• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.126-134
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• 2022

Norovirus (NoV) is an important pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis worldwide. The purpose of the present study was the molecular characterization of NoV. A total of 408 stool specimens collected from hospitalized children associated with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Rai, Thailand, 2015-2017 were investigated for the presence of NoVs by RT-PCR. NoV GII was detected in 32 samples (7.8%). Five distinct genotypes were identified, including GII.4 (13/32, 40.6%), GII.3 (11/32, 34.3%), GII.17 (4/32, 12.5%), GII.2 (2/32, 6.3%), and GII.14 (2/32, 6.3%). NoV infection occurred mostly in young children under 3 years of age (31/32, 96.9%) and showed the main peak in summer months from March to April (18/32, 56.3%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all 13 GII.4 strains clustered with GII.4 Sydney 2012 variant. Representative GII.3 strains were analyzed as a recombinant GII.3P[12] strain. Several amino acid differences were found in the antigenic epitopes and antibody binding sites of the VP1 capsid of the GII.3P[12]. Homology modeling of the P domain of the GII.3P[12] strain demonstrated that 10/13 amino acid differences were predicted to be located on the surface-exposed area of the capsid structure. These amino acid changes might affect the infectivity and the antigenicity of the recombinant GII.3P[12]. The prevalence of GII.4 Sydney 2012 and recombinant GII.3P[12] strains indicates the genetic diversity of circulating NoVs in Thailand, emphazing the importance of continuous surveillance to mornitor newly emerging NoV strains in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Twelve Universal fungal PCR fingerprint (UFPF) primers that were modified from Universal rice primer (URP) were used to assess genetic diversity of 64 Agaricus strains including 45 A. bisporus strains and other 19 strains of other Agaricus spp. Eight primers, UFPF1, UFPF2, UFPF3, UFPF7, UFPF9, UFPF10, UFPF11, and UFPF12 produced PCR polymorphic bands within and between the Agaricus species. Primer UFPF7 produced specific PCR polymorphic bands that are distinct Korean strain from different strains. Ninety five PCR polymorphic bands were inputted for UPGMA cluster analysis. Forty five strains of A. bisporus are genetically clustered into 8 groups, showing coefficient similarity from 0.75 to 0.9 among them. The varieties, Saea, Saedo, Saejeong and Saeyeon that have recently been developed in Korea were involved in the same group with close genetic relationship of coefficient similarity over 0.96, whereas, other Korean strains were genetically related to A. bisporus strains that were introduced from USA, Eroupe and Chinese.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2011

The species diversity of Betaproteobacteria in the Sumunmulbengdui Wetland Area of Jeju Island was studied using culture based techniques, and candidates for novel taxa were screened. Twenty two novel bacterial strains belonging to Betaproteobacteria were isolated, which could be assigned to 16 genera of 4 families, namely Burkholderiaceae (3 strains), Comamonadaceae (8 strains), Oxalobacteraceae (5 strains), Neisseriaceae (5 strains), and an unassigned group belonging to Burkholderiales (1 strain) based 16S rRNA gene sequences. The genus Chromobacterium contained three candidates of novel species, and each of the genera Burkholderia, Comamonas, Pelomonas and Herbaspirillum contained two candidates respectively. Through the analysis of membrane fatty acid profiles and physiological properties using API 20NE as well as morphological and cultural properties, each of the isolates was found to form potentially novel species. Brief description of 22 potential candidates for new species or subspecies is given accordingly.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1179-1185
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• 2018

Recently, Sargassum horneri, the marine weed inhabiting the shoreline, beach, and littoral sea area, has caused serious damage to intensive aquaculture farms particularly those around Jeju Island, South Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity of microorganisms in Sargassum horneri and to provide basic data on ecological problems by identifying microbial functions. A total of 88 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum accounting for 88%, including class ${\alpha}-proteobacteria$, six genera, and ten species. The dominating genus, Pseudobacter, accounted for 40% in Pseudorhodobacter, 20% in Paracoccus, and the remaining at 10% each were Rhizobium, Albirhodobacter, Skermanella, and Novosphingobium. Class ${\beta}-proteobactera$ included five genera and ten species. Genus Hydrogenophaga accounted for 50%, while genus Azoarcus accounted for 20%, and the remaining Oxalicibacterium, Duganella, and Xenophilus were 10% each. Class ${\gamma}-proteobacteria$ with 13 genera and 57 species, accounted for 74% in phylum Proteobacteria, 23% in Shewanella, 19% in Cobetia, 12% in Pseudomonas, 4% each in Vibrio and Serratia, and 2% each in Rheinheimera, Raoultella, Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and Psychrobacter genera. In addition, Actinobacteria with two species of Nocardioides genera accounted for 50%, and Bacteroidetes accounted for 33%, with three genera and five species that included Lacihabitans and Mariniflexile. The remaining Dyadobacter, Cellulophaga, and Ferruginibacter genera each accounted for 11%.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.248-255
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• 2019

This research confirmed the diversity and characterization of gut microorganisms isolated from the intestinal organs of Muraenesox cinereus, collected on the Samcheonpo Coast and Seocheon Coast in South Korea. To isolate strains, Marine agar medium was basically used and cultivated at $37^{\circ}C$ and pH7 for several days aerobically. After single colony isolation, totally 49 pure single-colonies were isolated and phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on the result of 16S rRNA gene DNA sequencing, indicating that isolated strains were divided into 3 phyla, 13 families, 15 genera, 34 species and 49 strains. Proteobacteria phylum, the main phyletic group, comprised 83.7% with 8 families, 8 genera and 26 species of Aeromonadaceae, Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Shewanellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Morganellaceae, Moraxellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Vibrionaceae. To confirm whether isolated strain can produce industrially useful enzyme or not, amylase, lipase, and protease enzyme assays were performed individually, showing that 39 strains possessed at least one enzyme activity. Especially the Aeromonas sp. strains showed all enzyme activity tested. This result indicated that isolated strains have shown the possibility of the industrial application. Therefore, this study has contributed for securing domestic genetic resources and the expansion of scientific knowledge of the gut microbial community in Muraenesox cinereus of South Korea.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2015

