• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2043-2050
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• 2016

Exploring novel antibiotics is necessary for multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Because the probiotics in soybean food have antimicrobial activities, we investigated their effects on multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Nineteen multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains were clinically isolated as an experimental group and 11 multidrug-sensitive strains as controls. The growth rates of all bacteria were determined by using the analysis for xCELLigence Real-Time Cell. The combination of antibiotics showed synergistic effects on the strains in the control group but no effect on the strains in the experimental group. Efflux pump gene adeS was absent in all the strains from the control group, whereas it exists in all the strains from the experimental group. Furthermore, all the strains lost multidrug resistance when an adeS inhibitor was used. One strain of probiotics isolated from soybean food showed high antimicrobial activity for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii. The isolated strain belongs to Bacillus subtilis according to 16S RNA analysis. Furthermore, E. coli showed multidrug resistance when it was transformed with the adeS gene from A. baumannii whereas the resistant bacteria could be inhibited completely by isolated Bacillus subtilis. Thus, probiotics from soybean food provide potential antibiotics against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.403-415
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• 2018

The aims of this novel work were to determine the microbial strains and exopolysaccharide (EPS) producers in water kefir from Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Thirty-three microbial strains were identified using 16S rRNA gene analysis consisting of 18 bacterial strains, as 9 strains of acetic acid bacteria (AAB), 9 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and 15 yeast strains. All bacteria were able to produce EPS with a diverse appearance on agar media containing different sugars at a concentration of 8%. Culture supernatants from AAB and LAB showed 31-64% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity with the highest antioxidant activity of 64% from Acetobacter pasteurianus WS3 and WS6. Crude EPS from A. pasteurianus WS3 displayed the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power at 280 mM $FeSO_4/g$ EPS, greatest anti-tyrosinase activity at 20.35%, and highest EPS production of 1,505 mg EPS/L from 8% sucrose. These microbes offer beneficial health implications and their EPSs can be used as food additives and cosmetic ingredients.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2021

Phellinus strains were collected from different areas in Korea. Of them, the fast mycelial growing strains were artificially cultivated on the oak logs to produce fruiting body. The varieties, Phellinus linteus ASI26099 (Korea Sanghwang) and P. baumii PBJS (Jangsoo Sanghwang) were grown under the same conditions as controls. Their cultivating characteristics including mycelial colonization, pinhead formation, and fruiting body formation rate were investigated on the logs. Basidiocarps of Phellinus strains HN00K9, HN6036, and ASI26099 were concentrically zonate and shallowly sulcate, and dark chestnut showing typical characteristics of Tropicoporus linteus (synonyum: P. linteus, Inonotus linteus, polyporus linteus), which is distinguishably different to PBJS. HN00K9 showed the highest yield of fruiting body among the mushroom strains. The β-glucan content in fruiting bodies of HN00K9 was 20% higher than those of other strains. Bioactive effects of polysaccharide samples from fruiting bodies of Phellinus strains, HN00K9, HN6036, ASI26099, and PBJS were assessed on cell viability and cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) inhibition and finally on anticancer to different human cancer cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1428-1436
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• 2023

The three Gram-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterial strains RS43^T, HBC28, and HBC61^T, were isolated from fresh water and subjected to a polyphasic study. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequence initially indicated that strains RS43^T, HBC28, and HBC61^T were closely related to species of genus Curvibacter and shared the highest sequence similarity of 98.14%, 98.21%, and 98.76%, respectively, with Curvibacter gracilis 7-1^T. Phylogenetic analysis based on genome sequences placed all strains within the genus Curvibacter. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the three strains and related type strains supported their recognition as two novel genospecies in the genus Curvibacter. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the genus possessed an open pangenome. Based on KEGG BlastKOALA analyses, Curvibacter species have the potential to metabolize benzoate, phenylacetate, catechol, and salicylate, indicating their potential use in the elimination of these compounds from the water systems. The results of polyphasic characterization indicated that strain RS43^T and HBC61^T represent two novel species, for which the name Curvibacter microcysteis sp. nov. (type strain RS43^T =KCTC 92793^T=LMG 32714^T) and Curvibacter cyanobacteriorum sp. nov. (type strain HBC61^T =KCTC 92794^T=LMG 32713^T) are proposed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.1 s.137
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• pp.43-48
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• 2006

