• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2016

Chemical study of an Arctic bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonadaceae) led to the isolation of two diketopiperazines 1 and 2, two phenazine alkaloids 3 and 4, and an indole carbaldehyde 5, along with a benzoic acid derivative 6. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR, and MS experiments, as well as by comparison of their data with published values. Among the isolates, compounds 5 and 6 were isolated for the first time from P. aeruginosa of the seawater of Arctic Chuckchi Sea. Antimicrobial activities of compounds 1‒6 against a Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were evaluated.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 1999

It is generally difficult, time-consuming, and expensive for the clinical laboratory to detect vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay system as a diagnostic tool for the rapid detection of VRE from clinical samples and/or for the identification of VRE from the bacterial strains isolated from clinical specimens. Specific primers, designed from the nucleotide sequences respectively encoding the vanA, vanB, vanC-1, vanC-2/3 genes in enterococci, were coupled in a multiplex PCR assay system. With this multiplex PCR assay system, we investigated the incidence rates and types of VRE isolated from clinical samples. A total of 75 strains of enterococci were isolated in 3 general hospitals in Korea. Of these isolates, 36 strains showed a pattern of high-level vancomycin resistance which associated with vanA gene, whereas 18 strains showed low-level vancomycin resistance associated with vanC-1 or vanC-2/3 gene. Thus, multiplex PCR assay method established in this study could be applied for the rapid detection of VRE.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.318-328
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• 2017

Chitinase-producing Paenibacillus elgii strain HOA73 has been used to control plant diseases. However, the antimicrobial activity of its extracellular chitinase has not been fully elucidated. The major extracellular chitinase gene (PeChi68) from strain HOA73 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli in this study. This gene had an open reading frame of 2,028 bp, encoding a protein of 675 amino acid residues containing a secretion signal peptide, a chitin-binding domain, two fibronectin type III domains, and a catalytic hydrolase domain. The chitinase (PeChi68) purified from recombinant E. coli exhibited a molecular mass of approximately 68 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Biochemical analysis indicated that optimum temperature for the actitvity of purified chitinase was $50^{\circ}C$. However, it was inactivated with time when it was incubated at $40^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$. Its optimum activity was found at pH 7, although its activity was stable when incubated between pH 3 and pH 11. Heavy metals inhibited this chitinase. This purified chitinase completely inhibited spore germination of two Cladosporium isolates and partially inhibited germination of Botrytis cinerea spores. However, it had no effect on the spores of a Colletotricum isolate. These results indicate that the extracellular chitinase produced by P. elgii HOA73 might have function in limiting spore germination of certain fungal pathogens.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.477-481
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• 2013

Purpose: Ureaplasma colonization is related with perinatal complications in preterm infants. Little is known about the difference in virulence among various Ureaplasma urealyticum serovars. The aim of this study was to determine U. urealyticum serovars of preterm infants in order to assess whether any of the serovars were associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods: Three hundred forty-four preterm infants with a gestational age less than 34 weeks admitted to Gangnam Severance Hospital neonatal intensive care unit from July 2011 to December 2012 were included in this study. Tracheal and gastric aspirations were conducted on infants to confirm Ureaplasma colonization. Ureaplasma colonization was confirmed in 9% of infants, of these, serovars were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: A total of 31 infants (gestational age, $29.3{\pm}3.1$ weeks; birth weight, $1,170{\pm}790g$) were U. urealyticum positive. The Ureaplasma positive group treated for more days with oxygen and ventilation than the negative group (P<0.05). Histologic chorioamnionitis and moderate to severe BPD were more frequent in the Ureaplasma positive group than in the negative group (P<0.05). U. urealyticum isolates were either found to be a mixture of multiple serovars (32%), serovar 9 alone or combined with other serovars (39%), serovar 11 (26%), 2 (13%), 8 (10%), 10 (13%), and 13 (25%). No individual serovars were significantly associated with moderate to severe BPD and chorioamnionitis. Conclusion: This is the first study to describe the distribution of U. urealyticum serovars from Korean preterm infants. Ureaplasma -colonized infants showed higher incidence of BPD and chorioamnionitis.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.144-147
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• 1997

