• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2016

Shigella is a common cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide. Shigella sonnei accounts for 90% of Shigella infections and Shigella flexneri is rarely reported in Korea. Although the incidence of Shigella infection has decreased, the incidence of organisms with antibiotic resistance has gradually increased in Korea. An outbreak of extended-spectrum ${\beta}-lactamase$ (ESBL)-producing S. sonnei in children was reported in Korea; however, ESBL-producing S. flexneri has not yet been reported. We report the first two cases of multidrug-resistant CTX-M-14-producing S. flexneri infections in Korean children.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1616-1621
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• 2007

We have established a SYBR Green-based realtime PCR method using AnyDirect solution, which enhances PCR from whole blood, for direct amplification of the virA gene of Shigella flexneri and the invA gene of Salmonella typhimurium from human feces without prior DNA purification. When we compared the efficiency of conventional or realtime PCR amplification of the virA and invA genes from the supernatant of boiled feces supplemented with S. flexneri and S. typhimurium in the presence or absence of AnyDirect solution, amplification products were detected only in reactions to which AnyDirect solution had been added. The detection limit of real-time PCR was $1{\times}10^4\;CFU/g$ feces for S. flexneri and $2{\times}10^4\;CFU/g$ feces for S. typhimurium; this sensitivity level was comparable to other studies. Our real-time PCR assay with AnyDirect solution is simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific, and allows simultaneous detection of S. flexneri and S. typhimurium directly from fecal samples without prior DNA purification.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.621-629
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• 2021

Shigella flexneri is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes bacillary dysentery in humans. Infection with S. flexneri can result in more than a million deaths yearly and most of the victims are children in developing countries. Therefore, identifying novel and unique drug targets against this pathogen is instrumental to overcome the problem of drug resistance to the antibiotics given to patients as the current therapy. In this study, a comparative analysis of the metabolic pathways of the host and pathogen was performed to identify this pathogen's essential enzymes for the survival and propose potential drug targets. First, we extracted the metabolic pathways of the host, Homo sapiens, and pathogen, S. flexneri, from the KEGG database. Next, we manually compared the pathways to categorize those that were exclusive to the pathogen. Further, all enzymes for the 26 unique pathways were extracted and submitted to the Geptop tool to identify essential enzymes for further screening in determining the feasibility of the therapeutic targets that were predicted and analyzed using PPI network analysis, subcellular localization, druggability testing, gene ontology and epitope mapping. Using these various criteria, we narrowed it down to prioritize 5 novel drug targets against S. flexneri and one vaccine drug targets against all strains of Shigella. Hence, we suggest the identified enzymes as the best putative drug targets for the effective treatment of S. flexneri.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2015

The causative agent of shigellosis, Shigella flexneri, is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterial pathogen that causes one of the most infectious bacterial dysenteries in humans. It originates infection by invading cells of the colonic epithelium using a type III secretion system. Despite S. flexneri is closely linked with the human disease, structural study is very deficient. Here, we have initiated NMR study of SF1002 which is the uncharacterized protein from S. flexneri strain 5a M90T. Based on a series of triple resonance spectra, sequence-specific assignments of the backbone amide resonances of SF1002 could be completed. This NMR study would contribute to the structural genomics of S.flexneri.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-53
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• 1987

