• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1245-1255
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• 1997

Background : Rifampicin(RFP) is a key component of the antituberculous short-course chemotherapy and the RFP resistance is a marker of multi-drug resistant(MDR) tuberculosis. RPoB gene encodes the $\beta$-subunit of RNA polymerase of M. tuberculosis which is the target of RFP. And rpoB gene mutations are the cause of RFP resistance of M. tuberculosis. Although several reports showed that PCR-SSCP would be a rapid diagnostic method for identifying the RFP resistance, there were few reports Performed using direct, clinical specimens. So we Performed PCR-SSCP analysis of rpoB gene of M. tuberculosis in direct, clinical specimens. Methods : 75 clinical specimens were collected from patients at Asan Medical Center from June to August 1996. After PCR of IS 6110 fragments, 43 both AFB smear-positive and IS6110 fragment PCR-positive specimens were evaluated. The RFP susceptibility test was referred to the referral laboratory of the Korean Tuberculosis Institute. DNA was extracted by bead beater method. And heminested PCR was done using 0.1ul(1uCi) [$\alpha-^{32}P$]-dCTP. SSCP analysis was done using non-denaturating MDE gel electrophoresis. Results : The results of PCR of IS6110 fragments of M. tuberculosis were positive in 55(73%) cases of 75 AFB smear-positive clinical specimens. Of the 55 specimens, RFP susceptibility was confirmed in only 43 specimens. Of the 43 AFB smear-positive and IS6110 fragment-positive specimens, 29 were RFP susceptible and 14 were RFP resistant. All the RFP susceptible 29 strains showed the same mobility compared with that of RFP sensitive H37Rv in SSCP analysis of ropB gene. And all the other RFP resistant 13 strains showed the different mobility. In other words they showed 100% identical results between PCR-SSCP analysis and traditional susceptibility test. Conclusion : The PCR-sseP analysis of rpoB gene in direct clinical specimens could be used as a rapid diagnostic method for detecting RFP resistant M. tuberculosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1643-1649
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• 2016

The aims of this study were to characterize the molecular epidemiological profiles of CTX-M-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from a tertiary hospital in Daejeon, Korea, and to investigate the genetic diversity and compare the prevalence of sequence types (STs) in different areas. Extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli strains isolated from urine were analyzed for CTX-M, integrons, and insertion sequence common regions (ISCRs) by PCR and sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), phylogenetic analysis, and rep-PCR were also used for molecular typing of the isolates. Of 80 CTX-M producers, 31 and 46 expressed CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-14, respectively. MLST analysis indicated that the most prevalent ST was ST131 (n = 34, 42.5%), followed by ST38 (n = 22, 27.5%), ST405 (n = 8, 10.0%), and ST69 (n = 6, 7.5%). Most CTX-M producers harbored class 1 integrons. ST131 strains belonged to phylogenetic group B2 and showed identical rep-PCR patterns, whereas ST69, ST38, and ST405 strains belonged to phylogenetic group D; the ST38 and ST405 strains displayed the same rep-PCR pattern, respectively. ST131 and ST38 isolates showed 21 and 19 distinct types, respectively, by PFGE. In Daejeon, D-ST38 CTX-M-14 producers were relatively more prevalent than in other countries and Korean cities. Our results indicate that CTX-M-producing E. coli isolates belonged mostly to ST131 or ST38 and were more related to hospital-onset than to community-onset infections and that the bla_CTX-M gene may vary according to the ST.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.516-525
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• 2012

LAB were isolated from makgeolli locally produced around Jinju, Gyeongnam, S. Korea during spring of 2011. Randomly selected 11 isolates from MRS agar plates were identified first by API CHL 50 kits and then 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All 11 isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum. Among them, ST4 grew in MRS broth with ethanol up to 10%, showing the highest alcohol resistance. L. plantarum ST4 was moderately resistant against acid and bile salts. When cellular proteins of L. plantarum ST4 under ethanol stress were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), the intensities of 6 spots increased, whereas 22 spots decreased at least 2-fold. Those 28 spots were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF). FusA2 (elongation factor G) increased 18.8-fold (6% ethanol) compared with control. Other proteins were AtpD (ATP synthase subunit beta), DnaK, GroEL, Tuf (elongation factor Tu), and Npr2 (NADH peroxidase), respectively. Among the 22 proteins decreased in intensities, lactate dehydrogenases (LdhD and LdhL1) were included.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 1998

