• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.150-151
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• 2002

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.217-221
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• 2015

Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans encounters a variety of host defense factors produced in oral cavity. Nitric oxide (NO) and NO-mediated reactive nitrogen species are potential antimicrobials of innate immunity that can threaten the fitness of S. mutans in their ecological niches. Streptococcal strategies to detoxify cytotoxic NO, which allow S. mutans to persist in caries or other environments of the oral cavity, remain unknown. In this study, we directly measured NO consumption rates of S. mutans isolated in Korea. Surprisingly, all S. mutans strains were unable to consume exogenous NO efficiently, while an intracellular parasite Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing the NO-metabolizing enzyme flavohemoglobin consumed most of the NO. This result suggested that S. mutans has alternative detoxification systems for tolerating NO-induced nitrosative stresses.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.33-34
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• 2008

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1130-1140
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• 2023

Among the AAA+ proteases in bacteria, FtsH is a membrane-bound ATP-dependent metalloprotease, which is known to degrade many membrane proteins as well as some cytoplasmic proteins. In the intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, FtsH is responsible for the proteolysis of several proteins including MgtC virulence factor and MgtA/MgtB Mg²⁺ transporters, the transcription of which is controlled by the PhoP/PhoQ two-component regulatory system. Given that PhoP response regulator itself is a cytoplasmic protein and also degraded by the cytoplasmic ClpAP protease, it seems unlikely that FtsH affects PhoP protein levels. Here we report an unexpected role of the FtsH protease protecting PhoP proteolysis from cytoplasmic ClpAP protease. In FtsH-depleted condition, PhoP protein levels decrease by ClpAP proteolysis, lowering protein levels of PhoP-controlled genes. This suggests that FtsH is required for normal activation of PhoP transcription factor. FtsH does not degrade PhoP protein but directly binds to PhoP, thus sequestering PhoP from ClpAP-mediated proteolysis. FtsH's protective effect on PhoP can be overcome by providing excess ClpP. Because PhoP is required for Salmonella's survival inside macrophages and mouse virulence, these data implicate that FtsH's sequestration of PhoP from ClpAP-mediated proteolysis is a mechanism ensuring the amount of PhoP protein during Salmonella infection.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.1144-1172
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• 2022

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolate HJL777 is a virulent bacterial strain in pigs. The high rate of salmonella infection are at high risk of non-typhoidal salmonella gastroenteritis development. Salmonellosis is most common in young pigs. We investigated changes in gut microbiota and biological function in piglets infected with salmonella via analysis of rectal fecal metagenome and intestinal transcriptome using 16S rRNA and RNA sequencing. We identified a decrease in Bacteroides and increase in harmful bacteria such as Spirochaetes and Proteobacteria by microbial community analysis. We predicted that reduction of Bacteroides by salmonella infection causes proliferation of salmonella and harmful bacteria that can cause an intestinal inflammatory response. Functional profiling of microbial communities in piglets with salmonella infection showed increasing lipid metabolism associated with proliferation of harmful bacteria and inflammatory responses. Transcriptome analysis identified 31 differentially expressed genes. Using gene ontology and Innate Immune Database analysis, we identified that BGN, DCN, ZFPM2 and BPI genes were involved in extracellular and immune mechanisms, specifically salmonella adhesion to host cells and inflammatory responses during infection. We confirmed alterations in gut microbiota and biological function during salmonella infection in piglets. Our findings will help prevent disease and improve productivity in the swine industry.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cold plasma combined with UV-C irradiation against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes on lettuce. E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, corresponding to approximately 5.82, 5.09, 5.65 log CFU/g, were inoculated on lettuce, respectively. Then, the lettuce was treated with cold plasma, UV-C and combination (cold plasma + UV-C), respectively. The treated lettuce was stored for 9 days at $4^{\circ}C$ for microbiological analysis and sensory evaluation. Cold plasma reduced the populations of E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes by 0.26, 0.65, and 0.93 log CFU/g, respectively. Each microorganism were reduced by 0.87, 0.88, and 1.14 log CFU/g after UV-C treatment. And, the combined treatment that was treated by cold plasma after UV-C treatment reduced the populations of inoculated microorganisms by 1.44, 2.70, 1.62 log CFU/g, respectively. The all treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the populations of all inoculated bacteria compared to untreated lettuce. UV-C combined with cold plasma was the most effective for reducing the pathogenic bacteria on lettuce, by showing log-reductions of ${\geq}2.0\;log\;CFU/g$. All treatment was not significantly different until 6 day storage compared to control group in terms of appearance, texture and overall acceptability. Therefore, the combined treatment will be an effective intervention method to control the bacteria on lettuce.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.spc1
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• pp.110-117
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• 2005

