• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2017

The transcriptional activator AphB has been implicated in acid resistance and pathogenesis in the food borne pathogens Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae. To date, the full-length AphB crystal structure of V. cholerae has been determined and characterized by a tetrameric assembly of AphB consisting of a DNA binding domain and a regulatory domain (RD). Although acidic pH and low oxygen tension might be involved in the activation of AphB, it remains unknown which ligand or stimulus activates AphB at the molecular level. In this study, we determine the crystal structure of the AphB RD from V. vulnificus under aerobic conditions without modification at the conserved cysteine residue of the RD, even in the presence of the oxidizing agent cumene hydroperoxide. A cysteine to serine amino acid residue mutant RD protein further confirmed that the cysteine residue is not involved in sensing oxidative stress in vitro. Interestingly, an unidentified small molecule was observed in the inter-subdomain cavity in the RD when the crystal was incubated with cumene hydroperoxide molecules, suggesting a new ligand-binding site. In addition, we confirmed the role of AphB in acid tolerance by observing an aphB-dependent increase in cadC transcript level when V. vulnificus was exposed to acidic pH. Our study contributes to the understanding of the AphB molecular mechanism in the process of recognizing the host environment.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.273-276
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• 2009

We investigated eight active natural antimicrobials for preservation of functional beverages that are usually degraded by yeasts rather than by bacteria due to a high sugar content and a low pH. Five strains of yeasts (S. cerevisiae, Z. bailii, P. membranaefaciens, C. albicans, and P Anomala) were tested with eight natural antimicrobial agents ($\varepsilon$-polylysine, yucca extract, vitamin $B_1$ derivative, scutellaria baicalensis extract, chitooligosaccharid, allyl isothiocyanate, sucrose-fatty acid ester, and oligosaccharide). The lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 10 ppm for oligosaccharide and sucrose-fatty acid ester against S. cerevisiae and Z. bailii, 10 ppm for allyl isothiocynate against P. membranaefaciens and C. albican, and 10 ppm for allyl isothiocynate and oligosaccharide against P. anomala. No growth were observed for five kinds of yeasts in functional beverages containing sodium benzonate at concentration of 0.015% or higher. The resistance of S. cerevisiae, Z. bailii, and P. Anomala against natural antimicrobial agents was lower than those of P. membranaefaciens and C. albican. Allyl isothiocyanate, oligosaccharide, and sucrose-fatty acid ester showed the highest antimicrobial activities among the eight tested antimicrobials. These results can be applied to develop new natural antimicrobial agents to improve microbial quality of functional beverages.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different organic treatments and a chemical fertilizer on the soil chemical, physical, and microbial properties in an organic pear orchard. METHODS AND RESULTS: Control was referred as a NPK chemical fertilizer (15N-9P-10K) and organic treatments included compost containing with oil cake, compost containing with humic acid, and compost containing with chitin substance. All treatments applied at rates equivalent to 200 g N per tree per year under the tree canopy in March 30 of 2008 and 2009. Soil bulk density, solid phase, liquid phase, and penetration resistance were not significantly different among the treatments. Organic treatment plots had greater organic matter, total nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium concentrations compared to control, and the nutrient concentrations were not consistently affected by the organic treatments. Microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon, dehydrogenase, acid-phosphatase, and chitinase activities overall increased from March to August. Organic treatments, especially compost containing with oil cake or chitin aicd, increased the microbial variables compared to control. CONCLUSION(s): All the organic treatments consistently stimulated soil biological activity. The consistent treatment effect, however, did not occur on the soil mineral nutrition as the trees actively taken up the nutrients during a growing season, which would have diminished treatment effects. Long-term study required for evaluating soil physical properties in a pear orchard.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 1990

