• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.460-466
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• 2016

From 2013 through 2015, we investigated the contamination status and antimicrobial resistance patterns of pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in commercially valuable seawater and shellfish (Oyster Crassostrea gigas, short-neck clam Venerupis philippinarum, ark shell Scapharca broughtonii and mussel Mytilus galloprovinciallis) from the southern coast of Korea. The detection rate of V. parahaemolyticus was highest in short-neck clams (23.7%), followed by ark shells (19.2%), oysters (15.9%), mussels (13.6%), and seawater (8.6%). The following percentages of PCR assays of shellfish were positive for the thermostable direct hemolysin-related hemolysin gene (trh) : oysters (12.8%), short-neck clams(11.8%), and ark shells (3.4%). Similar assays for the thermostable direct hemolysin gene (tdh) resulted in positive results for short-neck clams (5.9%) and ark shells (3.4%). Antimicrobial resistance was present in 100% of 8 tdh (+) and 2 trh (+) V. parahaemolyticus isolates challenged with ampicillin. However, all pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were sensitive to 14 other antibiotics. To ensure the safety of shellfish consumption, the continuous monitoring of the prevalence and distribution of virulence factors of V. parahaemolyticus in shellfish farms is needed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.359-370
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• 1997

This study was carried out to Investigate the biochemical characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, serogroups and pili producibility test of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC) isolated from piglets with diarrhea in Kangwon province from March to October 1996. 1. Sixty eight E coli strains were isolated from 72 piglets with diarrhea and the biochemical and cultural reaction were compared with the classification criteria of Edwards and Ewing. 2. The serogroups of 26 isolates were classified as 08 : K87 6(8.8%), O20 : K1O1 4(5.9%), O141 : K85 4(5.9%), 09 : K103 : P987 3(4.4%), O45 : K 2(2.9%) 0139 : K82 2(2.9%), O64 : $K^{-}$2(2.9%), O149 : K91 1(1.5%), O157 : K88ac 1(1.5%) and O115 : $K^{-}$1(1.5%), respectively. 3. In antibiotic susceptibility test, the isolates showed high susceptible to Ak, Eno, Na, Gm, Am and Km, whereas resistance to Tc, Sm and Cf. 4. Sixty one strains(89.7%) of 68 I coli Isolates were resistant to one or more drugs. The isolates resistant to 2 and 3 or more drugs were 60.3% and 19.1%, respectively. Amog the 16 multiple resistant patterns, Sm Tc(11.5% ), Cf Sm Tc(11.5% ), Cf Cp Sm Su Tc(9.8% ) and Cf Cp Sm Su Tc(8.2%) patterns were frequently observed. 5. MRHA of guinea pig erythrocytes was detected in 9 out of 26 OK serotype and 9 out of 42 unidentified serotypes. MRHA titers of serotypes showed from 16 to 32 in O141 : K85 and no titers in O139 : K82. 6. By the GM1 ganglioside ELISA, $\beta$-, $\alpha$-, and $\gamma$-hemolysin producing strains was detected as 36, 6, and 5 from heat labile enterotoxin(LT) of 47 ETEC, respectively. The distribution of LT toxin from 112 isolates was showed $\beta$- hemolysin, 2 isolates $\alpha$-hemolysin and 3 isolates $\gamma$-hemol-ysin from 26 OK serotypes.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 1983

The effect of subcutanecus injection of Corynebacterium parvum($700{\mu}g$) on cellular and humoral immune responses when given at various time relative to sheep red blood cell(SRBC) sensitization were studied by the evaluation of Arthus, delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH), rosette forming cell, hemagglutinin and hemolysin reactions. Arthus reactivity(3 hours) developed in control mice and test mice pretreated with C. parvum 8 days prior to intravenous sensitization with SRBC were similar. However, there was slight depression of reactivity when C. parvum was given subcutaneoutly(s.c.) 4 or 2 days prior to SRBC sensitization. Arthus reactivity was significantly depressed when C. parvum was given s.c. either at the same time as, or 2 days later than, antigen. DTH reaction was net depressed significantly when C. parvum was injected 8 or 2 days prior to SRBC sensitization or at the same time as antigen. In contrast DTH was significantly augmented when C. parvum given s.c. 4 days prier to SRBC sensitization. DTH was depressed when C. parvum was given s.c. 2 days after antigen. No significant change occurred in rosette forming percetages of spleen cell when C. parvum was given s.c. 8, 4 or 2 days before SRBC sensitization. In contrast, a significant reduction in percentages of rosette forming cell occurred when C. parvum was given s.c. either at the same time as, or 2 days later than, antigen. Serum hemaggulutinin and hemolysin titers were not significantly affected by subcutaneous injection of C. parvum regardless of time relative to SRBC sensitization. However, mercaptoethanol-resistant hemaggulutinin and hemolysin(IgG) titers were somewhat augmented when C. parvum was given 2 days after antigen. It is concluded from these results that depending on the time and route of inoculation, C. parvum can enhance or depress immune responses in mice, suggesting the time and route of C. parvum inoculation is an important point of concern about clinical use of C. parvum for the treatment of cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.226-232
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• 2006

