• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.90-100
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• 2004

Objective : Urinary tract infection(UTI) is a frequent serious bacterial infection in young infants. The clinical presentation may be non-specific and variable, depends on factors such as the age and the level of infection. Children with renal involvement may be at risk of permanent renal damage. Experimental studies have shown that renal lesions caused by acute febrile UTI may be prevented or diminished by early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, it is important to find a method that can permit early diagnosis and identification of patients who are at risk for progressive renal damage. We designed this study to identify related factors in culture positive UTI infants, and also to identify related factors in culture negative UTI infants, who are febrile with pyuria, by using renal imaging and functional studies including renal sonography, DMSA scan and VCUG. Methods : Retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 136 febrile infants with pyuria over 2 years(from January 2001 to February 2003). Urine culture was done in all cases, and regardless of urine culture findings, renal imaging study was done if symptomatic UTI suspected. Results : Total 57 organisms were isolated in 53 patients. E. coli was the most common organism(86%), followed by E. faecalis, M. morganii, Proteus species, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and E. fergusonii. Most of the isolates had high sensitivity on cephalosporins or amikacin and had low sensitivities on aminopenicillins. Abnormal acute phase DMSA scan or VCUG findings were seen in both urine culture positive and negative group without statistical differences(P>0.05). In febrile infants with pyuria, fever over 48 hours, older age and high CRP related to abnormal acute phase DMSA scan findings regardless urine culture results. Conclusion : 1st or 3rd generation cephalosporins with amikacin could be the first choice of treatment for UTI. Febrile infants with positive urine culture dose mean urinary tract infection but not acute pyelonephritis which directly relates to cortical damage which could be confirmed by acute phase DMSA scan. Even cases with negative urine culture findings, acute pyelonephritis should be concerned in febrile infants with pyuria who are older than 3 months of age, has fever over 48 hours or high CRP level. And in such cases, acute phase DMSA scan and VCUG should be evaluated for early treatment and long term prognosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1461-1471
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• 2017

Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and its non-toxic mutant (LTm) are well-known powerful mucosal adjuvants and immunogens. However, the yields of these adjuvants from genetically engineered strains remain at extremely low levels, thereby hindering their extensive application in fundamental and clinical research. Therefore, efficient production of these adjuvant proteins from genetically engineered microbes is a huge challenge in the field of molecular biology. In order to explore the expression bottlenecks of LTm in E. coli, we constructed a series of recombinant plasmids based on various considerations and gene expression strategies. After comparing the protein expression among strains containing different recombinant plasmids, the signal sequence was found to be critical for the expression of LTm and its subunits. When the signal sequence was present, the strong hydrophobicity and instability of this amino acid sequence greatly restricted the generation of subunits. However, when the signal sequence was removed, abundantly expressed subunits formed inactive inclusion bodies that could not be assembled into the hexameric native form, although the inclusion body subunits could be refolded and the biological activity recovered in vitro. Therefore, the dilemma choice of signal sequence formed bottlenecks in the expression of LTm. These results reveal the expression bottlenecks of LTm, provide guidance for the preparation of LTm and its subunits, and certainly help to promote efficient preparation of this mucosal adjuvant protein.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.260-264
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• 1992

Pseudotnorju.c sp. EL-071P degrading 2.4.5-trichlorophe~~oxyi~cetaicci d (2.3.5-T) was resistantto antibiotics: rifampicin. ampicillin. kanamycin and metal ions : Zn" and Cu".The plasmitl related to the degradation of 2.4.5-'r and rifa~npicin resistance was isolatecifrom the strain. Its size was about 40 Kb. As result of transforming the plasmid intoEsch~rirhiti coli MClOhl, it was confirmed that the plasmid ura.; related to 2.4.5-T degradation.The strain coulil grow in the various chlorinated aromatic analogs as the solc carbon source.In the case of chlorophcnols. the chlorinated mono-substituteti phenols were easily dcgradetlin the order ol' ortho-. ~ ~ a r um- ,c ~tu-position.T he 2.3.5-T mctaholism was inhibited by 4-chlorophenol of 2.4.5-7' analog. In non-chlorinateci aromatics. ~ C I I L O ~ I ~ Csa.l icylilte i~ndtoluene were uscd ax the carbon source by the strain and typestrain Acudonlotrtr.\ plrtirltrKCTC 1643 having clegrad;~bility of various aromatics. But naphtalene was usecl only bythe A~urlomonri.\ sp. EL-07 1 P.the A~urlomonri.\ sp. EL-07 1 P.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1308-1314
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• 2017

