• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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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.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2004

Scutellaria baicalensis and Phellodendron amurense, which have been used traditionally in treatment of many kinds of illness including infectious diseases, were extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water, respectively and serially. Antimicrobial activities of the extracts were examined by disk diffusion method. Methanol extract from Scutellaria baicalensis revealed high antimicrobial activities against MRSA, Gm-bacteria and Candida albicans, dichloromethnane extract from Phellodendron amurense showed lower activity than the extract of Scutellaria baicalensis. Results suggest that methanol extract from Scutellaria baicalensis could be one of the candidates for new antimicrobial agent against the antibiotic-resistant microorganisms by further steps for the purification, determination of structure and synthesis.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.227.2-227.2
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• 2003

In the situation of high bacterial resistance to antibiotics in Korea, to assess diffusion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and levels of bacterial resistance to antibiotics in community, we monitored antibiotic resistance of S. aureus isolates from healthy volunteers of community. (omitted)

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 1993

Nasal carrige of Staphylococcus was studied in relation to its significance as a source of the Staphylococci that caused hospital-acquired infection. Due to the trend of the increasing r esistance of S. aureus to many antimicrobial agents, it is necessary to study the sensitivity to antibiotics of this infectious microorganisms. 50 persons from general hospital and 50 college students were the object of this study. The following results were obtained 3 0 Strains of S. aureus were isolated. The rate of S. aureus nasal carrying were 26% in college students and 34% in hospital personnel. S. aureus which showed resistance to penicillin were 90%, tetracyclin 43%, erythromycin 37% and oxacillin 17%. The number of penicillin resistance of S. aureus were 11 (84%) in college students and 16 (94%) in hospital personnel. The number of strains of penicillin resistant S. aureus which produced 13-1actamase were 9 (82%) in college student and 14 (88%) in hospital personnel. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) which showed resistance to erythromycin and penicillin G were 100%, tetracyline, cephalothin and clindamycin were over 40% respectively, gentamicin 20%, SAM 20% and chloramphenicol 0%.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.124-138
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial effects of the interior warming herbs on vaginal microbes. Methods: Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Gardnerella vaginalis were used for vaginitis-induced microbes. Lactobacillus gasseri, Streptococcus spp. and Escherichia coli HB101 were used for normal vaginal florae. And herbs for warming the interior (Zingiberis Rhizoma, Alpiniae Officinari Rhizoma, Aconiti Tuber, Anethi Fructus, Evodiae Fructus, Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus, Caryophylli Flos, Aconiti Tube, Zanthoxyli Pericarpium, Piperis Longi Fructus, Piperis Nigri Fructus) were used in this study. Antimicrobial activities were tested by the change of optical densities (OD) and colony test in vitro. Results: In the results of vaginitis-induced microbes, Anethi Fructus was decreased the OD values on MRSA and Gardnerella vaginalis and Aconiti Tuber was decreased on MRSA. There were no viable MRSA and Gardnerella vaginalis colony forming against Evodiae Fructus, Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA colony forming against Piperis Longi Fructus, Staphylococcus aureus colony forming against Piperis Nigri Fructus and MRSA colony forming against Zanthoxyli Pericarpium. In the results of normal vaginal florae, Zingiberis Rhizoma was decreased the OD values on Streptococcus spp. and all normal vaginal florae were showed viable colony forming against all experimental herbs. Conclusion: According to these results, we can suggest that some kinds of interior warming herbs have antimicrobial effects on vaginal microbes. So there might be needed to make furthermore studies to seek the herbs which have selective antimicrobial effect on pathologic vaginal microbes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.673-676
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• 2007

A two-step triplex PCR assay targeting the mecA, femA, and nuc genes was developed for the detection of methicillin resistance genes harbored by some Staphylococcus aureus isolates and for the simultaneous identification of such isolates at the species level. The triplex PCR revealed the presence of the femA and nuc genes in all the S. aureus isolates examined (n=105). Forty-four clinical isolates were mecA positive and no foodborne isolates were mecA positive. The PCR results had a 98 or 99% correlation with the results of PBP2a latex agglutination tests or oxacillin susceptibility tests, respectively.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2007

