• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.789-792
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• 1999

The complete nucleotide sequence of pKH4, a small multidrug resistance (smr) plasmid isolated from multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA5, was determined. Sequence analysis has revealed that pKH4 has two open reading frames for Rep and Smr proteins. The comparison of the amino acid sequence of Smr protein of pKH4 with those of other Smr proteins of various Staphylococcus showed that Smr protein of pKH4 is a new member of the SMR family.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.145-146
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• 1996

The 2.4-kb cryptic plasmid (pKH8) of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA2 was characterized by complete nucleotide sequencing and homology comparison. pKH8 was found to contain three open reading frames. Protein analysis of pKH8 showed that pKH8 was a multidrug resistance plasmid and mediated resistance to ethidium bromide and quaternary ammonium compounds.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.219-220
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• 1996

The pKH2 isolated from the multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA2 is a 40.98-kb plasmid and mediates resistance to ampicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin. The 3.4-kb HindIII fragment conferring kanamycin resistance was cloned from the pKH2 into pBluescriptII $KS^+$ and partial sequence determination of that fragment was carried out. Sequence analysis revealed that the kanamycin resistance gene which encoded aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase was linked to the streptothricin resistance gene. But a nonsense mutation was found in the streptothricin resistance gene and this mutation resulted in a truncated protein of streptothricin acetyltransferase. Homology comparison with nucleotide sequence databases revealed that the 3.4-kb HindIII fragment of pKH2 had been derived not from S. aureus but from Gram-negative Campylobacter coli.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.621-624
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• 1993

The clirical isolate Staphylococcus aureus SA2 had four kinds of plasmids and was resistant to ampicillin, chloroamphenicol, clindamycin. erythromycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, methicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline and tobramycin. Transformation experiment demonstrated that 4.14kb plasmid(pKH7) encoded resistance to chloramphenicol. The cleavage map of pKH7 was determined by restriction enzyme mapping techniques. The cleavage map is given for BstEll, Hindlll, Hpall, and Xbal. The above restriction endonucleases have a single site, but nucleases BamHl, Bgll, BglII, EcoRl, EcoRV, HaeIII, Hpal, Kpnl, Pstl, PvnII, Sall, Smal, and XhoI have no site on this plasmid.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 1995

The clinical isolate Staphylococcus aureus SA2 had four kinds of plasmids and was resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, methicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline and tobramycin. Transformation experiment demonstrated that 4.44 kb plasmid(pKH6) encoded resistance to tetracycline. The cleavage map of pKH6 was determined by restriction enzyme mapping techniques. The cleavage map is given for EcoRV, HindIII, HpaI, HpaII, KpnI and Xbal. Restriction endonucleases BamHl, BglI, BGIII, BstEII, EcoRI, HaellI, PstI, PvuII, SalI, Smal, and Xhol have no site on this plasmid. The restriction map revealed extensive structural homology between pKH6 and pT181.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1180-1183
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• 2020

The prevalence and characterization of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants in ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from a Korean commercial layer farm were studied. A total of 45 ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates were recovered and all isolates were multidrug-resistant. Eight isolates have the PMQR genes aac(6')-Ib-cr, qnrS1, and qnrB4, and seven isolates exhibited double amino acid exchange at both gyrA and parC, and have high fluoroquinolone minimum inhibitory concentrations. Five transconjugants demonstrated transferability of PMQR and β-lactamase genes and similar antimicrobial resistance. Because PMQR genes in isolates from commercial layer chickens could enter the food supply and directly affect humans, control of ciprofloxacin resistance is needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1042-1052
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• 2010

