• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.549-557
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• 2016

Aphids are a large group of hemipteran pests that affect the physiology, growth, and development of plants by using piercing mouthparts to consume fluids from the host. Based an recent data, aphids modulate the microbiomes of plants and thereby affect the overall outcome of the biological interaction. However, in a few reports, aboveground aphids manipulate the metabolism of the host and facilitate infestations by rhizosphere bacteria (rhizobacteria). In this study, we evaluated whether aphids alter the plant resistance that is mediated by the bacterial community of the root system. The rhizobacteria were affected by aphid infestation of pepper, and a large population of gram-positive bacteria was detected. Notably, Paenibacillus spp. were the unique gram-positive bacteria to respond to changes induced by the aphids. Paenibacillus polymyxa E681 was used as a rhizobacterium model to assess the recruitment of bacteria to the rhizosphere by the phloem-sucking of aphids and to test the effect of P. polymyxa on the susceptibility of plants to aphids. The root exudates secreted from peppers infested with aphids increased the growth rate of P. polymyxa E681. The application of P. polymyxa E681 to pepper roots promoted the colonization of aphids within 2 days of inoculation. Collectively, our results suggest that aphid infestation modulated the root exudation, which led to the recruitment of rhizobacteria that manipulated the resistance of peppers to aphids. In this study, new information is provided on how the infestation of insects is facilitated through insect-derived modulation of plant resistance with the attraction of gram-positive rhizobacteria.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2002

In vivo expression technology (IVET) has been developed to study bacterial gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium during host infection. The expression of selected genes by IVET has been elevated in vivo but not in vitro. The selected genes turned out to be important for bacterial virulence and/or pathogenicity. IVET depends on a synthetic operon with a promoterless transcriptional fusion between a selection marker gene and a reporter gene. The IVET approach has been successfully adapted in other bacterial pathogens and plant-associated bacteria using different selection markers. Pseudomonas putida suppresses citrus root rot caused by Phytophthora parasitica and enhances citrus seedling growth. The WET strategy was adapted based on a transcriptional fusion, pyrBC'-lacZ, in P. putida to study the bacterial traits important far biocontrol activities. Several genes appeared to be induced on P. parasitica hyphae and were found to be related with metabolism and regulation of gene expression. It is likely that the biocontrol strain took a metabolic advantage from the plant pathogenic fungus and then suppressed citrus root rot effectively. The result was parallel with those from the adaptation of IVET in P. fluorescens, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Interestingly, genes encoding components for type III secretion system have been identified as rhizosphere-induced genes in the PGPR strain. The type III secretion system may play a certain role during interaction with its counterpart plants. Application of IVET has been demonstrated in a wide range of bacteria. It is an important strategy to genetically understand complicated bacterial traits in the environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2003

For researching nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with gramineous crops, we collected growing roots of rices, wheats, oats, barleys, ryes, and maizes at 19 sites of southern Korean peninsula. Endophytes and free living bacteria were isolated from those crop roots. Sixty-three isolates were classified on the basis of different morphology, size, color, host of colony, and the 16S rDNAs sequence. The analyses of PCR amplification for nifH gene and nitrogenase activity assay, revealed that all isolates contained nitrogen-fixing abilities. In addition, most of them have cellulase activity which is one of the common features of endophytic bacteria from plant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.246-246
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• 2017

Salinity inhibits plant growth and restricts the efficiency of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The selective uptake of nutrients from the soil and their effective transport to host roots make it essential for plant growth and development under salt stress. AMF spore associated bacteria shown to improve mycorrhizal efficiency under stress. Thus, this study aimed to understand the co-inoculation efficiency of AMF and SAB on maize growth and ion homeostasis under salt stress. Two AMF strains and one SAB were inoculated with maize either alone or in combination with one another. The results of our study showed that AMF and SAB co-inoculation significantly improved dry weight and nutrient uptake of maize under salt stress. Co-inoculation significantly reduced proline accumulation in shoots and Na+ accumulation in roots. Co-inoculation treatment also exhibited the high K+/Na+ ratios in roots at 25 mM NaCl. Mycorrhizal colonization showed positive influence for regulation of ZmAKT2, ZmSOS1 and ZmSKOR gene expressions, contributing to K+ and Na+ ion homeostasis. CLSM view showed that SAB were able move and localize into inter and intra cellular spaces of maize roots. In addition, CLSM view of AMF spores showed that gfp-tagged SAB also associated on the spore outer hyaline layer.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2009

Culture-independent 16S rDNA-DGGE profiling and phylogenetic analysis were used to examine the predominant bacterial communities associated with the two sponges, Dictyonella sp. and Spirastrella abata from Jeju island. The culture-independent approach involved extraction of total bacterial DNA, PCR amplification of the 16S ribosomal DNA using primer pair 341f-GC and 518r, and separation of the amplicons on a denaturing gradient gel. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis banding patterns indicated 8 and 7 bands from the two sponge species, Dictyonella sp. and Spirastrella abata, respectively. There were not common major bands in two different sponges. Comparative sequence analysis of variable DGGE bands revealed from 93% to 98% similarity to the known published sequences. The dominant bacterial group of Dictyonella sp. belonged to uncultured Gammaproteobacteria, while, that of Spirastrella abata belonged to uncultured Alphaproeobacteria and Firmicutes. DGGE analysis indicated predominant communities of the sponge-associated bacteria differ in the two sponges from the same geographical location. This result revealed that bacterial community profiles of the sponges were host species-specific.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2009