Fed-batch fermentations with different feeding media were carried out in order to increase the productivity of invertase expression using a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing plasmid pRB58. Two batch cultures showed the expression of the SUC2 gene at a low concentration of glucose, suggesting that glucose concentration could be used as a control variable in a fed-batch operation mode. In the fed-batch culture by feeding the basal medium, cell mass and specific invertase activity did not increase much as compared with the simple batch culture. A series of fed-batch cultures revealed that the sucrose-supplemented medium increased cell mass whereas the enriched medium did specific invertase activity. To capitalize on the synergism of the sucrose-supplemented medium and the enriched medium, the sucrose-supplemented enriched medium was used as a feeding medium. The fed-batch culture using this medium resulted in a 2.4-fold increase in cell mass and a 1.9-fold enhancement in specific invertase activity compared with those of the batch culture. The increase in cell mass and specific invertase activity led to a marked increase in total invertase activity, 250U/ml, which was 6.3 times higher than that of the batch culture.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 2004

The transgenic mice carrying human Interleukin-10 (hIL-10) gene in conjunction with bovine (3 -casein promoter express hIL-10 in milk during lactation. In this study, stability of germ line transmission and expression of hIL-10 transgene integrated into host chromosome were monitored up to generation F8 of transgenic mice. When male mouse of generation F8 was crossbred with normal females, approximately half of offspring (50.9±5.8%) were identified as transgenic mice. Generation F9 to F15 mice also showed similar transmission rates (66.0±20.1%, 61.5±16.7%, 41.1±8.4%, 40.7±20.3%, 61.3±10.8%, 49.2±18.8% and 43.8±25.9%, respectively), implying that hIL-10 transgene can be transmitted stably up to long term generation in the transgenic mice. Expression levels of human IL-10 from milk of generation F9 to F14 mice were 3.6± 1.2 mg/ml, 4.2±0.9 mg/ml, 5.7±1.5 mg/ml, 6.3±3.5 mg/ml, 6.8±4.5 mg/ml and 6.8±3.1 mg/ml, respectively, which was showed high-level expression compared with that of generation F1 (1.6 mg/ml) mice. In conclusion, our results suggest that transgenic mice can be continuously passed their transgenes to the progeny through the breeding program with the same productivity of human IL-10 protein in their milk.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2000

Background: The phagolysosomal function of alveolar macrophage against M. tuberculosis infection is influenced by Nramp1, which is encoded by the NRAMP1 gene. There are several genetic polymorphisms in NRAMP1, and these polymorphisms affect the innate host resistance through the defect in production and function of Nramp1. To investigate this relationship, the NRAMP1 genetic polymorphism in patients with primary tuberculous pleurisy was determined. Methods: Fifty-six primary tuberculous pleurisy patient, who were diagnosed by pleural biopsy, were designated to the pleurisy group and 45 healthy adults were designated to the healthy control group. Three genetic polymorphisms of NRAMP1, such as a single point mutation in intron 4(469+14G/C, INT4), a nonconservative single-base substitution at codon 543 that changes aspartic acid to asparagine(D543N) and a TGTG deletion in the 3' untranslated region(1729+55delI4, 3'UTR), were determined. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) were used. Results: The frequencies of mutant genotypes of INT4 and 3'UTR were significantly high in pleurisy group(p=0.001, p=0.023). But the frequencies of D543N were not significantly different between the two groups(p=0.079). The odds ratios, which are a comparison with wild genotype for determining mutant genotypes, were 8. 022(95% confidence interval=2.422-26.572) for INT4 and 5.733(95% confidence interval = 1.137~28.916) for 3'UTR ; these were statistically significant But the ratio for D543N was not significant In the combined analysis of the INT4 and 3'UTR polymorphisms, the odds ratios were 6.000(95% confidence interval = 1.461~24.640) for GC/++ genotype and 14.000(95% confidence interval=1.610~121.754) for GC/+del when compared with GG/++ homozygotes ; these were statistically significant. Conclusion: Among the NRAMP1 genetic polymorphisms, a single point mutation in intron 4(469+14G/C, INT4) and a TGTG deletion in the 3' untranslated region(1729+55del4, 3'UTR) were closely related to the primary tuberculous pleurisy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1554-1560
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• 2006