The Chinese red-headed centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, a member of the arthropod class Chilopoda, is a traditional medicine used for the treatment of several allergic diseases, such as atopy. S. subspinipes mutilans samples were collected from different regions of South Korea: Sancheong, Gyeongnam; Yeonggwang, Jeonnam and Jeju-do. The nutritional values of the centipedes were analyzed to extend the species' applications. The crude protein and fat contents of all samples were high and ranged from 54.9-55.8% and from 26.8-30.6%, respectively. Essential amino acids were present; lysine was the most common and accounted for 3.4-3.6% of the essential amino acids. Glutamic acid, which assists in improving concentration, memory and other cognitive abilities, was the most common non-essential amino acid at 6.8-7.1%. It had a similar content percentage in all three regions' samples. Additionally, unsaturated fatty acids were present, and oleic acid, which prevents cancer and cardiac disease, was the most common at 41.3-48.6% of each sample. Mercury, a hazardous substance, was detected at a range of 0.08-0.11 mg/kg in all samples; the amount was lower than the standard food allowance. Additionally, no pathogenic microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., were detected. There were no significant differences between the nutritional factors of the S. subspinipes mutilans samples from the three regions. Based on the nutritional analysis, Chinese red-headed centipedes have the potential to be food and medicinal ingredients due to their proteins, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids and nutritive capacities.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.478-483
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• 2012

In order to evaluate the microbial safety of the foodstuffs and manus in regards to foodservice operations, the total of 1,051 samples of drinking waters, vegetables, and cooked foods were collected. Total viable count (TVC), coliform group, and pathogens were analyzed. Twenty five percent samples of 441 drinking waters showed high contamination of above 2 log CFU/g TVC. Twenty percent of the waters were contaminated by above one log CFU/g coliform. Forty percent of non-heated food, Moochim, were contaminated by above 5 log CFU/g TVC and 26% of Moochim were contaminated by above 2 log CFU/g coliform. Bacillus cereus and Eschericia coli were detected on boiled rice and kimchi, and B. cereus was detected with a high ratio. Therefore, the foodstuffs and manus regarding foodservice operations appear to be generally safe. However, efficient microbial control for drinking water and Moochim-style food is necessary and in particular, careful management to reduce microbial contamination should be applied to drinking water.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.552-558
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• 2023

Levulinic acid (LA) is a valuable chemical used in fuel additives, fragrances, and polymers. In this study, we proposed possible biosynthetic pathways for LA production from lignin and poly(ethylene terephthalate). We also created a genetically encoded biosensor responsive to LA, which can be used for screening and evolving the LA biosynthesis pathway genes, by employing an LvaR transcriptional regulator of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to express a fluorescent reporter gene. The LvaR regulator senses LA as a cognate ligand. The LA biosensor was first examined in an Escherichia coli strain and was found to be non-functional. When the host of the LA biosensor was switched from E. coli to P. putida KT2440, the LA biosensor showed a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and LA concentration in the range of 0.156-10 mM LA. In addition, we determined that 0.156 mM LA was the limit of LA detection in P. putida KT2440 harboring an LA-responsive biosensor. The maximal fluorescence increase was 12.3-fold in the presence of 10 mM LA compared to that in the absence of LA. The individual cell responses to LA concentrations reflected the population-averaged responses, which enabled high-throughput screening of enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in LA biosynthesis and sustainable production of LA in engineered microbes.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.351-359
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate dietary effects of extracts of Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) (SCE) grown in Korea on growth performance, immune and physiological responses in broiler chickens. Total of seven-hundred fifty 1-d-old Ross male broiler chicks were divided into five groups and fed control diets (antibiotics medicated or non-medicated commercial diets) or each experimental diet (non-medicated diets containing 0.1, 0.3 or 0.5% SCE) for 5 weeks. The body weight gain and feed conversion rate in the groups fed diets containing 0.1% or 0.3% SCE were significantly improved as compared with those of non-medicated control group (P<0.05). The levels of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol of blood were not influenced by feeding the SCE. The average antibody titers against NDV and IBV in the groups fed diets containing SCE were significantly increased compare to those of the control groups (P<0.05). The number of coli form bacteria was significantly reduced by feeding 0.3% or 0.5% SCE as compared to that of non-medication control (P<0.05). The results demonstrated that the SCE used in this study modulated humoral immunity and the profiles of cecal microflora and thus can be used as a potential alternative substance to replace antibiotics for feeding broiler chicks.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.611-616
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• 2001

