• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.656-662
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• 2000

A high level of Staphylococcus haemolyticus L62 lipase was expressed in an Escherichia coli transformant. The expressed lipase activity in the cell-free extract was 70,800 U/l, which corresponded to 30% of the total cellular protein. Pre-mixing of the l62 lipase with some nonionic detergents enhanced its hydrolytic activity towards olive oil: Tween detergents activated the L62 lipase by 3 fold. Gel filtration chromatography of the Tween-80-L62 lipase mixture demonstrated a polymerized complex (∼180 kDa) formed exclusively between Tween-80 and the L62 lipase. The lipase enzyme in the complex showed a higher specific activity towards most triacylglycerols than the intact L62 lipase. The activity enhancement towards each substrate was quite different depending on the acyl chain length; the activity towards tributyrin, trilinolein, and trilinolenin was much more enhanced than the towards the medium and the long-chain saturated triglycerides.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2016

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have recently become the bacteria most frequently found in clinical infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and molecular characteristics of CNS isolates from dental clinic environments in Busan, Korea. One hundred and fifty-four samples were collected from 10 dental clinics and dental hospitals in Busan from December 2014 to January 2015. Species were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion methods. A polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect mecA, mupA gene, and SCCmec types. Of the 154 samples, 10(6.5%) isolates were identified as CNS (5 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 2 Staphylococcus capitis, 2 Staphylococcus, and 1 Staphylococcus haemolyticus). Among the 10 isolates, 6 were resistant to penicillin, 5 were resistant to gentamicin, 3 were resistant to tetracycline, and 2 were resistant to cefoxitin and erythromycin. However, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, teicoplanin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistant isolates were not present. Genes encoding mecA were detected in 4 (2 S. warneri and 2 S. haemolyticus) isolates, and mupA in 1 (S. epidermidis) isolate. One methicillin-resistant CNS (S. warneri) isolate was determined as being of the SCCmec type I. It is concluded that CNS resistant to various antimicrobial agents was widely distributed in dental clinic environments in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2017

This study was investigated the synergistic effects from the combination of cefalexin and gentamicin (CCG) against Staphylococcus spp. isolated from bovine milk. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index were determined for 16 bacteria from 13 bovine farms in Gyeongsangnam province by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth microdilution procedure. Antimicrobial agents tested included cefalexin, gentamicin and CCG. Against Staphylococcus spp. tested, the MIC ranges of cefalexin, gentamicin and CCG were 0.25~1.0, 0.5~0.125 and $0.06{\sim}0.125{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. In addition, the FIC index ranges of CCG against most of the isolates was 0.28~0.43 and the FIC index of CCG against 2 strains of Staphylococcus haemolyticus (S. haemolyticus) was 0.59. In conclusion, CCG has a high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus isolates, then the combination may be applied for the treatment of bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus spp.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.76-85
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• 2007

The total number of clinical materials collected from Dec 1, 2005 to Nov 30, 2006 in C. hospital was 63,133. Among these materials, the isolation of Staphylococcus spp. was 5,252 strains. The proportions of Staphylococcus species infection were as follows ; 46.7% in S. aureus, 39.3% in S. epidermidis, 4.7% in S. hominis, 3.8% in S. haemolyticus, 2.9% in S. capitis and 2.5% in others. Seventeen strains of Staphylococcus species were identified with an isolation range of 0.02-46.7%. The isolation ratios of Staphylococcus species were 7.8% (2,134/27,362) in female, 8.7% (3,118/35,807) in male and 8.3% (5,252/63,133) in both. The age-related frequencies of Staphylococcus species were 22.1% in the 60-69 year group, 19.3% in the 70-79 year group and 17.1% in the 50-59 year group. The isolation ratio of the 0-49 year group to the 50-over 80 year group were 1.74 times in female, 1.92 in male and 1.85 in both. The isolation frequency of Staphylococcus spp. was at its highest in April (9.9%) and at its lowest in February (6.8%) according to monthly analysis. According to seasonal variation, the isolation frequencies of Staphylococcus spp. were 27.0% in Summer, 25.9% in Spring, 23.9% in Fall and 23.2% in Winter. The clinical departments showing over 9% isolation rate against Staphylococcus spp. were critical care medicine (12.9%), department of pediatrics (11.6%), department of urology (9.8%) and department of neuro-surgery (9.1%). On the other hand, the lowest number was observed in the department of family medicine. The clinical material showing over 15% isolation rate against Staphylococcus spp. were 32.1% in urine (random urine and catheterized urine), 20.6% in blood and 16.0% in sputum.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the airborne microbial pollution in hospital environment. Using a mechanical air sampler, microbiological samples were taken from intensive care unit, general ward room, patients wailing room and outdoor of 20 hospitals in Seoul, Korea. The concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi ranged 97-410 cfu/㎥ and 37-77 cfu/㎥, respectively and patients waiting room had highest bacterial count. 10 genera of molds were identified and the most frequently recovered molds were Aspergillus, followed by Penicillium, Alternaria and Cladosporium. Among Staphylococcus species, S. haemolyticus and S. epidermidis were predominant and 47% of Staphylococcus species were isolated from intensive rare unit.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.615-621
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• 2020

Laccases are multicopper oxidases with important industrial value. In the study, a novel laccase gene (mco) in a Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolate is identified and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Mco shares less than 40% of amino acid sequence identities with the other characterized laccases, exhibiting the maximal activity at pH 4.0 and 60℃ with 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) as a substrate. Additionally, the Mco is tolerant to a wide range of pH, heavy metal ions and many organic solvents, and it has a high decolorization capability toward textile dyes in the absence of redox mediators. The characteristics of the Mco make this laccase potentially useful for industrial applications such as textile finishing. Based on BLASTN results, mco is found to be widely distributed in both the bacterial genome and bacterial plasmids. Its potential role in oxidative defense ability of staphylococci may contribute to the bacterial colonization and survival.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.393-398
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• 2023

