• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2019

Streptococcus iniae is a typical fish pathogen causing streptococcosis and it can also cause zoonotic infectious diseases. We studied S. iniae FP5228 isolated from infected olive flounder in Wando, Korea. In a study to find virulence factors in FP5228, we found that the number of live bacteria decreased dramatically in culture medium containing S. iniae FP5228 for more than 24 hr. This phenomenon was hypothesized to be related to Toxin ${\zeta}$ and Antitoxin ${\varepsilon}$ genes, components of the Toxin/ Antitoxin (TA) system on the 14 kb plasmid of FP5228. We used a protein overexpression system to identify it. The pBP1140 vector system was constructed to regulate the expression of Toxin ${\zeta}$ and Antitoxin ${\varepsilon}$ by IPTG and Arabinose. E. coli/pBP1140 strain grew slowly in early growth under toxin expression condition, and it was confirmed by microscopic observation that the strain became longer. S. iniae CK287, lacking a 14 kb plasmid of S. iniae FP5228 strain, was constructed. CK287 bacterial cells did not show rapid killing during culture, and the ability to produce biofilm was also decreased, and toxicity was weakened in cytotoxicity test and fish test. These results suggest that the TA system is involved in physiological regulation and expression of virulence factors in S. iniae FP5228.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.525-529
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• 2009

Cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) represent an emerging family of newly described bacterial products that are produced by a number of pathogens. The genes encoding these toxins have been identified as a cluster of three adjacent genes, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC, plus 5 cdt genetic variants, designated as cdt-I, cdt-II, cdt-III, cdt-IV, and cdt-V, have been identified to date. In this study, a general multiplex PCR system designed to detect Escherichia coli cdts was applied to investigate the presence of cdt genes among isolates. As a result, among 366 E. coli strains, 2.7% were found to carry the cdtB gene. In addition, the use of type-specific primers revealed the presence of cdt-I, cdtIV, and cdt-V types of the cdt gene, yet no cdt-II or cdt-III strains. The presence of other virulence genes (stxl, stx2, eae, bfp, espA, espB, and espD) was also investigated using a PCR assay. Among the 10 cdtB gene-positive strains, 8 were identified as COT-producing typical enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains ($eae^+$, $bfp^+$), whereas 2 were identified as CDT-producing atypical EPEC strains ($eae^+$, $bfp^-$). When comparing the cytotoxic activity of the CDT-producing typical and atypical EPEC strains, the CDT-producing atypical EPEC strains appeared to be less toxic than the CDT-producing typical EPEC strains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.521-529
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• 2016

Extensive use of antibiotics over recent decades has led to bacterial resistance against antibiotics, including gentamicin, one of the most effective aminoglycosides. The emergence of resistance is problematic for hospitals, since gentamicin is an important broad-spectrum antibiotic for the control of bacterial pathogens in the clinic. Previous study to identify gentamicin resistance genes from environmental samples have been conducted using culture-dependent screening methods. To overcome these limitations, we employed a metagenome-based culture-independent protocol to identify gentamicin resistance genes. Through functional screening of metagenome libraries derived from soil samples, a fosmid clone was selected as it conferred strong gentamicin resistance. To identify a specific functioning gene conferring gentamicin resistance from a selected fosmid clone (35-40 kb), a shot-gun library was constructed and four shot-gun clones (2-3 kb) were selected. Further characterization of these clones revealed that they contained sequences similar to that of the RNA ligase, T4 rnlA that is known as a toxin gene. The overexpression of the rnlA-like gene in Escherichia coli increased gentamicin resistance, indicating that this toxin gene modulates this trait. The results of our metagenome library analysis suggest that the rnlA-like gene may represent a new class of gentamicin resistance genes in pathogenic bacteria. In addition, we demonstrate that the soil metagenome can provide an important resource for the identification of antibiotic resistance genes, which are valuable molecular targets in efforts to overcome antibiotic resistance.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 1995

