• 미생물학회지
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.98-104
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• 2018

가시아메바(Acanthamoeba spp.)와 파울러자유아메바(Naegleria fowleri)는 자유생활아메바로 자연계에 널리 분포하며 사람과 동물에게 치명적인 질병을 일으킨다. 본 연구에서는 가사아메바와 파울러자유아메바를 물 환경에서 조사하기 위해 기존에 보고된 네 종류의 분자생물학적 방법과 상용 real-time PCR 키트의 분석 민감도를 비교하였다. 그 결과 duplex real-time PCR 방법이 민감도가 가장 좋았으며, 동시에 두 종류의 자유생활아메바를 검출할 수 있었다. 따라서 이 방법을 사용하여 한국의 대전시에 위치한 3개 하천, 6개 지점을 대상으로 그 분포를 2회 조사하였다. 가시아메바는 12개 시료 중 10개 시료에서 검출되었으며(83.3%), 파울러자유아메바는 2개 시료에서 검출되었다(16.6%). 향후 이러한 유해 아메바로부터 먹는 물의 안전성을 확보하기 위해 지속적인 분포조사가 필요할 것이다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권2호
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• pp.191-194
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• 2020

Free-living amoebas (FLAs) can cause severe disease in humans and animals when they become infected. However, there are no accurate survey reports on the prevalence of FLAs in Korea. In this study, we collected 163 tap water samples from buildings, apartments, and restrooms of highway service areas in 7 Korean provinces with high population density. All these buildings and facilities have water storage tanks in common. The survey was separated into categories of buildings, apartments, and highway service areas. Five hundred milliliters of tap water from each building was collected and filtered with 0.2 ㎛ pore filter paper. The filters were incubated in agar plates with heated E. coli at 25℃. After axenization, genomic DNA was collected from each FLA, and species classification was performed using partial 18S-rDNA PCR-sequencing analysis. We found that 12.9% of tap water from buildings with storage tanks in Korea was contaminated with FLAs. The highway service areas had the highest contamination rate at 33.3%. All of the FLAs, except one, were genetically similar to Vermamoeba vermiformis (Hartmannella vermiformis). The remaining FLA (KFA21) was very similar to Acanthamoeba lugdunensis (KA/E26). Although cases of human infection by V. vermiformis are very rare, we must pay attention to the fact that one-third of tap water supplies in highway service areas have been contaminated.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.237-243
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• 2018

자유생활아메바인 가시아메바(Acanthamoeba spp.)와 파울러자유아메바(Naegleria fowleri)는 아메바성 뇌염 등 치명적인 질병을 일으키며, 물을 포함한 자연 환경에 널리 분포한다. 가시아메바와 파울러자유아메바가 한국의 주요 상수원수에 존재하는지 알아보기 위해 배양법에 기초한 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응법을 이용하여 2017년 7월부터 12월 사이에 한국의 52개 주요 상수원수를 조사하였다. 가시아메바와 파울러자유아메바가 각각 42개 시료(80.8%)와 6개 시료(11.5%)에서 검출되었다. 가시아메바의 경우 계절과 상관없이 고른 검출율을 보였으나, 파울러자유아메바는 주로 여름과 가을에 검출되었으며 겨울에는 검출되지 않았다. 이상의 결과는 이러한 자유생활아메바가 한국의 상수 원수에도 고루 존재한다는 것을 의미한다.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제17권10호
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• pp.1121-1127
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• 2008

The free-living amoeba and Acanthamoeba sp. are widely distributed in fresh water, soil, air and dust in the world. We studied distribution of amoeba from low Nakdong River(Mulgum and Maeri) and removal efficiency in water treatment process of Busan metropolitan city. During this investigation, water quality showed pH $7.4{\sim}9.6({\pm}1.1)$, water temperature $2.0{\sim}29.0({\pm}17)^{\circ}C$, turbidity $4.8{\sim}27.4({\pm}11.0)$ NTU, chlorophyll-a $10.3{\sim}109.0({\pm}44.3)\;mg/m^{3}$, BOD $1.7\sim4.9({\pm}2.6)$ mg/L, COD $3.1\sim-6.9({\pm}5.0)$ mg/L and total coliform $17\sim920({\pm}200.5)$ MPN/100 mL. The free-living amoeba were detected highly than Acanthamoeba sp., 11 out of 22 in raw water samples were positive (50%) for Acanthamoeba sp. from February 2005 to December 2005. The seasonal characteristics of tree-living amoeba and Acanthamoeba sp. in raw water were mainly distributed through the spring to the early fall. When tree-living amoeba and Acanthamoeba sp. were passed through the water treatment of pilot-plant, approximately 80% was sure to be removed through pre-ozonation, sedimentation, send filtration. 100% was removed after post-ozonation process. All of the isolated amoebas from Nakdong River were Acanthamoeba sp. AC311 18S ribosomal RNA gene with 98% nucleotide sequence homology.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제60권4호
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• pp.229-239
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• 2022

The high percentage of Vermamoeba was found in tap water in Korea. This study investigated whether Vermamoeba induced allergic airway inflammation in mice. We selected 2 free-living amoebas (FLAs) isolated from tap water, which included Korean FLA 5 (KFA5; Vermamoeba vermiformis) and 21 (an homolog of Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/E2). We axenically cultured KFA5 and KFA21. We applied approximately 1×10⁶ to mice's nasal passages 6 times and investigated their pathogenicity. The airway resistance value was significantly increased after KFA5 and KFA21 treatments. The eosinophil recruitment and goblet cell hyperplasia were concomitantly observed in bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue in mice infected with KFA5 and KFA21. These infections also activated the Th2-related interleukin 25, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokines gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells. The CD4⁺ interleukin 4⁺ cell population was increased in the lung, and the secretion of Th2-, Th17-, and Th1-associated cytokines were upregulated during KFA5 and KFA21 infection in the spleen, lung-draining lymph nodes, and BAL fluid. The pathogenicity (allergenicity) of KFA5 and KFA21 might not have drastically changed during the long-term in vitro culture. Our results suggested that Vermamoeba could elicit allergic airway inflammation and may be an airway allergen.