• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.680-685
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• 2004

The capability of lactic acid bacteria (LABs) to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells and vaginal epithelial cells is an important factor in the formation of a barrier to prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the ability to coaggregate with pathogens and production of antimicrobial agents also allow LABs to fight against pathogens. In this work, Weissella confusa PL9001 was tested for its ability to inhibit the growth and adherence of genitourinary pathogens, including Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), isolated from the urine of hospitalized female patients. W. confusa PL9001 was found to coaggregate with the four pathogens, as observed with a light microscope and scanning electron microscope. In competition, exclusion, and displacement tests, the adherence of the pathogens to T24 bladder epithelial cells was also inhibited by W. confusa PL9001. Accordingly, these results suggest that W. confusa PL9001 is potentially useful for both preventive and therapeutic treatment of genitourinary infections.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.248.1-248
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• 2000

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.660-666
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• 2005

The intestinal microbiota are important to the host with regard to resistance they impart against bacterial infections and their involvement in mediating metabolic functions. Lactic acid producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus play an important physiological role in these matters. The aim of the present study was to isolate Lactobacillus sp. that inhibits enteric pathogens. Initially, 17 isolates from healthy Koreans were collected on Lactobacillus selective medium. Resistance of the isolates to antibiotics including rifampicin, streptomycin, clindamycin and vancomycin was measured. One of the isolate was identified as Lactobacillus ruminus on the basis of bacterial cell morphology, cultural characteristic and biochemical characteristics, 16S rRNA sequence analysis and PCR-RAPD. Antimicrobial activity of the bacterium against Vancomycin Intermediate Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) was measured. About $10^4$ cells of VISA or VRE were mixed with 1, 5, and 9 mL of L. ruminus SPM 0211 and the final volume was adjusted to 10 mL with brain heart infusion (BHI) broth. The cell suspension was incubated for 3, 6, 9, and 24 h, serially diluted and then plated on BHI agar plates. As numbers of L. ruminus SPM 0211 were increased, viable cell count of VISA and VRE decreased. The strongest antimicrobial activity of SPM 0211 was observed after 9 h incubation in any mixture, almost completely inhibiting the growth of these two bacteria. The results suggest that the freshly isolated L. ruminus SPM 0211 may be used as a pro-biotic microbe that prevents the colonization of enteric pathogens and can thereby promote good gastrointestinal health.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.346-354
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• 2008

The combined effects of EDTA-Tris and eighteen antimicrobial agents have been evaluated in eight clinically isolated methicillin-resistant bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis and Streptococcus agalactiae) from bovine mastitis. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by measuring the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the antibiotics alone or in combination with EDTA-Tris in Mueller-Hilton broth and milk. Combined use of EDTA-Tris and antibiotics potentiated or antagonized activity of antibiotics against mastitic pathogens. Milk increased the antibiotic potency of erythromycin and spiramycin on S. aureus. Culture in milk changed patterns of EDTA-Tris combinational effects compared with that in standard Mueller-Hilton broth. Combined with EDTA-Tris in milk, synergic effects were observed in colistin, dihydrostreptomycin, kanamycin, erythromycin, gentamycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin to E. coli, Str. uberis, and Str. agalactiae. However, significant antagonistic effects of milk on antibiotic susceptibility in combination with EDTA-Tris were noted in neomycin, streptomycin, penicillin, roxithromycin, and amoxicillin. This study indicates that combination therapy of EDTA-Tris with antibiotics in bovine mastitis should be used with caution because of the possible antagonistic effects of antibiotic combination with EDTA-Tris on mastitic pathogens. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility test in combination with EDTA-Tris in milk culture condition can be benefit in search of effective treatment regimen for some antibiotic-resistant bacteria of mastitis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.327-335
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• 2016

A novel Amycolatopsis strain KCTC 29142 was isolated and characterized based on the polyphasic taxonomic analysis including morphological observation, phylogenetic analysis, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics. The ethyl acetate extract of strain KCTC 29142 culture broth showed strong antibacterial activity and the active compound was identified as siderochelin A, a ferrous-ion chelating compound. In this study, siderochelin A showed good activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumanii, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The minimum inhibitory activity against clinical isolates was also determined.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.543-550
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• 2020

Mosquitoes are globally distributed and important vectors for the transmission of many human diseases. Mosquito control is a difficult task and the cost of preventing mosquito-borne diseases is much lower than that for curing the associated diseases. Thus, chemical control remains the most effective tool for mosquito. Due to the long-term intensive use of insecticides to control mosquito vectors, resistance to most chemical insecticides has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between insecticide resistance and target site mutation of L1014 kdr and G119 ace alleles in 5 species/species group of mosquitoes (Aedes vexans, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles spp., Culex pipiens complex, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus) obtained from 6 collection sites. For Anopheles spp., the proportion of mosquitoes with mutated alleles in L1014 was 88.4%, homozygous resistant genotypes were observed in 46.7%, and heterozygous resistant genotypes were observed in 41.8%. For the Cx. pipiens complex and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus species, homozygous resistant genotypes were found in 25.9% and 9.8%, respectively. However, target site mutation of L1014 in the Ae. vexans nipponii and Ae. albopictus species was not observed. Anopheles spp., Cx. pipiens complex, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes were resistant to deltamethrin and chlorpyriphos, whereas Ae. vexans nipponii and Ae. albopictus were clearly susceptible. We also found a correlation between the resistance phenotype and the presence of the L1014 kdr and G119 ace mutations only in the Anopheles spp. population. In this study, we suggest that insecticide resistance poses a growing threat and resistance management must be integrated into all mosquito control programs.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.331-342
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• 2014

