• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.26.1-26.7
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• 2019

Background: The monitoring of pathogens of fishery auction markets is important to obtain safe fishery products regarding hygiene and sanitation. In this study, aerobic, coliform, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio cholerae were monitored in the fishery products and environmental samples obtained from fishery auction markets. Methods: The fishery products (flounder, octopus, skate, rock cod, sea bass, snail, monkfish, flatfish, comb pen shell, corb shell, conger eel, hairtail, croaker, and pilchard) were placed in filter bags, and the environmental samples (samples from the water tanks at the fishery auction markets, seawater from the fishery distribution vehicles, ice from wooden or plastic boxes, and surface samples from wooden and plastic boxes used for fish storage) were collected. Aerobic bacteria, E. coli, and coliform in the samples were enumerated on aerobic count plates and E. coli/coliform count plates, respectively. For V. cholerae O1 and V. cholerae non-O1 quantification, most probable number (MPN)-PCR analysis was performed. Results: Aerobic and coliform bacteria were detected in most samples, but E. coli was not detected. Wooden boxes were contaminated with high levels of aerobic and coliform bacteria in all seasons (spring, summer, and fall). During fall, V. cholerae non-O1 were detected in snails, hairtails, croakers, flatfishes, pilchards, plastic boxes, and water samples. Conclusions: These results indicate an increased prevalence of V. cholerae contamination in fishery products in fall, including food contact samples, which can be vehicles for cross-contamination.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2012

Two bacteria strains were isolated from emaciated olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in aquafarm and were identificated as Vibrio harveyi (JV1) and Edwardsiella tarda (JE1), respectively. In the challenge experiments, we found 100% cumulative mortalities in all of olive flounder injected with JV1, JE1 or JV1+JE1 within eleven days after the injection. Two bacteria strains were reisolated from dead fish and were analyzed using the PCR method. In the physilogical analysis, the hematocrit, AST, ALT and cholesterol levels in experimental groups were increased significantly compared to those in control group, but the glucose, total protein and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased. Additionally, the lysozyme activity in the blood serum was decreased. The histopathological observations of the intestine showed that all groups had detachment and destruction of epithelial tissues except for the control group.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.354-361
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• 2015

Mitochondrial heat shock protein 75 (mtHSP75) is a member of the HSP90 family and plays essential roles in refolding proteins of the mitochondrial matrix. Mitochondria provide energy in the form of ATP and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are activated in response to stress, and protect cells. In this study, we characterized the mtHSP75 of the big-belly seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis. The protein (BsmtHSP75) is encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of 2,157 nucleotides, has 719 amino acids (aa), and is of molecular mass 82 kDa. BsmtHSP75 has two functional domains, a histidine kinase-like ATPase (HATPase_c) domain (123-276 aa) and an HSP90 family domain (302-718 aa). BsmtHSP75 was expressed in all tested tissues of healthy seahorses. The ovary contained the highest transcription level, followed (in order) by the blood, brain, and muscle. Pouch tissue showed the lowest expression level. The expression of BsmtHSP75 was significantly (P<0.05) up-regulated on viral or bacterial challenge, suggesting that BsmtHSP75 plays a role in the immune defense against bacterial and viral pathogens.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2009

Fifty seven species of common seaweed from the coast of Korea were screened for antifungal activity against Malassezia species. Seaweeds as a source of bioactive compounds are able to produce a great variety of secondary metabolites with different activities. There are numerous reports on the biological activities of seaweeds against human pathogens, fungi, and yeasts, but only few contain data regarding inhibitory effects against Malassezia sp., a major cause of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. To help address this paucity of information, this work was carried out to examine the antifungal effects of seaweed extracts against M. furfur and M. restricta. Of the fifty seven species of marine algae screened for their potential antifungal activity, only 17 species (29.8%) exhibited inhibitory activity. In agar disc diffusion method, the ether extracts of Corallina pilulifera, Enteromorpha linza, Laminaria japonica, Symphyocladia latiuscula and Ulva sp. showed strong antifungal activity. To identify major constituents in seaweed extracts, four selected extracts were analyzed on' a GC-MS equipped with a flame ionization detector, and compared to spectral data from databases WILEY229.LIB and NIST107.LIB. Most constituents in seaweed extracts are fatty acid-related compounds. When we evaluated any acute toxicity, the ether extracts of the selected four species were not toxic in mice. According to these results, it can be suggested that these seaweed extracts are valuable for the development of therapeutic agents in treating dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Further investigations to determine its bioactive compound(s) are currently in progress.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.605-611
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• 2011

This study examined the suitability of characteristics of potential strains of probiotic bacteria. Among 25 lactic acid bacteria isolated from Korean traditional fermented food, the Hard Clam Meretrix meretrix Shikhae, the SH-10 strain, which exhibited superior resistance to low pH and bile salts, was selected as a potential probiotic bacteria. By examining carbohydrate utilization, morphological properties, and the 16S rRNA gene sequence, the SH-10 strain was identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus (hereafter, P. pentosaceus SH-10). P. pentosaceus SH-10 was resistant to amikacin, cefotetan, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, and vancomycin. Tests of antimicrobial activities against pathogens such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Staphylococcus aureus, indicated that P. pentosaceus SH-10 inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria. These results suggest that P. pentosaceus SH-10 can be developed as a probiotic bacteria.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.5.1-5.8
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• 2018

