• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1808-1816
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• 2016

As a scaffolding subunit of the PIK3C3/VPS34 complex, Beclin 1 recruits a variety of proteins to class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (VPS34), resulting in the formation of a distinct PIK3C3/VPS34 complex with a specific function. Therefore, the investigation of a number of Beclin 1 domains required for the protein-protein interactions will provide important clues to understand the PIK3C3/VPS34 complex, of which Beclin1-VPS34 interaction is the core unit. In the present study, we have designed a bacterial overexpression system for the Beclin 1 domain corresponding to VPS34 binding (Vps34-BD) and set up the denaturing purification protocol due to the massive aggregation of Vps34-BD in Escherichia coli. The expression and purification conditions determined in this study successfully provided soluble and functional Vps34-BD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2017

In a previous study, we analyzed the transcriptome of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans using next-generation sequencing technology and identified several antimicrobial peptide candidates. One of the peptides, scolopendrasin V, was selected based on the physicochemical properties of antimicrobial peptides using a bioinformatics strategy. In this study, we assessed the antimicrobial activities of scolopendrasin V using the radial diffusion assay and colony count assay. We also investigated the mode of action of scolopendrasin V using flow cytometry. We found that scolopendrasin V's mechanism of action involved binding to the surface of microorganisms via a specific interaction with lipopolysaccharides, lipoteichoic acid, and peptidoglycans, which are components of the bacterial membrane. These results provide a basis for developing peptide antibiotics.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.236-242
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• 2016

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most devastating diseases in major Solanaceae crops. The pathogen is easily disseminated and survives for many years in plant farming system. Although chemicals are applied to control the disease, they are of limited efficacy and cause several problems. Therefore, the use of phage therapy has been suggested to control the disease as a biological agent. In this study, we discovered bacteriophages lysing diverse Ralstonia isolates from plant and soil samples obtained from the potato cultivated field in Jeju. Three times repeated pickings of plaques resulted in obtaining 173 single phages showing diverse spectrum of host-specificity. With the results, 12 core phages were selected and dendrogram was generated. Genetic diversity of the selected phages was also confirmed by AFLP (Amplified Fragment of Length Polymorphism) fingerprinting. The stability of the phages was investigated in various temperatures and various conditions of pH in vitro. The phages were stable at $16^{\circ}C-44^{\circ}C$ and pH 6-10. Morphological characterization of the phages revealed they were all classified into the Podoviridae, but had diverse head sizes. The results of this research will contribute to control the disease and further researches regarding genetic and molecular aspects will facilitate understanding phage and bacteria interaction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2021

Periplanetasin-2 from cockroach exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The underlying antibacterial mechanisms rely on the stimulation of reactive oxygen species overproduction to induce apoptotic cell death. A promising strategy to increase the bioavailability of periplanetasin-2 involves reducing the dose through combination therapy with other antibacterials that show synergistic effects. Thus, the synergistic antibacterial activity of periplanetasin-2 with conventional antibacterial agents and its mechanisms was examined against Escherichia coli in this study. Among the agents tested, the combinations of periplanetasin-2 with vancomycin and chloramphenicol exhibited synergistic effects. Periplanetasin-2 in combination with vancomycin and chloramphenicol demonstrated antibacterial activity through the intracellular oxidative stress response. The combination with vancomycin resulted in the enhancement of bacterial apoptosis-like death, whereas the combination with chloramphenicol enhanced oxidative stress damage. These synergistic interactions of periplanetasin-2 can help broaden the spectrum of conventional antibiotics. The combination of antimicrobial peptides and conventional antibiotics is proposed as a novel perspective on treatments to combat severe bacterial infection.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.28.1-28.18
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• 2022

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of infantile diarrhea in developing countries. However, sporadic outbreaks caused by this microorganism in developed countries are frequently reported recently. As an important zoonotic pathogen, EPEC is being monitored annually in several countries. Hallmark of EPEC infection is formation of attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions on the small intestine. To establish A/E lesions during a gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infeciton, EPEC must thrive in diverse GIT environments. A variety of stress responses by EPEC have been reported. These responses play significant roles in helping E. coli pass through GIT environments and establishing E. coli infection. Stringent response is one of those responses. It is mediated by guanosine tetraphosphate. Interestingly, previous studies have demonstrated that stringent response is a universal virulence regulatory mechanism present in many bacterial pathogens including EPEC. However, biological signficance of a bacterial stringent response in both EPEC and its interaction with the host during a GIT infection is unclear. It needs to be elucidated to broaden our insight to EPEC pathogenesis. In this review, diverse responses, including stringent response, of EPEC during a GIT infection are discussed to provide a new insight into EPEC pathophysiology in the GIT.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.503-506
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• 2011

In order to analyze the resistant gene to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in Korean native rices. Six Korean native rice varieties were crossed with IR-BB 101 contains Xa1 resistant gene and inoculated Japanese isolates IA(T7174). Cheonggunbyeo has Xa1 resistant gene only, and Yukseongjaerae, Agukdo, Heukpi and Icheon7ilchal have Xa1 and another one dominant gene. Ginggaragshare has Xa1 and another two dominant genes and two of those genes concerned complementary interaction against Japanese isolates IA(T7174).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.374-381
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• 2011

