• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.555-562
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• 2012

PCR was performed to analyze the ${\beta}$-lactamase genes carried by ampicillin-resistant Vibrio spp. strains isolated from marine environments in Korea between 2006 and 2009. All 36 strains tested showed negative results in PCR with the primers designed from the nucleotide sequences of various known ${\beta}$-lactamase genes. This prompted us to screen new ${\beta}$-lactamase genes. A novel ${\beta}$-lactamase gene was cloned from Vibrio alginolyticus KV3 isolated from the aquaculture water of Geoje Island of Korea. The determined nucleotide sequence (VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase) revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 852 bp, encoding a protein of 283 amino acids (aa), which displayed low homology to any other ${\beta}$-lactamase genes reported in public databases. The deduced 283 aa sequence of VAK-3, consisting of a 19 aa signal peptide and a 264 aa mature protein, contained highly conserved peptide segments specific to class A ${\beta}$-lactamases including the specific amino acid residues STFK (62-65), SDN (122-124), E (158), and RTG (226-228). Results from PCR performed with primers specific to the VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase gene identified 3 of the 36 isolated strains as V. alginolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, and Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae, indicating the utilization of various ${\beta}$-lactamase genes including unidentified ones in ampicillin-resistant Vibrio spp. strains from the marine environment. In a mating experiment, none of the isolates transfered the VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase gene to the Escherichia coli recipient. This lack of mobility, and the presence of a chromosomal acyl-CoA flanking sequence upstream of the VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase gene, led to the assumption that the location of this new ${\beta}$-lactamase gene was in the chromosome, rather than the mobile plasmid. Antibiotic susceptibility of VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase was indicated by elevated levels of resistance to penicillins, but not to cephalosporins in the wild type and E. coli harboring recombinant plasmid pKV-3, compared with those of the host strain alone. Phylogenetic analysis showed that VAK-3 ${\beta}$-lactamase is a new and separate member of class A ${\beta}$-lactamases.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.740-744
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• 2014

In this study, the ${\beta}$-lactamase (VPA0477) gene was used as a new target for the PCR-based detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Primers specific for the ${\beta}$-lactamase (VPA0477) gene of V. parahaemolyticus, were designed and incorporated into a PCR-based assay. The assay was able to specifically detect all of the 191 V. parahaemolyticus strains tested, but did not result in amplification of 39 other Vibrio spp. and non-Vibrio spp. strains tested. The detection limit of the assay was 10 CFU of V. parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633 from pure culture broth. The ${\beta}$-lactamase (VPA0477) gene-based assay developed in this study was sensitive and specific, and has great potential for the accurate detection and identification of V. parahaemolyticus in seawater or seafood samples.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.597-604
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• 2011

Using 108 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from seawater, we investigated ampicillin-resistance profiles and the genetic characterization of ${\beta}$-lactamase (VPA0477). All of the strains studied, except one strain, were resistant to ampicillin. However, the strain that was susceptible to ampicillin had the same ${\beta}$-lactamase gene as the ampicillin-resistant strains. We compared ${\beta}$-lactamase promoter region sequences among five strains, including both ampicillin-resistant and -susceptible strains. In the susceptible strain, a nucleotide at position -19 in the methionine initiation codon for ${\beta}$-lactamase was not present in the ampicillin-resistant strains. The genes in the region containing the gene VPA0477 were present in all of the tested strains, and LA-PCR analysis showed that the distance between VPA0474 and VPA0479 in all of the V. parahaemolyticus samples was precisely 5.7 kb. In V. parahaemolyticus ${\beta}$-lactamase, four important structural features that are conserved in Class A ${\beta}$-lactamases were present in the deduced amino acid sequences. Taken together, our study demonstrates that V. parahaemolyticus ${\beta}$-lactamase is included in the Class A ${\beta}$-lactamase group, and some nucleotides within the promoter region are of particular importance for ${\beta}$-lactamase activity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.149-153
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• 1992

Cloning of the gene encoding extracellular .betha.-lactamase from Streptomyces sp. SMF13 in a plasmid pIJ702 and expression of the gene in Streptomyces invidans were carried out. Optimal conditions for the formation of protoplasts of S.lividans and the regeneration of the protoplasts were evaluated. Streptomyces sp. SMF-13 was selected as a donor strain of .betha.-lactamase gene and totla DNA of the strain was partially digested with Sau3A I. DNA fragments ranged from 4kb to 10 kb were ligated to pIJ702 AT Bgl II site and then the ligated DNAs were transformed to the protoplasts of S, livivans. The transformation efficiency was $2 *10^{3}$ .$\mu$g DNA for the ligated DNA mixture. One colony among a thousand colonies regenerated showed extracellular .betha.-lactamase and the size of the inserted DNA fragment was estimated to be 3.94 kb. The .betha.-lactamase activity in the culture broth of the recombinant strain was maximum at 3 days culture to be 1.0 unit/ml.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1592-1599
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• 2008

The $\beta$-lactamase gene was cloned into E. coli DH5$\alpha$ from Bacillus sp. J105 with strong resistance against $\beta$-lactam antibiotics. The chromosomal DNA was partially digested with Sau3AI and ligated to BamHI digested pLAFR3. $\beta$-Lactamase positive clones were obtained by using in vitro packaging kit. The pKL11-${\Delta}4.6$ with $\beta$-lactamase activity was obtained by subcloning of the recombinant plasmid ($\beta$-lac +). The 6.5 kb fragment in the subcloned plasmid was sequenced. The DNA fragment that contains the $\beta$-lactamase gene encodes 309 amino acids. The 0.17 kb upstream region was similar to those of B. thuringinesis and B. cereus with 97% identity. The deduced amino acids sequence was also similar to those of $\beta$-lactamase from B. thuringinesis and B. cereus with 97% and 94% identity, respectively. The phylogenetic tree also showed the relationships of the $\beta$-lactamase gene of Bacillus sp. J105 to genetically related that of other Bacillus strains. Analysis of expression pattern of the pKL11-${\Delta}4.6$ in E. coli, revealed that the secretion efficiency of $\beta$-lactamase was $4{\sim}5%$ and the molecular weight was as same as that of original $\beta$-lactamase (31 kDa) from Bacillus sp. J105.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.272-274
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• 2007

