• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.238-249
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• 2009

The genus Listeria consists of six closely related species and forms three phylogenetic groups: L. monocytogenes-L. innocua, L. ivanovii-L. seeligeri-L. welshimeri, and L. grayi. In this report, we attempted to examine the evolutionary relationship in the L. monocytogenes-L. innocua group by probing the nucleotide sequences of 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA, and the gene clusters lmo0029-lmo0042, ascB-dapE, rplS-infC, and prs-ldh in L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a, 4a, and 4b, and L. innocua. Additionally, we assessed the status of L. monocytogenes-specific inlA and inlB genes and 10 L. innocua-specific genes in these species/serovars, together with phenotypic characterization by using in vivo and in vitro procedures. The results indicate that L. monocytogenes serovar 4a strains are genetically similar to L. innocua in the lmo0035-lmo0042, ascB-dapE, and rplS-infC regions and also possess L. innocua-specific genes lin0372 and lin1073. Furthermore, both L. monocytogenes serovar 4a and L. innocua exhibit impaired intercellular spread ability and negligible pathogenicity in mouse model. On the other hand, despite resembling L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b in having a nearly identical virulence gene cluster, and inlA and inlB genes, these serovar 4a strains differ from serovars 1/2a and 4b by harboring notably altered actA and plcB genes, displaying strong phospholipase activity and subdued in vivo and in vitro virulence. Thus, by possessing many genes common to L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b, and sharing many similar gene deletions with L. innocua, L. monocytogenes serovar 4a represents a possible evolutionary intermediate between L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b and L. innocua.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.165-175
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• 2013

Purpose: There was a global increase in the prevalence of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 influenza season. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons among patients who were treated with oseltamivir (group A) and those that did not receive oseltamivir (group B). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 321 pediatric patients who were hospitalized because of influenza during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons. Drug resistance tests were conducted on influenza viruses isolated from 91 patients. Results: There was no significant difference between the clinical characteristics of groups A and B during both seasons. Influenza A/H1N1, isolated from both groups A and B during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 periods, was not resistant to zanamivir. However, phenotypic analysis of the virus revealed a high oseltamivir $IC_{50}$ range and that H275Y substitution of the neuraminidase (NA) gene and partial variation of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene did not affect its antigenicity to the HA vaccine even though group A had a shorter hospitalization duration and fewer lower respiratory tract complications than group B. In addition, there was no significant difference in the clinical manifestations between oseltamivir-susceptible and oseltamivir-resistant strains of influenza A/H1N1. Conclusion: Establishment of guidelines to efficiently treat influenza with oseltamivir, a commonly used drug for treating influenza in Korean pediatric patients, and a treatment strategy with a new therapeutic agent is required.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.269-279
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• 2004

백악질 세포의 분리 및 배양방법을 확립하고, 이를 이용하여 백악질 세포의 형질특성을 알아보고자 하였다. 교정목적으로 발거된 소구치를 이용하여, 치은섬유아세포, 치주인대 세포 및 백악질 유래세포를 분리, 배양하였다. 백악질 유래 세포 배양시에는 백악질을 절제한 후 Collagenase P를 이용하여 백악질 유래 세포 외의 다른 세포의 개제를 배제하였고, 기질을 분해하여 세포의 분리 및 배양이 용이하도록 하였다. 분리 및 배양시기의 세포의 형태를 광화현미정을 이용하여 관찰하였다. 조골세포의 특성을 가지는 SaOs-2 세포를 대조군으로 이용하여 분리 및 배양된 세포군들을 동일한 조건으로 배양하였다. 3일 및 7일째에 세포증식도를 측정하였고 7일째에 ALPase 효소 활성도를 측정하였다. 각 세포의 형질 특성을 알아보기 위해 RT-PCR을 실시하여 조골세포 분화 표식자와 연관된 osteopontin(OPN), Alkaline phosphatase(ALP), type I collagen(COL-I), Bone sialoprotein(BSP), BMP-2 및 osteocalcin(OC)의 발현을 비교 관찰하였다. 백악질 유래 세포의 분리 및 배양을 시도한 5명의 치아 중에서 3명의 치아에서 세포군을 배양해 낼 수 있었다. 배양한 백악질 유래 세포는 섬유아세포와 유사한 형태와 증식을 보였다. ALPase 효소 활성도 검사 결과 백악질 유래 세포는 SaOs-2 세포보다 낮은 활성도를 나타내었으며, 배양된 세포의 RT-PCR 결과 백악질 유래 세포군에서는 ALPase의 발현이 나타나지 않았고, 다른 조골세포 표식자의 발현도 낮게 나타났다. 이는 백악질 유래 세포가 조골세포 및 다른 대조군의 세포와는 다른 형질 특성을 가지고 있다는 것을 시사한다. 이상의 관찰결과로 사람의 백악질 유래 세포롤 백악질의 절제 및 효소처리 방법으로 효과적인 분리 및 배양이 가능하며, 이는 향후 백악질 세포의 형질 특성 및 백악질 형성의 분자적 기전을 파악하는 중요한 연구자료로 활용 될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2016