Swarming has proven to be a good in vitro model for bacterial surface adherence and colonization, and the swarming differentiation of a bacterium has been shown to be coupled with changes in the expression of virulence factors associated with its invasiveness, particularly in the early stages of infection. In this study, we attempted to determine whether the expression of vvhA, which encodes for hemolysin/cytolysin (VvhA), is either upregulated or downregulated during the swarming differentiation of V. vulnificus. The insertional inactivation of vvhA itself exerted no detectable effect on the expression of V. vulnificus swarming motility. However, in our lacZ-fused vvhA transcriptional reporter assay, vvhA expression decreased in swarming V. vulnificus as compared to non-swarming or planktonic V. vulnificus. The reduced expression of vvhA in swarming V. vulnificus increased as a result of the deletional inactivation of luxS, a gene associated with quorum sensing. These results show that vvhA expression in swarming V. vulnificus is downregulated via the activity of the LuxS quorum-sensing system, suggesting that VvhA performs no essential role in the invasiveness of V. vulnificus via the adherence to and colonization on the body surfaces required in the early stages of the infection. However, VvhA may playa significant role in the pathophysiological deterioration occurring after swarming V. vulnificus is differentiated into planktonic V. vulnificus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1200-1209
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• 2021

Sepsis is an acute inflammatory response that leads to life-threatening complications if not quickly and adequately treated. Cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin are toxins produced by gram-positive bacteria and are responsible for resistance to antimicrobial drugs, cause virulence and lead to sepsis. This work assessed the effects of aloe-emodin (AE) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on sepsis-associated gram-positive bacterial toxins. Standard and antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumonia bacterial strains were cultured in the dark with varying AE concentrations and later irradiated with 72 J/cm^-2 light. Colony and biofilm formation was determined. CCK-8, Griess reagent reaction, and ELISA assays were done on bacteria-infected RAW264.7 cells to determine the cell viability, NO, and IL-1β and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines responses, respectively. Hemolysis and western blot assays were done to determine the effect of treatment on hemolysis activity and sepsis-associated toxins expressions. AE-mediated PDT reduced bacterial survival in a dose-dependent manner with 32 ㎍/ml of AE almost eliminating their survival. Cell proliferation, NO, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokines production were also significantly downregulated. Further, the hemolytic activities and expressions of cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin were significantly reduced following AE-mediated PDT. In conclusion, combined use of AE and light (435 ± 10 nm) inactivates MRSA, S. aureus (ATCC 29213), S. pneumoniae (ATCC 49619), MDR-S. pneumoniae, E. faecalis (ATCC 29212), and VRE (ATCC 51299) in an AE-dose dependent manner. AE and light are also effective in reducing biofilm formations, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, hemolytic activities, and inhibiting the expressions of toxins that cause sepsis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1170-1176
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• 2012

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of ${\alpha}$-cyperone on S. aureus. We used a hemolysin test to examine the hemolytic activity in supernatants of S. aureus cultured with increasing concentrations of ${\alpha}$-cyperone. In addition, we evaluated the production of ${\alpha}$-hemolysin (Hla) by Western blotting. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to test the expression of hla (the gene encoding Hla) and agr (accessory gene regulator). Furthermore, we investigated the protective effect of ${\alpha}$-cyperone on Hla-induced injury of A549 lung cells by live/dead and cytotoxicity assays. We showed that in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of ${\alpha}$-cyperone, Hla production was markedly inhibited. Moreover, ${\alpha}$-cyperone protected lung cells from Hla-induced injury. These findings indicate that ${\alpha}$-cyperone is a promising inhibitor of Hla production by S. aureus and protects lung cells from this bacterium. Thus, ${\alpha}$-cyperone may provide the basis for a new strategy to combat S. aureus pneumonia.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.443-450
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• 1995

