• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.924-927
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the application of bifidobacteria on kimchi. Among several Bifidobacterium species, we selected Bifidobacterium lactis (DSM 10140), which is resistant to oxygen, acid and salt. Bifidobacterium lactis was cultured in a supplemented deMan, Rogosa and Sharpe (SMRS) medium under aerobic conditions. Its acid-tolerance and salt-tolerance were pH 3.0 and 3.5% (NaCl), respectively. The viability of Bifidobacterium lactis added to kimchi was confirmed by PCR, using specific primers on Bifidobacterium lactis. In sensory evaluation, kimchi containing Bifidobacterium lactis showed similar scores in overall acceptability with the control kimchi. Consequently, these results showed that it would be possible to prepare functional kimchi using Bifidobacterium.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.145-148
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• 2013

Vegetative growth signaling of the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is mediated by GpaA ($G{\alpha}$). FlbA is a regulator of G protein signaling, which attenuates GpaA-mediated growth signaling in this fungus. The flbA deletion (${\Delta}flbA$) and the constitutively active GpaA ($GpaA^{Q204L}$) mutants exhibit enhanced proliferation, precocious autolysis, and reduced asexual sporulation. In this study, we demonstrate that both mutants also show enhanced tolerance against $H_2O_2$ and their radial growth was approximately 1.6 fold higher than that of wild type (WT) in medium with 10 mM $H_2O_2$. We performed quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) for examination of mRNA levels of three catalase encoding genes (catA, cat1, and cat2) in WT and the two mutants. According to the results, while levels of spore-specific catA mRNA were comparable among the three strains, cat1 and cat2 mRNA levels were significantly higher in the two mutants than in WT. In particular, the ${\Delta}flbA$ mutant showed significantly enhanced and prolonged expression of cat1 and precocious expression of cat2. In accordance with this result, activity of the Cat1 protein in the ${\Delta}flbA$ mutant was higher than that of $gpaA^{Q204L}$ and WT strains. For activity of the Cat2 protein, both mutants began to show enhanced activity at 48 and 72 hr of growth compared to WT. These results lead to the conclusion that GpaA activates expression and activity of cat1 and cat2, whereas FlbA plays an antagonistic role in control of catalases, leading to balanced responses to neutralizing the toxicity of reactive oxygen species.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated genetic diversity of 22 microsporidian isolates infecting tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta collected from various geographical forest locations in the state of Jharkhand, India, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based marker assay: random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). A type species, NIK-1s_mys was used as control for comparison. The shape of mature microsporidians was found to be oval to elongate, measuring 3.80 to $5.10{\mu}m$ in length and 2.56 to $3.30{\mu}m$ in width. Of the 20 RAPD primers screened, 16 primers generated reproducible profiles with 298 polymorphic fragments displaying high degree of polymorphism (97%). A total of 14 RAPD primers produced 45 unique putative genetic markers, which were used to differentiate the microsporidians. Calculation of genetic distance coefficients based on dice coefficient method and clustering with un-weighted pair group method using arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis was conducted to unravel the genetic diversity of microsporidians infecting tasar silkworm. The similarity coefficients varied from 0.059 to 0.980. UPGMA analysis generated a dendrogram with four microsporidian groups, which appear to be different from each other as well as from NIK-1s_mys. Two-dimensional distribution based on Euclidean distance matrix also revealed considerable variability among different microsporidians identified from the tasar silkworms. Clustering of few microsporidian isolates was in accordance with the geographic origin. The results indicate that the RAPD profiles and specific/unique genetic markers can be used for differentiating as well as to identify different microsporidians with considerable accuracy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.454-464
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• 2019

Salmonellosis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that threatens both human and poultry health. Tests that can detect Salmonella in the field are urgently required to facilitate disease control and for epidemiological investigations. Here, we combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with a chromatographic lateral flow dipstick (LFD) to rapidly and accurately detect Salmonella. LAMP primers were designed to target the Salmonella invA gene. LAMP conditions were optimized by adjusting the ratio of inner to outer primers, $MgSO_4$ concentration, dNTP mix concentration, amplification temperature, and amplification time. We evaluated the specificity of our novel LAMP-LFD method using six Salmonella species and six related non-Salmonella strains. All six of the Salmonella strains, but none of the non-Salmonella strains, were amplified. LAMP-LFD was sensitive enough to detect concentrations of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Pullorum genomic DNA as low as $89fg/{\mu}l$, which is 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. When artificially contaminated feed samples were analyzed, LAMP-LFD was also more sensitive than PCR. Finally, LAMP-LFD gave no false positives across 350 chicken anal swabs. Therefore, our novel LAMP-LFD assay was highly sensitive, specific, convenient, and fast, making it a valuable tool for the early diagnosis and monitoring of Salmonella infection in chickens.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.194-202
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• 2022

Erwinia amylovora and Erwinia pyrifoliae cause fire blight and black-shoot blight, respectively, in apples and pears. E. pyrifoliae is less pathogenic and has a narrower host range than that of E. amylovora. Fire blight and black-shoot blight exhibit similar symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish one bacterial disease from the other. Molecular tools that differentiate fire blight from black-shoot blight could guide in the implementation of appropriate management strategies to control both diseases. In this study, a primer set was developed to detect and distinguish E. amylovora from E. pyrifoliae by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primers produced amplicons of different sizes that were specific to each bacterial species. PCR products from E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae cells at concentrations of 10⁴ cfu/ml and 10⁷ cfu/ml, respectively, were amplified, which demonstrated sufficient primer detection sensitivity. This primer set provides a simple molecular tool to distinguish between two types of bacterial diseases with similar symptoms.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.310-321
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• 2024

