• Title/Summary/Keyword: QUORUM

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Food Spoilage by Pseudomonas spp. (Pseudomonas spp.에 의한 부패)

  • Kim, Kyungmi;Lee, Heeyoung;Lee, Soomin;Park, Beom-Young;Oh, Mi-Hwa;Yoon, Yohan
    • Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.179-186
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    • 2013
  • Pseudomonas spp. are Gram-negative psychrophilic bacteria, which can proliferate at refrigeration temperature. The bacteria produce heat-stable enzymes that can degrade fat and protein in foods. Hence, Pseudomonas spp. are related to the spoilage of milk, dairy products, and meat products under cold storage, causing economic loss. In the food industry, various methods have been used to remove bacteria including Pseudomonas spp. in food-related conditions, but they can be resistant to antimicrobials and sanitizers because they form biofilms regulated by quorum sensing (cell density-dependent cell-to-cell signaling). Since Pseudomonas cells in biofilms can cross-contaminate foods resulting in food spoilage and the survival of food-borne pathogens in food-related conditions, efficient decontamination technology and microbiological criteria should be established to reduce the occurrence of food spoilage by Pseudomonas spp.

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Microbial linguistics: perspectives and applications of microbial cell-to-cell communication

  • Mitchell, Robert J.;Lee, Sung-Kuk;Kim, Tae-Sung;Ghim, Cheol-Min
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.44 no.1
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2011
  • Inter-cellular communication via diffusible small molecules is a defining character not only of multicellular forms of life but also of single-celled organisms. A large number of bacterial genes are regulated by the change of chemical milieu mediated by the local population density of its own species or others. The cell density-dependent "autoinducer" molecules regulate the expression of those genes involved in genetic competence, biofilm formation and persistence, virulence, sporulation, bioluminescence, antibiotic production, and many others. Recent innovations in recombinant DNA technology and micro-/nano-fluidics systems render the genetic circuitry responsible for cell-to-cell communication feasible to and malleable via synthetic biological approaches. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular biology of bacterial intercellular communication and the novel experimental protocols and platforms used to investigate this phenomenon. A particular emphasis is given to the genetic regulatory circuits that provide the standard building blocks which constitute the syntax of the biochemical communication network. Thus, this review gives focus to the engineering principles necessary for rewiring bacterial chemo-communication for various applications, ranging from population-level gene expression control to the study of host-pathogen interactions.

Design of Fault-tolerant Mutual Exclusion Protocol in Asynchronous Distributed Systems (비동기적 분산 시스템에서 결함허용 상호 배제 프로토콜의 설계)

  • Park, Sung-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.182-189
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    • 2010
  • This paper defines the quorum-based fault-tolerant mutual exclusion problem in a message-passing asynchronous system and determines a failure detector to solve the problem. This failure detector, which we call the modal failure detector star, and which we denote by $M^*$, is strictly weaker than the perfect failure detector P but strictly stronger than the eventually perfect failure detector ◇P. The paper shows that at any environment, the problem is solvable with $M^*$.

Surface characterization and evaluation of biofouling inhibition of reverse osmosis membranes coated with Epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)/vanillin (EGCG/바닐린 코팅 RO분리막의 표면 특성과 미생물막 억제능)

  • Jung, Jaehyun;Kim, Youngjin;Nam, Haewook;Kim, Yunjung;Lee, Eunsu;Lee, Younil;Kweon, Jihyang
    • Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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    • v.28 no.6
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    • pp.713-723
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    • 2014
  • Biofouling in brackish water reverse osmosis (RO) membranes still needs extensive research to understand cause and mechanism and to obtain methods for reduction of its impact on RO applications. Natural compounds with biofilm formation inhibitory properties are being investigated. Two compounds, vanillin and Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), were selected due to their great potential on biofilm formation inhibition. Vanillin shows inhibition on quorum sensing mechanisms of biofilm formation. EGCG has potential to inactivate microbial activity. The two compounds were incorporated in typical polyamide reverse osmosis membranes and evaluated on flux behaviours and biofilm formation potential. The surface properties of membrane coated with vanillin were changed tremendously compared to those with EGCG. As a result, the flux was reduced substantially. The biofilm formation seems hindered with EGCG coated membranes compared to the virgin membranes. More research is needed to optimize coating methods applicable to RO membranes and to enhance biofouling reduction.

