• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.204-217
• /
• 2020

In nature, plants are always under the threat of pests and diseases. Pathogenic bacteria are one of the major pathogen types to cause diseases in diverse plants, resulting in negative effects on plant growth and crop yield. Chemical bactericides and antibiotics have been used as major approaches for controlling bacterial plant diseases in the field or greenhouse. However, the appearance of resistant bacteria to common antibiotics and bactericides as well as their potential negative effects on environment and human health demands bacteriologists to develop alternative control agents. Bacteriophages, the viruses that can infect and kill only target bacteria very specifically, have been demonstrated as potential agents, which may have no negative effects on environment and human health. Many bacteriophages have been isolated against diverse plant-pathogenic bacteria, and many studies have shown to efficiently manage the disease development in both controlled and open conditions such as greenhouse and field. Moreover, the specificity of bacteriophages to certain bacterial species has been applied to develop detection tools for the diagnosis of plant-pathogenic bacteria. In this paper, we summarize the promising results from greenhouse or field experiments with bacteriophages to manage diseases caused by plant-pathogenic bacteria. In addition, we summarize the usage of bacteriophages for the specific detection of plant-pathogenic bacteria.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.132-136
• /
• 2013

Antimicrobial resistance and multi-drug resistance patterns have been carried out on total of 210 isolated of Salmonella spp. and pathogenic E. coli isolated from food poisoning patients on January through December 2012 in Incheon, Korea. The highest percentage of antibiotics resistance was found to the following antimicrobial agents: tetracycline 43.8%, ampicillin 34.8%, nalidixic acid 23.8%, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and chloramphenicol 12.4%, and ampicillin/sulbactam 11.4%. The highest percentage of resistance was 37.5% to ampicillin for Salmonella spp. and 59.0% to tetracycline for pathogenic E. coli. Overall the multidrug resistance rates of 1 drug was 26.2%, 2 drugs 9.0%, 3 drugs 9.5%, 4 drugs 7.1%, and 5 or more drugs 12.46%. The multi-drug (MDR) strains to four or more antimicrobial agents among the resistant organisms were quite high: 15.9% and 22.1% for Salmonella spp. and pathogenic E. coli, respectively. The study implies that limitation of unnecessary medication use is pertinent in order to maintaining the efficacy of drugs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.479-491
• /
• 2015

Lactobacillus species have been shown to enhance intestinal epithelial barrier function, modulate host immune responses, and suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses. Thus, lactobacilli have been used as probiotics for treating various diseases, including intestinal disorders, and as biological preservatives in the food and agricultural industries. However, the molecular mechanisms used by lactobacilli to suppress pathogenic bacterial infections have been poorly characterized. We previously isolated Lactobacillus plantarum JSA22 from buckwheat sokseongjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean food, which possessed high enzymatic, fibrinolytic, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. In this study, we investigated the effects of L. plantarum JSA22 on the growth of S. Typhimurium and S. Typhimurium-induced cytotoxicity by stimulating the host immune response in intestinal epithelial cells. The results showed that coincubation of S. Typhimurium and L. plantarum JSA22 with intestinal epithelial cells suppressed S. Typhimurium infection, S. Typhimurium-induced NF-κB activation, and IL-8 production, and lowered the phosphorylation of both Akt and p38. These data indicated that L. plantarum JSA22 has probiotic properties, and can inhibit S. Typhimurium infection of intestinal epithelial cells. Our findings can be used to develop therapeutic and prophylactic agents against pathogenic bacteria.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.329-334
• /
• 2019

Streptomyces blastmyceticus strain 12-6 was isolated from a forest soil sample of Cheonan area on the basis of strong antifungal activities against plant pathogenic fungi. Butanol extracts of the cultural filtrates were active against C. acutatum, C. coccodes, C. gloeosporioides, F. oxysporum, and T. roseum. Active fractions were prepared by thin layer chromatography using silica gel plate; 12-6-2 ($R_f$ 0.36), 12-6-3 ($R_f$ 0.44). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the active fractions caused a change in surface texture of fungal spores from smooth surface to wrinkled surface. The lethal effect on the spores of the active fractions varied from 56% to 100%. It was shown that the spores of C. acutatum were more sensitive to the antifungal fractions than the spores of F. oxysporum. Fluorescence staining using TOTO-1 indicated that the antifungal fractions could make the spores more sensitive to the fluorescence dye. Thus, it was suggested that antifungal agents prepared in this study exhibited the antifungal activity by damaging the plasma membrane of both fungal spores and hyphae. Identification of antifungal agents in the active fraction using GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of cyclo-(Leu-Pro) and 9-octadecenamide as major components that have already been known as antifungal substances.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.459-464
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to identify and characterize the antimicrobial activity of prodigiosin produced by Serratia sp. $PDGS^{120915}$ isolated from stream water in Busan, Korea; the identification was performed using phonological, biochemical, and molecular techniques, including 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Prodigiosin from the bacterial culture was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and its antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were evaluated against 10 intestinal pathogenic gram-positive and negative bacteria. The results revealed that the isolated prodigiosin exhibited high antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus; further, the isolated prodigiosin showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) between $3{\mu}g/ml$ and 30 mg/ml, but they were not active against Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Escherichia coli. In conclusion, prodigiosin isolated from Serratia sp. $PDGS^{120915}$ showed high antimicrobial activity against intestinal pathogenic bacteria and has potential applications in the development of new antimicrobial agents.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2015

