoprotein signal peptides including their Lol signals and tether sequences-from Neisseria meningitidis fHbp, Leptospira interrogans LipL32, and Campylobactor jejuni JlpA-were combined upstream to the GFPmut2 model protein, resulting in three recombinant plasmids. Pilot expression studies showed that the fusion between fHbp and GFPmut2 was the only promising construct; therefore, we used this construct for large-scale expression. After inducing recombinant protein expression, the nanovesicles were harvested from cell-free culture media by ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the obtained rOMVs were closed, circular single-membrane particles, 20-200 nm in size. Western blotting confirmed the presence of GFPmut2 in the isolated vesicles. Collectively, although this is a non-optimized, proof-of-concept study, it demonstrates the feasibility of this platform in directing target proteins into the vesicles for OMV-based vaccine development.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.349-354
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• 2010

Previously, we reported that overexpression of Opa (Neisseria gonorrhoeae opacity-associated)-interacting protein 5 (OIP5) caused multi-septa formation and growth defects, both of which are considered cancer-related phenotypes. To evaluate OIP5 as a possible cancer therapeutic target, we examined its expression level in 66 colorectal cancer patients. OIP5 was upregulated about 3.7-fold in tumors and over 2-fold in 58 out of 66 colorectal cancer patients. Knockdown of OIP5 expression by small interfering RNA specific to OIP5 (siOIP5) resulted in growth inhibition of colorectal and gastric cancer cell lines. Growth inhibition of SNU638 by siOIP5 caused an increase in sub-G1 DNA content, as measured by flow cytometry, as well as an apoptotic gene expression profile. These results indicate that knockdown of OIP5 may induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Therefore, we suggest that OIP5 might be a potential cancer therapeutic target, although the mechanisms of OIP5-induced carcinogenesis should be elucidated.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.533-542
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• 2014

We extracted essential oils from four species (Pinus densiflora, Larix kaempferi, Pinus koraiensis, and Abies holophylla) in the family Pinaceae to investigate their antibacterial activities against respiratory tract bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophillus influenzae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Neisseria meningitides). Among the tested oils, that from A. holophylla was showed strong activity based on disc diffusion and broth medium dilution (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC) assays. Qualitative analysis of A. holophylla oil was carried out by GC-MS; ${\alpha}$-pinene, camphene, ${\beta}$-pinene, 3-carene, limonene, bornyl acetate, borneol, ${\beta}$-caryophyllene, ${\alpha}$-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and ${\alpha}$-bisabolol were identified as its major constituents. Fractionation by silica gel chromatography was performed to analyze the active constituents of the crude oil. In particular, one fraction containing caryophyllene oxide as the major constituent showed stronger antibacterial activity than the crude oil of A. holophylla. Growth rates of bacterial strains exposed to fraction D were explored by optical density (OD600) measurements while morphology was examined by optical microscopy observations ( ${\times}1000$). OD600 of K. pneumoniae decreased from 0.2582 to 0.005 in response to treatment with fraction D at a MIC value of $0.31{\mu}{\ell}/m{\ell}$.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.257-259
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• 2005

Although automated continuous-monitoring blood culture systems are both rapid and sensitive, false-positive and false-negative results still occur. The objective of this study, then, was to evaluate negative results occurring with BacT/Alert 3D blood culture systems. A total of 1032 samples were cultured with the BacT/Alert 3D automated blood culture system, using both aerobic (BPA) and anaerobic (BPN) media, and 128 of these samples yielded positive results. A total of 904 negative blood samples were then subcultured in $5\%$ sheep blood agar, eosin methylene blue, chocolate agar, and sabouraud-dextrose agar. Organisms growing on these subcultures were subsequently identified using both Vitek32 (bioMerieux, Durham, NC) and conventional methods. Twenty four $(2.6\%)$ of the 904 subcultures grew on the subculture media. The majority $(83.3\%)$ of these were determined to be gram-positive microorganisms. Fourteen $(58.3\%)$ were coagulase-negative staphylococci, two $(8.3\%)$ were Bacillus spp., one $(4.2\%)$ was Staphylococcus aureus, and one $(4.2\%)$ was identified as Enterococcus faecium. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria spp. were isolated together in two $(8.3\%)$ vials. Gram-negative microorganisms comprised $12.5\%$ of the subcultures, of which two $(8.3\%)$ were found to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and one $(4.2\%)$ was Pseudomonas fluorescens. The other isolate $(4.2\%)$ was identified as Candida albicans. We conclude that the subculture of negative results is valuable in the BacT/Alert 3D system, especially in situations in which only one set of blood cultures is taken.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.843-852
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• 2018