The responsiveness of various arterial smooth muscles isolated from rabbit to peptide YY (PYY) and the calcium source responsible for the muscles to contract were studied in vitro. PYY contracted the muscle strips of femoral, basilar and common iliac arteries more sensitively than renal, superior mesenteric and common carotid arteries. Common carotid and renal arteries were less sensitive to PYY $(p{\leqslant}0.05)$ than to NE; and basilar artery was more sensitive to PYY$(p{\leqslant}0.01)$ than to NE. A calcium channel blocker, verapamil and an inhibitor of intracellular calcium release, 3, 4, 5-Trime-thoxybenzoic arid 8-(diethylamino)octyl ester [TMB-8] significantly $(p{\leqslant}0.001)$ suppressed the concentration-response of the strips from femoral artery to PYY. When both verapamil and TMB-8 existed in normal PSS, the concentration-response to PYY was inhibited almost completely; and a similar suppression was observed when the muscle was incubated in calcium-free, ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid [EGTA] containing PSS. The results of these experiments suggest that increased PYY activity in circulation may result in the more sensitive increase in the intracranial vascular resistance and the cerebral arterial pressure than the increased sympathetic activity and that both intra- and extracellular calcium are to be utilized for the PYY-induced contraction on arterial smooth muscle.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1078-1089
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• 2017

Biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus is one of its mechanisms of drug resistance. Anti-biofilm screening of 106 compounds from marine-derived fungi displayed that 12 compounds inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation by >50% at the concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$, and only secalonic acid D (SAD) and B inhibited by >90% at $6.25{\mu}g/ml$ without inhibiting cell growth after 24-h incubation. Meanwhile, it was found that the double bond between C-1 and C-10 of citrinin derivatives and the C-C connection position of two chromone monomers may be important for their anti-biofilm activities. Moreover, SAD slightly facilitated biofilm eradication and influenced its architecture. Furthermore, SAD slowed the cell growth rate in the preceding 18-h incubation and differentially regulated transcriptional expression of several genes, such as agr, isaA, icaA, and icaD, associated with biofilm formation in planktonic and biofilm cells, which may be the reason for the anti-biofilm activity of SAD. Finally, SAD acted synergistically against S. aureus growth and biofilm formation with other antibiotics. These findings indicated that various natural products from marine-derived fungi, such as SAD, could be used as a potential biofilm inhibitor against S. aureus.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2018

As a basic study for environment-friendly production of bacterial cellulose (BC) dressing with antimicrobial activity, we isolated and identified acetic acid bacteria which are resistant to silver ions and can biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, conditions of BC production by selected strain were also investigated. Strain G7 isolated from decayed grape skin was able to grow in the presence of 0.1 mM $AgNO_3$ which was identified as Acetobacter intermedius based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. BC production was the highest in a medium containing 2% glucose as a carbon source, 2% yeast extract as a nitrogen source, and 0.115% acetic acid as a cosubstrate. Structural properties of BC produced in optimal medium were studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer, and it was found that BC produced was cellulose type I that was the same as a typical native cellulose. When strain G7 was cultured in an optimal medium containing 0.1 mM $AgNO_3$, the color of the culture broth turned into reddish brown, indicating that silver nanoparticles were formed. As a result of UV-Vis spectral analysis of the culture, it was found that a unique absorption spectrum of silver nanoparticles at 425 nm was also observed. Scanning electron microscopic observations showed that silver nanoparticles were formed on the surface and pores of BC membrane.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.955-961
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• 2020

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have caused many microbiological incidents in the brewing industry, resulting in severe economic loss. Meanwhile, traditional culturing method for detecting LAB are time-consuming for brewers. The present review introduces LAB as spoilage microbes in daily life, with focus on LAB in the brewing industry, targeting at the spoilage mechanism of LAB in brewing industry including the special metabolisms, the exist of the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state and the hop resistance. At the same time, this review compares the traditional and novel rapid detection methods for these microorganisms which may provide innovative control and detection strategies for preventing alcoholic beverage spoilage, such as improvement of microbiological quality control using advanced culture media or different isothermal amplification methods.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 1991