Nationwide survey for angular leaf spot (ALS) of strawberry caused by Xanthomonas fragariae, a quarantine disease in Korea, was performed in November 2012. In the survey, ALS was observed in eighty eight farmers' fields of Sukok, Jinju and Okjong, Hadong in Gyeongnam Province, and one field in Namwon of Jeollabuk Province. The infected field of Namwon closed immediately after the disease diagnosed ALS. In detailed survey of Sukok and Okjong areas during February 2012 to January 2015, ALS occurrence decreased from 45% farmer's fields on December 2012 to 5% on January 2015, and from 38% on November 2013 to 5% on January 2015, respectively. Phenotypic characteristics of the Korean strains were similar to those of the type strain of X. fragariae. A multilocus sequence analysis of Korean strains of X. fragariae was conducted using four genes; dnaK, fyuA, gyrB, and rpoD. All the Korean strains had the same sequences of the four genes. The concatenated sequences of the Korean strains shared 100% with that of the type strain of X. fragariae. All strawberry cultivars tested were susceptible to the strains of X. fragariae two weeks after inoculation. The inoculated sites were necrosis and expanded, which were rated 4 based on evaluation of inoculation site.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2008

Four series (S, M, R, and W) of Alternaria longipes isolates were obtained based on consecutive selection with Dimethachlon (Dim) and ultraviolet irradiation. These isolates were then characterized according to their tolerance to Dim, sensitivity to osmotic stress, and phenotypic properties. All the selected Dim-resistant isolates showed a higher osmosensitivity than the parental strains, and the last generation was more resistant than the first generation in the M, R, and W series. In addition, the changes in the Dim resistance and osmotic sensitivity were not found to be directly correlated, and no distinct morphologic characteristics were found among the resistant and sensitive isolates, with the exception of the resistant isolate K-11. Thus, to investigate the molecular basis of the fungicide resistance, a group III two-component histidine kinase (HK) gene, AlHK1, was cloned from nineteen A. longipes isolates. AlHK1p was found to be comprised of a six 92-amino-acid repeat domain (AARD), HK domain, and response regulator domain, similar to the Os-1p from Neurospora crassa. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the AlHK1 gene from the Dim-sensitive and -resistant isolates revealed that all the resistant isolates contained a single-point mutation in the AARD of AlHK1p, with the exception of isolate K-11, where the AlHK1p contained a deletion of 107 amino acids. Moreover, the AlHK1p mutations in the isolates of each respective series involved the same amino acid substitution at the same site, although the resistance levels differed significantly in each series. Therefore, these findings suggested that a mutation in the AARD of AlHK1p was not the sole factor responsible for A. longipes resistance to dicarboximide fungicides.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.845-852
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• 2014

Among various abiotic stress factors, soil salinity decreases the photosynthetic rate, growth, and yield of plants. Recently, many genes have been reported to enhance salt tolerance. The objective of this study was to characterize the Brassica rapa Salt Stress Resistance (BrSSR) gene, of which the function was unclear, although the full-length sequence was known. To characterize the role of BrSSR, a B. rapa Chinese cabbage inbred line ('CT001') was transformed with pSL94 vector containing the full length BrSSR cDNA. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the expression of BrSSR in the transgenic line was 2.59-fold higher than that in the wild type. Analysis of phenotypic characteristics showed that plants overexpressing BrSSR were resistant to salinity stress and showed normal growth. Microarray analysis of BrSSR over-expressing plants confirmed that BrSSR was strongly associated with ERD15 (AT2G41430), a gene encoding a protein containing a PAM2 motif (AT4G14270), and GABA-T (AT3G22200), all of which have been associated with salt tolerance, in the co-expression network of genes related to salt stress. The results of this study indicate that BrSSR plays an important role in plant growth and tolerance to salinity.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.145-152
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• 2007

Transgenic mice were generated by microinjecting a plasmid DNA containing the SV40 (simian virus 40) large T antigen (Tag) gene fused with mouse albumin promoter/enhancer sequences into fertilized one-cell mouse embryos. Among eleven founder transgenic animals, four developed hepatocellular carcinoma, two showed kidney cancer and one developed skin and brain tumors. Three stable transgenic lines, #1-2, #1-6 and #1-11 were established. Members of the lines #1-6 and #1-11 reproducibly developed liver tumors by 8 to 10 weeks of age but did not exhibit any phenotypic changes in other tissues. Histological changes loading to liver tumor formation occurred with predictable kinetics and could be classified into three distinct stages; (a) newborn to 3 weeks of age, characterized by hyperplastic hepatocytes with reduced amounts of cytoplasm without any nuclear alterations, (b) between 4 to 8 weeks of age, characterized by diffuse liver cell dysplasia without observable tumor nodules, and (c) 9 weeks of age and thereafter, characterized by hepatocellular carcinomas in the background of extensive liver dysplasia. Metastasis to the lung from a liver carcinoma was observed in #1-11 founder animal. This transgenic mouse system displays similarities with human liver cancers in a number of aspects and provides a useful model for the study of molecular events involved in hepatocarcinogenesis.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 2012

