• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.158-161
• /
• 1990

An improved fungal test method, soft agar overlay method, has been developed for the measurement of biodegradability of synthetic polymers. Advantages of this technique over conventionally used test method of ASTM include better visualization of fungal growth on polymeric materials, shortening of incubaiton period, and engnaced sensitivity especially to polymeric materials containing highly recalcitrant molecules.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.75-79
• /
• 2009

In this study, we polymerized new materials for soft contact lens using HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) which is the based-monomer of soft contact lens, EGDMA (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) as cross linkage agent, and the new additives of monoester or di-ester derived from itaconic acid commercially produced by the fermentation of Asp. itaconicus. New polymer materials for soft contact lens were synthesized with the mixture of HEMA and mono- or diester at different ratios and presented to a good water content and oxygen transmissibility (Dk/L) values. In case of polymerization with HEMA and mono-ester (15%), the water content and oxygen transmissibility of contact lens were found to be good values at 57.6% and 28.5 Dk respectively. The mixture of HEMA and mono-ester is more excellent than HEMA/di-ester in the water content and oxygen transmissibility. The toxicity of new contact lens materials were confirmed in the fibroblast L-929 cell line using a agar overlay test and a growth inhibition test with the extract solution of contact lens.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.9
• /
• pp.666-673
• /
• 2003

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of the lung cancer. However, mechanism of action underlying the carcinogenesis in the lung still remains to be elucidated. The present study attempted to look into the carcinogenic potential of tobacco-specific nitrosamine, NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) and the effects of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in an immortalized human epithelial cell model. Material and Method: Immortalized human epithelial cells were exposed with NNK and examined for its carcinogenic potential as measured by saturation density, soft-agar colony formation, and cell aggregation assay. The specific isoform of PKCs involved in the cellular transformation was analysed through western blot with monoclonal antibody and measured separately in cytosolic fraction and membrane fraction. Result: Human epithelial cells exposed with NNK showed prominent carcinogenic potential in saturation density, soft agar colony formation, and cell aggregation assay. PKC isoform analysis results are as follows: PKC- $\alpha$ showed significant translocation of protein levels from cytosolic fraction to membrane fraction, as analyzed by immunoblot. PKC- $\varepsilon$ showed a dose-dependent increase of translocation. PKC- λ was not affected by NNK treatment. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that there was a certain specificity in the patterns of isoform induction following chemical carcinogen exposure. Thus, it is suggested that identification of specific isoform be a clue to find target molecules in the carcinogenesis.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.98-101
• /
• 2004

A fruit soft rot caused by Mucor piriformis occurred on sweet persimmon storages in Jinju, Changwon and Gimhae, Gyeongnam province, Korea, 2003. The disease infection usually started from wounding after cracking of fruits. At first, the lesions started with water soaked and rapidly softened and diseased lesion gradually expanded. Colonies on potato dextrose agar at $20^{\circ}C$ were whitish to olivaceous-buff Sporangia were globose, black and $96{\sim}153{\mu}m$ in size. Sporangiophores were $26{\sim}42{\mu}m$ in width. Sporangiospores were ellipsoid and $5.8{\sim}10.6{\times}4.3{\sim}7.6{\mu}m$ in size. Columella was obovoid, cylindrical-ellipsoidal, pyriform, subglobose and $80{\sim}125{\mu}m$ in size. Optimal temperature for mycelial growth was $20^{\circ}C$ on PDA. The causal organism was identified as M. piriformis. This is the first report of fruit soft rot on sweet persimmon caused by M. piriformis in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.279-284
• /
• 1989

Macroorganisms capable of utilizing sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate(SDBS, soft type) as a sole carbon source were isolated from nature by using SDBS agar plate technique. Iwolated bacteria were examined primarily for biodegradation ability of SDBS, and followed by testing for resistance to several kinds of metal compounds and antibiotics. Among them(152 strains), one strain showed a excellent SDBS-degrading ability with a resistance to amipicillin and rifampicin was selected. This bacterium was identified as Klebsiella sp. and harbored two plasmids of about 4 and 5 kilobases. SDBS-degrading ability was lost when the plasmids were cured by mitomycin C. It was revealed that the degradation of SDBS was controlled by the plasmid DNA encoding genes. The two plasmids were stably maintained in Escherichia coli C600.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 1988

