• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.63-69
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• 2010

Monofunctional biosynthetic peptidoglycan transglycosylase (MBPT) catalyzes the formation of the glycan chain in bacterial cell walls from peptidoglycan subunits: N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and acetylmuramic acid (NAM). Bifunctional glycosyltransferases such as the penicillin binding protein (PBP) have peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase (PGT) on their C terminal end which links together the peptidoglycan subunits while transpeptidase (TP) on the N terminal end cross-links the peptide moieties on the NAM monosaccharide of the peptide subunits to create the bacterial cell wall. The singular function of MBPT resembles the C terminal end of PBP as it too contains and utilizes a similar PGT domain. In this article we analyzed the infectious and non infectious protein sequences of MBPT from 31 different strains of bacteria using a variety of bioinformatic tools. Motif analysis, dot-plot comparison, and phylogenetic analysis identified a number of significant differences between infectious and non-infectious protein sequences. In this paper we have made an attempt to explain, analyze and discuss these differences from an evolutionary perspective. The results of our sequence analysis may open the door for utilizing MBPT as a new target to fight a variety of infectious bacteria.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 1996

LB10522 is a new parenteral broad spectrum cephalosporin with a catechol moiety at C-7 position of beta-lactam ring. This compound can utilize tonB-dependent iron transp ort system in addition to porin proteins to enter bacterial periplasmic space and access to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) which are the lethal targets of ${\beta}$-lactam antibiotics. The chelating activity of LB10522 to metal iron was measured by spectrophotometrically scanning the absorbance from 200 to 900nm. When $FeCl_3$ was added, optical density was increased between 450 and 800nm. LB10522 was more active against gram-negative strains in iron-depleted media than in iron-replete media. This is due to the increased expression of iron transport channels in iron-depleted condition. LB10522 showed a similar activity against E. coli DC2 (permeability mutant) and E. coli DCO (wild type strain) in both iron-depleted and iron-replete media, indicating a minimal permeaility barrier for LB10522 uptake. LB10522 had high affinities to PBP 3 and PBP 1A, 1B of E. coli. By blocking these proteins, LB10522 caused inhibition of cell division and the eventual death of cells. This result was correlated well with the morphological changes in E. coli exposed to LB10522. Although the in vitro MIC of LB10522 against P. aeruginosa 1912E mutant (tonB) was 8-times higher than that of the P. aeruginosa 1912E parent strain, LB10522 showed a similar in vivo protection efficacy against both strains in the mouse systemic infection model. This result suggested that tonB mutant, which requires a high level of iron for normal growth, might have a difficulty in surviving in their host with an iron-limited environment.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.86-91
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• 2010

We evaluated the performance of a novel screening test, PBP2a MRSA rapid kit (Dinona Inc., Iksan, Korea), for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) based on a immunochromatographic assay. The test is able to detect penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) using the nasal specimens from health care workers. The nasal specimens were obtained from 69 healthcare workers and were incubated in enrichment broth followed eight hours incubatin in BHI with cefoxitin $4{\mu}g/mL$. These broth were tested by PBP2a Rapid Kit. The enrichment broths were also directly tested for tube coagulase using the conventional identification method. 19 of 22 MRSA showed positive results by PBP2a rapid test and direct coagulase test (the sensitivity for detection of MRSA, 86.36%). While, 8 of 47 non-MRSA showed false positive results for the two tests. All of the 8 non-MRSA which showed false positive were co-colonizing isolates with MRCNS and MSSA. In addition, 46 of 49 methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) showed positive results for PBP2a MRSA rapid kit (the sensitivity for detection of MRS, 93.8%), and all of 20 non-MRS showed negative results (specificity, 100%). The combination of PBP2a MRSA rapid kit and direct coagulase test showed the good sensitivity for detection of MRSA from anterior nares but frequently showed false positive results from the co-colonizing carrier with MRCNS and MSSA.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to develop a LightCycler-based real time PCR (LC-PCR) assay and to evaluate its diagnostic use for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk samples. Following amplification of 113 bp of coa gene encoding an coagulase precursor specific for Staphylococcus aureus, melting curve and DNA sequencing analysis was performed to verify the specificity of the PCR products. Amplification of 209 bp gene encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a (mecA), melting curve analysis and DNA sequencing analysis was performed to verify methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). According to this study, 6 of 647 raw milk samples showed S. aureus positive and 2 of them showed a mecA positive and the detection limit was 10 fg of DNA. And we also isolated Staphylococcus chromogenes a causative agent of exudative epidermitis in pigs and cattle from 3 samples.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.243-251
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• 2011

The gene bolA was discovered in the 80's, but unraveling its function in the cell has proven to be a complex task. The BolA protein has pleiotropic effects over cell physiology, altering growth and morphology, inducing biofilm formation, and regulating the balance of several membrane proteins. Recently, BolA was shown to be a transcription factor by repressing the expression of the mreB gene. The present report shows that BolA is a transcriptional regulator of the dacA and dacC genes, thus regulating both DD-carboxypeptidases PBP5 and PBP6 and thereby demonstrating the versatility of BolA as a cellular regulator. In this work, we also demonstrate that reduction of cell growth and survival can be connected to the overexpression of the bolA gene in different E. coli backgrounds, particularly in the exponential growth phase. The most interesting finding is that overproduction of BolA affects bacterial growth differently depending on whether the cells were inoculated directly from a plate culture or from an overnight batch culture. This strengthens the idea that BolA can be engaged in the coordination of genes that adapt the cell physiology in order to enhance cell adaptation and survival under stress conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.171-171
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• 1994

