• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2022

Objective: Male genital tract infections have been associated with infertility, and Escherichia coli has drawn increasing attention as an important bacterium in this context. This investigation aimed to characterize and compare the distributions of O-antigen serogroups of E. coli in the semen samples of fertile and infertile men. Methods: In this case-control study, semen samples were collected from 618 fertile and 1,535 infertile men. The E. coli-positive samples were evaluated in terms of concentration, morphology, viability, and motility parameters according to the World Health Organization 2010 guidelines. Finally, different serogroups of E. coli were identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction targeting the O-antigen variations of the bacterium. Results: The prevalence of E. coli among fertile men was significantly higher than among infertile men (p<0.001). The sperm morphology, viability, and motility in the E. coli-positive fertile group were significantly higher than in the E. coli-positive infertile group (p<0.001). E. coli O6 was the most prevalent serogroup found in both groups. However, there was no significant difference in the frequency of different serogroups of E. coil between the two groups (p=0.55). Conclusion: Despite the higher prevalence of E. coli among fertile men, E. coli had more detrimental effects on semen parameters in infertile men. There was no significant difference in E. coli serogroups between the fertile and infertile groups.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.520-528
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• 2021

Plesiomonas shigelloides, a member of the family Vibrionaceae, is a gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium with flagella. P. shigelloides has been isolated from such sources as freshwater, surface water, and many wild and domestic animals. P. shigelloides contains 102 O-antigens and 51 H-antigens. The diversity of O-antigen gene clusters is relatively poorly understood. In addition to O1 and O17 reported by other laboratories, and the 12 O serogroups (O2, O10, O12, O23, O25, O26, O32, O33, O34, O66, O75, and O76) reported previously by us, in the present study, nine new P. shigelloides serogroups (O8, O17, O18, O37, O38, O39, O44, O45, and O61) were sequenced and annotated. The genes for the O-antigens of these nine groups are clustered together in the chromosome between rep and aqpZ. Only O38 possesses the wzm and wzt genes for the synthesis and translocation of O-antigens via the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter pathway; the other eight use the Wzx/Wzy pathway. Phylogenetic analysis using wzx and wzy showed that both genes are diversified. Among the nine new P. shigelloides serogroups, eight use wzx/wzy genes as targets. In addition, we developed an O-antigen-specific PCR assay to detect these nine distinct serogroups with no cross reactions among them.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2022

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is main causative agent of urinary tract infections. They are classified based on various types of O antigen. UPEC strains commonly possess many genes encoding virulece-associated factors. E. coli strains are generally divided into four main phylogenetic groups. The virulence factor (VF) profiles of UPEC are related with their O-serogroups in each strains. A total of 681 strains of UPEC clinical isolates were collected from Korean healthcare facility (1989: 123 strains and 2010-2014: 558 strains). The UPEC clinical isolates were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. A total of 14 O-serotypes (O1, O2, O4, O6, O7, O8, O15, O16, O18, O21, O22, O25, O75 and O83), 6 virulence factors (papC, fimG/H, sfaD/E, hly1, cnf1 and usp) and phylogenetic groups were identified. The most prevalent O-serogroups were O6 (11.1%) in 1989 UPEC strains and O25 (21.0%) in 2010-2014 UPEC strains. The identified VFs, phylogenetic groups in 1989 UPEC strains and 2010-2014 UPEC strains were fimG/H and B2 group. In this study, O6 serotype was revealed the close relationships with VFs. Also, the distribution of prevalence O-serogroups of UPEC has been changed from O6 to O25 and virulence of UPEC strains was increased during past twenty-one years.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.457-462
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• 2009

The present study was conducted to investigate the capsular serogroups and distribution of toxA gene of Pasteurella (P.) multocida isolated from pneumonic lung lesions of swine in Korea. A total number of 91 (36.3%) P. multocida isolated from 251 lung lesions. P. multocida isolates were typed for capsular serogroup and toxA gene by polymerase chain reaction. Of the 91 strains, serogroup A and D were 69 strains (75.8%) and 22 strains (24.2%), respectively. Sixty one strains (67.0%) out of 91 strains were detected as toxA gene, and 47 strains (77.0%) and 14 strains (23.0%) belongs to serogroup A and D, respectively.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 1987

Adherence to HEp-2 cells has been proposed as a virulence characteristic of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). The role of the HEp-2 adherent E. coli was evaluated in a group of children with endemic diarrhea admitted to Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul, Korea. HEp-2-adherent E. coli was detected in fecal samples of 59 (59%) of 100 cases and ten (22.7%) of 44 concurrent control children (p<0.0005). Adherence was exhibited by 15 serogroups and subgroups, but within these groups more than one adherence pattern was frequently observed. Of 17 strains belonging to traditional infantile EPEC serogroups, 12(70.6%) gave a positive adherence. Of 45 enterotoxin producing strains, 24 (53.3%) gave a positive adherence. HEp-2-adherent strains that did not belong to classic EPEC serogroups and did not produce heat-stable and/or heat-labile enterotoxins(referred as enteroadherent E. coli, EAEC) was found in 29 (29%) of the patients with diarrhea and in six (13.6%) of the well children (p<0.05). From 22 of the 29 cases, no pathogen other than EAEC was isolated. These findings strongly implicate EAEC as the cause of diarrhea in the children. Our study supports the concept that EAEC may be an important cause of endemic diarrhea in Korean children.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.245-251
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• 1987