The antibacterial activity of Korean honey bee venom (KBV) was examined against seven major bacterial mastitis pathogens, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus uberis isolated from infected mammary quarters of cows. Seven bacterial mastitis pathogens were studied for antibacterial activity of the KBV by disc diffusion assay, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and bacterial count in milk samples. The KBV showed activity against Ent. faecium, E. coli, MRSA, Staph. aureus, Strep. intermedius. The order of susceptibility of the bacteria against the KBV was Staph. aureus>MRSA>E. coli>Strep. intermedius>Ent. faecium>Strep. oralis>Strep. uberis. The MIC against Staph. aureus, MRSA and E. coli were stronger effect as compared with standard drug. The effect of the KBV ($100{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) on the viability of Ent. faecium, E. coli, MRSA, Staph. aureus, Strep. intermedius, Strep. oralis and Strep. uberis in milk differed significantly with each other within 12 h incubation period. The results indicate that KBV has significant antibacterial effects against major bacterial mastitis bacteria, Ent. faecium, E.coli, MRSA, Staph. aureus, Strep. intermedius. Results of the study indicate the potential use of KBV as alternative to antibiotic therapy. Further investigations are needed though to confirm its efficacy and its effects on the animals.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2017

The objectives of this study were: i) to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in raw milk, cheese, beef minced meat, and chicken meat samples; ii) to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates; and iii) to determine clonal relation among the isolates by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method. Therefore, a total of 160 food samples were randomly collected between August 2014 and May 2015 in Hatay province, located in the southern Turkey. Twenty (12.5%) of the samples were found to be contaminated with S. aureus. A total of 40 isolates from the 20 positive samples were confirmed to be S. aureus by multiplex PCR based on 16S rRNA and nuc gene. The mec A gene was not detected in any of the S. aureus strains. In the present study, 39 out of 40 (97.5%) isolates were found to be resistant to one or more antibiotics. All of isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, oxacillin, and vancomycin. The highest resistance rate was detected in penicillin (95%) and ampicillin (92.5%), followed by tetracycline (30%), erythromycin (20%), ciprofloxacin (12.5%). Nine major patterns were determined by PFGE. In 6 of these patterns, thirty-six strains (90%) had identical PFGE profiles.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.245-253
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• 2013

To provide reference data or guideline for empirical treatment of bloodstream infection, we studied a change pattern in causative microorganisms and antimicrobial susceptibility in a general hospital at Gyeonggi province during five years. We retrospectively reviewed the frequency of causative microorganisms and antimicrobial susceptibility results of 5,782 microorganisms isolated from blood culture in a general hospital during the period from January 2008 to December 2012. The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli (14.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.5%), Streptococcus viridans group (4.9%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (4.1%). The multiple microorganisms were isolated in 4.3% of bloodstream infection patients. The average contamination rate of blood culture during five years was 3.0%. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated at 62%, 27% and 11%, respectively. Cefotaxime-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae was 20% and 18%, respectively. Imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IRPA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) was 25% and 66%, respectively. E. coli and S. aureus were most common pathogens isolated from blood culture for five years. The increase of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, such as MRSA, VRE, ESBL, IRPA and IRAB, requires more strict control of antibiotics and causes the need of the more updated guideline for the treatment of blood stream infection.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2015

The increase in resistance by pathogenic bacteria to multiple antimicrobial agents has become a significant treat, as the effective antimicrobial agents available for the patients infected by such resistant bacteria are reduced, or even eliminated. Several natural plant extracts have exhibited antibacterial and synergistic activity against various resistant microorganisms. Houttuynia cordata is frequently used by many traditional medicine practicioners for its antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the antibacterial effects of H. cordata extract against clinical multi-resistant bacteria, and compared the two methods used for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Thirty isolates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 10), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE, 10), Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB, 10) were included in this study. The antibacterial effect of H. cordata was tested by disk diffusion and microbroth dilution methods as per CLSI guidelines. In disk diffusion, all isolates (30) showed no inhibition to 30,000 ug/mL of H. cordata. But in the microbroth dilution method, $MIC_{90}$ of H. cordata was 4,096 ug/mL, 8,192 ug/mL and 4,096 ug/mL in MRSA, VRE and CRAB, respectively. These results demonstrate that H. cordata exhibits antibacterial activity against MRSA, VRE and CRAB. Moreover, the microbroth dilution method is a more effective method than disk diffusion to evaluate the antibacterial activity of natural products. The Disk diffusion method used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of natural products required new standard guidelines including inoculum concentration of bacteria.