Legume plants develop root nodules to recruit nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia. This symbiotic relationship allows the host plants to grow even under nitrogen limiting environment. Since nodule development is an energetically expensive process, the number of nodules should be tightly controlled by the host plants. For this purpose, legume plants utilize a long-distance signaling known as autoregulation of nodulation (AON). AON signaling in legumes has been extensively studied over decades but the underlying molecular mechanism had been largely unclear until recently. With the advent of the model legumes, L. japonicus and M. truncatula, we have been seeing a great progress including isolation of the AON-associated receptor kinase. Here, we summarize recent studies on AON and discuss an updated view of the long-distance control of nodulation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.11
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• pp.543-551
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• 2021

The human microbiome, which consists of a collective cluster of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms living in the human body, plays a key role in host health and immunity. The human nasal cavity harbors commensal bacteria that suppress the colonization of opportunistic pathogens. However, dysbiosis of the nasal microbial community is associated with many diseases, such as acute respiratory infections including otitis media, sinusitis and bronchitis and allergic respiratory diseases including asthma. The nasopharyngeal acquisition of pneumococcus, which exists as a pathobiont in the nasal cavity, is the initial step in virtually all pneumococcal diseases. Although the factors influencing nasal colonization and elimination are not fully understood, the adhesion of opportunistic pathogens to nasopharyngeal mucosa receptors and the eliciting of immune responses in the host are implicated in addition to bacterial microbiota properties and colonization resistance dynamics. Probiotics or synbiotic interventions may show promising and effective roles in the adjunctive treatment of dysbiosis; however, more studies are needed to characterize how these interventions can be applied in clinical practice in the future.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

Although asymptomatic bacteriuria, cystitis, and acute pyelonephritis (APN) have been categorized as urinary tract infections (UTIs), the immunopathogenesis of each disease is different. APN shows an age predilection; the majority of children (over 70-80%) with APN are under 1-2 years of age, with a male predominance. After 1-2 years of age, female predominance has been reported. This finding suggests that the immature immune state of infancy may be associated with the pathogenesis of APN. Escherichia coli is the most common etiologic agent; other uropathogens associated with UTIs originate from the host and comprise normal flora that are continuously altered by environmental factors. Therefore, uropathogens may have characteristics different from those of extraneous bacterial pathogens. Although antibiotic-resistant uropathogens, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strains, are increasing in Korea and worldwide, treatment failure is rare in immune-competent children. The immunopathogenesis of APN remains unknown. Intact bacteria may not be the causative substances in renal cell injury; rather, smaller substances produced during bacterial replication may be responsible for renal cell injury and scarring. Moreover, substances from host cells such as proinflammatory cytokines may be involved in renal cell injury. A dimercaptosuccinic acid scan is used to detect the site of bacterial replication in the renal parenchyma, and may be influenced by the size of the focus and the stage of APN. Traditional aggressive studies used to identify vesicoureteral reflux after the first episode of APN have been modified because of rare cases of chronic kidney disease in patients with recurrent UTI.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2007

Over the last few years, the endophytic bacterial community associated with citrus has been studied as an important component interacting with Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of citrus variegated chlorosis(CVC). This bacterium may also colonize some model plants, such as Catharanthus roseus and Nicotiana clevelandii. In the present study, we compared the endophytic colonization of Citrus sinensis and Catharanthus rose us using the endophytic bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. We chose an appropriate strain, K. pneumoniae 342 (Kp342), labeled with the GFP gene. This strain was inoculated onto seedlings of C. sinensis and C. roseus. The isolation frequency was determined one week after the inoculation and the endophytic colonization of K. pneumoniae was observed using fluorescence microscopy. Although the endophytic bacterium was more frequently isolated from C. roseus than from C. sinensis, the colonization profiles for both host plants were similar, suggesting that C. roseus could be used as a model plant to study the interaction between endophytic bacteria and X. fastidiosa.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.776-787
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• 2009

T helper (Th) 17 cells have recently been described as a third subset of T helper cells, and have provided new insights into the mechanisms that are important in the development of autoimmune diseases and the immune responses that are essential for effective antimicrobial host defense. Both protective and harmful effects of Th17 responses during infection have been described. In general, Th17 responses are critical for mucosal and epithelial host defense against extracellular bacteria and fungi. However, recent studies have reported that Th17 responses can also contribute to viral persistence and chronic inflammation associated with parasitic infection. It has become evident that the type of microorganisms and the setting in which they trigger the Th17 response determines the outcome of the delicate balancethat exists between Th17 induced protection and immunopathogenesis.