This research was focused on investigation of the condition for protoplast formation and regeneration of protoplast fusion between Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has fermentation ability and Candida cariosilignicola which can grow at high temperature and utilize methanol. The results obtained were as follows; The highest production was collected in exponential growth phase. Ninety-nine% protoplast formation of C. cariosilignicola was obtained in glycin-NaOH buffer (pH10.0) containing Zymolyase 0.5mg/ml at $35^{\circ}C$ for 1hr incubation. The highest regeneration was produced when protoplast wuwpension containing 0.5% soft agar in buffered 50mM $CaCl_{2}$ was poured as a soft overlay onto 2% agar plates. Equal amuont of protoplast suspension of two strains was mixed and centrifuged. The subsequent pellet was added to 2ml of 35% polyethylene glycol (MW 4,000) containing 50mM $CaCl_{2}$, and incubated at $30^{\circ}C$ for 10min. Then 0.1ml of the suspension of aggregated protoplast was immediately covered with minimal medium and incubated at $40^{\circ}C$ for 5-7 days. As results, $SC_{1}$, $SC_{2}$, and $SC_{3}$ fusants were obtained. The physiological characteristics of fusants produced by protoplast fusion were; $SC_{1}$, and $SC_{2}$ utilized maltose, galactose, methanol, potassium nitrate. $SC_{3}$ utilized all the above materials except galactose.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.163-165
• /
• 2005

In April 2002 and 2003, soft rot on fruit of eggplant (Solanum melongena) caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum was observed in the experimental fields at Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services in Korea. The disease began with water-soaking and dark-green lesions, and then the infected tissues were rapidly rotten. Sporangium was subglobose in shape and sized $40{\sim}130\;{\mu}m$. Monosporous sporangiola were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid, brown in color, and measured as $12{\sim}20\;{\times}\;6{\sim}14\;{\mu}m$. Sporangiospores having three or more appendages were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid in shape, dark brown or brown in color, and sized $14{\sim}20\;{\times}7{\sim}16\;{\mu}m$. The fungus grew well on potato dextrose agar between 15 and $40^{\circ}C$ and its optimum growth temperature was $30^{\circ}C$. Based on morphological characteristics, the causal fungus of the fruit soft rot of eggplant was identified as C. cucurbitarum. This is the first report on the soft rot of S. melongena caused by C. cucurbitarum in Korea.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.339-341
• /
• 2018

Amaranth has the potential for good materials related to nutrients and health benefits. There are several diseases of amaranth such as leaf blight, damping-off, and root rot. As a causal agent of soft rot disease, Pectobacterium spp. could infect various plant species. In this study, we isolated the bacterial pathogen causing soft rot of amaranth in South Korea. In Gangneung, Gangwon province during 2017, amaranth plants showed typical soft rot symptoms such as wilting, defoliation and odd smell. To isolate pathogen, the macerated tissues of contaminated amaranth were spread onto LB agar plates and purified by a single colony subculture. One ml bacterial suspension of a representative isolate was injected to the stem of five seedlings of 2-week-old amaranth with a needle. Ten mM magnesium sulfate solution was used as a negative control. 16S rDNA gene and recA gene were sequenced and compared with the reference sequences using the BLAST. In the phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA gene and recA gene, GSA1 strain was grouped in Pcb.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.151-153
• /
• 2006

Rhizopus soft rot caused by Rhizopus stolonifer occurred on pears (Pyrus serotina) in the Jinju City Agricultural Products Wholesale Market in Korea from 2004 to 2005. The infection usually started from wounds due to cracking at harvest time. The lesions started as water-soaked, rapidly softened, then gradually expanded. The mycelia grew vigorously on the surface of the fruits and formed stolons. Colonies on potato dextrose agar at $25^{\circ}C$ were white cottony to brownish black. Sporangia were globose, black and $90{\sim}120\;{\mu}m$ in size. Sporangiophores were light brown and $480{\sim}2600{\times}12{\sim}18\;{mu}m$ in size. Sporangiospores were globose to oval, brownish, streaked, and $8{\sim}14{\times}6{\sim}10\;{\mu}m$ in size. Columella were light brownish gray, hemispherical and $70{\sim}80\;{\mu}m$ in size. On the basis of these symptoms, mycological characteristics and pathogenicity tests on host plants, the fungus was identified as Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenb.) Vuill. This is the first report of rhizopus soft rot on pear (P. serotina) caused by R. stolonifer in Korea.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 1984

A digital spectrum analysis technique was used to estimate the tissue characteristic parameters (transmission velocity and attenuation coefficient) in the phantom study and the human liver's ultrasound scanning. The soft tissue equivalent phantom was made with the combination materials of agar, water, powdered graphite, and n-propyl alcohol. In the human study, twenty five normal subjects and three patients with liver diseases were studied using the ultrasonic reflection signals and the spectrum analysis method The following results were obtained; 1. The soft tissue-equivalent materical could be produced with various acoustic parameters by changing the composition amount of the powdered graphite and n-propyl alcohol. 2. Attenuation coefficients of normal human liver tissue were estimated to be 0. 36 dB/cm MHz$\pm$0.11. In patients with liver disese, tile attenuation coefficients were shown to be different from the above normal values.