• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2010

The cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway plays a major role in growth, sexual differentiation, and virulence factor synthesis of pathogenic fungi. In Cryptococcus neoformans, perturbation of the cAMP pathway, such as a deletion in the gene encoding adenylyl cyclase (CAC1), causes defects in the production of virulence factors, including capsule and melanin production, as well as mating. Previously, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of the Ras- and cAMP- pathway mutants, which revealed 163 potential cAMP-regulated genes (38 genes at a 2-fold cutoff). The present study characterized the role of one of the cAMP pathway-dependent genes (serotype A identification number CNAG_ 06576.2). The expression patterns were confirmed by Northern blot analysis and the gene was designated cAMP-regulated gene 1 (CAR1). Interestingly, deletion of CAR1 did not affect biosynthesis of any virulence factors and the mating process, unlike the cAMP-signaling deficient cac1$\Delta$ mutant. Furthermore, the car1$\Delta$ mutant exhibited wild-type levels of the stress-response phenotype against diverse environmental cues, indicating that Car1, albeit regulated by the cAMP-pathway, is not essential to confer a cAMP-dependent phenotype in C. neoformans.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2022

Bacteria communicate with each other through an intricate communication mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS). QS regulates different behavioral aspects in bacteria, such as biofilm formation, sporulation, virulence gene expression, antibiotic production, and bioluminescence. Several different chemical signals and signal detection systems play vital roles in promoting highly efficient intra- and interspecies communication. Gram-negative bacteria coordinate gene regulation through the production of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Gram-positive bacteria do not code for AHL production, while some gram-negative bacteria have an incomplete AHL-QS system. Despite this fact, these microbes can detect AHLs owing to the presence of LuxR solo receptors. Various studies have reported the role of AHLs in interspecies signaling. Moreover, as bacteria live in a polymicrobial community, the production of extracellular compounds to compete for resources is imperative. Thus, AHL-mediated signaling and inhibition are considered to affect virulence in bacteria. In the current review, we focus on the synthesis and regulation mechanisms of AHLs and highlight their role in interspecies bacterial signaling. Exploring interspecies bacterial signaling will further help us understand host-pathogen interactions, thereby contributing to the development of therapeutic strategies intended to target chronic polymicrobial infections.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1624-1629
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• 2010

Bacterial cell-to-cell communication, termed quorum sensing (QS), leads to coordinated group behavior in a cell-density-dependent fashion and controls a variety of physiological processes including virulence gene expression. The repressor of the lsr operon, LsrR, is the only known regulator of LuxS/AI-2-mediated QS in Salmonella. Although lack of lsrR did not result in noticeable differences in Salmonella survival, the down-regulation of QS as a result of lsrR overexpression decreased Salmonella survival within macrophages. We found that impaired growth of Salmonella overexpressing lsrR within macrophages was due largely to its hypersensitivity to NADPH-dependent oxidative stress. This, in turn, was a result of decreased expression of genes involved in the oxidative stress response, such as sodA, sodCI, and sodCII, when lsrR was overexpressed. These results suggest that down-regulation of QS by excess LsrR can lower Salmonella virulence by hampering Salmonella evasion from oxidative killing within macrophages.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.253-260
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• 2000

The virulence(vir) genes in Ti plasmid at Agrobacterium tumefaciens are expressed by a phenolic compound synthesized at plant wound site. The vir genes inducing abilities of 8 phenolic compounds were tested using three wild type strains of A. tumefaciens. It was also investigated how the levels of vir gene expression among the strains tested could be related to the kinds of specific phenolic compounds. Five phenolic compounds like as 4-hydroxyacetophenone, phenol, catechol, resorcinol, and vanillin had exhibited a strong effect on the vir gene expression of A. tumefaciens MW102 whereas they did not be either non-functional or weakly inducible to the vir gene expression of other strains i.e. A. tumefaciens MW105 and MW108. Furthermore, the vir gene of A. tumefaciens MW102 was lowly expressed by acetosyringone that exposed an strong effect on the vir gene induction of other two strains. Thus, it appeared that the vir gene inducing abilities were differed by the kinds of phenolic compounds and Ti plasmids. In conclusion, we suppose that a change in vir gene inducing ability could be resulted from a difference of sensor protein expressed by vir A gene.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.543-550
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate induction of cytokine expression in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) by whole cell and the components of T. forsythia. Material and Methods: After HGFs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), membrane protein isolated from T. forsythia or culture media of T. forsythia, the induction of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and IL-8 was examined with real-time PCR and ELISA. Their induction ability of cytokines was compared with whole bacteria. Result: The expression of IL-6 and IL-8 was significantly induced in HGFs by whole bacteria and membrane protein. The expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ was induced by membrane protein of T. forsythia, not by whole bacteria. LPS and condition media of T. forsythia slightly activated HGFs. Conclusion: The membrane protein of T. forsythia could be one of virulence factors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.220-227
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• 2022

The spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive opportunistic pathogen, has increased due to the frequent use of antibiotics. Inhibition of the quorum-sensing systems of biofilm-producing strains using plant extracts represents an efficient approach for controlling infections. Torilis japonica is a medicinal herb showing various bioactivities; however, no studies have reported the anti-biofilm effects of T. japonica extracts against drug-resistant S. aureus. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of T. japonica ethanol extract (TJE) on biofilm production in methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) KCTC 1927, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) KCCM 40510, and MRSA KCCM 40511. Biofilm assays showed that TJE could inhibit biofilm formation in all strains. Furthermore, the hemolysis of sheep blood was found to be reduced when the strains were treated with TJE. The mRNA expression of agrA, sarA, icaA, hla, and RNAIII was evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to determine the effect of TJE on the regulation of genes encoding quorum sensing-related virulence factors in MSSA and MRSA. The expression of hla reduced in a concentration-dependent manner upon treatment with TJE. Moreover, the expression levels of other genes were significantly reduced compared to those in the control group. In conclusion, TJE can suppress biofilm formation and virulence factor-related gene expression in MSSA and MRSA strains. The extract may therefore be used to develop treatments for infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.316-320
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• 2001

Sonication tremendously improves the efficiency of Agrobacterium infection by introducing small and uniform fissures and channels throughout the targeted tissue. Using shoot tips of cotton as explants, the effect of sonication treatment and virulence genes in Agrobacterium tumefaciens on transformation efficiency was investigated. The pat gene which encodes resistance to the herbicide, glufosinate, was used as a selectable marker. Transformation efficiency was evaluated on th basis of survival rates of cocultivated shoot tips on selection medium containing 2.5 mg/l gulfosinate-ammonium(ppt) adn 25. mg/l Clavamax. Sonication from 5 to 15 second has a positive effect on shoop tip survival. However, whil virE as well as virG or vir GN54D showed an enhancement in transformation efficiency, virE,. virG resulted in the most significant enhancement. Overall, the combination of additional virG/virE gene and sonication treatment resulted in the most significant increase in transformation efficiency.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.19 no.1 s.42
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• pp.11-20
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• 1980

Percent penetration on a specific rice variety was more affected by blast fungus isolate or predisposition temperature than by temperature and isolate combinations. A susceptible variety tested remained continuously susceptible regardless of whether the variety was grown at different temperature regimes and exposed to isolates/races with differences in pathogenicity and virulence. The expression of virulence by a particular blast fungus isolate race was observed to be changed by subjecting rice host plants to different predisposing temperature conditions prior to inoculation.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.143-146
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• 2004

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREFM) is becoming a threatening pathogen. We identified a gene called DD1.5K by differential display-PCR, which was preferentially expressed in the bloodstream isolates of VREFM. Due to its amino acid similarity to transfer complex protein, trsE, and tissue-specific expression, this gene may be involved in virulence of VREFM.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-53
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• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-recognized human pathogen that causes a wide range of infections as a result of its extensive virulence factors. One of these factors is Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a potent pore-forming cytotoxin that has been linked to invasive S. aureus infections. PVL is one of the important virulence factors for S. aureus and has been largely recognized as one of the markers for community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. However, the presence of PVL in methicillin-susceptible S. aureus infections is not widely reported in the literature. Thrombotic sequelae of S. aureus infections associated with PVL expression are uncommon in children. We hereby report two children with thrombotic complications associated with PVL-producing methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Both patients responded well to antibiotic and anticoagulant therapies, and survived without any long-term sequelae.