A Gram-positive, aerobic or facultative anaerobic, non motile, endospore-forming bacterial strain, designated Gsoil $114^T$, was isolated from a soil sample of a ginseng field in Pocheon Province (South Korea), and was characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic approach. It grew well on nutrient agar medium and utilized a limited number of organic substrates as sole carbon sources, including D-xylose and some other carbohydrates, but did not utilize L-amino acids and organic acids. The isolate was positive for oxidase test but negative for catalase, and negative for degradation of macromolecules such as starch, cellulose, xylan, casein, chitin, and DNA. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 41.8 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The major fatty acids were $anteiso-C_{15:0}$ (32.1%), $iso-C_{15:0}$ (30.5%), and $anteiso-C_{17:0}$ (30.2%). Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain Gsoil $114^T$ fell within the radiation of the cluster comprising Bacillus species and joined Bacillus shackletonii LMG $18435^T$ with a bootstrap value of 95%. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities were found with Bacillus shackletonii LMG $18435^T$ (97.6%), Bacillus acidicola DSM $14745^T$ (96.9%), Bacillus sporothermodurans DSM $10599^T$ (96.5%), and Bacillus oleronius DSM $9356^T$ (96.5%). The phylogenetic distance from any other validly described species within the genus Bacillus was less than 96%. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed that the DNA-similarities between strain Gsoil $114^T$ and closest phylogenetic neighbors were less than 39%. On the basis of its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain Gsoil $114^T$ (=KCTC $13944^T$=DSMZ $18134^T$) was classified in the genus Bacillus as the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Bacillus ginsengihumi sp. nov. is proposed.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.13
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• pp.1-40
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• 1973