A Case Study on the Field Monitoring of the Deep Rock Excavation Site in Urban Area (도심지 대심도 암반 굴착현장에서의 Face Mapping 적용사례)

  • Kim, Tae-Seob;Kim, Hyung-Min;Jo, Choong-Sick;Kang, Tae-Seong
    • Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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    • 2009.09a
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    • pp.1307-1316
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    • 2009
  • In this case, powerfulness quorum of destruction side which we have expected are supposed general limit value for rock floor when retaining of earth on the section of rock floor in the urban area. For digging in the urban area, there are a lot of dislocations to be disadvantage for safety of digging ants. The displacement of the pondside didn't converged with the phase of the excavation. Also, the speed of displacement got higher than the percentages of risk in the construction. So, we put into operation Face mapping for checking special quality of dislocations which appear on the digging ants. This results were used to decide a destruction in the case of the final excavation by analyzing with other results. It was possible to know the unstable distribution of a fault line in Face Mapping and to get powerful lens of a surface of discontinuity by tests indoors and outdoors. The results were also used to make a solution. Therefore, It's a successful example using the Partial TopDown for stable digging. And it is important that Face Mapping have to be practiced for solving the uncertainty of ground organization when digging design in the urban city.

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A graduate school curriculum development for talking core men of into Cosmetic & Beauty inductry (향장미용산업의 핵심인재육성을 위한 대학원 교과과정에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Ju-Duck
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.103-122
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    • 2003
  • Recently, many graduate schools related to Cosmetic & Beauty have established, and it is very advisable. However, the following the curriculum or the teaching staff has to be made up well for making a substantial graduate school, and it will contribute largely toward to Cosmetic & Beauty industry. If it is used like a tool for only increasing the quorum of student, it is not a help to Cosmetic & Beauty industry even though many Cosmetic & Beauty courses in the graduate schools are established. The government and the industrial circles have to give thought and support to develop a university. Then special workers who train in this part will be a help to grow Cosmetic & Beauty industry. Hereafter, Cosmetic & Beauty industry is a big field of industry after medical supplies in the fine chemistry industry when we take the scale of industry and the national competitiveness into consideration. And Cosmetic & Beauty industry is a competitive field of industry with a small investment contrary to medical supplies. However, there are few educational institutions for special workers through the college of pharmacy in Cosmetic & Beauty contrary to medical supplies. Also, there is no position for managing the growth of Cosmetic & Beauty industry in the government agencies. At this point of time, it is very desirable situation that the graduate school related to Cosmetic & Beauty is established lately, and we hope that it is an opportunity for the growth of Cosmetic & Beauty industry through the interests of the university, the government, the industrial circles, and so on.

Biofilm Signaling, Composition and Regulation in Burkholderia pseudomallei

  • Pravin Kumran Nyanasegran;Sheila Nathan;Mohd Firdaus-Raih;Nor Azlan Nor Muhammad;Chyan Leong Ng
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.15-27
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    • 2023
  • The incidence of melioidosis cases caused by the gram-negative pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP) is seeing an increasing trend that has spread beyond its previously known endemic regions. Biofilms produced by BP have been associated with antimicrobial therapy limitation and relapse melioidosis, thus making it urgently necessary to understand the mechanisms of biofilm formation and their role in BP biology. Microbial cells aggregate and enclose within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) to form biofilm. The transition mechanism of bacterial cells from planktonic state to initiate biofilm formation, which involves the formation of surface attachment microcolonies and the maturation of the biofilm matrix, is a dynamic and complex process. Despite the emerging findings on the biofilm formation process, systemic knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation in BP remains fractured. This review provides insights into the signaling systems, matrix composition, and the biosynthesis regulation of EPSs (exopolysaccharide, eDNA and proteins) that facilitate the formation of biofilms in order to present an overview of our current knowledge and the questions that remain regarding BP biofilms.

Disease-resistant Transgenic Arabidopsis Carrying the expI Gene from Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum SL940

  • Lee, Joo-Hee;Hong, Ja-Bin;Hong, Sang-Bin;Choi, Min-Seon;Jeong, Ki-Yong;Park, Hyoung-Joon;Hwang, Duk-Ju;Lee, Seung-Don;Ra, Dong-Soo;Heu, Sung-Gi
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.183-190
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    • 2008
  • Plant-cell-wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum are the key virulence factor in pathogenesis of soft rot disease of vegetables. The production of PCWDEs is controlled in a cell density dependent manner to avoid the premature production of PCWDEs and subsequent activation of plant defense. N-oxoacyl-homoserine lactone (OHL) is essential for quorum sensing in the soft rot pathogen and the expI gene is responsible for OHL production. The ExpI homolog isolated from P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum SL940 had 94% identity with ExpI of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora scc3193 and 74% identity with Carl of E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica. The transgenic plants that express exp I uner the control of CaMV35S promoter were able to produce diffusible OHL. Transgenic plants producing OHL were very resistant to the infection of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Since the PR1 gene was strongly induced and NPR1 and NPR4 were induced weakly in transgenic plants compared to the wild type, salicylic acid-dependent pathways is likely involved in the resistance to the soft rot pathogen P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in ExpI transgenic plants.

Characteristics of Developmental Stages in Bacterial Biofilm Formation (세균 생물막 형성의 단계별 특징)

  • Kim Chang-Beom;Rho Jong-Bok;Lee Hyun-Kyung;Choi Sang Ho;Lee Dong-Hun;Park Soon-Jung;Lee Kyu-Ho
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.1-8
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    • 2005
  • Since Anton van Leeuwen­hoek first observed a surface-associated multicellular structure of bacterial cells in the 17th century, it has been shown to exhibit an ability to form a biofilm by numerous bacterial species. The biofilm formation is composed of distinct developmental stages, which include an attachment/adhesion of a single cell, a proliferation toward monolayered coverage, a propagation to aggregated microcolony, a maturation to 3-dimensional structure, and subsequently a local degradation. Investigation to identify the essential factors for bacterial biofilm formation has been performed via classical genetic approaches as well as recently developed technologies. The initial stage requires bacterial motility provided by a flagellum, and outermembrane components for surface signal interaction. Type IV-pilus and autoaggregation factors, e.g., type I-fimbriae or Ag43, are necessary to reach the stages of monolayer and micro colony. The mature biofilm is equipped with extracellular polymeric matrix and internal water-filled channels. This complex architecture can be achieved by differential expressions of several hundred genes, among which the most studied are the genes encoding exopolysaccharide biosyntheses and quorum-sensing regulatory components. The status of our knowledge for the biofilms found in humans and natural ecosystems is discussed in this minireview.

Regulation of the Edwardsiella tarda Hemolysin Gene and luxS by EthR

  • Fang, Wang;Zhang, Min;Hu, Yong-Hua;Zhang, Wei-wei;Sun, Li
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.19 no.8
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    • pp.765-773
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    • 2009
  • Edwardsiella tarda is a pathogen with a broad host range that includes human and animals. The E. tarda hemolysin (Eth) system, which comprises EthA and EthB, is a noted virulence element that is widely distributed in pathogenic isolates of E. tarda. Previous study has shown that the expression of ethB is regulated by iron, which suggests the possibility that the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is involved in the regulation of ethB. The work presented in this report supports the previous findings and demonstrates that ethB expression was decreased under conditions when the E. tarda Fur ($Fur_{Et}$) was overproduced, and enhanced when $Fur_{Et}$ was inactivated. We also identified a second ethB regulator, EthR, which is a transcription regulator of the GntR family. EthR represses ethB expression by direct interaction with the ethB promoter region. In addition to ethB, EthR also modulates, but positively, luxS expression and AI-2 production by binding to the luxS promoter region. The expression of ethR itself is subject to negative autoregulation; interference with this regulation by overexpressing ethR during the process of infection caused (i) drastic changes in ethB and luxS expressions, (ii) vitiation in the tissue dissemination and survival ability of the bacterium, and (iii) significant attenuation of the overall bacterial virulence. These results not only provide new insights into the regulation mechanisms of the Eth hemolysin and LuxS/AI-2 quorum sensing systems but also highlight the importance of these systems in bacterial virulence.