We identified mastitis-causing pathogens using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) in an organic dairy farm and evaluated the effects of antimicrobial restriction on antimicrobial susceptibility. A total of 43 Holstein cows without any clinical sign of mastitis were used in this study, and 172 quarter milk samples were cultured on blood agar plates for 24 hours at 37℃. Subsequently, bacterial species were identified and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed. The subclinical mastitis infection rates in the cows and quarters were 58.1% (25/43) and 25.6% (44/172), respectively. In the species identification, Staphylococcus aureus (40.9%) was the most prominent isolate, followed by S. chromogenes (22.7%), S. epidermis (18.2%), S. simulans (11.4%), S. haemolyticus (2.3%), S. muscae (2.3%), and S. xylosus (2.3%). In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, all isolates were 100% susceptible to 24 of 28 antibiotics, except for benzylpenicillin, cefalotin, cefpodoxime, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The resistance rates of S. aureus, S. chromogenes, and S. muscae isolates to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were 27.8%, 10%, and 100%, respectively, and the resistance rates of S. epidermis and S. xylosus to benzylpenicillin were 50% and 100%, respectively. S. chromogenes, S. epidermis, S. simulans, S. haemolyticus, and S. xylosus were resistant to cefalotin and cefpodoxime. In conclusion, restrictions on antimicrobial use for organic dairy farm certification have resulted in a high Staphylococcus spp. infection rate. Therefore, our study indicates the importance of mastitis management strategies implemented by farmers together with veterinary practitioners, even if mastitis does not appear clinically in organic dairy farms.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2002

A lipase of Staphylococcus aureus B56 was purified from a culture supernatant and its molecular weight was estimated to be 45 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The optimum temperature and pH for the hydrolysis of olive oil was $42^{\circ}C$ and pH 8-8.5, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to $55^{\circ}C$ in the presence of $Ca^++$ at pHs 5-11. The lipase gene was cloned using the PCR amplification method. The sequence analysis showed an open reading frame of 2,076 bp, which encoded a preproenzyme of 691 amino acids. The preproenzyme was composed of a signal sequence (37 aa), propeptide (255 aa), and mature enzyme (399 aa). Based on a sequence comparison, lipase B56 constituted of a separate subgroup among the staphylococcal lipase groups, such as S. aureus PS54 and S. haemolyticus L62 lipases, and was distinct from other lipases in their optimum pH and substrate specificity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.340-346
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• 1996

In order to find out if staphylococci occur in significant numbers in Korean fermented fish products, a total of 40 different fermented fish products were collected from different markets in Korea and analyzed for their physico-chemical and microbiological states. The pH, salt concentration and water activity of the products were measured and the total viable cell count and the number of Staphylococcus grown on mannitol salt agar were determined. The identification of the strains of Staphylococcus were made by API Staph Strip and MIS identification kits, and the physiological properties of the identified strains were further characterized by different conventional methods. The pH, salt content and water activity of fermented fish samples varied widely from 4.8 to 7.1, 7.4-28.7$%$ and 0.77-0.84, repectively, depending on the type of product. The total viable cell count varied from $10^4-10^9$ cfu/ml, and most of the samples had $10^5-10^6$ cfu/ml No correlation was found between the viable cell count and the pH, NaCl concentration and water activity of the samples. Among the 35 colonies identified as Staphylococcus strains by the identification kits, S. xylosus was the most frequently occurring strain marking 17, and S. warneri was 8, S. epidermidis 4 and S. cohnii 2. S. hominis, S. saprophyticus, S. haemolyticus and S. aureus were also identified once each. In some samples (K-3, P-6, K-8, G-5 and G-10), 2-3 different species of Staphylococcus were found. Considering the region of sampling, among the 10 samples from Kunsan 5 were identified as S. warneri, while in the other regions S. xylosus was predominant. Although the physiological characteristics of the identified strains were generally consistent with those in Bergey's Manual, some discrepances were also observed. All the strains were highly salt tolerant, growing in the media containing over 18$%$ NaCl. All the strains except S. aureus (G-11) showed negative in hemolysis activity, plasma coagulation and DNase tests. All the strains including S. aureus (G-11) showed negative in enterotoxin test.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2000

Twenty-five halotolerant gram-positlve bacteria were isolated from the coastal seawater 01 Cheju Island and Incheon J&yakdo Chemosystematic and phenotypic characteristics were used to iuvestigate the taxonomic position of these bacteria. According to their chemosystematic characteristics, the twenty-tive isolates were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 bacteria possesed 40.1 to 49.9 inol% m DNA G+C content, menaquinone-7 as a major quinone, and meso-Alpm as a diamino acid of peptidoglycan. Group 1 tam were identified as Bacilluspumilis, Bacillus lichenifbrrizis, Bacillus megaterium, Bncill~rsubtilis. Group 2 bacteria possessed 63.9 to 66.4 mol% and MK-8. They were all in the genus Arth~obaclm-. Group 3 bacteria possessed 31.0 to 37.6 mol% and MK-7. They were identified as Staphylococcus haeniol.viicvs, Siaph~~lococc~is sapropl~j~ticns, and Siaphylococcus intermediru.. Group 4 bacterium possessed 72.0mol% and MK-8 and was identified as ~Lficrococcus ltdtezm. Bacillus species accounted for 68% of h e total isolates.