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms inhabiting living plant tissues without causing apparent harm to the host. They are drawing increasing attention due to their ability to produce various bioactive compounds as well as their effects on host growth and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. As a first step to assess biodiversity of plant associated fungi in Korea and the following evaluation on diverse biological activities, we are collecting endophytic fungi from plant in wild followed by systematic long-term storage in liquid nitrogen. Molecular identification using ITS sequences was also incorporated for pure culture by hyphal tip isolation. As of April 2015, about 1,400 fungal strains had been isolated from about 170 plant taxa. Fungal isolates belonging to Pleosporales, Diaporthales, Glomerellales, Hypocreales, and Xylariales were the most abundant. These collections are being used for several complementary researches, including screening of isolates with novel bioactive compounds or conferring drought stress resistance, phylogenetic and genomic study. Genome sequencing was performed for 3 isolates, one Xylaria sp. strain JS573 producing griseofulvin, an antifungal compound, and two Fusarium spp. strains JS626 and JS1030, which are assumed to be new species found in Korea. More detailed analysis on these genomes will be presented. These collections and genome informations will serve as invaluable resources for identifying novel bioactive materials in addition to expand our knowledge on fungal biodiversity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.259-264
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• 2009

Genetic polymorphisms of encoding antigen B2 gene (AgB2) in Echinococcus granulosus were studied using PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing among 20 Egyptian isolates. Five isolates from different host origins (humans, camels, pigs, and sheep) were collected and used. All examined isolates of each host group gave very similar patterns of PCR-RFLP after restriction enzyme digestion with Alul, with the gene size of approximately 140 bp and 240 bp for sheep and human isolates, and approximately 150 bp and 250 bp for pig and camel isolates. No digestion pattern was obtained after incubation of all studied isolates with EcoRI. These results reveal high intra-group homogeneity. DNA sequence analysis highlighted that human infecting strain showed 100% identity with respect to sheep infecting isolate, 96% and 99% with pig and camel infecting isolates, respectively.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.203-220
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• 2013

The study of the tensile strength of composite materials is far more complex than analysis of the properties of elasticity and plasticity. Indeed, during mechanical loading, micro-cracks in the matrix, the fibers break, debonding of the interfaces are created. The failure process of composites is of great diversity and cannot be described if even we know: the strength criterion of each individual component, the state of stress and strain in the material, the propagation phenomena cracks in the structure and nature of the interface between the matrix and the reinforcement. This information is only partially known and the obtained by the analysis of a stress limit beyond which there is destruction of the material is almost impossible. To partially process the issue, a solution lies in a mesoscopic approach of seeking a law to locate the ultimate strength of the material for a plane stress state. Tests on rectangular plates in bending PEEK/APC2 and T300/914 three were made and this in order to validate our approach, the calculation has been implemented in a nonlinear finite element code (Castem 2000), in order to make comparison with the numerical results. The results show good agreement between numerical simulation and the two materials; however, it would be interesting to consider other phenomena in the criterion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 1999

Thirty-six environmental isolates of Vibrio vulnificus obtained from seawater, sediments, and raw seafoods, and 18 clinical isolates from Vibrio septicemia patients were typed by restriction endonuclease digestion profiles (REDP) of genomic DNA with SfiI. The results revealed a high-level of variation in REDPs, indicating a vast genomic diversity among V. vulnificus strains. Genetic relatedness of the strains showed similarities ranging from 10％ to 100％. Different REDPs for isolates from various raw seafoods were obtained, and clustering of strains according to type of seafoods was not observed. In contrast, clinical isolates of V. vulnificus showed higher similarity to one another, and could be subdivided into one separate group. The difference in REDPs of the V. vulnificus isolates from clinical origin and from raw seafoods substantiates the previous observation that only a single type of pathogenic strain was involved in each human infection, despite the numerous genetically polymorphic strains found from implicated oysters.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.15-21
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• 2002

Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis has been optimized by using in vitro model community composed of genomic DNAs of known bacterial strains and has been applied to assess the bacterial community structure in marine sediments. The specific fluorescence-labeled terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) between 39 and 839 base long specifying each strain were precisely measured for known bacterial strains. The addition of a co-solvent (dimethylsulfoxide or glycerol) into PCR reactions has reduced differential PCR amplification. Comparative bacterial community structure was investigated for pristine and polluted sediments. A complex T-RFLP pattern showing complex bacterial community structure was obtained in the pristine sediment, whereas simple T-RFLP pattern (low bacterial diversity) was shown in polluted sediments where caged aquaculture has been conducted for several years. The results of T-RFLP analysis were compared with that of cloning and sequencing 16S rDNA clones from the same sediments. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA clones (72) of the pristine sediment revealed a diverse collection of lineages, largely of the class Proteobacteria ($6\%$ alpha subdivision, $46\%$ gamma subdivision, $13\%$ delta subdivision, and $3\%$ epsilon subdivision), Nitrospina $(8\%)$, high G+C gram positive $(8\%)$, Verrucomicrobia $(7\%)$, and Planctomycetes $(6\%)$. In the contaminated sediments, 17 $(59\%)$ of the 16S rDNA clones (29) were related to Campylobacter and symbiont of Rimicaris exoculata belonging to epsilon subdivision of Proteobacteria. The results obtained indicated that T-RFLP analysis is a rapid and precise technique for comparative bacterial community analysis.