A total of 145 strains of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. isolated from the fecal specimens of 108 cattle, 120 pigs and 104 chickens. The isolation rates of Campylobacter jejuni from cattle, pigs and chickens were 36.1%, 38.3% and 28.8%, respectively. In the biotyping of 115 strains of C. jejuni, 49.6% were belonged to biotype I, 33.9% biotype II, 10.4% biotype IV and 6.1 % biotype III. Twenty-eight strains of C. coli were 78.6% of biotype I, 21.4% biotype II. Two strains of C. laridis belonged to biotype I and II. One hundred of 105 C. jejuni cultures were typable serologically and represented 13 serogroups Serotype 4, 5, 26, 27 and 36 were encountered most frequently. Eighteen of 23 C. coli cultures were typable serologically and represented 6 serogroups. Serotype 8, 20, 21 and 31 were encountered most frequently. In the comparison of frequency of serotype between animal species, serotypes 4, 30, 5, 26 and 27 were encountered relatively common in the cattle source isolates, serotypes 26 and 36 in the pigs, and 36 and 17 in the chickens. The serotypes of C. coli encountered most frequently were serotype 8 and 31.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.773-778
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate three verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) detection kits to detect the presence of VT genes: Doupath Verocytotoxin (GLISA) developed by MERCK, ProsPect Shiga Toxin E. coil (STEC) Microplate Assay (ELISA) developed by Remel, and a polymerase chain reaction method. Our laboratory verified artificially inoculated samples. All three methods could detect very low numbers of VTEC, but VT-PCR had the best sensitivity for VTEC detection. From April through September 2005, 257 ground-beefs from supermakets and traditional markets were examined for the presence of VTEC by polymerase chain reaction immediately after purchase and total viable counts (TVC) were determined. VTEC was isolated from 30 of 257 ground-beefs. A variety of serogroups was found, including 10 stains belonging to the virulence type EHEC, but major serogroups such as O157, O26 and O111 were nor found.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.287-295
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• 1990

The purpose of this study was the examination for presence of pilus antigen, O serogroups, colicin production, antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid profiles among E coli isolated from diarrheal piglets and fattening pigs in Taegu province. Of 145 E coli isolated, 98 strains (67.4%) possesed pilus antigens which belonged to either K88 (47.6%), K99 (11.7%) or 987P (8.3%) types. Fifty-nine strains (40.7%) were classified into tenO serogroups and their types were O8 (22.0%), O20(16.9%), O141(15.3%), O9(10.2%), O45(10.2%), O139(8.5%), O064(6.8%), O149(5.0%), O157(3.4%), and O115(1.7%). Thirty-three strains (22.8%) were colicinogenic and 6 strains (4.1%) were hemolytic. One hundred and thirty-nine strains (95.9%) of 145 E coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, rifampicin and nalidixic acid, alone or in combination thereof. Ninety strains (64.7%) of 139 drug resistant strains carried R factor (R) which were transferable to the recipient by conjugation. In gel electrophoresis for the isolation of plasmid DNA, the number of plasmid DNA band varied from 2 to 11 in 16 E coli with pilus antigen. It's molecular weight ranged from 1.0 to 60.0 megadalton.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 1987

The role of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli(EPEC) was evaluated in a group of children with endemic diarrhea admitted to Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul, Korea. EPEC was detected in fecal samples of 23% of 100 cases and 4.5% of 44 concurrent control children. The most commonly isolated EPBC strains were serogroups $O_{18a}O_{18c}:K_{77},\;O_{86a}:K_{61},\;O_{119}:K_{69},\;and\;O_{128}:K_{70}$. On testing for enterotoxin production, 6(26%) strains were isolated from 17% of the 100 diarrheal children and in 4.5% of the 44 well controls(P<0.05). Our study supports the concept that EPEC may be an important cause of endemic diarrheas in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 1989

Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) is one of the most important pathogens for inland fish farming and had been first reported in Korea from returning adult chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) at hatcheries on the east coast. During the past years, several viruses identified as IPNV were isolated not only from chum salmon, but also from gold fish (Carassius auratus), eel(Anguilla japonica), and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). An isolate, coded DRT, from fingerlings of pan-cultured rainbow trout in Daechung Dam showed different serotype from three known reference serogroups of IPNV such as VR-299, Sp, and Ab. Antisera to three of these serotypes, however, partially neutralized the infectivity of this isolate. Anti-Sp type was rather effective than either anti-VR-299 or anti-Ab, implying DRT could be more closely related to Sp. DRT has been purified and its RNA genome segments were compated showing that the isolate does not belong to any of known serogroups even with some common antigenicity.