Experimental murine models with high, intermediate and low levels of genetically based susceptibility to Leishmania major infection reproduce almost entire spectrum of clinical manifestations of the human disease. There are increasing non-comparative studies on immune responses against isolated antigens of L. major in different murine strains. The aim of the present study was to find out whether there is an antigen that can induce protective immune response in resistant and susceptible murine strains. To do that, crude antigenic extract of procyclic and metacyclic promastigotes of L. major was prepared and subjected to SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. Western-blotting was used to search for antigen(s) capable of raising high antibody level of IgG2a versus IgG1 in the sera of both infected resistant and susceptible strains. Two novel antigens from metacyclic promastigotes of L. major (140 and 152 kDa) were potentially able to induce specific dominant IgG2a responses in BALB/c and C57BU6 mice. The 2 antigens also reacted with IgG antibody of cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. We confirm that 140 and 152 kDa proteins of L. major promastigotes are inducing IgG production in mice and humans.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.438-441
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• 2008

A novel lactobacilli replicon from plasmids of Lactobacillus reuteri KCTC 3678 was isolated. Eight L. reuteri strains from Korean Collection for Type Cultures (KCTC) and Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) were screened for cryptic plasmids and most strains harbored 1 or 2 plasm ids. Particularly, L. reuteri KCTC 3678 contained 6 plasm ids which all were used for screening of lactobacilli replicon. EcoRI digests of the plasmid DNA prep from L. reuteri KCTC 3678 were ligated with pUC19 and the recombinant DNAs were serially named from pLR1 to pLR7. A cat (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase; $Cm^r$) gene originated from pC194 was introduced into pLR1-7, resulting in pLR1cat-pLR7cat, respectively. The recombinant plasmids were introduced into L. reuteri KCTC 3679, and only transformants harboring pLR5cat were obtained, indicating that the insert in pLR5 functioned as a lactobacilli replicon.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Noroviruses (NoVs) are one major etiologic agent in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in all ages and are the primary cause of food-borne gastroenteritis worldwide. GII-4 NoVs has predominated since 1990s, and novel recombinant strains have been reported worldwide. Researchers face difficulties in making vaccines and therapeutic agents against NoVs due to the lack of cell culture and animal-model systems and the rapid emergence of novel variant strains. Recently, a randomized clinical trial for intranasal NoVs vaccine has been reported, which casts a light in the way of vaccine production. This review discusses the recent findings on the structure, immunity, and vaccination of NoVs.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

Human breast milk is a potential source of bacteria for the development of the intestinal microbiota of infants. Several species within the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were demonstrated to shape the gut microbiota of infants. In this study, the bacterial diversity was investigated in the breast milk and feces of a mother-infant pair, and probiotic candidates were identified. Importantly, the novel L. gasseri EJL and B. breve JTL strains were isolated from breast milk and infant feces samples, respectively; their completed genome was resolved using de novo sequencing. In addition, the bacterial composition in the infant's feces at 1 week revealed the prevalence of Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus; a higher diversity was observed after 3 weeks. In particular, the abundance of Akkermansia was sharply increased at 7 weeks, further increasing thereafter, up to 15 weeks. Our results suggest that human breast milk and infant's feces are a source of probiotic candidates.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.184-188
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• 1993

Novel Ustilagomaydis strains, designated as SH1 to 14 containing new types of ds RNA segments, are identified from corn smut in Korea. Among 14 isolates, 7 isolates appear to posses virus particles and the other isolates may contain dsRNA as a plasmid form. The pattern of dsRNA is highly diverse form a typical P-type containing one or more of H, M, and L dsRNAs to the one containing one or move M dsRNAs. It is likely that the strains containing H dsRNA posses virus particles which were confirmed by sucrose density gradient followed with different range of specificity and the activity of the strain (SH14) is stronger than A4 toxin. The sensitivity of 14 isolates is also very diverse and two strains (SH10, SH11) appear tobe universal sensitve strains against 5 tested toxin samples.

• Plant Resources
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.65-68
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• 2004

We used an amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, a novel PCR-based technique, to differentiate Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) of Korean races. The 6 strains of Xoo K1, K2, K3 races were tested with 81 AFLP primer combinations to identify the best selective primers. The primer combinations were selected according to their reproducibility, number of polymorphic bands and polymorphism detected among Xoo strains. 18 strains of Xoo K1, K2 and K3 races were analyzed with the selected combinations of primer set. Some primer combinations (Eco R I +1 / Mse I+1) could differentiate Xoo of Korean races that were not distinguished by other fingerprinting analysis. Thus AFLP fingerprinting permitted very fine discrimination among different races.