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) are well-known examples of the begomovirus and orthotospovirus genera, respectively. These viruses cause significant economic damage to tomato crops worldwide. Weeds play an important role in the ongoing presence and spread of several plant viruses, such as TYLCV and TSWV, and are recognized as reservoirs for these infections. This work applies a comprehensive approach, encompassing field surveys and molecular techniques, to acquire an in-depth understanding of the interactions between viruses and their weed hosts. A total of 60 tomato samples exhibiting typical symptoms of TYLCV and TSWV were collected from a tomato greenhouse farm in Nonsan, South Korea. In addition, 130 samples of 16 different weed species in the immediate surroundings of the greenhouse were collected for viral detection. PCR and reverse transcription-PCR methodologies and specific primers for TYLCV and TSWV were used, which showed that 15 tomato samples were coinfected by both viruses. Interestingly, both viruses were also detected in perennial weeds, such as Rumex crispus, which highlights their function as viral reservoirs. Our study provides significant insights into the co-occurrence of TYLCV and TSWV in weed reservoirs, and their subsequent transmission under tomato greenhouse conditions. This project builds long-term strategies for integrated pest management to prevent and manage simultaneous virus outbreaks, known as twindemics, in agricultural systems.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 2024

Aeromonas spp. infections have been reported to cause significant economic losses not only in the ornamental fish industry but also in aquaculture. In December 2022-January 2023, an Aeromonas infection occurred on a goldfish in korea, A gram-negative bacterium was isolated from the skin and internal organs of infected goldfish (Carassius auratus). The results showed that the isolate was identified as Aeromonas veronii using 16S rDNA targeted oilgpnucleotide primers, furthermore characteristics of A. veronii was confirmed by enterotoxin gene, infectious experiment, antibiotic resistance. In-vivo pathogenicity of isolates to goldfsh resulted in 100% mortality in challenged host within one week of post experiment injection. As a result of PCR analysis targeting three enterotoxin-encoding genes, cytotoxic enterotoxin (act) was identified in A. veronii isolate in this study. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolate showed it was to susceptible to most antimicrobial agents tested but resistant to ampicillin, imipenem, meropenem and clindamycin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.274-281
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• 2006

A fibrinolytic enzyme gene was isolated from Bacillus subtilis BB-1 by PCR method. Primers for PCR cloning were designed according to pre-identified gene for fibrinolytic enzymes from B. subtilis. The primer sequences were 5'-CGG ATC CGT GAG AGG CAA AAA GGT G-3' and 5'-TGA ATT CTT AAT GTG CTG CTG CTT GTC C-3' as concensus sequences of the fibrinolytic genes of Bacillus species. The PCR product was 1,145 bp and the sequence homology was 99% with nattokinase gene isolated from Japanese natto. The cloned fibrinolytic gene was reconstructed in Bacillus-E. coli shuttle vector, pEB for bulk-production. The fibrinolytic enzyme was purified by FPLC from the cloned B. subtilis 168. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 7.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The fibrinolytic enzyme did not show any activity toward to skim milk, gelatin, casein and blood agar plate. The enzyme specific polyclonal antibody was prepared in rabbit for further assays such as detection of the gene expression in plant cells. This means that the enzyme may be used for health-care such as thrombosis without any hamful effects in the blood vessel.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2001

The emergence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase(ESBL) producing bacteria is causing very serious problems in Korea. Although there have been many reports about these bacteria isolated from patients and clinical specimens, there is no report of ESBL-producing organisms isolated from natural evironment in Korea. This is the first study on the ESBL producing bacteria out of the medical system in Korea. Twenty-six ESBL producing bacteria were isolated only from sewerage plant drain water at Kwang-an beach among the sampling collected sites including snakehead fish plants in Myungi, Aquaculture Engineering Lab. in Pukyong National University and two public-bathrooms in Pusan, Korea. ESBL producing bacteria were identified by double-disk synergy test, conjugation, isoelectric focusing values and PCR. The species of ESBL producing bacteria were Enterobacter cloacae(4 strains), E. sakazakii(8 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae(8 strains) and K. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae(6 strains). TEM and SHV specific PCR products were detected from all the ESBL strains produced TEM+SHV products on the PCR plates. The pI values of ESBL produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae, Enterobacter cloacae, and E. sakazakii were 5.9, 5.9+5.4; 5.9, $5.9+5.4;{\ge}8.5$, 8.0+5.4, and 8.0+5.4, respectively on the IEF. Seven strains of the isolates were transfered their genes to E. coli RG488 $Rif^r$ by conjugation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2009

A cultivation-based approach was employed to compare the culturable bacterial diversity associated with two phylogenetically closely related marine sponges, Spirastrella abata and Spirastrella panis, which have geologically overlapping distribution patterns. The bacteria associated with sponge were cultivated using MA medium supplemented with 3% sponge extracts. Community structures of the culturable bacteria of the two sponge species were analyzed with PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) based on 16S rDNA sequences. The RFLP fingerprinting of 16S rDNA digested with HaeIII and MspI, revealed 24 independent RFLP types, in which 1-5 representative strains from each type were partially sequenced. The sequence analysis showed >98.4% similarity to known bacterial species in public databases. Overall, the microbial populations of two sponges investigated were found to be the members of the classes; Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. The Alphaproteobacteria were predominant in the bacterial communities of the two sponges. Gammaproteobacteria represented 38.5% of bacterial community in S. abata. Whereas only 1.6% of this class was present in S. panis. Bacillus species were dominat in S. panis. Bacillus species were found to be 44.3% of bacterial species in S. panis, while they were only 9.7% in S. abata. It is interesting to note that Planococcus maritimus (8.1%, phylum Firmicutes) and Psychrobacter nivimaris (28.9%, phylum Gammaproteobacteria) were found only in S. abata. This result revealed that profiles of bacterial communities from the sponges with a close phylogenetic relationship were highly species-specific.