Cephem ring의 C-7위치에 aminothiazoly lmethoxyimino기를 가진 화합물들이 항균활성을 증가시키고, G(-)균의 외막투과성을 촉진시킬뿐 아니라 광범위항균 spectrum을 갖게 하고 $\beta$-lactamase에 안정하며 PBP(penicillin binding protein)에 대한 결합친화성을 증가시킨다는 보고에 따라 본 저자는 C-7위치에 cefotaxime구조와 같이 aminothiazolylmethoxyimino acetamido moiety를 고정시키고 항균활성을 증가시키기 위하여 약리활성이 기대되는 5-(substituted)-2H-tetrazole유도체들을 합성하여 C-3 위치에 도입시킨 새로운 화합물 7$\beta$-〔(z)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2_(methoxyimino)acetamido〕-3-〔5-(substituted)tetrazol-2-yl〕 methyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid 유도체를 합성하여 B. subtilis ATCC 6633, M. luteus ATCC 1004, E. coli KCTC 1039, E. coli ESS, K. pncumonia KCTC 1560, P. aeruginosa IF0 13130, S. typhimurium KCTC 1925, S. typhimurium SL 1102, 및 C. albicans ATCC 10231 등의 균과 fungus에 대하여 기존의 cefotaxime과 cefazoline을 대조물질로 사용하여 항균력을 비교하였다. 이들 화합물들은 대체적으로 M. luteus ATCC 6633, E. coli ESS, S. typhimurium SL 1102 균에 대해서는 cefotaxime보다 항균력이 우수하였으나 P. aeruginosa IF0 13130에 대해서는 항균력이 저하되었고 cefazolin보다는 대체적으로 항균력이 우수하였다.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2006

Staphyloccus aureus is one of the most important pathogens in clinical settings. It is also one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections and the dissemination of multiple drug-resistant strains, mainly methicillin resistant Staphyloccus aureus, and the recent emergence of a vancomycin resistant MRSA is the concern to hospital worldwide. MRSA strains have acquired multiple resistance to a wide range of antibiotics, including aminoglycosides and macrolides. $\beta$-Lactam resistance of methicillin-resistnat Staphyococcus aureus is determined by the function of penicillin binding protein 2'(PBP2') encoded by the methicillin resistance gene mec A. MRSA strains carry methicillin resistance gene mecA, encoded by a mobile genetic element designated staphylococoal cassette chromosome mec(SCCmec). MRSA clones are defined by the type of SCCmec element and the genotype of the methicilline-susceptible Staphyococcus aureus chromosome in which the SCCmec element is integrated.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1997

To develop novel cephem antibiotics, We have synthesized a new compound, named YH-487, by attaching the thiol and aminothiazole residue to $C_3$ and $C_7$ position of 7-ACA, respectively. Several characteristics such as structure, antibiotic spectrum, action mechanism, stability against ${\beta}-lactamase$ and synergistic effect were investigated. Anti-bactericidal activity of YH-487 against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were superior to that of the other cephem antibiotics. We have examined the action mechanisms of YH-487 using penicillin binding protein (PBP) assay, and found that the bactericidal activity was obtained by inhibiting PBP-1A, PBP-1B and PBP-3. YH-487 showed synergistic effect with gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, YH-487 was effective against Enterobacter cloacae in combination with amikacin. Based on the above observations, YH-487 was classified as a novel third-generation ${\beta}-lactam$ antibiotics.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.460-464
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• 1999

Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) has been known to be resistant to many kinds of antibiotics and causes a problem of nosnocomial infection since the third generation of cephalosporines has been introduced in the 1980s. As antibiotic sensitivity tests which have been routinely used to detect MRSA in the laboratory depend on the culture conditions such as, pH, temperature, and time, etc., it is difficult to decide in the case of borderline- or low-level of MRSA. Therefore it would be necessary to develope a new method based on the molecular biological technique to overcome these problems. In this study, we extracted DNA from S. aureus and performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify mec A gene, encoding penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP-2'), which is known to confer bacteria resistance to the bacteriostatic action of methicillin. The results were compares with those of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. When MIC test with oxacillin was performed on the 120 isolates of S. aureus from each patient's specimens, 64 of them were MRSA and 56 of them were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). In pus specimen, more precisely, 61.9% (26/42) of MRSA was detected, and 44.2% (19/43), 60% (9/15) and 50% (10/20) of MRSA were detected in sputum, body fluid, and other specimen respectively. When 40 isolates of MRSA and MSSA were tested by PCR method and compares with the results of MIC method, different results were obtained from 1 isolate of MRSA (2.5%) and in 2 isolates of MSSA (5%) suggesting that PCR method should be performed at the same time for more accurate clinical test of MRSA.