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium causes human gastroenteritis and a systemic typhoid-like infection in mice. A critical virulence determinant of Salmonella is the ability to invade mammalian cells. The expression of genes required for invasion is tightly regulated by environmental conditions and a variety of regulatory genes. The hilA regulator encodes an OmpR/ToxR family transcriptional regulator that activates the expression of invasion genes in response to both environmental and genetic regulatory factors. Work from several laboratories has highlighted that regulation of hilA expression is a key point for controlling expression of the invasive phenotype. A number of positive regulators of hilA expression have been identified including csrAB, sirA/barA, pstS, hilC/sirC/sprA, fis, and hilD. HilD, an AraC/XylS type transcriptional regulator, is of particular importance as a mutation in hilD results in a 14-fold decrease in chromosomal hilA::Tn5lacZY-080 expression and a 53-fold decrease in invasion of HEp-2 cells. It is believed that HilD directly regulates hilA expression as it has been shown to bind to hilA promoter sequences. In addition, our research group, and others, have identified genes (hilE, hha, pag, and lon) that negatively affect hilA transcription. HilE appears to be an important Salmonella-specific regulator that plays a critical role in inactivating hilA expression. Recent work in our lab has been directed at understanding how environmental signals that affect hilA expression may be processed through a hilE pathway to modulate expression of hilA and the invasive phenotype. The current understanding of this complex regulatory system is reviewed.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2008

This study compared the effects of chlorine dioxide and a commercial chlorine sanitizer for inhibiting foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157 : H7, on lettuce leaves. The lettuce samples were inoculated with each cocktail of the three strains, and were then treated with chemical sanitizers [distilled water, 100 ppm commercial chlorine and 50 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$)] for 1 min, 5 min, and 10 min at room temperature($22{\pm}2^{\circ}C$). Following inoculation of the leaves, initial populations of E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium were approximately 5.54, 4.47, and 5.12 log CFU/g, respectively these levels were not significantly reduced by the treatment with water,whereas the 100 ppm commercial chlorine sanitizer treatment and $ClO_2$ (at all tested concentrations) were effective at reducing levels of all three pathogens. The treatment of 200 ppm $ClO_2$ for 10 min was most effective at inhibiting the three pathogens, and reduction levels of E. coli O157 : H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium were 2.28, 1.95, 1.76 log, respectively. The inhibitory effect of $ClO_2$ increased with increasing treatment concentration of $ClO_2$, but there was no significant difference by the treatment times. When chemically injured cells of E. coli O157 : H7 and L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium were examined by SPRAB and selective overlay methods, respectively, it was observed that the commercial chlorine sanitizer generated greater numbers of injured L. monocytogenes than the $ClO_2$ treatment. From the overall results, $ClO_2$ was more effective at inhibiting pathogenic bacteria compared to the commercial chlorine sanitizer therefore, it has potential to be utilized as an alternative sanitizer to increase the microbial safety of fresh produce.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1560-1568
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• 2013

Salmonella, a main cause of foodborne diseases, encounters a variety of environmental stresses and overcomes the stresses by multiple resistance strategies. One of the general responses to hyperosmotic stress is to import or produce compatible solutes so that cells maintain fluid balance and protect proteins and lipids from denaturation. The ProP and ProU systems are the main transport systems for compatible solutes. The OsmU system, recently identified as a third osmoprotectant transport system, debilitates excessive growth as well by reducing production of trehalose. We studied a fourth putative osmoprotectant transport system, YehZYXW, with high sequence similarity with the OsmU system. A Salmonella strain lacking YehZ, a predicted substrate-binding protein, did not suffer from hyperosmolarity but rather grew more rapidly than the wild type regardless of glycine betaine, an osmoprotectant, suggesting that the YehZYXW system controls bacterial growth irrespective of transporting glycine betaine. However, the growth advantage of ${\Delta}yehZ$ was not attributable to an increase in OtsBA-mediated trehalose production, which is responsible for the outcompetition of the ${\Delta}osmU$ strain. Overexpressed YehZ in trans was capable of deaccelerating bacterial growth vice versa, supporting a role of YehZ in dampening growth. The expression of yehZ was increased in response to nutrient starvation, acidic pH, and the presence of glycine betaine under hyperosmotic stress. Identifying substrates for YehZ will help decipher the role of the YehZYXW system in regulating bacterial growth in response to environmental cues.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2001

Streptococcus mutans is one of the primary bacteria that cause dental caries which further result in plaque build up. Acid production resulted from carbohydrate metabolism can threaten survival of the bacteria. However some populations of S. mutans which are exposed to low acidic condition for a period of time would develop resistance and tolerance of cells to acidity that will enhance the chance of survival. Similar acid tolerances has been reported in case of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium, E. coli, Shigella flexneri. These acid tolerance responses(ATR) have been evolved in a similar manner as S. mutans. The protein produced in acidic condition has been proven to be important for ATR and confirmed by using chloramphenicol procedure. We hypothesize here that proteins synthesized in response to acid shock and other elements are important for ATR of cells. In this study we have confirmed that S. mutans developed acid tolerance and resistance against anaerobic condition. Mutational DNA analysis responsible for acid tolerance should be additionally required in the future. Since the development of acid tolerance that is essential for the survival of S. mutans and development of dental caries, ATR of S. mutans shoule be farther to prevent dental caries.