Human neutrophil cathepsin-G, which has been known as one of the active enzymes causing inflammatory diseases, was purified by two steps procedure involving one size exclusion (Ultorogel AcA54) and one ion exchange (CM-Sephadex) chromatography. Purified HNCGs were cross-reacted with Anti-HNCathepsin-G antibodies which were radised in rabbits and purified by cathepsin-G labeled Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. HNCGs were effectively inhibited by NSAIDs including phenylbutazone, sulindac, oxyphenbutazone, salicylic acid and salicyluric acid. $IC_{50}_s$ of these drugs for inhibition of Cathepsin G were 0.3-0.8 mM. Other NSAIDs including aspirin showed little or no inhibition effect on the activity of Cathepsin G. These results strongly indicated that NSAIDs which showed inhibition effect on the activity of HNCGs possibly be at least a part of mechanism of action which might be related to direct inhibition of cathepsin G at the tissue destruction sites beside of their known mechanism of action as an anticyclo-oxygenase in treatment of inflammatory diseases. Lipid soluble component of Korean Red Ginseng which was known as an anti-inflammatory agent inhibited HNCGs strongly, but no other fractions did inhibited HNCGs. Antibiotics including novobiosin and rifamycin showed some inhibition effect on HNCGs, i. e.., $IC_{50}$ of these drugs were 2.6 mM and 1.5 mM respectively, and other antibiotics including penicillin G showed no or negligible inhibition effect on the activity of HNCGs. However. tetracyclines inhibited HNCGs very effectively at the concentration of therapeutic range. The inhibition effect of the activity of HNCGs by tetracycline are not related to the N-dimethyl radical on the 4 position of the tetracycline molecule. Furthermore, N-dedimethylated tetracyclines may have beneficial effect for long term treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases without developing any drug resistance to microorganisms.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.39-45
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• 1973

The majority of drugs used in the treatment of superficial fungal infections has limited values due to its low efficacy or development of resistance. For the purpose of searching efficacious agent on the superficial fungal infections induced by dermatophytes which is regarded as the most malicious one, authors examined whether Chinae Rhizoma Extracts have significant on it. Extracts from Smilax china Linne used for the study are water extract (CRWE), ethanol extract (CREE) and methanol extract (CRME). In in vitro studies, the spores of the dermatophytes were inoculated on Sabouraud's glucose agar media which contained three extracts of Chinae Rhizoma in each concentration of $500\;{\mu}g/ml$, $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ respectively, and also $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of salicylic acid and undecylenic acid $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ as comparable drugs. The growth of the dermatophytes were observed for 3 weeks. The species of the dermatophytes used in this experiment were Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, Microsporum cookei, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton verrucosum distributed from The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium. The results of the studies were as follows: 1. The growth of M. canis, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were slightly inhibited in CRWE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and CRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$, and only slight inhibition on the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis and M. gypseum were observed in CRWE $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. 2. Complete inhibition of T. rubrum, moderate inhibition of M. nanum & T. tonsurans, and slight inhibition of E. floccosunl, M. canis, M. cookei & T. mentagrophytes in growth were observed in concentration of CREE $500\;{\mu}g/ml$. The growth of M. gypseum was slightly inhibited, moderate inhibition on the growth of M. canis, M. cookei & T. mentagrophytes, and complete inhibition of E. floccosum, M. nanum, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observeed by CREE $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. With $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of CREE, the growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were completely inhibited except T. verrucosum being showed slight inhibition. 3. In CRME $500\;{\mu}g/ml$, slight inhibition of T. verrucosum, moderate inhibition of M. gypseum and complete inhibition of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observed. The growth of E. floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans were completely inhibited except T. verrucosum being showed moderate inhibition in both CRME $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ and CRME $5,000\;{\mu}g/ml$. 4. In $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ of undecylenic acid, slight inhibition of T. verrucosum and complete inhibition of E, floccosum, M. canis, M. cookei, M. gypseum, M. nanum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum & T. tonsurans in growth were observed. From the above results, it was found that Chinas Rhizoma Alcoholic Extracts(CREE & CRME) exerted significant antifungal activity, and their effects were probably derived from the pharmacological actions of triterpenoidal saponin and steroidal saponin.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.229-243
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• 2011

Consumers' interest and government's support for the fruits rapidly increased organic fruit productions. This study was examined to compare the soil physicochemical and microbial properties of orchards soil in conventionally and organically management systems. Organic cultivation had lower soil bulk density, solid phase, and penetration resistance than the conventional cultivation. Soil pH and organic matter contents increased from March to August, and the values were greater in the organic cultivation than the conventional cultivation. Total nitrogen (N) and phosphorous concentrations decreased from March to August, and the organic soils had greater N but lower phosphorous concentrations than the conventional soils. Soil microbial carbon biomass increased 36% and 15% for organic and conventional cultivations, respectively, from March to August. Soil microbial N biomass was greater in June than March or August, and the organic cultivation had a greater biomass N compared to the conventional cultivation. Soil dehydrogenase and chitinase activities were greater in June than in March or August. ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity declined in both cultivations, while the phosphatase activity increased. Organic cultivation had greater enzyme activities in March, June, and August, except for the acid phosphatase activity in June.