• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.364-373
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• 2013

It has been known that most regulation of pathogenicity factor (rpf ) genes in xanthomonads regulates virulence in response to the diffusible signal factor, DSF. Although many rpf genes have been functionally characterized, the function of rpfE is still unknown. We cloned the rpfE gene from a Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) Korean race KACC10859 and generated mutant strains to elucidate the role of RpfE with respect to the rpf system. Through experiments using the rpfE-deficient mutant strain, we found that mutation in rpfE gene in Xoo reduced virulence, swarm motility, and production of virulence factors such as cellulase and extracellular polysaccharide. Disease progress by the rpfE-deficient mutant strain was significantly slowed compared to disease progress by the wild type and the number of the rpfE-deficient mutant strain was lower than that of the wild type in the early phase of infection in the inoculated rice leaf. The rpfE mutant strain was unable to utilize sucrose or xylose as carbon sources efficiently in culture. The mutation in rpfE, however, did not affect DSF synthesis. Our results suggest that the rpfE gene regulates the virulence of Xoo under different nutrient conditions without change of DSF production.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.233-240
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• 2015

Some virulence proteins of Helicobacter pylori, such as vacuolating cytotoxic protein A (VacA) and cytotoxin-associated gene protein A (CagA) have been reported to be causative agents of various gastric diseases including chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer or gastric adenocarcinoma. The expression level of these virulence proteins can be regulated when H. pylori is exposed to the antibacterial agent, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (C3G) as previously reported. In this study, we analyzed the quantitative change of various virulence proteins including CagA and VacA by C3G treatment. We used 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) to analyze the quantitative change of representative ten proteome components of H. pylori 60190 ($VacA^+/CagA^+$; standard strain of Eastern type). After 2-DE analysis, spot intensities were analyzed using ImageMaster$^{TM}$ 2-DE Platinum software then each spot was identified using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) or peptide sequencing using Finnigan LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). Next, we selected major virulence proteins of H. pylori among quantitatively meaningful ten spots and confirmed the 2-DE results by Western blot analysis. These results suggest that cyanidin 3-O-glucoside can modulate a variety of H. pylori pathogenic determinants.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.201-207
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• 2018

Porphyromonas gingivalis is among the major etiological pathogens of chronic periodontitis. The virulence mechanisms of P. gingivalis is yet to be identified as its activity is largely unknown in actual disease process. The purpose of this study is to identify antigens of P. gingivalis expressed only in patients with chronic periodontitis using a unique immunoscreening technique. Change Mediated Antigen Technology (CMAT), an antibody-based screening technique, was used to identify virulence-associated proteins of P. gingivalis that are expressed only during infection stage in patients having chronic periodontitis. Out of 13,000 recombinant clones screened, 22 tested positive for reproducible reactivity with rabbit hyperimmune anti-sera prepared against dental plaque samples acquired from periodontitis patients. The DNA sequences of these 18 genes were determined. CMAT-identified protein antigens of P. gingivalis included proteins involved in energy metabolism and biosynthesis, heme and iron binding, drug resistance, specific enzyme activities, and unknown functions. Further analysis of these genes could result in a novel insight into the virulence mechanisms of P. gingivalis.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.183-195
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• 2018

Cryptococcosis, which is caused by the Cryptococcus species complex (including Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii), is well known as one of the most important medical problems. However, the of the Cryptococcus species complex is still limited to pneumonia and meningitis. In particular, the differences in virulence among the five major serotypes of the Cryptococcus species complex are not fully understood. To elucidate the virulence of the Cryptococcus species complex when it is disseminated hematogenously, rats were infected by different strains of the Cryptococcus species serotype, and their histopathological characteristics were compared after infection. The cumulative mortality ratio of rats infected with serotype B strain was slightly higher than in the other experimental groups. In addition, the average recovery of the Cryptococcus species complex from rats infected with serotype B strain was significantly higher than in the other groups in almost all organ samples except spleen. The recovery of the Cryptococcus species complex was associated with the severity of histopathological lesions, including bleeding, inflammation, and tissue damage in all organs. In rats infected with serotype B strain, the virulence was the most severe, especially in the lungs and liver. These results indicate that the pathophysiology of the Cryptococcus species complex infection differs according to serotype.

• 한국어병학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

Causative agent of infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) belonging to genus Novirhabdovirus (Rhabdoviridae). Economic losses caused by IHNV are serious in mainly Oncorhynchus spp. including rainbow trout O. mykiss and Atrantic salmon Salmo salar. IHNV was initially found by endemic presence in U.S. West Coast for sockeye salmon fry O. nerka and chinook salmon fry O. tshawytscha in the 1950s, and it has spread to Japan, Korea and Taiwan in the 1970s, and also to Italy and France in the 1990s. Currently, IHNV is detectable in many parts of the world, including Russia and South America. Mortality due to IHNV infection in fish with ${\leq}0.5g$ of body weight reaches 60% to 100%, while the mortality reduces by fish growing. In recent years, onset of IHNV infection has increased also in fish with large sizes. Here, we introduce molecular epidemiology and virulence changes of IHNV in East Asia, furthermore, we discuss on future prospects in IHNV researches.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.167-179
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• 2023

