• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.243-246
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• 1999

A type of symbiosis was previously described from nature in which the gametophytes of Laminariales were endophytic in filamentous red algae. Here we reconstruct this symbiosis for the first time in laboratory culture using zoospores of the kelp, Undaria pinnatifida, and the red alga, Aglaothamnion oosumiense. Zoospores of U. pinnatifida readily attached to A. oosumiense. In 48 h these spores germinated and the initial germ tube penetrated into the host cell wall leaving only an empty zoospore wall outside the host. Within ten days, four to five-celled endophytic gametophytes were present. Zoospores of Laminaria religiosa which were also inoculated into cultures of A. oosumiense rarely attached to the red alga and never became endophytic. Within ten days the free-living gametophytes of L. religiosa on cover slips became fertile and produced young sporophytes. These observations demonstrate the ability of U. pinnatifida to become endophytic, and show differences in host specificity among kelp species.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.377-384
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• 1986

A study on the production of mycobacterial antogens has been made in order to improve immunological reactivity and specificity, which have long been explored for the better use of immunological diagnosis of mycobacterial infections. Instead of culture filtrate cell extract was used as a starting material for the production of antigens in this study. Cell extract was fractionated though several steps such as salting out, gel filtration and ion exchange column chromatography and reactivity and specificity of the fractions so produced were enaluated by the various serological methods. The result showed that the species-specific antigenic components distributed mostly in the fractions, Tc of M. tuberculosis, Kc of M. kansasii, Sa of M. scrofulaceum, Aa of M. avium and Fa, Fb, Fc (FF1) of M. fortuitum, which were fractionated by ion exchange column prior to concentrating by salting out and molecular sieving.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1331-1338
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• 2009

Marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum producing paralytic shellfish toxins is responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). To investigate its temporal distributions in Chinhae Bay where PSP occurs annually, SYBR Green I based A. minutum-specific real-time PCR probe was developed on the LSU rDNA region. Assay specificity and sensitivity were tested against related species, and its specificity was further confirmed by sequencing of field-derived samples. Ten months field survey in 2008 (a total 100 surface water samples) by using the real-time PCR probe showed that A. minutum was detected at very low densities of 1-4 cells $L^{-1}$ in May and June being spring in Chinhae Bay, Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.461-465
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• 2006

The occurrence of thioredoxin reductase (NAD(P)H: oxidized-thioredoxin reductase, EC 1.6.4.5, TrxR) in five mesophilic species of Deinococcus was investigated by PAGE. Each species possessed a unique TrxR pattern, for example, a single TrxR characterized D. radiopugnans while multiple forms of TrxR occurred in other Deinococcal spp. Most of TrxRs occurring in Deinococcus showed dual cofactor specificity, active with either NADH or NADPH, although the NADPH specific-TrxR was observed in D. radiophilus and D. proteolytic us.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.140-145
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• 2021

This study aimed to develop Lautropia mirabilis-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primers based on the sequence of DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunit beta gene. The PrimerSelect program was used in designing of the qPCR primers, RTLam-F4 and RTLam-R3. The specificity of the qPCR primers were performed by conventional PCR with 37 strains of 37 oral bacterial species, including L. mirabilis. The sensitivity of the primers was determined by qPCR with the serial dilution of purified genomic DNA of L. mirabilis KCOM 3484, ranged from 4 ng to 4 fg. The data showed that the qPCR primers could detect only L. mirabilis strains and as little as 40 fg of genome DNA of L. mirabilis KCOM 3484. These results indicate that this qPCR primer pair (RTLam-F4/RTLam-R3) may be useful for species-specific detection of L. mirabilis in epidemiological studies of oral bacterial infectious diseases such as periodontal disease.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.416-420
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• 2018

Crepidiastrum sonchifolium, a flowering plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae), is native to East Asia. In Korea, this plant is a locally cultivated vegetable, and its market size is gradually growing. Since the plants with downy mildew infection were initially found at a private farm of Chuncheon city, the occurrences have continued in commercial farms of other regions, highlighting that this disease is spreading throughout Korea. The pathogen was attributed to a member of the genus Bremia that contains many specialized species, each of which displays a narrow host spectrum on Asteraceae. Based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, along with the high host specificity recently proven for Bremia species, the identity of the causal agent was confirmed as a so far undescribed species of Bremia. Here, we introduce Bremia itoana sp. nov., specific to C. sonchifolium.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.753-759
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• 2008

