• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.239-244
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• 2010

Here, we have cloned and sequenced Streptococcus parauberis pgm gene, encoding the enzyme phosphoglucomutase (PGM), which is known to be in association with virulence in other streptococcal species. The PGM of S. parauberis is the most closely related to that of S. iniae based on their amino acid sequences.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.207-216
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• 2019

Talaromyces marneffei is the only dimorphic species in its genus and causes a fatal systemic mycosis named talaromycosis. Our previous study indicated that knockdown of AcuD gene (encodes isocitrate lyase of glyoxylate bypass) of T. marneffei by RNA interference approach attenuated the virulence of T. marneffei, while the virulence of the AcuD knockout strains was not studied. In this study, T. marneffei-zebrafish infection model was successfully established through hindbrain microinjection with different amounts of T. marneffei yeast cells. After co-incubated at $28^{\circ}C$, the increasing T. marneffei inoculum doses result in greater larval mortality; and hyphae generation might be one virulence factor involved in T. marneffei-zebrafish infection. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the virulence of the ${\Delta}AcuD$ was significantly attenuated in this Zebrafish infection model.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

A prokaryotic cell has various histone-like proteins also known as nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). These proteins bind AT-rich sequence at DNA, which induce DNA wrapping, bending, and bridging, and subsequently regulate the gene expression in bacteria. Because NAPs function in transcriptional silencing of virulence genes, it is important to study their roles in gene silencing and specific mechanisms of these proteins. In this review, we discussed two well-known NAPs, H-NS, and HU, and summarized their roles for gene expression in Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Through the oligomerization and filamentation of H-NS, it represses the expression of virulence genes in human pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella Typhimurium, and it works with other NAPs positively or negatively. Recently, H-NS also regulates typhoid toxin expression, which causes typhoid fever and systemic disease in human. Additionally, HU regulates the expression of genes related to both virulence and physiology of Salmonella. Therefore, we suggest that NAPs like H-NS and HU are crucial factors to reveal the molecular mechanisms of virulence gene expression in bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.515-519
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• 2004

Listeria spp. were isolated from a total of 402 naturally contaminated domestic ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable samples by the conventional Food and Drug Administration protocol and confinned by API-Listeria kit. Also, the susceptibility to 12 antibiotics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for virulence gene of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes isolates, and in vitro virulence assay using myeloma and hybridoma cells from murine and human sources were tested. Among the samples, 17 samples (4.2％) were found to be contaminated with Listeria species. Among the 17 strains of Listeria spp. isolates, only 2 strains (11.8％) of L. monocytogenes and 15 strains (88.2％) of L. innocua were identified. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that the Listeria spp. isolates were very susceptible to the antibiotics tested, except for nalidixic acid. Among 17 strains of Listeria spp., PCR analysis showed that 2 strains of L. monocytogenes isolates proved to have a virulence hly gene, but none of L. innocua had the hly gene. Also, hybridoma Ped-2E9 cells assay showed that only L. monocytogenes isolates killed approximately 95-99％ hybridoma cells after 6 h, but L. innocua isolates had about 0-5％ lethal effect. These results indicate that PCR assay with hly primer or hybridoma Ped-2E9 cells assay could be used as a good monitoring tool or in vitro virulence test for L. monocytogenes.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.364-373
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• 2013

It has been known that most regulation of pathogenicity factor (rpf ) genes in xanthomonads regulates virulence in response to the diffusible signal factor, DSF. Although many rpf genes have been functionally characterized, the function of rpfE is still unknown. We cloned the rpfE gene from a Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) Korean race KACC10859 and generated mutant strains to elucidate the role of RpfE with respect to the rpf system. Through experiments using the rpfE-deficient mutant strain, we found that mutation in rpfE gene in Xoo reduced virulence, swarm motility, and production of virulence factors such as cellulase and extracellular polysaccharide. Disease progress by the rpfE-deficient mutant strain was significantly slowed compared to disease progress by the wild type and the number of the rpfE-deficient mutant strain was lower than that of the wild type in the early phase of infection in the inoculated rice leaf. The rpfE mutant strain was unable to utilize sucrose or xylose as carbon sources efficiently in culture. The mutation in rpfE, however, did not affect DSF synthesis. Our results suggest that the rpfE gene regulates the virulence of Xoo under different nutrient conditions without change of DSF production.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.310-316
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• 2019

Distribution of Salmonella enterica serovars and their associated virulence determinants is wide-spread among food animals, which are continuously implicated in periodic salmonellosis outbreaks globally. The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the diversity of five Salmonella serovar virulence genes (invA, pefA, cdtB, spvC and iroN) isolated from food animals and humans. Using standard microbiological techniques, Salmonella spp. were isolated from the feces of humans and three major food animals. Virulence determinants of the isolates were assayed using PCR. Clonal relatedness of the dominant serovar was determined via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using the restriction enzyme, Xbal. Seventy one Salmonella spp. were isolated and serotyped into 44 serovars. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS; 68) accounted for majority (95.8%) of the Salmonella serovars. Isolates from chicken (34) accounted for 47.9% of all isolates, out of which S. Budapest (14) was predominant (34.8%). However, the dominant S. Budapest serovars showed no genetic relatedness. The invA gene located on SPI-1 was detected in all isolates. Furthermore, 94% of the isolates from sheep harbored the spvC genes. The iroN gene was present in 50%, 100%, 88%, and 91% of isolates from human, chicken, sheep, and cattle, respectively. The pefA gene was detected in 18 isolates from chicken and a single isolate from sheep. Notably, having diverse Salmonella serovars containing plasmid encoded virulence genes circulating the food chain is of public health significance; hence, surveillance is required.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2018

In order for monitoring of pathogenic bacterial contamination in the freshly slaughtered poultry meats produced in Gyeong-Nam province, we first isolated 4 strains of Salmonella spp. and 32 strains of Enterococcus faecalis from the total 164 samples, then we analyzed potential virulence gene profiles of the bacterial isolates by PCR using species-specific primer. The potential virulence genes we selected in this study were stn, invA, fimA, spvR, and spvC for the isolates of Salmonella spp. and those of esp, cylM, cylA, cylB, gelE, fsrA, fsrB, and fsrC were for the isolates of E. faecalis. The PCR results showed that all 5 virulence genes were detected simultaneously in the all isolates of Salmonella spp. However, there was a diverse occurrence pattern of the virulence genes in the case of E. faecalis. The gene for enterococcal surface protein (esp) was not detected among the isolates (0/32), and the haemolysin gene prevalence rate of cylA, cylB, and cylM were 3.1% (1/32), 9.3% (3/32), and 9.3% (3/32), respectively. Moreover, the genes of gelE, fsrA, fsrB, and fsrC that associated with gelatinase activity were detected in the rate of 53.1% (17/32), 53.1% (17/32), 53.1% (17/32), and 53.1% (17/32), respectively. In conclusion, in the isolates of Salmonella spp., all possessed 5 virulence genes tested, suggesting that they are all related with each other clonally. However, in the case of E. faecalis isolates, the occurrence of the haemolysin genes (cylM, cylA, cylB) and the gelatinase genes (gelE, fsrABC) was highly variable among the isolates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.149-154
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• 2003

Numerous virulence factors such as O antigen have been proposed to account for the fulminating and destructive nature of V. vulnificus infections. To better characterize the role of O antigen, a pmm gene encoding a phosphomannomutase was identified and cloned from V. vulnificus. The deduced amino acid sequence of the pmm was 42 to 71% similar to that reported from other Enterobacteriaceae. Functions of the pmm gene in virulence were assessed by the construction of an isogenic mutant, whose pmm gene was inactivated by allelic exchanges, and by evaluating its phenotype changes in vitro and in mice. The disruption of pmm resulted in a loss of more than 90% of phosphomannomutase, and reintroduction of recombinant pmm could complement the decrease of phosphomannomutase activity, indicating that the pmm gene encodes the phosphomannomutase of V. vulnificus. There was no difference in the $LD_50S$ of the wild-type and the pmm mutant in mice, but the $LD_50S$ observed by the mutant complemented with recombinant pmm were lower. Therefore, it appears that PMM is less important in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus than would have been predicted by examining the effects of injecting purified LPS into animals, but it is not completely dispensable for virulence in mice.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2010

The cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway plays a major role in growth, sexual differentiation, and virulence factor synthesis of pathogenic fungi. In Cryptococcus neoformans, perturbation of the cAMP pathway, such as a deletion in the gene encoding adenylyl cyclase (CAC1), causes defects in the production of virulence factors, including capsule and melanin production, as well as mating. Previously, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of the Ras- and cAMP- pathway mutants, which revealed 163 potential cAMP-regulated genes (38 genes at a 2-fold cutoff). The present study characterized the role of one of the cAMP pathway-dependent genes (serotype A identification number CNAG_ 06576.2). The expression patterns were confirmed by Northern blot analysis and the gene was designated cAMP-regulated gene 1 (CAR1). Interestingly, deletion of CAR1 did not affect biosynthesis of any virulence factors and the mating process, unlike the cAMP-signaling deficient cac1$\Delta$ mutant. Furthermore, the car1$\Delta$ mutant exhibited wild-type levels of the stress-response phenotype against diverse environmental cues, indicating that Car1, albeit regulated by the cAMP-pathway, is not essential to confer a cAMP-dependent phenotype in C. neoformans.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.596-604
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• 2019

Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes food poisoning, mainly via marine fisheries products. We investigated the virulence factors and drug resistance of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from fisheries products purchased from the Yeosu Fisheries Market. The isolates were identified using a variety of biochemical tests and the detection of toxR and hns gene. The presence of the virulence factor-encoding genes tdh and trh in the isolates was also investigated by PCR. The resistance of the isolates to 13 antibacterial agents was tested using the disc-diffusion method and carriage of β-lactamase genes and class 1 integrons by ampicillin-resistant isolates was investigated by PCR. Four of seventeen isolates identified as V. parahaemolyticus by biochemical tests produced a species-specific PCR band. Those isolates showed >98% 16S rRNA gene sequence homology with V. parahaemolyticus and only one isolate harbored the tdh gene. All of the V. parahaemolyticus isolates were resistant to ampicillin and amoxicillin; moreover, VPA0477, a class A β-lactamase gene, and class 1 integrons were detected. Therefore, V. parahaemolyticus from fisheries products represents a low risk to human health. Also, V. parahaemolyticus is likely to develop multidrug resistance because it has class 1 integrons.