These studies were aimed at clarification of genetic and ecological variation in culm length, panicle length and plant height of the $\textrm{F}_2$ plants in some selected crosses made between semi-dwarf rice varieties and tall Japonica ones. One Indica semi-dwarf, Taichung Native 1, one Indica $\times$ Japonica hybrid, IE51 and one Japonica semi-dwarf, Tankanbaekmang were used as short-gene donors while two of medium maturity varieties, Jinheung and Kwanok and one late veriety, Palkweng were used as the corresponding counterpart of respective dwarf varieties in a series of crosses. Five different crosses, Kwanok $\times$ Tankanbaekmang, Palkweng $\times$ Tankanbaekmang, Jinheung $\times$ T(N)1, Kwanok $\times$ T(N)1 and Kwanok $\times$ IE51, were made among the above six varieties. The $\textrm{F}_2$ plants of these crosses together with the concerned parental varieties were grown under several different conditions including three levels of each nitrogen and planting space, three planting seasons and three locations in 1968, to investigate variation in length of culm and panicle, and plant height. On the other hand, the F$_3$ progenies which were derived from the shortest 10 percent of the plants of three $\textrm{F}_2$ populations, Kwanok $\times$ T(N)1, Jinheung $\times$ T(N) 1 and Kwanok $\times$ IE51 grown in the previous year, were compared each other on the basis of selection efficiency in culm length. The experimental results could be summarized as follows; 1. Genetic behavior A. It was revealed that Tankanbaekmang, one of Japonica dwarf has a simple recessive gene responsible for short culm expression, showing a typical segregation ratio of three tall to one short culm plants in $\textrm{F}_2$ generation of the crosses either with Kwanok or Palkweng. B. In the both combinations, segregation pattern of the panicle length was exactly same as that of culm length. It seems that the same gene controls both culm length and panicle length. C. No difference between segregation of culm length and plant height in the above crosses was observed. D. T(N)1, one of Indica semi-dwarf did not show such a simple genetic behavior as detected from the crosses with Tankanbaekmang in segregation of culm length but formed a continuous and normal distribution curve. Therefore, some nonallelic genic actions might be involved in expression of culm length of the counterpart varieties of T(N)1. In particular, a transgressive segregation appeared toward the direction of longer culm length in case of Jinheung $\times$ T(N)1. The genetic behavior of panicle length and plant height generally coincided with that of culm length in all the cases. E. IE51 demonstrated exactly the same genetic behavior as that of T(N)1 when this variety was crossed with Kwanok. It was clearly clarified that the simple recessive gene controlling dwarfism from T(N)1 was well incorporated into this variety. 2. Ecological variation A. In general, there was a decreasing tendency in culm length and plant height of rice plant as seeding delayed while it was not so noticeable in panicle length. The decreasing magnitude varied from variety to variety and from cross to cross. Genetic behavior of the culm length and related characters of these materials was not disturbed by the variation of seeding season, nitrogen level, planting space and experimental location. E. The elongation mode of the upper three internodes was very similar to the segregation mode of culm length, panicle length and plant height in $\textrm{F}_2$ populations of . all the crosses investigated in this study. Accordingly, this result confirmed that the roles of the upper three internodes are very important in manifesting plant stature in rice. C. The effect of nitrogen on culm length and the related other two characters seemed to be meager. However, it was true to show an increasing tendency of those characters as nitrogen level got increased from 4 kg to 12kg per l0a, with different magnitude depending upon variety or cross. D. Also, the effect of planting space on culm length, panicle length and plant height was relatively small in all the cases. Those characters varied again depending upon variety or cross. However, a general increasing tendency was detected in manifestation of those traits under denser planting space condition. E. All the parental varieties produced shorter culm, panicle and plant height when they were grown at the lower latitude locations. It might be attributed to the fact that their reproductive growth accelerated with increased temperature prevailing at the lower latitude locations such as Iri and Mi1yang. On the countrary, $\textrm{F}_2$ population reacted differently to the different locations from the parental varieties. All the $\textrm{F}_2$ plants produced the longest culm, panicle and plant at Milyang. 3. Selection efficiency A. The heritability of culm length in Kwanok $\times$ T(N)1, Kwanok $\times$ IE51 and Jinheung$\times$T(N)1 was 92 percent, 74 percent and 55 percent, respectively. B. The actual genetic advance for culm length obtained from the progeny lines of the selected plants(10 precent) from the $\textrm{F}_2$ generation, was comparable to the expected advance calculated from the original $\textrm{F}_2$ populations. As compared with the $\textrm{F}_2$ population, the $\textrm{F}_3$ plants of Kwanok $\times$ T(N)l shortened on the average by 20.8cm, those of Kwanok $\times$ IE51 did 8.7cm and those of Jinheung$\times$T(N)1 20.0cm, respectively. C. Panicle length of the populations was differently affected from one cross to another by the selection based upon culm length in $\textrm{F}_2$ Kwanok $\times$ T(N)1 did not show any noticeable shortening of its culm length due to the selection pressure. On the other hand, both Kwanok $\times$ IE51 and Jinheung $\times$ T(N)1 showed a considerable shortening of their panicles in case of selection for culm length. Based upon the above results, it could be concluded that the ecological variation in culm length, panicle length and plant height was relatively small and fallen within the range of genetic variation. Considering from the fact that the simple recessive gene governing short height of Tankanbaekmang always accompanied with some undesirable characters such as short panicle and extremely small grain, the short gene of T(N)1 seemed to be more useful as dwarf gene source since it did not carry short gene together with such undesirable traits.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.158-167
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• 2016