This study was investigated to diagnose pathogenic organisms of atrophic piglets in northern area of the Gyeongnam province, Korea. Samples such as feces, blood and necropsy specimens of 42 atrophic piglets (${\leq}10$ weeks old) were taken from May to December 2013 for this survey. Samples were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and bacteria isolation for detection of pathogenic agents. 93 pathogens were isolated from 42 samples can be classified into ll groups. We identified bacterial agents in 56 cases (60.2%) and viral agents in 31 cases (33.3%). However, 6 cases (6.5%) were undetected. Among these pathogens, the most prevalent disease were porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in 22 cases (23.7%). The major diseases were Colibacillosis in 15 cases (16.1%), Glasser's disease in 12 cases (12.9%), and porcine epidemic disease (PED) in 9 cases (9.7%). Mixed infections were accounted for 77.8% of atrophic piglets. In particular, the rate of mixed infections with PRRS virus showed the highest frequency (71.4%). In addition, there is a seasonal variation. Viral pathogens were dominantly detected in winter, but in the rest of the season bacterial agents were mainly detected. Gastrointestinal diseases occurred mainly in the pre-weaning piglets, the respiratory diseases and wasting diseases occurred mainly in the post-weaning piglets.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.48-52
• /
• 2009

Essential oils are mixtures of volatile, lipophilic compounds originating from plants. Some essential oils have useful biological activities including antimicrobial, spasmolytic, antiplasmodial, and insect-repelling activities. In this study, we tested the antimicrobial activity of essential oil prepared from the aromatic plant, Cymbopogon citrates, against three important plant pathogenic and medical microorganisms, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Aspergillus niger. It effectively inhibited the growth of the bacterium, Pectobacterium carotovorum, in a dose-dependent fashion, and 0.5% of the oil inhibited the growth of bacteria completely. Similarly, the essential oil inhibited the growth of plant pathogenic fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and the addition of 1% of essential oil completely inhibited the growth of fungus even after 5 days of culture. Finally, it effectively inhibited the growth of the medically and industrially important fungal species, Aspergillus spp. These results suggest that the essential oil from Cymbopogon citrates may be an environmentally safe alternative to inhibit antimicrobial agents for various uses.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.9
• /
• pp.1288-1294
• /
• 2021

There are a growing number of reports of hospital-acquired infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Many plant products are now being used as a natural means of exploring antimicrobial agents against different types of human pathogenic bacteria. In this research, we sought to isolate and identify an active molecule from Sedum takesimense that has possible antibacterial activity against various clinical isolates of MRSA. NMR analysis revealed that the structure of the HPLC-purified compound was 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-glucose. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of different extract fractions against numerous pathogenic bacteria was determined, and the actively purified compound has potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, i.e., MRSA and its clinical isolates. In addition, the combination of the active compound and β-lactam antibiotics (e.g., oxacillin) demonstrated synergistic action against MRSA, with a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.281. The current research revealed an alternative approach to combating pathogenesis caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria using plant materials. Furthermore, using a combination approach in which the active plant-derived compound is combined with antibiotics has proved to be a successful way of destroying pathogens synergistically.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.154-158
• /
• 2013

The unnatural dead body refers to a corpse which is suspicious of unusual death and the dead case has been occurred more than 20 thousands times every year during the recent five years and most of them are found decayed. Police Scientific Investigators investigate unnatural dead bodies and its surroundings in all-around way and determine whether the death is involved with a crime, and most of the Scientific Investigators are exposed to a danger to get infected with pathogenic bacteria which are generated during the decaying process of dead body and are mostly to cause serious injuries on human beings. In line with the fact, the present study conducted a bacterial analysis by collecting excretions from 60 dead bodies and culturing the bacteria to evaluate infection risk of the police agents. The study cultured bacteria from 60 bodies and classified pathogenic bacteria of 108 strains, and its main bacteria are found to be them (; Acinetobacter baumannii 20 strains (19%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 19 strains (18%), E. coli 18 strains (17%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 11 strains (10%), Proteus mirabillis 10 strains (9%), Enterococcus faecium 10 strains (9%), Staphylococcus aureus 9 strains (8%), Bacillus spp. 5 strains (5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae 3 strains (3%), Candida albicans 2 strains (2%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis 1 strains (1%)). The study results are expected to be used as educational data for preventing the Police Scientific Investigator from infections with bacteria or as a minimum data for improving work environment of the agents.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 1999

Mass mortality of the horned turban shell, Batillus cornutus was investigated using histological and bacteriological methods. Some pathogenic bacteria were isolated from mortal or inactive individuals. The pathogenic agents causing mortality of the horned turban shells were as Vibrio alginolyticus and V. anguillarum. Laboratory experiment indicated that optimal growth temperature of two bacteria was 25 to 30$^{\circ}C$ and 3% of NaCl. Histological examination of the horned turban shells showed that gill necrosis is one of the major symptom of infected individuals. It was believed that sudden increase of those two bacterial agents due to environmental change cause mortality of horned turban shells.