Different isolation methods for the volatile components of Anise(Pimpinella anisum L.) are compared in terms of the difference of components obtained with each analytical procedure. These methods include headspace(purge & trap) sampling procedure, simultaneous distillation extraction(SDE), steam distillation and solvent extraction. Total 43 components were identified by? comparing gas chromatography retention time and mass spectral data. Different isolation techniques result in compositionally different isolates. The headspace(purge & trap) sampling procedure was found to be the best method of choice for a qualitative analysis of the volatile components.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Phytochemical investigation of the twigs of Corylopsis coreana afforded 10 phenolic compounds, bergenin (1), 6'-O-galloylbergenin (2), 3'-O-galloylbergenin (3), (-)-catechin (4), (-)-epicatechin (5), (-)-epicatechin-3-O-galloyl ester (6), 4-methoxy-3,-5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (7), gallic acid (8), 2,4,6-trimethoxyphenol-1-O-${\beta}-\small{D}$-glucopyranoside (9), and 2,4,6-trimethoxyphenol-1-O-${\beta}-\small{D}$-(6-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside (10). Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic data and identified by comparing these data with those in the literatures. The compounds 3, 9 and 10 were isolated for the first time from this source. All the isolates (1-10) were tested for their cytotoxic activity against A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, and HCT15 cell lines in vitro using the SRB bioassay. The compounds 5, 7 and 8 exhibited selective cytotoxic activity against SK-MEL-2 cell line.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1848-1852
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• 2008

Salmonella remains a primary cause of food poisoning worldwide, and massive outbreaks have been witnessed in recent years. Therefore, this study investigated the antimicrobial activity of methyl gallate (MG), which exhibited good antibacterial activity ($MIC=3.9-125{\mu}g/ml$) against all the bacterial strains tested. In a checkerboard dilution test, MG markedly lowered the MICs of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) against Salmonella. The combined activity of CPFX and MG against Salmonella resulted in fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) ranging from 0.0037 to 0.015 and from 0.24 to $7.8{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Meanwhile, the FIC index ranged from 0.31-0.37, indicating a marked synergistic relationship between CPFX and MG against Salmonella. Time-kill assays also showed a decrease in the CFU/ml between the combination and the more active compound. Therefore, this study demonstrated that MG and CPFX can act synergistically in inhibiting Salmonella in vitro.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.560-565
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• 2009

We isolated nine endophytic fungi from the roots of salt-stressed soybean cultivar Daewonkong and screened them for growth-promoting secondary metabolites. Of all fungal isolates, P-4-3 induced maximum growth promotion of waito-c rice and soybean. Analysis of the culture filtrate of P-4-3 showed the presence of physiologically active gibberellins $GA_1$, $GA_3$, $GA_4$, and $GA_7$, along with physiologically inactive $GA_{15}$ and $GA_{24}$. The plant growth promotion and gibberellin-producing capacity of P-4-3 was much higher than wild-type Gibberella fujikuroi, which was taken as the control during the present study. The fungal isolate P-4-3 was identified as a new strain of Scolecobasidium tshawytschae through the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequence. Gibberellins production and plant growth promoting ability of genus Scolecobasidium was reported for the first time in the present study.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.654-662
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• 1996

Bacterial strains which degrade crude oil were isolated by liquid culture from oil-spilled soil, and four isolates were selected among them. The strain Hl7-1 was finally selected after testing emulsifying activity and oil conversion rate. The strain Hl7-1 was identified as a Nocardia sp. based on the test for morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics. It appears to be highly specialized for growth on crude oil in minimal salts medium since it showed preference for oil or degradation products as substrates for growth. It was found that it could grow on at least fifteen different hydrocarbons. The optimum cultural and environmental conditions were seeked. Cell growth and emulsification activity as a function of time were also determined. Crude oil degradation and the reduction of product peak was identified by the analysis of remnant oil by gas chromatography after 3 days of cultivation. Approximately 83% of oil were converted into a form no longer extractable by organic solvents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.821-827
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• 2008

The unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina is a halotolerant eukaryotic organism. Its halophytic properties provide an important advantage for open pond mass cultivation, since D. salina can be grown selectively. D. salina was originally described by E. C. Teodoresco in 1905. Since that time, numerous isolates of D. salina have been identified from hypersaline environments on different continents. The new Dunaliella strain used for this study was isolated from the salt farm area of the west coastal side of South Korea. Cells of the new strain were approximately oval- or pear-shaped (approximately $16-24\;{\mu}m$ long and $10-15\;{\mu}m$ wide), and contained one pyrenoid, cytoplasmatic granules, and no visible eyespot. Although levels of $\beta$-carotene per cell were relatively low in cells grown at salinities between 0.5 to 2.5 M NaCl, cells grown at 4.5 M NaCl contained about a ten-fold increase in cellular levels of $\beta$-carotene, which demonstrated that cells of the new Korean strain of Dunaliella can overaccumulate $\beta$-carotene in response to salt stress. Analysis of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the new Korean isolate showed that it is in the same clade as D. salina. Consequently, based on comparative cell morphology, biochemistry, and molecular phylogeny, the new Dunaliella isolate from South Korea was classified as D. salina KCTC10654BP.