The bacteriological and physiochemical analysis of seawater in Tongyeong harbor was conducted to evaluate sanitary conditions, The samples were collected at 6 stations established once a month from January to December, 2000. During the study period, the ranges of temperature, transparency, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, dissolved nitrogen, phosphate and chlorophyll-a were $6.8\sim25.2^{\circ}C,\;1.0\sim2.5\;m,\;1.79\sim2.41\;mg/L,\;5.7\sim10.1\;mg/L,\;6.59\sim10.53{\mu}g-at/L,\;0.56\sim1.01{\mu}g-at/L\;and\;1.21\sim9.54\;mg/m^3$, respectively, The viable cell counts of seawater in Tongyeong harbor ranged from $3.0\times10^4CFU/mL\;to\;6.9\times10^6CFU/mL$. The coliform group and fecal coliform MPN's of the samples were ranged $23\~4,600\;MPN/100\;mL$ (means 540 MPN/100 mL) and $11\~1,600\;MPN/100\;mL$ (means 210 MPN/100 mL), respectively, The coliform group was classified with IMViC reactions and pathogenic vibrios were analyzed. Two hundred eighteen strains that were obtained from seawater samples in Tongyeong harbor represented Escherichia coli group, $66.1\%$; Citrobacter freundii group, $11.0\%$; Enterobacter aerogenes, $9.6\%$; and unknown, $13.3\%$, respectively. During the study period, infectious bacteria such as Vibrio cholerae O1, Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. were not detected from the samples, but detection ratios of V. parahaemolyticus, V cholerae non-O1 and V. vulnificus were $10.0\sim30.1\%$.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.867-876
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• 2005

The microbial contamination of ice cream product commercially available in Korea was determined using ice bar, ice cream, ice milk and non-milk fat ice cream. Irradiation effect on enhancement of microbiological safety was also investigated at doses of 1, 3, and 5 kGy. In all products, yeast and molds were not detected, however, total aerobic and coliform bacteria were detected at 1-2 and 1-1.5 Log CFU/g level, respectively. According to the different flavor used in ice cream, total aerobic bacteria were detected as 2.30, 2.90, and 3.32 Log CFU/g level in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, respectively. Yeast and mold was not detected in vanilla ice cream but 2.30 and 2.70 Log CFU/g in chocolate and strawberry ice cream, respectively. Coliforms were also detected 1-2 Log CFU/g in the ice cream with different flavors. Listeria inocua and Escherichia coli were detected from 3 commercial samples but Salmonella spp. was not detected using API kit. Gamma irradiation significantly reduced the level of the contaminated total aerobic bacteria, yeast and molds and coliform population in the ice creams. These results indicated that irradiation(5kGy or less) is effective to ensure safety of ice cream.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1416-1423
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• 2018

With strong biotin binding affinity ($K_D=10^{-14}M$), the tetrameric feature of streptavidin could be used to increase the antigen binding activity of a camel heavy chain (VHH) antibody through their fusion, here stained with biotinylated horseradish peroxidase and subsequent immunoassays ELISA and Western blot analysis. For this application, we cloned the streptavidin gene amplified from the Streptomyces avidinii chromosome by PCR, and this was fused to the gene of the 8B9 VHH antibody which is specific to green fluorescent protein (GFP) antigens. To express a soluble fusion protein in Escherichia coli, we used the pUC119 plasmid-based expression system which uses the lacZ promoter for induction by IPTG, the pelB leader sequence at the N-terminus for secretion into the periplasmic space, and six polyhistidine tags at the C-terminus for purification of the expressed proteins using an $Ni^+$-NTA-agarose column. Although streptavidin is toxic to E. coli because of its strong biotin binding property, this soluble fusion protein was expressed successfully. In SDS-PAGE, the size of the purified fusion protein was 122.4 kDa in its native condition and 30.6 kDa once denatured by boiling, suggesting the tetramerization of the monomeric subunit by non-covalent association through the streptavidin moiety fusing to the 8B9 VHH antibody. In addition, this fusion protein showed biotin binding activity similar to streptavidin as well as GFP antigen binding activity through both ELISA and Western blot analysis. In conclusion, the protein resulting from the fusion of an 8B9 VHH antibody with streptavidin was successfully expressed and purified as a soluble tetramer in E. coli; it showed both biotin and GFP antigen binding activity suggesting the possible production of a tetrameric and bifunctional VHH antibody.