Multiply resistant Shigella strains isolated in Taegu area were subjected for the characterization of R plasmids. All strains isolated in 1984 and 1985 were susceptible to gentamicin, amikacin, and cephalothin, and most strains were susceptible to kanamycin (Km) and rifampin by agar dilution antimicrobial susceptibility test. The resistance frequency of S. flexneri against ampicillin (Ap) was higher than that of S. sonnei. The strains resistant to sulfisomidine (Su) and trimethoprim (Tp) were found at higher frequency in S. sonnei than in S. flexneri. The most prevalent resistance pattern of S. flexneri was chloramphenicol (Cm) tetracycline (Tc) streptomycin (Sm) Ap, followed by the pattern of CmTcSmSuApTp, CmTcSmSuApTp nalidixic acid, and CmTcSmSuAp in the decreasing order. The antibiogram of CmTcSmSuTp was found to be the most frequent pattern in S. sonnei. The ratio of conjugal transfer of S. flexneri was 47% and 75% of S. sonnei. The average number of plasmid harboring in Shigella was 4 and the size of plasmid ranged 1.3 to 134 megadalton (Mdal). Most S. flexneri carried plasmids of 2 to 3 Mdal and S. sonnei carried those of 3 to 4 Mdal size. The sizes of conjugative plasmids ranged 40-90 Mdal. The incompatibility group (Inc) F II plasmids (54-59 Mdal) were most frequent and rare Inc B plasmids (60 Mdal) of isolates in 1979 and 1980 and Inc FI (87 Mdal) of 1983 isolates were able to be classified by the colony test with standard reference plasmids. The R plasmids of known Inc group were tested for the restriction endonuclease analysis. The pattern of plasmids digested by EcoRl were apparently different by the Inc group but there was no significant difference between species or by the resistance patterns. Nonconjugative plasmids and their phenotypes were identified by transformation test. The transformants were resistant to less than two drugs. Colicin producing transformants carried the Col plasmid of 3.7 or 3.9 Mdal size. $Ap^r$ plasmids derived from S. sonnei were found to be mobilized by transfer factor RT641 to E. coli #CS100. $Ap^r$ plasm ids of same size shared by S. flexneri, S. sonnei, and E. coli were digested with Pstl. All of them showed two restriction fragments of 2.8 kilobase(kb) and 0.7kb. Other plasmids ($Sm^r\;Su^r$) derived from S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei were digested with Pstl and they showed same restriction fragment patterns of 3.1kb and 2.9kb. The plasmid profiles of three strains of S. sonnei producing colicin and showing same resistance pattern of CmTcSmSuApTpKm appeared to be similar. Restriction patterns by EcoRl and the behavior of plasmids in conjugation or transformation process were also similar between those plasmids. The restriction patterns were significantly different between the plasmids of Inc FI group and those of unclassified Inc group.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1457-1462
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• 2010

Three types of serotypically atypical Shigella flexneri isolates were collected between 2007 and 2008 from Korean patients at the Korea National Institute of Health (NIH). These atypical isolates were characterized and compared with serologically typical S. flexneri. The first grouping of 11 atypical isolates displayed agglutination only with polyB antiserum and exhibited no reaction with any typing or grouping sera (PolyB:un). The second group of 3 isolates displayed reactions with typing sera IV, but also did not bind with any grouping sera (IV:un). The third group of 14 isolates exhibited a plural agglutination pattern, reacting with typing sera II, and two grouping sera (II:(3)4,7(8)). Amongst these atypical isolates, isolates belonging to IV:un and II:(3)4,7(8) exhibited greater antibiotic resistance, in particular to ampicillin, streptomycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, than typical S. flexneri strains. Furthermore, all II:(3)4,7(8) strains harbored integrons. This study suggests that these multiple antibiotic-resistant atypical S. flexneri are new subserotypes of S. flexneri that await further serological classification.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.3 s.87
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• pp.319-325
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the antimicrobial effect of the Forsythiae Fructus extracts against food-borne pathogens. First, Forsythiae Fructus was extracted with methanol at room temperature and the methanol extracts were fractionated by using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The antimicrobial activity of the Forsythiae Fructus extracts was determined by using a paper disc method against food-borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria. The methanol extracts of Forsythiae Fructus showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Salmonella paratryphimurium and Salmonella typhimurium. A synergistic effect in inhibition was observed when Forsythiae Fructus extract was mixed with Ulmus davidiana Japonica extract as compared to each extract alone. Finally, the growth inhibition curves were determined by using ethyl acetate extracts of Forsythiae Fructus against Shigella flexneri and Salmonella paratyphimurium. The aqueous extract of Forsythiae Fructus had strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis at the concentration of 10,000 ppm. At this concentration, the growth of Shigella fexneri was retarded for more than 24 hours and for up to 12 hours for Staphylococcus epidermidis. In conclusion, the methanol extracts of Forsythiae Fructus efficiently inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis and Shigella flexneri.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1606-1610
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• 2005