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most potent inducers of various cytokines nad other proinflammatory mediators in macrophages. Although pathophysiological consequences of LPS-induced responses are well established, the mechanisms through which LPS-generated singals are transduced remain unclear. In the present study, we attempted to determine early intracellular events after LPS binding which transduced the signal for the induction of arachidonic acid metabolism in rat alveolar macrophages. While H-7, a protein kinase C(PKC) inhibitor, did not affect LPS-stimulated prostaglandin synthesis, staurosporine enhanced archidonic acid etabolism in macropahages treated with LPS. Phorbol-12-myristate-13 acetate snesitive to LPS compare with control group. PMA and H-7 did not alter the effect of flucose. Pertussis toxin did not show nay effect, thus pertussis toxin snesitive G-protein pathway appears not to play a role in this experimental system. Genistein and tyrphostin 25, protein tyrosine kinase 9PTK) inhibitors, markedly inhibited prostaglandin synthesis in macrophages nal transduction events leading to icnreased macrophage arachidonic acid metabolism.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.190-193
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• 2010

A 6-year-old, female, Siberian husky was referred with mucous diarrhea. On fecal examination, numerous clustered and individual large epithelial cells and rod-shaped, spore-forming bacteria were examined. By bacterial culture and molecular typing, the bacteria was identified as Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), and by toxin analysis of C. perfringens, production of $\alpha$-toxin was confirmed. Based on these results, the dog was diagnosed as enteritis caused by C. perfringens producing $\alpha$-toxin, and was treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate. After 1 week, the diarrhea was disappeared and no spore-forming bacteria were examined on fecal examination. This report shows that the rapid and exact diagnosis keeps a effective treatment for enteritis caused by C. perfringens producing $\alpha$-toxin in dogs.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.325-333
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• 1997

Recent evidence indicates that growth factors modulate response of mammary epithelial cells to environmental stress. The objective of this study was to examine the cellular and biochemical responses of mammary tissue to environmental stress caused by artificial mastitis. For experimental a, pp.oach, toxins of most mastitis causing organisms(Staph. aureus or Strep. agalactiae) and heat stress(42$^{\circ}C$) were artificially exposed to mammary tissue. Effects of these environmental stresses on cell growth, cell death and heat shock protein synthesis were examined. Lactating mammary tissure were cultured under basal medium(DMEM) su, pp.emented with insulin(10$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) and aldosterone(1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml). All treatment groups in heat stress at 42$^{\circ}C$ incubation significantly decreased DNA synthesis rates in comparison with those at 39$^{\circ}C$(P<0.05), however, these decreased DNAa synthesis rates were recovered by addition of adenosine(10$\mu$M) and IGFI(10ng/ml). Similar results were obtained when tissue growth rates were measured by DNA content/tissue. Strep. agalactiae toxin did not significantly decreased DNA content/tissue in comparison with no treatment of bacterial toxin with or without heat stress, however, tended to decrease DNA contents/tissue without heat stress. In the fluorography analysis, heat stress(42$^{\circ}C$ incubation) slightly increased 35S-methoionine labelled 70kd protein synthesis. These results indicate that environmental stress caused by artificial mastitis slightly decreased mammary growth or mammary size, however, these results could be recovered by addition of adenosine and IGF-I.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.379-387
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• 1996

The objects of the present study were to establish the method of purification, subunit dissociation of verotoxin-2 (VT2) produced by Escherichia coli O157:H7, and to investigate the characteristics of purified verotoxin-2 such as molecular weight and composition of amino acid. The results were summerized as follows; Verotoxin-2 was extracted by addition of polymyxin B sulfate into bacterial cell lysate prepared from Escherichia coli O157:H7(KSC109). As an initial step, the bacterial cell lysate was precipitated with 30% saturated ammonium sulfate. The precipitated crude toxin was then subjected to anion-exchange, chromatofocusing and cation-exchange chromatography. Using this scheme, we obtained highly purified toxin with a specific activity of $1.1{\times}10^9$ $CD_{50}/mg$. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) for purified VT2 showed two protein bands. The upper band, approximately 32 Kd, was supposed as A subunit and the lower band, approximately 7.7 Kd, was supposed as B subunit. When the toxin was separated in the subunit-dissociating solution, two peaks emerged with retention times of 15 and 28 min by HPLC. These peaks represented A subunit and B subunit, respectively. The amino acid composition of purified VT2 were made up in order of glutamic acid, histamine, asparaginic acid, histidine, lysine, alanine and leucine etc. The largest amount among the amino acid composing VT2 was methionine.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1975