The beneficial effects of Eisenia fetida on soil properties have been attributed to their interaction with soil microorganisms. The bacterial diversity of the intestinal tract of E. fetida was investigated by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods including denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and pyrosequencing analyses. In a pure culture, Lysinibacillus fusiformis (51%), Bacillus cereus (30%), Enterobacter aerogenes (21%), and L. sphaericus (15%) were identified as the dominant microorganisms. In the DGGE analyses, B. cereus (15.1%), Enterobacter sp. (13.6%), an uncultured bacterium (13.1%), and B. stearothermophilus (7.8%) were identified as the dominant microorganisms. In the pyrosequencing analyses, Microbacterium soli (26%), B. cereus (10%), M. esteraromaticum (6%), and Frigoribacterium sp. (6%) were identified as the dominant microorganisms. The other strains identified were Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Borrelia sp., Cellulosimicrobium sp., Klebsiella sp., and Leifsonia sp. The results illustrate that culture independent methods are better able to detect unculturable microorganisms and a wider range of species, as opposed to isolation by culture dependent methods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.740-747
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• 2014

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a very serious disease in rice-growing regions of the world. In spite of their economic importance, there are no effective ways of protecting rice plants from this disease. Bacteriophages infecting Xoo affect the population dynamics of the pathogen and consequently the occurrence of the disease. In this study, we investigated the diversity, host range, and infectivity of Xoo phages, and their use as a bicontrol agent on BLB was tested. Among the 34 phages that were isolated from floodwater in paddy fields, 29 belonged to the Myoviridae family, which suggests that the dominant phage in the ecosystem was Myoviridae. The isolated phages were classified into two groups based on plaque size produced on the lawn of Xoo. In general, there was a negative relationship between plaque size and host range, and interestingly the phages having a narrow host range had low efficiency of infectivity. The deduced protein sequence analysis of htf genes indicated that the gene was not a determinant of host specificity. Although the difference in host range and infectivity depending on morphotype needs to be addressed, the results revealed deeper understanding of the interaction between the phages and Xoo strains in floodwater and damp soil environments. The phage mixtures reduced the occurrence of BLB when they were treated with skim milk. The results indicate that the Xoo phages could be used as an alternative control method to increase the control efficacy and reduce the use of agrochemicals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2011

The existence of symbiotic relationships between Acanthamoeba and a variety of bacteria is well-documented. However, the ability of Acanthamoeba interacting with host bacterial pathogens has gained particular attention. Here, to understand the interactions of Escherichia coli K1 and E. coli K5 strains with Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and cysts, association assay, invasion assay, survival assay, and the measurement of bacterial numbers from cysts were performed, and nonpathogenic E. coli K12 was also applied. The association ratio of E. coli K1 with A. castellanii was 4.3 cfu per amoeba for 1 hr but E. coli K5 with A. castellanii was 1 cfu per amoeba for 1 hr. By invasion and survival assays, E. coli K5 was recovered less than E. coli K1 but still alive inside A. castellanii. E. coli K1 and K5 survived and multiplied intracellularly in A. castellanii. The survival assay was performed under a favourable condition for 22 hr and 43 hr with the encystment of A. castellanii. Under the favourable condition for the transformation of trophozoites into cysts, E. coli K5 multiplied significantly. Moreover, the pathogenic potential of E. coli K1 from A. castellanii cysts exhibited no changes as compared with E. coli K1 from A. castellanii trophozoites. E. coli K5 was multiplied in A. castellanii trophozoites and survived in A. castellanii cysts. Therefore, this study suggests that E. coli K5 can use A. castellanii as a reservoir host or a vector for the bacterial transmission.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 1988

Most of meat spoilage bacteria area Gram negative, which are very sensitive to freezing ; for instance , 90% of E. coli cells are killed or sub-lethally injured by freezing at -3$0^{\circ}C$, and the freeze-injury rate is dependent upon freezing rate. Since the injured bacterial cells are sensitive to selective agents, they fail to multiply in selective media. Injured bacterial cells are, however, capable of spontaneous repair at appropriate environmental and nutritional conditions . Enumeration of injured bacterial cells involves artificial induction of repair at these conditions. Cubic beef samples(3$\times$3$\times$3cm) were frozen at -6$0^{\circ}C$, -4$0^{\circ}C$, or -18$^{\circ}C$. The samples frozen at each temperature were thawed at 4$^{\circ}C$, 2$0^{\circ}C$, or by microwave . After these respective freezing an thawing treatments, the percentage of sub-lethally injured total coliforms out of total surviving ones was measured and compared. The results were as follows: 1. The interaction between freezing and thawing on injury rate was not significant. 2. The injury rates(as means of all three thawing treatments post-freezing) by freezing at -6$0^{\circ}C$, -4$0^{\circ}C$, or -18$^{\circ}C$ were 32.2$^{\circ}C$ and 19.2$^{\circ}C$ respectively . 3. The injury rates(as means of all three freezing treatments)by thawing at 4$^{\circ}C$, 2$0^{\circ}C$, or by microwave were 49.3%, 11.7% and 21.0% respectively. The highest injury rate was caused by freezing at -6$0^{\circ}C$ and subsequent thawing at 4$^{\circ}C$. However since the injury rates by freezing treatment were not significantly different, freezing at -18$^{\circ}C$ and subsequent thawing at 4$^{\circ}C$ can also be recommended , from an economic perspective.