The effects of Whangkumtang extract and Scutellariae radix extract on the microbial growth were investigated. The antimicrobial activities and cell growth inhibiting effects were investigated to selected strains with different concentrations of Whangkmtang and Scutellariae radix extracts. Whangkmtang and Scutellariae radix extracts showed the antimicrobial activities on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Escherichia coli O111 and Escherichia coli O126. Whangkumtang and Scutellariae radix extracts did not show the antimicrobial activity on Listeriamonocytogenes. Scutellariae radix extract showed the antimicrobial activity on Escherichia coli O157 but Whangkumtang extract did not, Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of Whangkumtang extract for each strain appeared to 40 mg/mL on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cerus, 100 mg/mL on Shigella Flexneri and Salmonella enteritidis. The MICs of Sutellariae radix extract appeared to 10 mg/mL on Bacillus cereus, 20 mg/UL on Staphylococn aureus, Shigellanexneri and Salmonella Enteritidis. Scutellariae radix extract showed the higher antimicrobial activity than Whangkumtang extract. The cell growth inhibitions by Whangkumtang and Scutellariae radix extracts were observed from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, repectively, during 48-hr incubation period.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1184-1189
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• 2002

Allii sativi Bulbus(garlic) have been shown to possess medicinal value, in particular, antimicrobial activity. In this study, we compared the efficacy on some pathogenic bacteria and fungus among several different extracts(water, hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, chloroform) of Allii sativi Bulbus. Animal pathogenic bacteria and fungus(S. gallinarium: KCTC 2441, S. flexneri: KCTC 2361, E. cloacae: KCTC 2006, K. pneumonia: KCTC 2208, C. albicans: KCTC 1940) were used to test by measurement of minimum inhibitory concentrations(MIC) and disc diffusion. Allii sativi Bulbus were cut and mixed with water at 37℃ about 24 h and filtered, and several different solvents(hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol) were respectively added to separate the fraction of each solvent. The antimicrobial(bacteriocidal) and antifungal effect were apparently shown from water extract, hexane and ethyl acetate extract against using strains(Staphylococcus gallinarium, Shigella flexneri, Enterobacter doacae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans). Especially, the water extract showed the superior efficacy. And the clear zone size of water extract (11～27 mm) was greater than that of gentamycin, hexane extract and ethyl acetate extract against S. gallinarium. S. flexneri, K. pneumonia and C. albicans. Minimum inhibitory concentrations(MIC) of water extract appeared to around 2.0～7.5 ㎎/㎖ against S. gallinarium, S. flexneri, E. cloacae and K. pneumonia. The greater activity was shown by water extract because the MIC of water extract for C. albicans observed in very low concentration(<1.0 ㎎/㎖) compared to hexane(5.0 ㎎/㎖) and ethyl acetate(10.0 ㎎/㎖). Therefore, these results exhibited that water extract of Allii sativi Bulbus have stronger antimicrobial activity than hexane and ethyl acetate extract, and may be useful as topical medicine of superficial infections causing C. albicans as well as antifungal agents.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2014

Infection with invasive Shigella species results in intestinal inflammation in humans but no symptoms in adult mice. To investigate why adult mice are resistant to invasive shigellae, 6~8-week-old mice were infected orally with S. flexneri 5a. Shigellae successfully colonized the small and large intestines. Mild cell death was seen but no inflammation. The infected bacteria were cleared 24 hours later. Microarray analysis of infected intestinal tissue showed that several genes that are involved with the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway, a lipid mediator which mediates immune responses, were altered significantly. Shigella infection of a human intestinal cell line modulated host S1P-related genes to reduce S1P levels. In addition, co-administration of S1P with shigellae could induce inflammatory responses in the gut. Here we propose that Shigella species have evasion mechanisms that dampen host inflammatory responses by lowering host S1P levels in the gut of adult mice.