Listeria monocrogenes has been increasingly recognized as an important food poisoning and pathogenic bacterium which is Gram positive, non spore forming and facultative anaerobic rod shape. Bacteriological and physiological characterization of L. monocytogenes YM-7 isolated from a patient was performed. Optimum growth condition of 1. monocytogenes YM-7 was at $37^{\circ}$, pH 8.0 and $0\%$ sodium chloride in tryptic soy broth, and then it grew pretty well in the range of $8-40^{\circ}C,\;pH 5.0-10.0\;and\;up\;to\;7\%$ of sodium chloride in the medium. The highest hemolysin activity of hemolysin produced by L. monocytogenes YM-7 was shown in the stationary phase of its growth. Hemolysin produced by the isolated strain was stable at $4^{\circ}C\;and\;pH\;6.0-8.0, while it was gradually unstable by increasing the storage temperature.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2000

V. vulnificus is an estuarine bacterium which causes septicemia and shock in susceptible patients. The organism produces a hemolytic cytolysin (VvH), which has a membrane damaging effect on erythrocytes. To clarify the mechanisms by which VvH might contribute to virulence, we examined its effect on macrophages. When mouse peritoneal macrophages were harvested and co-cultured with hemolysin-positive V. vulnificus strains (100 bacteria/cell), about 60% of the macrophages were killed; macrophages were not killed when co-cultured V. vulnificus strain CVD 707, a VvH-negative deletion mutant. Exposure of macrophages to filtered culture supernatants (2.5 HU/ml) and purified VvH (3 HU/ml) resulted in an increase in dead cells (80 and 90%, respectively), as determined by the trypan blue dye exclusion method and LDH release from macrophages was also increased (70 and 65.5%, respectively). The cytotoxic effect of VvH on macrophages was both the dose- and time-dependent. The VvH caused damage to the macrophage membrane and was blocked significantly by preincubation with cholesterol (p<0.01). Fetal bovine serum showed remarkable inhibition of VvH synthesis by V. vulnificus and inhibited VvH activity in culture supernatant. Cell viability was increased by 35% (p<0.01) and LDH release decreased by 28% (p<0.01) when macrophages were incubated with V. vulnificus (100 bacterial cell) in DMEM-10% FBS for 2 hr. Bacterial clearance activity of mice against V. vulnificus CVD 707 was decreased by pretreatment with 10 HU of VvH. This result suggests that the VvH can impair the membrane of macrophages and may playa role in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus septicemia.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.248-252
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• 1999

The PI-oduction of virulence factors such as cholera toxin, heinolysin and hemagglutinin in V cliolerae non-01 and non-0139 were examined. Among 65 strains isolated from environmental and clinical blood sources, 29 (14.6%) strains produced hemolysin only, 35(53.9%) sh.ains produced both hemolysin and hemagglutinin. From one 037 slrain isolated from environmenl, cholera toxin, ctx gene, hemolysin, and hemagglutinin were detected. All of the strains isolated from clinical and environmental sources showed hemolytic activity against human 0 group e~ythrocytes. In inhibition patterns of heinagglotination, 5 of 18 clinical strains (27.8%) were inhibited by less than 1% mannose and galactose, while, among the 47 environmental isolates. hose paltems by less than 1% mannose and galactose 55.4% wel-e inhibited. Thel-ehre, exohamagglutinin positive rate was high in clinical blood isolates but in environnlental sources, the rate was almost similar lo ihe rate or endohemagglutinin positive. These results indicaled that V cholerae non-01 and non-0139 produced various virnlence factors such as cholera toxin, hemolysin, and hemagglutinin but not a single factor. Further studies are need for epidemiological or bacteriological shtdies of V cholerae 037 isolated from environment.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.260-268
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• 2016

The aim of this work was to investigate the cellular responses and proteomic analysis of Bacillus cereus MH-2 exposed to EGCG. Strain MH-2 was isolated from commercial Ssamjang and has the hemolytic activity. Survival of the MH-2 strain with time in the presence of different concentrations of EGCG under sublethal conditions was monitored. The amount of alginate from MH-2 strain decreased depending on the increasing concentrations of EGCG and increased depending on the exposure time at any particular EGCG concentration. Analysis of SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-DnaK and anti-GroEL revealed that two stress shock proteins, 70 kDa DnaK and 60 kDa GroEL were found to decrease in proportion to the EGCG concentration in exponentially growing cultures. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the presence of protrusions and fused rod forms on the cells treated with EGCG. 2-DE of soluble protein fractions from MH-2 cultures showed 20 protein spots changed by EGCG exposure. These proteins involved in enterotoxins (hemolysin BL lytic component L1 and hemolysin BL-binding protein), chaperons (DnaK and GroEL), cell defense (peptidase M4 family proteins), and various biosynthesis and energy metabolism were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF. These results provide clues for understanding the mechanism of EGCG-induced stress and cytotoxicity on B. cereus MH-2.