During May to July 2004, three strains of Providencia spp. with multidrug-resistance (MDR) were isolated from urinary specimen of three patients hospitalized with a same hospital room. By PCR analysis, all three strains have been found to carry both VIM-2 type $metallo-{\beta}-lactamase$ gene and PER-1 type extended spectrum ${\beta}-lactamase$ gene. One out of three strains carried additional resistance gene, armA, 16S rRNA methylase gene responsible for high level resistance to aminoglycosides. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification of Providencia spp. simultaneously carrying $bla_{VIM-2},\;bla_{PER-1}$, and armA genes.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.276-282
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• 1995

Compared to the first and second-generation cephalosporins, the third-generation cephalosporins are remarkably stable against hydrolysis by the $\beta$-lactamases produced by aerobic gram-negative bacilli, such as Enterobacteriaceae. Among these bacteria, the most prevalent plasmid-encoded $\beta$-lactamase is TEM-1 $\beta$-lactamase belonging to class A or group 2b. This enzyme is produced constitutively and is principally active against peniciflins and old cephalosporins rather than third-generafion cephalosporins, carbapenems and mmobactams. However, new TEM type $\beta$-lactamases including TEM-9 and TEM-12 evolved through point mutations in a gene encoding $\beta$-lactamase have been discovered from patients during chemotherapy. These $\beta$-lactamases are known to be capable of hydrolyzing most of the third-generatim cephalosporins. To study the prevalence of $\beta$-lactamases from clinical isolates collected in Korea. the minimal inhibitory concentratims(MICs) of several third-generation cephalosporins against 628 clinical isolates were determined by agar dilution methods, and $\beta$-lactamas-producing bacteria were isolated by use of cefinase disc. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, clinical isolates harboring a gene for TEM type $\beta$-lactamase were identified among the $\beta$-lactamase producing strains. Twentiy three percent of the clinical isolates was resistant to the thirdgeneration cephalosporins, and more than 90% of resistant cells produced various $\beta$-lactamases. TFM type $\beta$-lactamases were dominant in gram-negative bacilli, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter species. These results suggest the necessity of the development of new cephalosporins which are stable against $\beta$-lactamases like TEM.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 1992

The secretion vector with promoter and signal sequence region of neutral protease gene (npr) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was constructed by the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A unique restriction iste was introduced into the 3' of the signal coding region by the synthesis of PCR primer. To demonstrate the function of cloned promoter and signal sequence, we used the E. coli .betha.-lactamase structural gene as a foreign gene. The signal sequence of .betha.-lactamase gene was deleted by Bal31 exonuclease and only mature region was introduced into the secretion vector. Bacillus subtilis cells transformed by the recombinant vector synthesized the fusion protein and were also capable of removing the signal peptide from the original fusion protein, as judged by the assay of .betha.-lactamase activity and secretion into the growth medium by western blotting.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1214-1220
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• 2010

Imipenem-resistant bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens taken from hospitalized patients in Suncheon, Korea. Fifty-four isolates were phylogenetically analyzed based on 16S rRNA gene and gyrB gene sequence comparisons. Isolates were affiliated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30 strains; 55.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii (21; 38.9%), Enterobacter hormaechei (2) and Pseudomonas putida (2). Twenty-two isolates produced metallo-$\beta$-lactamase (MBL); 12 Acinetobacter baumannii strains, 7 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, 2 P. putida strains and 1 Enterobacter hormaechei strain. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was determined using the disc diffusion method and Vitek system. Strains producing metallo-$\beta$-lactamase (type IMP & VIM) were more resistant to antibiotics ceftazidime, aztreonam, amikacin and gentamicin than to strains producing OXA and SHV type of $\beta$-lactamase.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.590-596
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• 2001

A new extended-spectrum ${\beta}-lactamase$ with an isoelectric point (pl) of 6.2 was detected in Klebsiella pneumoniae Fl 61 that was isolated from a patient with infection. This strain was highly resistant to the third or fourth generation cephalosporins such as cceftazidime ceftriaxone, cefoperzaone, and cefpirome. Analysis of this strain by the double disk diffusion test showed synergies between amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMX-CA) and cefotaxime, and AMX-CA and aztreonam, which suggested that this strain produced a extended-spectrum ${\beta}-lactamase$ (ESBL). Cenetic analysis revealed that the resistance was due to the presence of a 9.4-kb plasmic, designated as pkpl 61, encoding for new ${\beta}-lactamase$ gene (bla). Sequence analysis showed that a new bla gene of pkpl 61 differed from $bla_{TEM-1}$ by three mutations leading to the following amino acid substitutions: $Val_{84}{\rightarrow}lie,{\;}Ala_{184}{\rightarrow}Val,{\;}and{\;}Gly_{238}{\rightarrow}Ser$. These mutations have not been reported previously in the TIM type ${\beta}-lactamases$ produced by clinical strains. The novel ${\beta}-lactamase$ was overexpressed in E. coli and purified by ion exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose and CM-Sepharose, and then further purified by gel filtration on Sehadex G-200. The catalytic activity of th8 purified ${\beta}-lactamase$ was confirmed by the nitrocefin disk.