• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 1990

A kanamycin resistance($Km^r$) gene was studied for its transfer in natural freshwater environments by using the natural bacterial isolate(M1) of DK1 and the DKC601 strain, $Km^r$ plasmid of which was genetically engineered from the NI strain. The transfer frequency ofthe $Km^r$ gene and rearrangement of the $Km^r$ plasmid were compared between the gnetically engineered microorganism(GEM) and the NI parental strain by conjugation with the same recipient strain. The transfer frequency of the $Km^r$ gene was about $9.1\times 10^{-12}-1.8\times 10^{-11}$ in both the GEM and NI strains at 5 to $10^{\circ}C$, but the frequency of the NI was about 10 times higher than that of the GEM at 20 to $30^{\circ}C$. The $Km^r$ plasmid in the transconjugants obtained by conjugation of the NI with the MY1 strain as a ricipient showed alot of rearrangement, but the $Km^r$ plasmid transferred from the GEM was stable without alteration of its size. When the MT2 strain was used as a recipient, however, such a rearrangement of the $Km^r$ plamid was observed in the transconjugants obtained from the GEM as well as the NI strain. In those transconjugants obtained from different mating pairs and water environments, the plasmid were appeared to decrease in their number as the period of conjugation time was prolonged, but only the $Km^r$ plasmid transferred from the GEM kept having its size of 52kb. Therefore, the $Km^r$ gene was transferred at the same rate from the GEM and NI strains in natural freshwater environment, but the gene of the GEM strain was more stable than the NIduring conjugation and the $Km^r$ plasmid was rearranged by changing the recipient strain for conjugation in any water environments.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2009

This study was performed to investigate the type of extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamases (ESBL) produced by bacteria isolated from the sewage of wastewater treatment plant at Minragdong, Suyong-gu in Busan. The facility is located at sushi restaurants and guides its drain water to the wastewater treatment plant at Yonghodong, Nam-gu in Busan. Samples were collected on January, 2009. A total of 19 strains were selected as potential ESBL positive strains through a double disk synergy test. On the basis of the results from biochemical tests including indole, methyl-red, Voges-Proskauer, Simmon's citrate, decarboxylase-dihydrolase and sugar-fermentation tests, the 19 strains were identified with 16 strains of Escherichia coli and 3 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Out of 19 strains, 4 transconjugants against Escherichia coli J53, which is sodium azide resistant recipient strain, were obtained. The plasmids isolated from transconjugants were used for PCR analysis. The type of each extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamase (ESBL) produced by the strains was determined on the basis of isoelectric focusing analysis and DNA sequencing. The results indicated that the types of ESBL from Klebsiella pneumoniae were SHV-12 (3 strains), and Escherichia coli was SHV-12/TEM-1 (1 strain), respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.71.2-71
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• 2003

Ralstonia solancearum infects many solanaceous plants, however race 3 infects only potato and tomato weakly. To identify genes responsible for race specificity of R. solanacearum, we mobilized genomic library of LSD2029 (race 3) into LSD341 (race 1) and inoculated 1,000 transconjugants into hot pepper. One transconjugant that did not induce wilt symptom in hot pepper was isolated. We found that a cosmid clone, pRSl, conferred avirulence to LSD341. By deletion and mutational analyses of pRSl, we found the 0.9-kb PstI/Hindlll fragment carries avirulence functions. We sequenced the fragment and identified one possible open reading frame, a rsal gene, possibly encoding 110 amino acids. The rsal was preceded with a plant-inducible promoter (PIP) box, indicating that the gene might be regulated by HrpB. Interestingly, the promoter region of the rsal homolog in the strain GM11000 (race 1) did not have the PIP box. Rsal did not show any significant homologies with proteins in the database, indicating th e protein is different from the previously reported avirulence proteins. When we mutated the rsal gene by marker-exchange in LSD2029, the mutant was less virulent in potato.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.92-93
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate O group serotyping, antimicrobial drug resistance and distribution of extended spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase of 203 Escherichia coli(E. coli) isolated from poultry in Korea during the period from April in 2003 to December 2005. The serogroup of 69.4% of isolates was determinated ; O 78(32.5%), O88(7.9%). O15(6.9%) and O141(6.4%) were the most common. These E. coli isolates showed resistance to nalidixic acid(92.6%), streptomycin(81.8%), ampicillin(77.3%), ciprofloxacin(70.9%), sulfisoxazole(66.5%) and trimethoprim(58.1%), respectively. The bla CTX$_{-M-3\;like}$(2 strains) and bla$\;_{CMY-2}$(2 strains) genes producing extended spectrum ${\beta}$ - lactamase(ESBL) were detected in four wild strains resistant to the third generation cephalosporin, respectively. The presence of the ESBL genes was confirmed in all transconjugants by PCR analysis with primers encoding CTX-M-3 like types or CMY-2.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.151-156
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• 1994