Forty-seven Salmonella Typhimurium (33 zoonotic, 14 clinical) strains were tested for antimicrobial resistance using the standard disk diffusion method. The presence of relevant resistance genes and class 1 integrons were investigated by using PCR. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and plasmid profiling were carried out to determine the genomic diversity of Salmonella Typhimurium. Approximately 57.4% of the S. Typhimurium strains were multidrug resistant (MDR) and showed high resistance rates to tetracycline (70.2%), sulfonamides (57.4%), streptomycin (53.1%), ampicillin (29.7%), nalidixic acid (27.6%), kanamycin (23.4%), chloramphenicol (21.2%), and trimethoprim (19.1%). Resistance towards cephalosporins was noted for cephalothin (27.6%), cephradine (21.2%), amoxicillin clavulanic acid (17.0%), and cephalexin (17.0%). Resistance genes, $bla_{TEM}$, strA, aadA, sul1, sul2, tetA, tetB, and tetC, were detected among the drug-resistant strains. Thirtythree strains (70.2%) carried class 1 integrons, which were grouped in 9 different profiles. DNA sequencing identified sat, aadA, pse-1, and dfrA genes in variable regions on class 1 integrons. Thirty-five strains (74.4%) were subtyped to 22 different plasmid profiles, each with 1-6 plasmids (2.0 to 95 kb). PFGE subtyped the 47 strains into 39 profiles. In conclusion, high rates of multidrug resistance were found among the Malaysian Salmonella Typhimurium strains. The emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium to cephalosporin antibiotics was also observed. The strains were very diverse and no persistent clone was observed. The emergence of MDR Salmonella Typhimurium is a worldwide problem, and this report provides information for the better understanding of the prevalence and epidemiology of MDR S. Typhimurium in Malaysia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.394-401
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• 2016

Recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, a genome editing technology, was shown to be versatile in treating several antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the present study, we applied the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to kill extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli. ESBL bacteria are mostly multidrug resistant (MDR), and have plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance genes that can be easily transferred to other members of the bacterial community by horizontal gene transfer. To restore sensitivity to antibiotics in these bacteria, we searched for a CRISPR/Cas9 target sequence that was conserved among >1,000 ESBL mutants. There was only one target sequence for each TEM- and SHV-type ESBL, with each of these sequences found in ~200 ESBL strains of each type. Furthermore, we showed that these target sequences can be exploited to re-sensitize MDR cells in which resistance is mediated by genes that are not the target of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, but by genes that are present on the same plasmid as target genes. We believe our Re-Sensitization to Antibiotics from Resistance (ReSAFR) technology, which enhances the practical value of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, will be an effective method of treatment against plasmid-carrying MDR bacteria.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2015

A 7-year-old castrated male Korean Shorthair cat was referred with lethargy and anorexia. Laboratory examination revealed moderate degenerative changes of peripheral neutrophils on blood smear examination and decreased levels of free and total thyroxine ($T_4$) as well as bacterial growth on blood culture. Molecular analyses of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and heat shock protein 60 gene confirmed the bacterium as Enterobacter cloacae. A minimal inhibitory concentration test showed multidrug resistance of the bacterium against 16 antibiotics. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent sequencing specifically for $bla_{TEM}$, $bla_{SHV}$, $bla_{CTX-M}$, and plasmid-mediated ampC genes revealed positive results to $bla_{TEM-1}$, $bla_{CTX-M-15}$, and plasmid-mediated $bla_{ACT-1}$ genes, indicating that the isolated bacterium contains plasmids containing genes encoding extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and plasmid-mediated ampC beta-lactamase. After 1 month of treatment with antibiotics and levothyroxine, the cat's condition improved; both the thyroid function test and the blood culture showed no abnormalities. This is the first report of community-acquired multidrug-resistant E. cloacae-induced euthyroid sick syndrome in a cat. By the prompt diagnostic procedures and properly selected antibiotic therapy, the cat was recovered from the multidrug-resistant bacterium-induced septicaemia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.430-435
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• 2013

Multidrug resistance, especially multidrug efflux mechanisms that extrude structurally unrelated cytotoxic compounds from the cell by multidrug transporters, is a serious problem and one of the main reasons for the failure of therapeutic treatment of infections by pathogenic microorganisms as well as of cancer cells. Streptococcus mutans is considered one of the primary causative agents of dental caries and periodontal disease, which comprise the most common oral diseases. A fragment of chromosomal DNA from S. mutans KCTC3065 was cloned using Escherichia coli KAM32 as host cells lacking major multidrug efflux pumps. Although E. coli KAM32 cells were very sensitive to many antimicrobial agents, the transformed cells harboring a recombinant plasmid became resistant to several structurally unrelated antimicrobial agents such as tetracycline, kanamycin, rhodamin 6G, ampicillin, acriflavine, ethidium bromide, and tetraphenylphosphonium chloride. This suggested that the cloned DNA fragment carries a gene encoding a multidrug efflux pump. Among 49 of the multidrug-resistant transformants, we report the functional gene cloning and characterization of the function of one multidrug efflux pump, namely MdeA from S. mutans, which was expressed in E. coli KAM32. Judging from the structural and biochemical properties, we concluded that MdeA is the first cloned and characterized multidrug efflux pump using the proton motive force as the energy for efflux drugs.