Objectives: The study aimed to isolate the abundant bacteria in dental caries in children and to investigate the bacterial species involved in addition to those that have been previously reported. Methods: The specimens were collected from the supragingival plaques of each dental caries area, pit and fissure caries, deep dentinal caries, smooth surface caries, and dental caries, and from healthy subjects in the control group. Bacteria were cultured from these specimens, DNA was extracted from the isolated bacteria, and the 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed and identified. Results: Based on the results of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for the 90 strains of dominant bacteria from the 45 specimens, 5, 7, 8, 7, and 13 species were identified from the supragingival plaques from healthy teeth, pit and fissure caries, deep dentinal caries, smooth surface caries, and dental caries, respectively. In healthy teeth, Actinomyces naeslundii dominated. Corynebacterium durum, Ralstonia pickettii, and Streptococcus intermedius showed equal distribution. The dominant bacterial species in dental caries, S. sanguinis, showed the greatest difference in prevalence in pit and fissure caries. In deep dentinal caries, S. mutans and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were dominant; in smooth surface caries, S. mutans and S. sanguinis were dominant; and in the supragingival plaques of dental caries, S. sanguinis and S. mutans were dominant. Conclusions: The bacterial species isolated from dental caries encompassed four phyla, eight genera, and 22 species. In addition, the SS1-2 strain, belonging to the genus Neisseria, was identified as a new species from among the isolated strains.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.65-73
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• 1996

LPS/LOS, the compound found only in gram-negative bacterial outer membrane, plays important roles in bacterial maintenance as well as its pathogenesis. We isolated and characterized several genes required for NTHi 2019 LOS biosynthesis, which encode enzymes required for sugar substrate synthesis or the transfer of substrates to receptor molecules. The htrB gene, however, appears to have more complex role. It has acryltransferase activity as well as various other activity, which may control regulation of LOS biosynthesis as well as its pathogenicity. Evidences supporting the latter come from the observations that the lipid A of the B29 induced significantly less TNF ${\alpha}$ from macrophages than that of the wild type LOS (unpublished data). H. influenzae A2-htrB mutant strain was also significantly less invasive than the wild type strain. The structural similarities of the enterobacterial LPS and the Haemophilus LOS enabled us to isolate the NTHi 2019 genes involved in LOS biosynthesis genes by using the S. typhimurium LPS deep core mutants. While a similar approach has been used for E. coli, this technique for selection of an LPS phenotype has not been applied to nonenterobacterial species. The difficulties inherent in the molecular manipulation of organism such as Neisseria and Haemophilus species make this approach particularly attractive in the identification and cloning LOS genes. Studies on genetic features of LPS/LOS biosynthesis would be useful for understanding bacterial pathogenesis as well as for developing vaccines for these gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.212-215
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• 2004

The complement system is important in the generation of the normal inflammatory response and in host defense against systemic infection. Therefore, inherited or acquired deficiency of complement is associated with an increased frequency of infection. As a major effector of the complement cascade, the membrane attack complex is responsible for direct complement dependent serum bactericidal activity. Especially late complement component deficiency has a markedly increased risk of meningococcal infection and is subject to recurrent infection. We experienced a patient who had recurrent meningococcal meningitis and septicemia. The patient was 13-years old boy and he had a recurrent episode after 20 months. At second admission, we examined complement level and C7 deficiency was confirmed. He was treated without complication. We report a case of deficiency of C7 with recurrent meningococcal meningitis and septicemia.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2012

Objectives : By investigating antimicrobial activity of natural extracts, identifying its usefulness as antibiotic material to oral bacteria. Methods : Antimicrobial activity tests of 25 natural extracts were implemented on 6 type strains alleged to cause dental caries and 10 clinical strains isolated and identified from dental caries. Results : Among medicinal plants, Coptis japonica, Scutellaria baicalensis, Dictamnus dasycarpus showed antimicrobial activity. Among lichens, 3 methanol extracts and 6 acetone extracts showed antimicrobial activity. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration(MIC) test of Usnea aurantiacoatra KoLRI 004184, an acetone extract of lichen with the highest antimicrobial activity, on 6 type strains involved in dental caries and 10 strains isolated from dental caries resulted as follows; Actinomyces oris 1041 $12{\mu}g/ml$, for Corynebacterium durum 3151 $13{\mu}g/ml$, for Rothia dentocariosa KCTC $3204^T$ $14{\mu}g/ml$, for R. dentocariosa 911 $15{\mu}g/ml$, for R. dentocariosa 1822 $12{\mu}g/ml$, for Lacto-bacillus casei KACC $12413^T$ $12{\mu}g/ml$, for L. acidophilus KACC $12419^T$ $16{\mu}g/ml$, for L. rhamnosus 2421 $15{\mu}g/ml$, for Streptococcus mutans KCTC $3065^T$ $15{\mu}g/ml$, for S. mutans 121 $13{\mu}g/ml$, for Streptococcus oralis 2221 $18{\mu}g/ml$, for S. salivarius KCTC 5512 $14{\mu}g/ml$, for S. salivarius 122 $12{\mu}g/ml$, for S. sanguinis KCTC $3284^T$ $14{\mu}g/ml$, for S. sanguinis 912 $14{\mu}g/ml$, for Neisseria sp. KEM232 $12{\mu}g/ml$. Conclusions : Even a small amount of extract from lichen Usnea aurantiacoatra KoLRI 004184 showed very high level of antimicrobial activation against all 16 bacterial strains involved in dental caries.