Stimulator of interferon gene (STING) is induced by various inflammatory agents, such as lipopolysaccharide and microbial pathogens, including virus and bacteria. In this study, we obtained a full-length cDNA of a STING homolog from olive flounder using rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR technique. The full-length cDNA of Paralichthys olivaceus STING (PoSTING) was 1442 bp in length and contained a 1209-bp open reading frame that translated into 402 amino acids. The theoretical molecular mass of the predicted protein sequence was 45.09 kDa. In the PoSTING protein, three transmembrane domains and the STING superfamily domain were identified as characteristic features. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that PoSTING expressed in all the tissues analyzed, but showed the highest level in the spleen. Temporal expression analysis examined the significantly upregulated expression of PoSTING mRNA after viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) stimulation. In contrast, no significant changes in the PoSTING expression were detected in Edwardsiella tarda-challenged group compared to the un-injected control. The expression of P. olivaceus type I interferon (PoIFN-I) was also highly upregulated upon VHSV challenge. These results suggest that STING might be involved in the essential immune defense against viral infection together with the activation of IFN-I in olive flounder.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 2009

It is very important to differentiate of DNA derived from live or dead bacteria within mixed microbial communities in aquatic environments. Ethidium monoazide (EMA) is a DNA intercalating agent and the treatment of EMA with strong visible light cleaves the genomic DNA of bacteria. In dead bacterial cells, EMA intercalates into the genomic DNA, induces the cleavage of DNA, and inhibits the PCR amplification. In this study, we developed the EMA-PCR and EMA real-time PCR to detect the DNA derived from viable Escherichia coli (E.coli) in mixed cultures of live and dead E.coli. The treatment of EMA, $50{\mu}g/mL$, and 650 W visible halogen light exposure for 2 minutes cleaved the genomic DNA derived from heat killed E.coli but did not those of live E.coli. EMA-PCR could detect the DNA from live E.coli in mixed culture samples of live and dead E.coli at various ratio and there was no DNA amplification in only dead E.coli cultures. Similar results were observed in EMA real-time PCR. Further studies are needed to develop various EMA-PCR methods to detect viable waterborne pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori, Giardia lamblia, and so on.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2010

The genus Perkinsus are parasitic protozoans that cause massive inflammatory responses in infected marine shellfish worldwide. This ultimately leads to great economic losses. This study examined the effects of water temperature and salinity on the formation of prezoosporangia and zoosporangia in order to understand the ecology of the pathogens. The induction of prezoosporangia from trophozoites occurred readily at higher water temperatures (20 and $30^{\circ}C$) and they had larger diameters than those incubated at lower temperatures (4 and $10^{\circ}C$). The formation of zoospores in prezoosporangia was also strongly influenced by water temperature and salinity; prezoosporangia exposed to water temperatures of 20 and $30^{\circ}C$ and salinities of 20 and 30 ppt had high rates of zoosporulation, while no or very low rates of zoosporulation were observed at temperatures below $10^{\circ}C$ or salinity below 10 ppt. Our data will be useful for the development of strategies to counter P. olseni proliferation in Korean waters.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2019

The seasonal and spatial variation of pathogenic Vibrio species, such as V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholerae were investigated in seawater and in bivalves off the Gyeongnam coast of Korea, which is an important area for shellfish production, during the period 2013-2016. V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholerae were detected in 12.1%, 5.2%, 15.4%, and 0.9% of seawater samples, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. cholera were detected in 21.9%, 7.1%, 12.2%, and 0.0% of shellfish samples, respectively. The Vibrio spp. in seawater and bivalve samples were detected at high levels during the summer to early autumn; however, the levels were low during the winter. Therefore, their occurrence was seasonally dependent and correlated with high water temperature, which is also the biggest factor contributing to foodborne outbreaks associated with Vibrio. Relatively high detection rates of the strains were also found in the sea area that was continually exposed to inland wastewater. Our findings show that continuous monitoring is needed to reveal the patterns of occurrence of these pathogens from marine samples collected off the Korean coast, to reduce seafood-borne outbreaks caused by Vibrio.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2021

Human Sapovirus (HuSaV) is one of the major causes of acute gastroenteritis in humans, and it is used as a molecular diagnostic technique based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from humans, food, shellfish, and aquatic environments. In this study, the HuSaV diagnosis technique was used in an aquatic environment where a number of PCR inhibitors are included and pathogens, such as viruses, are estimated to exist at low concentration levels. HuSaV-specific primers are improved to detect 38 strains registered in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The established optimal condition and the composition, including the RT-nested PCR primers and SL® Non-specific reaction inhibitor, were found to have 100 times higher sensitivity based on HuSaV plasmid than the previously reported methods (100 ag based on HuSaV plasmid 1 ng/μL). Through an artificial infection test, the developed method was able to detect at least 1 fg/μL of HuSaV plasmid contaminated with total nucleic acid extracted from groundwater. In addition, RT-nested PCR primer sets for HuSaV detection can react, and a positive control is developed to verify false positives. This study is expected to be used as a HuSaV monitoring method in the future and applied to the safety response to HuSaV from water environments.