The principal objective of this study was to develop the optimum oligonucleotide primers for the simple detection of Campylobacter in food samples. In order to achieve this goal, a variety of oligonucleotide primers were designed via the modification of 16S rDNA, ceuE and mapA sequences of Campylobacter. Through the subsequent analysis of the specificity and sensitivity of primers, two types of oligonucleotide primers, CB4 and CJ1, were selected for Campylobacter genus-specific and C. jejuni species-specific primers, respectively. The detection limit was found to be $10^0{\sim}10^1$ cells per reaction with the prepared cell suspension, however, the sensitivity in the meat samples was less, at $10^1{\sim}10^2$. We suggested that PCR inhibitors such as hemoglobin or immunoglobulin in pork or beef influenced.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2022

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare ocular disease, but it is a painful and sight-threatening infectious disease. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment are necessary to prevent serious complications. While AK is frequently diagnosis via several PCR assays or Acanthamoeba-specific antibodies, a more specific and effective diagnostic method is required. This study described the production of a polyclonal peptide antibody against the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) of A. castellanii and investigated its diagnostic potential. Western blot analysis showed that the PBP antibody specifically reacted with the cell lysates of A. castellanii. However, the PBP antibody did not interact with human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells and the other 3 major causative agents of keratitis. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) results revealed the specific detection of A. castellanii trophozoites and cysts by PBP antibodies when A. castellanii were co-cultured with HCE cells. PBP antibody specificity was further confirmed by co-culture of A. castellanii trophozoites with F. solani, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa via ICC. The PBP antibody specifically reacted with the trophozoites and cysts of A. polyphaga, A. hatchetti, A. culbertsoni, A. royreba, and A. healyi, thus demonstrated its genus-specific nature. These results showed that the PBP polyclonal peptide antibody of A. castellanii could specifically detect several species of Acanthamoeba, contributing to the development of an effective antibody-based AK diagnostics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.964-972
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• 2023

Bacteriophage endolysins are peptidoglycan hydrolases composed of cell binding domain (CBD) and an enzymatically active domain. A phage endolysin CBD can be used for detecting bacteria owing to its high specificity and sensitivity toward the bacterial cell wall. We aimed to develop a method for detection of Enterococcus faecalis using an endolysin CBD. The gene encoding the CBD of ECP3 phage endolysin was cloned into the Escherichia coli expression vector pET21a. A recombinant protein with a C-terminal 6-His-tag (CBD) was expressed and purified using a His-trap column. CBD was adsorbed onto epoxy magnetic beads (eMBs). The bacterial species specificity and sensitivity of bacterial binding to CBD-eMB complexes were determined using the bacterial colony counting from the magnetic separations after the binding reaction between bacteria and CBD-eMB complexes. E. faecalis could bind to CBD-eMB complexes, but other bacteria (such as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus mutans, and Porphyromonas gingivalis) could not. E. faecalis cells were fixed onto CBD-eMB complexes within 1 h, and >78% of viable E. faecalis cells were recovered. The E. faecalis recovery ratio was not affected by the other bacterial species. The detection limit of the CBD-eMB complex for E. faecalis was >17 CFU/ml. We developed a simple method for the specific detection of E. faecalis using bacteriophage endolysin CBD and MBs. This is the first study to determine that the C-terminal region of ECP3 phage endolysin is a highly specific binding site for E. faecalis among other bacterial species.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to develop PCR primers for the identification and detection of Streptococcus anginosus using species-specific forward and reverse primers. These primers targeted the variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA coding gene(rDNA). The primer specificity was tested against 12 S. anginosus strains and 6 different species(10 strains) of oral bacteria. The primer sensitivity was determined by testing serial dilutions of the purified genomic DNA of S. anginosus ATCC $33397^T$. The data showed that species-specific amplicons were obtained from all the S. anginosus strains tested, but not in the six other species. The PCR could detect as little as 0.4pg of the chromosomal DNA from S. anginosus. This suggests that the PCR primers are highly sensitive and applicable to the detection and identification of S. anginosus.