The rifampicin-resistant strain E9-302 of Edwardsiella ictaluri strain 669 (WT) was generated by continuous passage on BHI agar plates containing increasing concentrations of rifampicin. E9-302 was attenuated significantly by 119 times to zebrafish Danio rerio compared to WT in terms of the 50% lethal dose (LD₅₀). Zebrafish vaccinated with E9-302 via intraperitoneal (IP) injection at a dose of 1 × 10³ CFU/fish had relative percentage survival (RPS) rates of 85.7% when challenged with wild-type E. ictaluri via IP 14 days post-vaccination (dpv). After 14 days of primary vaccination with E9-302 via immersion (IM) at a dose of 4 × 10⁷ CFU/ml, a booster IM vaccination with E9-302 at a dose of 2 × 10⁷ CFU/ml exhibited 65.2% RPS against challenge with wild-type E. ictaluri via IP 7 days later. These results indicated that the rifampicin-resistant attenuated strain E9-302 had potential as a live vaccine against E. ictaluri infection. A previously unreported amino acid site change at position 142 of the RNA polymerase (RNAP) β subunit encoded by the gene rpoB associated with rifampicin resistance was identified. Analysis of the whole-genome sequencing results revealed multiple missense mutations in the virulence-related genes esrB and sspH2 in E9-302 compared with WT, and a 189 bp mismatch in one gene, whose coding product was highly homologous to glycosyltransferase family 39 protein. This study preliminarily explored the molecular mechanism underlying the virulence attenuation of rifampicin-resistant strain E9-302 and provided a new target for the subsequent study of the pathogenic mechanism of E. ictaluri.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.253-260
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• 2000

Agrobacterium tumefaciens에 존재하는 Ti 플라스미드의 virulence(vir)유전자들은 상처난 식물세포에서 분비되는 페놀화합물에 의해서 발현이 유도된다. 본 연구에서는 3종류의 A. tumefaciens들을 대상으로 8종의 페놀화합물들 중에서 vir유전자의 발현에 영향을 미치는 페놀 화합물들의 종류와 이들 균주에서 발현되는 vir유전자의 활성을 조사하였다. A. tumefaciens MW102에 존재하는 vir유전자는 4-hydroxyacetophenone, phenol, catechol, resorcinol과 vanillin등 5종류의 페놀화합물들에 의해서 높게 발현된 반면, 다른 A. tumefaciens Mw105와 Mw108의 vir유전자들은 이들 페놀화합물들에 의해서 매우 낮게 발현되거나 또는 발현되지 않았다. 또한 A. tumefaciens Mw102는 A. tumefaciens Mw105와 Mw108의 vir유전자를 매우 높게 발현시키는 acetosyringene에 의해서는 매우 낮게 발현되었다. 따라서 vir유전자의 발현을 유도시키는 능력은 Ti 플라스미드들의 종류와 페놀화합물들의 종류에 따라서 서로 다르다는 결과를 얻었다. 결과적으로 vir유전자 유도능력의 차이는 vir A 유전자에서 발현되는 sensor단백질의 차이 때문일 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국어병학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.137-145
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• 1996

1995년과 1996년 충남의 조피볼락 종묘생산장에서 발생한 대량폐사의 원인을 조사하였다. 병어로 부터 분리된 원인균은 생화학적 및 생물학적 특성에 의해 Vibrio ordalii로 동정되었다. 당년생과 일년생 조피볼락에 대한 병원성 조사를 위하여 수온 $18^{\circ}C$와 $25^{\circ}C$에서의 감염실험을 실시한 결과 $25^{\circ}C$의 일년생 시험어에 비해 $18^{\circ}C$의 당년생 치어가 훨씬 높은 비율로 감염되었다. 이러한 결과는 양어장에서의 질병발생예를 포함한 현장조사 결과와 일치하고 있었다. 병어의 병리조직학적 관찰결과 아가미는 2차새변과 뇌의 모세혈관의 확장, 호흡상피의 박리, 간실질의 위축, 신장의 괴사가 관찰되었고 소화관계는 뚜렷한 병변이 없었다.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.306-313
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• 2015

Objectives: Molecular mechanism of the pathogenicity of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), a suspected endodontic pathogen, has not yet been adequately elucidated due to limited information on its virulence factors. Here we report the identification of in vivo expressed antigens of E. faecalis by using a novel immunoscreening technique called change-mediated antigen technology (CMAT) and an experimental animal model of endodontic infection. Materials and Methods: Among 4,500 E. coli recombinant clones screened, 19 positive clones reacted reproducibly with hyperimmune sera obtained from rabbits immunized with E. faecalis cells isolated from an experimental endodontic infection. DNA sequences from 16 of these in vivo-induced (IVI) genes were determined. Results: Identified protein antigens of E. faecalis included enzymes involved in housekeeping functions, copper resistance protein, putative outer membrane proteins, and proteins of unknown function. Conclusions: In vivo expressed antigens of E. faecalis could be identified by using a novel immune-screening technique CMAT and an experimental animal model of endodontic infection. Detailed analysis of these IVI genes will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the endodontic infection of E. faecalis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권8호
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• pp.1060-1068
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• 2021

Community-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is notorious as a leading cause of soft tissue infections. Despite several studies on the Agr regulator, the mechanisms of action of Agr on the virulence factors in different strains are still unknown. To reveal the role of Agr in different CA-MRSA, we investigated the LACΔagr mutant and the MW2Δagr mutant by comparing LAC (USA300), MW2 (USA400), and Δagr mutants. The changes of Δagr mutants in sensitivity to oxacillin and several virulence factors such as biofilm formation, pigmentation, motility, and membrane properties were monitored. LACΔagr and MW2Δagr mutants showed different oxacillin sensitivity and biofilm formation compared to the LAC and MW2 strains. Regardless of the strain, the motility was reduced in Δagr mutants. And there was an increase in the long chain fatty acid in phospholipid fatty acid composition of Δagr mutants. Other properties such as biofilm formation, pigmentation, motility, and membrane properties were different in both Δagr mutants. The Agr regulator may have a common role like the control of motility and straindependent roles such as antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, change of membrane, and pigment production. It does not seem easy to control all MRSA by targeting the Agr regulator only as it showed strain-dependent behaviors.