Flacherie of all other silkworm diseases greatly affects cocoon crop as it is far-reaching and wide spreading. Fleacherie which kills silkworms caused by bacteria can be classified as bacterial digestive organ disease, and "Sotto" disease. Bacterial digestive organ disease is caused by the bacteria living in the silkworms alementary canal and a majority of flacherie belongs to this disease. Septicemia is caused by bacterias breeding in silkworms body fluid but its attach is comparatively limited during the larva period. "Sotto" disease is caused by eating mulberry leaves infected with bacteria which produce toxin and silkworms are intoxicated and killed by the toxin. The cause of flacherie is mainly due to a poor environment. The unclean and unsanitary silkworm rearing beds help bacterias breeding and bacteria enter silkworms body through mouth organ or skin. The present study is to investigate various causes of flacherie by means of pulverization of silkworm. Filtrated fluid is extracted by centrifuge and hypodermic of peroral inoculation-is given to young and medium silkworms of spring and autumn. The gained results of the experiment are summarized as follows： 1. Silkworms infected with flacherie were pulverized and their filtrated fluid was extracted by centrifuge and inspected under microscope to find polyhedron from the fluid. 2. The experimenting group of peroral inoculation. a) From the third day of peroral inoculation silkworms appetite generally decreased and ate less compared with the control group. b) After 7 days of the inoculation silkworms suffered from empty head, loose bowels and fainting. c) Some of the silkworms still ate but as were shown in Fig. 3 and 4 some dwarfish silkworms were found. d) There was no remarkable difference between 1st and 2nd instar inoculation groups. e) There was a tendency that the number of diseased silkworms was decerased as the increase of instars. 2. The experimental group of hypodermic inoculation a) Both of 3rd and 4th instar inoculation groups showed no remarkable singularity and the number of diseased silkworms decreased. b) The rate of diseased silkworms was comparatively low because the body fluid was acidy or toxin was hard soluble. Hypodermic inoculation could not give much harm to the silkworms compared to peroral inoculation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.799-805
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• 2016

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the major causative agent of nosocomial infection, has also been reported from non-human sources. A sequence type (ST) 541 MRSA isolate designated K12PJN53 was isolated from a healthy pig in 2012. The genome of K12PJN53 consists of 44 contiguous sequences (contigs), totalling 2,880,108 bases with 32.88% GC content. Among the annotated contigs, 14, 17, and 18 contained genes related to antimicrobial resistance, adherence, and toxin genes, respectively. The genomic distance of strain K12PJN53 was close to the ST398 strains. This is the first report of the draft genome sequence of a novel livestock-associated MRSA ST541 strain.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.761-765
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• 2008

Bacillus cereus causes two different types of food poisoning syndromes: diarrhea and emesis. The diarrheal syndrome is attributed to various enterotoxins, including nonhemolytic enterotoxin, hemolytic enterotoxin, and enterotoxin-T, whereas the emetic syndrome is caused by the dodecadepsipeptide toxin cereulide. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to rapidly detect and identify B. cereus strains. Three primer pairs specific to regions within genes encoding nonhemolytic enterotoxin (nheA), molecular chaperonin (groEL), and cereulide synthetase (ces) were used to identify and differentiate between the enterotoxin-producing and emetic toxin-producing B. cereus strains. The cereulide-producing emetic B. cereus showed 3 PCR products of 325, 405, and 685 bp for the groEL, ces, and nheA genes, respectively, whereas the enterotoxin-producing B. cereus showed 2 PCR products without a ces gene specific DNA fragment. Specific amplifications and differentiations by multiplex PCR assay were obtained using 62 B. cereus strains and 13 strains' of other bacterial species. The detection limit of this assay for enterotoxin-producing strain and emetic toxin-producing strain from pure cultures were $2.4{\times}10^1$ and $6.0{\times}10^2\;CFU/tube$, respectively. These results suggest that our multiplex PCR method may be useful for the rapid detection and differentiation of B. cereus strains in foods.