Antibiotic resistance in animal isolates of enterococci is a public health concern, because of the risk of transmission of antibiotic-resistant strains or resistance genes to humans through the food chain. This study investigated phenotypic and genotypic resistances profile of tetracycline in 245 $Enterococcus$ isolates from bovine milk. A total of 245 enterococci were isolated from 950 milk samples. The predominant strain was $E.$ $faecalis$ (n = 199, 81.2%) and $E.$ $faecium$ (n = 25, 10.2%). $E.$ $avium$ (n = 7, 2.9%), $E.$ $durans$ (n = 6, 2.5%), $E.$ $gallinarum$ (n = 4, 1.6%), and $E.$ $raffinosus$ (n = 4, 1.6%) were also isolated. Of the 245 enterococcal isolates 76.3% (n = 187) displayed tetracycline resistance (${\geq}16{\mu}g/ml$). Of the 187 tetracycline-resistant isolates, 83.4% (n = 156), 16.1% (n = 30), and 26.7% (n = 50) possessed the genes $tet$(M), $tet$(L), $tet$(S) respectively. While 3.2% (n = 6) of the tetracycline-resistant isolates possessed all three genes $tet$(M) + $tet$(L) + $tet$(S), 8.6% (n = 16), 16.0% (n = 30), and 2.7% (n = 5) of them possessed two genes $tet$(M) + $tet$(L), $tet$(M) + $tet$(S), and $tet$(L) + $tet$(S) respectively. The tetracycline resistance pattern investigated in this study was attributable mainly to the presence of $tet$(M).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2005

This study focuses on investigating roles of microorganisms in decontamination of reed rhizosphere in Sunchon Bay, Korea, which is considered one of the marsh and mud environment severely affected by human activities such as agriculture and fisheries. In general, the bay is known to play the role of the buffering zone to reduce the sudden impact or change by environmental stresses. In our initial efforts to elucidate the microbial functions in decontamination process in reed rhizosphere, pure bacteria capable of degrading aromatic hydrocarbons were isolated from reed (Phragmites communis) rhizosphere of Sunchon bay by enrichment culture using either benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylene (BTEX) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Measurement of the rates of BTEX degradation and cell growth during the incubation in BTEX media under several temperature conditions demonstrated maximized degradation of BTEX at $37^{\circ}C$ in both strains. Both strains were also resistant to all the heavy metals and antibiotics tested in this study, as well as they grew well at $42^{\circ}C$. Identification of the isolates based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, and a variety of phenotypic and morphologic properties revealed that the two strains capable of BTEX catabolism were among Microbacterium sp., and Rhodococcus sp. with over $95{\%}$ confidence, designated Microbacterium sp. EMB-1 and Rhodococcus sp. EMB-2, respectively This result suggested that in the rhizosphere of reed, one of major salt marsh plants they might play an important roles in decontamination process of reed rhizosphere contaminated with petroleum such as BTEX.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2001

Characterization of quantitative trait loci (QTL) was investigated in the experimental crosses between Berkshire and Yorkshire breed. A total of 525 F$_2$ progenies from 65 matting of F$_1$ Parents were produced. Phenotypic measurements included average daily gain (ADG), average back fat thickness (ABF), and loin eye area (LEA). To identify the presence of QTL for reproductive performance, birth weight (BWT) and body weight at 16 days (16DAY) were included as indirect trait. QTL segregation was deduced using 8 markers assigned to chromosome 2 (SSC2). Quantitative trait locus analyses were performed using interval mapping by regression under line-cross model. Presence of imprinting was tested under the statistical model that separated the expression of paternally and maternally inherited alleles. To set the evidence of QTL presence, significance thresholds were derived by permutation following statistical tests, respectively. Genome scan revealed significant evidence for three quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting growth and body compositions, of which two were identified to be QTL with imprinting expression mode near the ICF II gene region. For average back fat thickness (ABF), a paternally expressed QTL was found on chromosome 2 (SSC2). A paternally expressed QTL affecting loin eye area (LEA) was found in the region of SSC2 where evidence of imprinted QTL was found for average back fat thickness (ABF). For average daily gain (ADG), QTL expressed with Mendelian mode was found on chromosome 2 (SS2). Also, QTL affecting average daily gain (ADC), was identified to be expressed with Mendelian express mode.