• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2005

An antimicrobial molecule was purified from centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch, by reverse phase-HPLC. Its molecular weight was determined to be 1208.5493 by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Total amino acid composition analysis revealed that it consists of E, G, P, V, L, F, and W. It exhibited a broad antimicrobial spectrum against not only Gram-negative, but also Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, it was found to have an antimicrobial activity against vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). It may be a useful molecule for a new antibiotic development, especially against drug-resistant bacteria. We suggest that it may playa role in the defense system of this animal. This is the first report of a peptidic antimicrobial substance from centipede.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.164-168
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• 2007

Antibiotic resistance patterns of 21 antibiotics were studied for 50 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a hospital in Busan from July 2005 to December 2006. All strains showed antibiotic resistance to more than one antibiotic and 3 strains showed resistance to 17 different antibiotics. The strains isolated between 2005 and 2006 had lower resistance rate to 12 antibiotics (other than vancomycin and ampicilin) than the strains isolated between 1989 and 1990. In particular, no chlorarmphenicol resistant strain was found in this study which is contrasted with 34.8% resistant rate obtained in the study conducted between 1989 and 1990. In respect of vancomycin, no resistant strain was found in this study which is the same result obtained in the 1989 to 1990 study; All strains investigated in this study showed 100% resistance rate to ampicillin compared to 69.6% in the previous study.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.88-90
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• 2024

We report the whole genome sequence of a linezolid-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis strain, ES-2-1, which was isolated from a pig stool in South Korea. The assembled genome of ES-2-1 consists of a 2,648,168-bp circular chromosome containing the optrA gene (encoding the ABC-F type ribosomal protection protein), an 84,891-bp plasmid containing numerous antimicrobial resistance genes, and an 82,106-bp cryptic plasmid. The ES-2-1 strain belongs to sequence type 1024 (ST1024) and carries multidrug resistant genes including the optrA (oxazolidinone phenicol transferable resistance A) gene, which confers linezolid resistance.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.143-147
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• 2005

The non-pathogenic, non-glycopeptide-producing actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor carries a cluster of seven genes (vanSRJKHAX) that confers inducible, high-level resistance to vancomycin. The van genes are organised into four transcription units, vanRS, vanJ, vanK and vanHAX, and these transcripts are induced by vancomycin in a vanR-dependent manner. vanHAX are orthologuous to genes found in vancomycin resistant enterococci that encode enzymes predicted to reprogramme peptidoglycan biosynthesis such that cell wall precursors terminate in D-Ala-D-Lac, rather than D-Ala-D-Ala. vanR and vanS encode a two-component signal transduction system that mediates transcriptional induction of the seven van genes. vanJ and vanK are novel genes that have no counterpart in previously characterised vancomycin-resistance clusters from pathogens. VanK is essential for vancomycin resistance in S. coelicolor and it is required for adding Gly branch to stem peptides terminating D-Ala-D-Lac. Because VanK can recognise D-Lac-containing precursors but the constitutively expressed femX enzyme, encoded elsewhere on the chromosome, cannot recognize D-Lac-containing precursors as a substrate, vancomycin-induced expression of VanHAX in a vanK mutant is lethal. Further, femX null mutants are viable in the presence of glycopeptide antibiotics but die in their absence. Bioassay using vanJp-neo fusion reporter system also showed that all identified inducers for van genes expression were glycopeptide antibiotics, but teicoplanin, a membrane-anchored glycopeptide, failed to act as an inducer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2009