Given the lack of a resistant genetic pool in host plants, the introduction of exotic invasive pathogens can result in epidemics that affect a specific ecosystem and economy. Plant quarantine, which is designed to protect endemic plant resources, is a highly invaluable safeguard that should keep biosecurity with increasing international trade and global transportation. A total of 34 species of plant pathogens including Phytophthora infestans were documented as introduced from other countries into Korea from 1900 to 2010. The genus Phytophthora, classified in oomycetes, includes more than 120 species that are mostly recognized worldwide as highly invasive plant pathogens. After 2000, over 50 new species of Phytophthora were identified internationally as plant pathogens occurring in crops and forest trees. In Korea, Phytophthora is also one of the most serious plant pathogens. To date, 22 species (about one-fifth of known species) of the genus have been identified and reported as plant pathogens in the country. The likelihood of new exotic Phytophthora species being introduced into Korea continues to increase, thus necessitating intensive plant quarantine inspections. As new potential threats to plant health in Korea, six Phytophthora species, namely, P. alni, P. inundata, P. kernoviae, P. pinifolia, P. quercina, and P. ramorum, are discussed in this review with focus on history, disease, biology, management, and plant quarantine issues.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.255-265
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• 2016

Objectives: Mobile phones have become one of the most essential accessories in daily life. However, they may act as reservoir of infectious pathogens if they are used without hygienic practices in their handling. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate food-borne pathogens from mobile phones and investigate the characteristics of toxin genes and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods: A total of 146 mobile phones were collected from 83 middle- and 63 high-school students in Busan. The surfaces of the mobile phones were aseptically swabbed. Results: Among the food-borne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli were detected in 26 (17.8%), 20 (13.7%) and four (2.7%) samples, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences according to school level, gender or phone type. None of four E. coli strains had pathogenic toxic genes. All of the B. cereus strains carried at least three different toxin genes among the nine enterotoxin and emetic toxin genes. Three out of 20 B. cereus strains (15%) possessed emetic toxin genes, which are rarely detected in food-poisoning cases in Korea. Among the 26 strains of S. aureus, the detection rate of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, toxic shock syndrome toxin (tsst) and factors essential for methicillin resistance (femA) were 84.6%, 7.7% and 100%, respectively. In the antibiotic susceptibility test, there was no methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Conclusion: The results show that students' mobile phones in Busan were contaminated by food-borne pathogens which carried various toxic genes. Therefore, regular phone disinfection and hand hygiene is important in order to reduce cross-contamination.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.75-83
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• 2021

Odontogenic infection in the oral and maxillofacial regions caused by bacteria (mostly of oral origin) is one of the most common diseases encountered by dentists. Localized infection can easily be treated with incision and drainage followed by antibiotics. Emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria called "Superbacteria" has become one of the serious problems in modern society, due to its small window of opportunity for treatment and high casualty. The acronym "ESKAPE", encompassing the common and serious MDR pathogens stand for Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. Literature search was performed in Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar ranging from 2012 to 2020. ESKAPE patient's infection period was longer than that of non-ESKAPE group, and the treatment method due to antibiotic resistance was also complicated. The purpose of this study is to investigate infection caused by ESKAPE pathogens in the oral and maxillofacial regions through literature review and to inform dental surgeons of the danger of ESKAPE pathogens and to suggest viable treatment options. Many studies worldwide reported infections associated with ESKAPE pathogens, but only limited number of studies targeted infection in oral and maxillofacial regions. Further research is required with more data on ESKAPE bacteria and their infection, especially in oral and maxillofacial regions.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2008

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), one of the most important food crops, is susceptible to a number of devastating fungal pathogens in addition to bacterial and other pathogens. Producing disease-resistant cultivars has been an effective and useful strategy to combat the attack of pathogens. Potato was transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 harboring chitinase, (ChiC) isolated from Streptomyces griseus strain HUT 6037 and bialaphos resistance (bar) genes in a binary plasmid vector, pEKH1. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that the ChiC and bar genes are integrated into the genome of transgenic plants. Different insertion sites of the transgenes (one to six sites for ChiC and three to seven for bar) were indicated by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from the transgenic plants. Expression of the ChiC gene at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level was confirmed by Northern blot analysis and that of the bar gene by herbicide resistance assay. The results obviously confirmed that the ChiC and bar genes are successfully integrated and expressed into the genome, resulting in the production of bialaphos-resistant transgenic plants. Disease-resistance assay of the in vitro and greenhouse-grown transgenic plants demonstrated enhanced resistance against the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani (causal agent of early blight).