Pseudomonas fluorescens produces the antibiotic, 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl), which promotes plant growth by inhibiting bacteria and fungi. Cosmids (genomic library) were mobilized into Phl-nonproducing mutants through the triparental matings with pRK2013 as the helper plasmid at the frequency of 8.37$\times$10-4. Complemented mutants that showed antibiotic activity were selected among about 2,000 transconjugants. The complemented mutants were confirmed by acquired drug resistances (kanamycin and tetracycline). The antibiotic substances of wild type and complemented mutants showed the most excellent anti-bacterial activity. Inhibitory effects of complemented P. fluorescens against phytopathogenic fungi were equal to the parental strain. Complemented mutant and wild type of P. fluorescens were causal microbes of fungal morphological abnormalities. Complemented mutants in potato dextrose agar supplemented with bromothymol blue also showed restoration of glucose utilization as wild type. Plasmids of complemented mutants were isolated from transconjugant sand transformed into competent cells of E. coli DH5$\alpha$. The plamid DNA was reisolated from transformed E. coli DH5$\alpha$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.1001-1007
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• 2003

Metal ions contamination may inhibit microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of organic compounds and affect biodegradation rates. Therefore, it is likely that bioremediation of xenobiotics-contaminated soils and waste will require inoculation with efficient biodegrading microbial communities, with capabilities of being resistant to heavy metals as well. Two different transconjugants (Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC and P. aeruginosa TC) were constructed by conjugation experiments. Results on MIC, induction and growth inhibition strongly indicated that arsenic-resistant plasmid, pKM20, could be mobilized, and the newly acquired phenotype of pKM20 was not only expressed but also well regulated, resulting in newly acquired resistances to $As^{5+},\;As^{3+},\;and\;Sb^{3+} in\;addition\;to\;Cd^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;and\;Hg^{2+}$. The phenol- degradation efficiencies of Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC were maintained significantly even at high heavy metal concentrations at which these efficiencies of P. aeruginosa TC were completely impaired. The results in this study on the effects of heavy metals on phenol degradation, especially after conjugation, are the first ever reported. All the results described in this study encourage to establish a goal of making "designer biocatalysts" which could degrade certain xenobiotics in the area contaminated with multiple heavy metals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.164-169
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• 1995

An endogenous cryptic plasmid, pBL1, which has been used to construct plasmid vectors for coryneform bacteria producing amino acids, was eliminated from Brevibacterium lactofermentum. The pBL1 was partially digested with Sau3AI and the resulting DNA fragments were subcloned into a suicide vector pEM1 which contains a kanamycin-resistant (km$^{r}$) gene. KM$^{r}$ B. lactofermentum transconjugants were obtained by conjugal transfer of the pEM1 derivatives containing pBL1 DNA fragments from Escherichia coli into B. lactofermentum. A km$^{r}$ transconjugant was analyzed to contain a plasmid pEB14, which occurred in vivo by homologous recombination between pBL1 and the conjugal-transferred plasmid. The pEB14 including the pEM1-derived km$^{r}$ gene was found to be lost concomitantly with km$^{r}$ phenotype, resulting in the construction of a pBL1-free strain of B lactofermentum. Based on transformation efficiencies and plasmid stability, the resultant pBL1- free strain is more useful than wild strain as a host cell for genetic manipulation. It could be concluded that foreign plasmid DNAs are efficiently isolated and analyzed from the pBL1-free strain because of the absence of endogenous pBL1 plasmid.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.334-341
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• 1989

Toluate degradative plasmid from Pseudomonas cepacia SUB37 was determined to be molecular weight as $79.3\times 10^6$

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 1997

Xanthmonas campestris pv. campestris, causal agent of Black rot of crucifers, were isolated and identified from crucifer host. In order to determine the characters of X. c. pv. campestris associated with pathogenicity, Tn5 mutagenesis was carried out by conjugating with E. coli pJB4J1. Transconjugants were plate- assayed for missing cellulase, protease and amylase activity. A cellulase negative mutant was selected and tested for pathogenicity. Light microscopy and Scanning electron microscopy revealed that substomatal tissues were colonized by mutant, but was far less extensive than those by wild type. Stomatal surface and substomatal tissue appeared to have degraded by only wild type in 24 hrs and progression of pathogenesis was distinct in 48 hrs. In 6 days, wild type proliferated well in the tissue facilitated by cellulase activity. As a result, cellulase was determined as the important factor in pathogenesis.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 1995

To determine whether chitinolytic enzymes from Chromobacterium violaceum C-61 play an important role in the suppression of Rhizoctonia damping-off, Tn5 insertion mutants deficient in chitinolytic activity (Chi a- mutants) were selected and their chitinolytic and disease suppression were compared with those of the parental strain. Four Chi a- mutants selected from about 2,000 transconjugants did not inhibit mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani on nutrient agar-potato dextrose agar (BA-PDA) and their abilities to suppress Rhizoctonia damping-off were much lower than the parental strain. However, population density in the eggplant rhizosphere did not differ significantly between the parental strain and four Chi a- mutants. The crude enzyme of the parental strain inhibited growth of R. solani on NA-PDA and its chitinase activity was much higher than that of Chi a- mutants. But the N,N' -diacetylchitobiase activity between these isolates were not significantly different. The chitinase of Chi a- mutants was defective in 2 isoforms of 52- and 37-kDa among four isoforms of 54-, 52-, 50- and 37-kDa. A Tn5 element was inserted into one site of 10 kb EcoRI fragment of chromosomal DNA in three Chi- mutants, C61-C1, -C2, and -C3. In C61-C4 mutant, a Tn5 element was inserted into two sites of 10 kb and 4.4 kb EcoRI fragments. These results suggest that the chitinase of C. violaceum C-61 play an important role in the suppression of Rhizoctonia damping-off of cucumber and eggplant.