Objective: This study was aimed to identify the incidence and risk factors of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization in neurosurgical practice of field, with particular attention to intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This retrospective study was carried out on the Neurosurgical ICU (NICU), during the period from January. 2005 to December. 2007, in 414 consecutive patients who had been admitted to the NICU. Demographics and known risk factors were retrieved and assessed by statistical methods. Results: A total of 52 patients had VRE colonization among 414 patients enrolled, with an overall prevalence rate of 6.1%. E. faecium was the most frequently isolated pathogen, and 92.3% of all VRE were isolated from urine specimen. Active infection was noticed only in 2 patients with bacteremia and meningitis. Relative antibiotic agents were third-generation cephalosporin in 40%, and vancomycin in 23%, and multiple antibiotic usages were also identified in 13% of all cases. Multivariate analyses showed Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score less than 8, placement of Foley catheter longer than 2 weeks, ICU stay over 2 weeks and presence of nearby VRE-positive patients had a significantly independent association with VRE infection. Conclusion: When managing the high-risk patients being prone to be infected VRE in the NICU, extreme caution should be paid upon. Because prevention and outbreak control is of ultimate importance, clinicians should be alert the possibility of impending colonization and infection by all means available. The most crucial interventions are careful hand washing, strict glove handling, meticulous and active screening, and complete segregation.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.325-336
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors influencing compliance of multidrug-resistant organism infection control in intensive care units (ICU) nurses. Methods: Data were collected from 254 ICU nurses who were working at 6 general and advanced general hospitals in D city and G Province. Results: 77.2% and 84.4% of the subjects correctly answered to questions about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), respectively. The scores of MRSA infection control compliance and VRE infection control compliance were 3.41 and 3.43, respectively. The factors influencing MRSA infection control compliance were empowerment, environmental safety recognition, and education satisfaction, which explained 30% of MRSA infection control compliance. The factors significantly related to VRE infection control compliance were empowerment, hospital types, environmental safety recognition, number of education sessions, and neonatal ICU, which explained 37% of VRE infection control compliance. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop efficient educational programs for infection control including educational contents to improve empowerment and environmental safety recognition of nurses. Furthermore, administrative support for those infection control programs is also necessary.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.321-331
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• 2021

Vancomycin, an antibiotic used occasionally as a last line of treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is reportedly associated with nephrotoxicity. This study aimed at evaluating the protective effects of lutein against vancomycin-induced acute renal injury. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and its associated role in renoprotection by lutein was also examined. Male BALB/c mice were divided into six treatment groups: control with normal saline, lutein (200 mg/kg), vancomycin (250 mg/kg), vancomycin (500 mg/kg), vancomycin (250 mg/kg) with lutein, and vancomycin (500 mg/kg) with lutein groups; they were euthanized after 7 days of treatment. Thereafter, samples of blood, urine, and kidney tissue of the mice were analyzed, followed by the determination of levels of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) in the urine, renal creatine kinase; protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde, and caspase-3 in the kidney; and the expression of PPARγ, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) in renal tissue. Results showed that the levels of protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde, and the activity of NAG, creatine kinase and caspase-3, were significantly increased in the vancomycin-treatment groups. Moreover, the levels of Nrf2 significantly decreased, while NF-κB expression increased. Lutein ameliorated these effects, and significantly increased PPARγ expression. Furthermore, it attenuated vancomycin-induced histological alterations such as, tissue necrosis and hypertrophy. Therefore, we conclude that lutein protects against vancomycin-induced renal injury by potentially upregulating PPARγ/Nrf2 expression in the renal tissues, and consequently downregulating the pathways: inflammation by NF-κB and apoptosis by caspase-3.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.634-638
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• 2004

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.733-736
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• 2000

Since pathogens resistant against vancomycin occur rapidly, the development of a new drug is needed. To make a new drug based on a rational drug design, the structural study of vancomycin is necessary. Accordingly, this study reports on a comparison of the solution structure of vancomycin determined by NMR spectroscopy, which was performed in the present work, with the X-ray crystallographic structure previously deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1792-1800
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• 2010

In this study, we isolated five macrolactin compounds from a fermentation broth of Bacillus polyfermenticus KJS-2. The macrolactin compounds were structurally identified as macrolactin A (MA), 7-O-malonyl macrolactin A (MMA), 7-O-succinyl macrolactin A (SMA), macrolactin E (ME) and macrolactin F (MF) via a variety of NMR techniques, COZY, DEPT, HMQC and HMBC, and mass and specific rotation assays. The three macrolactin compounds, MA, MMA and SMA, profoundly inhibited the growth of both vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VREs) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the inhibition of which were estimated via a disc agar diffusion bioassay. MA, MMA, and SMA exhibited antibacterial activities superior to those of vancomycin and teicoplanin.