A pathogen that causes a new disease on green pumpkin in the nursery and the field was characterized and identified. Symptoms of the disease on green pumpkin were water soaking lesions and spots with strong yellow halo on leaf, brown lesion on flower, and yellow spot on fruit. The bacterial isolates from the leaf spot were pathogenic on the 8 curcubitaceae crop plants, green pumpkin, figleaf gourd, wax gourd, young pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, melon, and oriental melon, whereas they did not cause the disease on sweet pumpkin and watermelon. They were Gram-negative, rod shape with polar flagella, fluorescent on King's B agar and LOPAT group 1a by LOPAT test. Their Biolog substrate utilization patterns were similar to Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae's in Biolog database. Phylogenetic trees with 16S rRNA gene sequences and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) with nucleotide sequences of 4 housekeeping genes, gapA, gltA, gyrB, rpoD and those of P. syringae complex strains in the Plant Associated and Environmental Microbes Database (PAMDB) showed that the green pumpkin isolates formed in the same clade with P. syringae pv. syringae strains. The clade in MLST tree was in the genomospecies 1 group. The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics suggested that the isolates from green pumpkin lesion were P. syringae pv. syringae.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.169-183
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• 2005

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-caner effect of cobrotoxin on the prostatic cancer cell line (PC-3).The goal of study is to ascertain whether cobrotoxin inhibits tile cell growth and cell cycle of PC-3, or the expression of relative genes and whether the regression of PC-3 cell growth is due to cell death or the expression of gene related to apoptosis. Methods : After the treatment of Pc-3 cells with cobrotoxin, we performed 형광현미경, MTT assay, Western blotting, Flow cytometry, PAGE electrophoresis and Surface plasmon resonance analysis to identify the cell viability, cell death, apoptosis, the changes of cell cycle and the related protein, Adk, MAP kinase. Results : 1. Compared with normal cell, the inhibition of cell growth reduced in proportion with the dose of cobrotoxin(0-16nM) in PC-3. 2. Cell viabilities of 0.1, 1, 4nM cobrotoxin treatment were decreased and those of 8, 16nM were decreased significantly. 3. S phase of cell cycle was decreased at the group of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16nM cobrotoxin, but M phase was increased at 0.1, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16nM cobrotoxin. 4. Cox-2 expression after cobrotoxin was peaked at 12hours and was decreased significantly after 6, 12, 24 hours. 5. The expression of Cdk4 was decreased dose-dependently at 1, 2, 4, 8nM cobrotoxin and was decreased siginificantly at 4, 8nM Cyclin D1 was decreased at 1, 2, 4, 8nM and Cycline E was not changed. Cycline B was decreased at 1, 2, 4, 8nM dose-dependently and was decreased siginificanlty at 2, 4, 8nM. 6. The expression of Akt was decreased at 1, 2, 4, 8nM dose-dependently and was decreased significantly at 2, 4, 8nM. 7. ERK was increased at 1, 2nM and decreased at 4, 8nM, p-ERK was increased at 1, 2, 4 nM, but decreased at 8nM. JNK and p-JNK were increased at 1, 4, 8 nM. p38 was increased at 2nM p-p38 was increased at lnM but decreased significantly at 2, 4, 8nM. 8. The nucli of normal cells were stained round and homogenous in DAPI staining, but those of PC-3 were stained condense and splitted. Apoptosis was increased dose-dependently at 2, 4, 8, 16nM and increased significantly at 2, 4, 8, 16nM. 9. Bax wasn`t changed at 1, 2, 4, 8nM and Bcl-2 was decreased significantly at 1, 2, 4, 8nM. Caspase 3 and 9 weren`t changed at 1, 2, 4nM but were decreased significantly at 8nM. Conclusions : These results indicate that cobrotoxin inhibits the growth of prostate Cancer cells, has anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis.