• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.320-326
• /
• 2003

In order to identify Vibrio vulnificus in the Yellow Sea near Gunsan, Korea during the early and late summers, the efficiency of the real-time quantitative TaqMan PCR was compared to the efficiency of the conventional PCR and Biolog identification system^TM. Primers and a probe were designed from the hemolysin/cytolysin gene sequence of V. vulnificus strains. The number of positive detections by real-time quantitative TaqMan PCR, conventional PCR, and the Biolog identification system from seawater were 53 (36.8%), 36 (25%), and 10 strains (6.9%), respectively, among 144 samples collected from Yellow Sea near Gunsan, Korea. Thus, the detection method of the real-time quantitative TaqMan PCR assay was more effective in terms of accuracy than that of the conventional PCR and Biolog system. Therefore, our results showed that the real-time TaqMan probe and the primer set developed in this study can be applied successfully as a rapid screening tool for the detection of V. vulnificus.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.278-285
• /
• 1998

The microdilution assay recommended by NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) is one of the standardized methods of antibiotic susceptibility test. This method has been widely used clinically to obtain MIC values of antibiotics on pathogenic microorganisms. It is more convenient, rapid and simple to test many samples than other test methods such as agar diffusion assay and broth macrodilution assay. The screening of antimicrobial agents from microbial extracts is too laborious in its process. Therefore, a number of screening methods having more simple procedure have been developed. In our laboratory, we applied microdilution assay for screening the antimicrobial agents. This assay showed dose-response results and was more sensitive than disc diffusion assay in our system. We tested 200 samples of microbial extracts originated from 100 microbial strains and selected several samples as potential candidates. In this report, we show that the microdilution assay is more convenient method in screeing of antibiotic susceptibility than those previously reported.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.40-51
• /
• 2006

Purpose: A personal computer-based system was developed for automated metabolic profiling of organic aciduria and aminoacidopathy by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and data interpretation for the diagnosis of metabolic disorders Methods: For automatic data profiling and interpretation, we compiled retention time, two target ions and their intensity ratio for 77 organic acids and 13 amino acids metabolites. Metabolites above the cut-off values were flagged as abnormal compounds. The data interpretation was a based on combination of flagged metabolites. Diagnostic or index metabolites were categorized into three groups, "and", "or" and "NO" compiled for each disorder to improve the specificity of the diagnosis. Groups "and" and "or" comprised essential and optional compounds, respectively, to reach a specific diagnosis. Group "NO" comprised metabolites that must be absent to make a definite diagnosis. We tested this system by analyzing patients with confirmed Propionic aciduria and others. Results: In all cases, the diagnostic metabolites were identified and correct diagnosis was founded to be made among the possible disease suggested by the system. Conclusion: The study showed that the developed method could be the method of choices in rapid, sensitive and simultaneous screening for organic aciduria and amino acidopathy with this simplified automated system.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.223-230
• /
• 2002

The rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) might be a new tool for performance of an environmental impact assessment (EIA), comparing with many traditional methods of EIA, which have produced large reports setting out the subjective judgement reached by the assessors. The main criticisms of E1A are in part a natural result of the traditional method used. RIAM uses a structured matrix to allow for such judgement, both subjective and those based on quantitative data, to be made on a like-by-like basis, and provided a transparent and permanent record of the judgement made. Also, the computerized RIAM system using software program allows for the matrix to be shown in graphical form, which greatly enhances the clarity of the results produced by this method. RIAM provides a system by which development options and scenarios can be rapidly evaluated. To illustrate the use of RIAM, an example from an EIA study using application of scoping by assessment criteria in Environmental Impact Regulation of Korea was given. The criteria that might be used to evaluation EIA methods, and how RIAM measures up against these criteria, are discussed.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.207-214
• /
• 2003

This study was carried out to establish a novel bioassay system for screening of compounds affecting aromatic amino acid or anthocyanin biosynthesis through investigating a degree of sucrose-induced anthocyanin formation such as size of plant material, buffer conditions, light intensity and irradiated duration, incubation temp., etc were determined and standard procedure (suitable experimental condition) was set up as follows. The second leaf blade of white corn seeding induced by fluridone treatment were segmented into a size of 5${\times}$5 min. The segments were floated on the solution of 1% sucrose in 1.0mM MES buffer (pH6.0∼6.5) and incubated at 26$^{\circ}C$ for 2days under the continuous light condition(70∼100$\mu$mol m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ ). Anthocyanin in the purpled tissues was extracted with methanol containing 1% HCl and the optical density of the clear supematants was determined at 528mm. Influences of some chemicals were tested using this system. Glyphosate, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase inhibitor, showed most sensitive response with I$_{50}$ value at 3.3$\mu$M. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide(DCCD) and parachloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid(PCMBS) had a relatively strong ingibition with I50 value at 7.1$\mu$M and 10.2$\mu$M, respectively. These results show that sucrose-induced anthocyanin formation in white com leaf segment provide a very simple and rapid system for searching new compounds affecting aromatic amino acid or anteocyanin biosynthesis by screening at less than 10$\mu$M.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.308-314
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to establish a fluorescence assay system for high efficient mass screening of the herbicides causing rapid membrane peroxidation, based on the fact that peroxide in cellular leakage could be fluorometrically determined through the fuorescent compounds formed after reacting with homovanillic acid (HVA) and peroxidase (HRP). The assay procesure established in this study was as follows. Only single disc (4 mm diameter) excised from cucumber cotyledon is placed on the well containing test solution ($200{\mu}L$) with 96-well microplate. The plate is shaking-incubated for 8 h under light condition. Then after removing the cucumber disc, HVA and HRP are supplied in the medium buffer and incubated for 5 min at room temperature. Fluorescence values are determined at Ex 320 nm/Ex 425 nm. The higher fluorescence values are obtained in the treatment of chemical having higher herbicidal activity. Using this assay with 96-well microplates, a large number of herbicides inducing rapid membrane peroxidation seemed to be screened more efficiently than spectrophotometric microtiter assay reported previously.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.349-354
• /
• 2006

The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates many of the biological and toxicological effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin) and related chemicals. The application of recombinant reporter plasmid such as the firefly luciferase gene has proven to be a very effective method to detect these chemicals. The bioassay system, CALUX, is sensitive in directly detecting AhR-agonists from a variety of environmental and biologic materials. However, responses of the AhR-dependent bioassays are dependent on the cell types used. Thus, we developed a sensitive bioassay using the recombinant mouse hepatoma cell (Hepa1c1c7) for the determination of dioxins. The recombinant cell line was stably transfected with firefly luciferase reporter gene (pGudLuc1.1). The transfected cells showed the highest induction of luciferase activity at 4.5 hr and a decrease beyond this time point. The system showed the highest sensitivity of detection ever reported. Upon TCDD exposure cells showed 2 fold increase at 10 pM and 7 fold increase at 100 pM, respectively. The passage number after the transfection played an important role in the sensitivity. The increase of passage number tended to increase the sensitivity of the cells up to 15. The media without phenol red showed a higher induction rate than with phenol red, suggesting the preferable use of phenol red-free media for the bioassay. Since each of the assays has unique characteristics that make them suitable for some screening applications and not others, development of sensitive bioanalytical methods based on a variety of cellular systems in a key to the successful determination of dioxins. The bioassay system developed in this study will contribute to further development of successful screening the AhR agonists among the environmental mixture. In addition, the rapid and sensitive nature of this cellular system can be applied as a valuable tool to screen the dioxin-like moieties among the prodrugs at the initial stage, thereby expediting the new drug discovery.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.317-322
• /
• 2002

To improve conventional yeast one-hybrid screening, we have developed an efficient mammalian one-hybrid system that allows rapid isolation of com-plementary DNAs which are able to induce human p14$^{ARF}$. tumor suppressor gene. A 1.5 kb promoter region of p14$^{ARF}$ was fused to EGFP to generate ARF promoter-EGFP reporter vector. This reporter plasmid was stably trans-fected into NIH3T3 cells for generation of reporter cell line. When the reporter cell line was infected with E2F-1 together with excess amounts of empty vector, the cells that received the positive modulator were readily identifiable by green fluorescence using FACS. The GFP-positive cells were cloned directly from the cultured cells and expanded in bulk culture. The genomic DNAs from GFP-positive cells were prepared and the CDNA insert in integrated retroviral genome was recovered by PCR using primers annealing to the retroviral vector sequences flanking the insert-cloning site. This system should be useful for efficient screening of expression CDNA libraries in mammalian cells to identify novel upstream regulators for spe-cific genes by one-hybrid interaction.ion.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.326-329
• /
• 2020

Valuable natural compounds produced by a variety of microorganisms can be used as lead molecules for development of new agrochemicals. Furthermore, high-throughput in vitro screening systems with specific modes of action can increase the probability of discovery of new fungicides. In the current study, a rapid assay tested with various microbes was developed to determine the degree of respiratory inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in two different liquid media, YG (containing a fermentable carbon source) and NFYG (containing a non-fermentable carbon source). Based on this system, we screened 100 fungal isolates that were classified into basidiomycetes, to find microbial secondary metabolites that act as respiratory inhibitors. Consequently, of the 100 fungal species tested, the culture broth of an IUM04881 isolate inhibited growth of S. cerevisiae in NFYG medium, but not in YG medium. The result is comparable to that from treatment with kresoxim-methyl used as a control, suggesting that the culture broth of IUM04881 isolate might contain active compounds showing the inhibition activity for respiratory chain. Based on the assay developed in this study and spectroscopic analysis, we isolated and identified an antifungal compound (-)-oudemansin A from culture broth of IUM04881 that is identified as Oudemansiella venosolamellata. This is the first report that (-)-oudemansin A is identified from O. venosolamellata in Korea. Taken together, the development of this assay will accelerate efforts to find and identify natural respiratory inhibitors from various microbes.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.52-59
• /
• 2000

A rapid assay to determine respiration inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by chemicals was developed. S. cerevisiae was harvested with two different liquid media, yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) medium capable of occurring both glucose fermentation and mitochondrial respiration, and non-fermentable carbon-yeast extract (NFY) medium capable of occurring respiration only Wells in 96-well plate were loaded with each cell suspension and various concentrations of 46 fungicides with various modes of action. n NFY medium, the non-fermentable carbon source, ethanol (NFY-E medium), glycerol (NFY-G medium) or lactate (NFY-L medium), was used. After incubation for $1{\sim}3$ days, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the chemicals were recorded in the media. Of the 46 inhibitors employed in this study, four inhibitors of fungal respiration by blockage of electron flux in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, azoxystrobin, kresoxim-methyl, metominostrobin, and trifloxystrobin, exhibited strong antifungal activity in all of NFY media, but no activity in YPD medium. In contrast to this, five N-trihalomethylthio fungicides showed much stronger antifungal activities in YPD medium than three NFY media. Eleven fungicides inhibited growth of S. cerevisiae in all media and the other 26 fungicides showed no antifungal activity in all media. Thus, our rapid and efficient in vitro method can be considered as an alternative assay system for respiration inhibitor.