• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.863-876
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• 2019

Farm animals such as piglets are often affected by environmental stress, which can disturb the gut ecosystem. Antibiotics were commonly used to prevent diarrhea in weaned piglets, but this was banned by the European Union due to the development of antibiotic resistance. However, the use of probiotics instead of antibiotics may reduce the risk posed by pathogenic microorganisms and reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus casei Zhang on the mechanical barrier and immune function of early-weaned piglets infected using Escherichia coli K88 based on histomorphology and immunology. Fourteen-day-old weaned piglets were divided into a control group and experimental groups that were fed L. casei Zhang and infected with E. coli K88 with or without prefeeding and/or postfeeding of L. casei Zhang. The L. casei Zhang dose used was $10^7CFU/g$ diet. Jejunum segments were obtained before histological, immunohistochemical, and western blot analyses were performed. In addition, the relative mRNA expression of toll receptors and cytokines was measured. Piglets fed L. casei Zhang showed significantly increased jejunum villus height, villus height-crypt depth ratio, muscle thickness, and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. The use of L. casei Zhang effectively reduced intestinal inflammation after infection. We found that L. casei Zhang feeding prevented the jejunum damage induced by E. coli K88, suggesting that it may be a potential alternative to antibiotics for preventing diarrhea in early-weaned piglets.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.94-97
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• 2019

In February 2019, a damping-off disease occurred at the seedling stage of paprika in a commercial nursery located in Cheorwon, Korea. A species of Fusarium was isolated from the diseased plant and it was identified as Fusarium oxysporum based on morphological characteristics and nucleotide sequence data of translation elongation factor $1-{\alpha}$ and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase. The isolate obtained was revealed to be pathogenic to the host plant through pathogenicity tests, and the reisolation of the pathogen confirmed Koch's postulates. This is the first report of damping-off caused by Fusarium oxysporum on paprika in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.905-917
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• 2022

It is well known that the fruit of the vitamin tree (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) provides excellent anti-diabetic, antibacterial, immune regulation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects. In some countries including Europe the fruit has been added to certain foods to develop functional foods. The present research was carried out to elucidate the biological function of vitamin tree fruit powder added to fermented milk. It was found that there was an antioxidant effect of yoghurt made with vitamin tree fruit powder, and this effect was greater with increased incubation time and amount of vitamin powder, as shown by 1,1-diphenyl2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-anziobis (3-ehtylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic aicd) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities. The antibacterial effect of yoghurt containing vitamin tree fruit powder was shown to be effective against four pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonela Typhimurium. In particular, yoghurt supplemented with 5% of vitamin tree fruit powder showed the best antibacterial effect. The yogurt containing the vitamin tree fruit powder significantly inhibited the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 (yogurt [Y] + Hippophae rhamnoides L. powder [HP] and yogurt containing 5% Hippophae rhamnoides L. powder [HPY]) and IL-1β (HP, Y + HP and HPY) in a concentration-dependent manner among tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, IL-1, and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Our results clearly demonstrated that vitamin tree fruit powder could be a good functional ingredient for improving health through yoghurt manufactured with vitamin tree.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.420-429
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• 2023

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in elderly individuals. However, the currently used intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor are invasive, and repetitive injections are also accompanied by a risk of intraocular infection. The pathogenic mechanism of AMD is still not completely understood, but a multifactorial mechanism that combines genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including cellular senescence, has been suggested. Cellular senescence refers to the accumulation of cells that stop dividing due to the presence of free radicals and DNA damage. Characteristics of senescent cells include nuclear hypertrophy, increased levels of cell cycle inhibitors such as p16 and p21, and resistance to apoptosis. Senolytic drugs remove senescent cells by targeting the main characteristics of these cells. One of the senolytic drugs, ABT-263, which inhibits the antiapoptotic functions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, may be a new treatment for AMD patients because it targets senescent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. We proved that it selectively kills doxorubicin (Dox)-induced senescent ARPE-19 cells by activating apoptosis. By removing senescent cells, the expression of inflammatory cytokines was reduced, and the proliferation of the remaining cells was increased. When ABT-263 was orally administered to the mouse model of senescent RPE cells induced by Dox, we confirmed that senescent RPE cells were selectively removed and retinal degeneration was alleviated. Therefore, we suggest that ABT-263, which removes senescent RPE cells through its senolytic effect, has the potential to be the first orally administered senolytic drug for the treatment of AMD.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.281-294
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• 2023

As a byproduct obtained from cheese manufacture, whey protein was developed as a functional food that contains multi-functional proteins. In this study, the biochemical activity of fermented milk prepared by fortifying whey protein with excellent physiological activity was investigated. Immunoglobulin (IgG) content was higher in 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk than in the control. The viable cell counts were 20% higher in the fermented milk with 10% fortified whey protein than in the control group. The antibacterial effect of 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk compared to the control group was shown to be effective against four pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli (KCTC1039), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 530, Salmonela Typhimurium (KCTC3216), and Staphylococcus aureus (KCTC1621). The antioxidant effect by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities wasincreased two-fold in 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk compared to the control. The 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk inhibited the expression of the inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, and induced nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]) in a concentration-dependent manner. In a piglets feeding test, the weight gain with 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk was increased by 18% compared to the control group, and no diarrhea symptoms appeared. Our results clearly demonstrated that 10% fortified whey protein fermented milk could be a useful functional ingredient for improving health.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.241-247
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• 2023

Erwinia amylovora , which causes fire blight disease on apple and pear trees, is one of the most important phytopathogens because of its devastating impact. Currently, the only way to effectively control fire blight disease is through the use of antibiotics such as streptomycin, kasugamycin, or oxytetracycline. However, problems with the occurrence of resistant strains due to the overuse of antibiotics are constantly being raised. It is therefore necessary to develop novel disease control methods through an advanced understanding of the pathogenesis mechanism of E. amylovora . To better understand the pathogenesis of E. amylovora , we investigated unknown virulence factors by random mutagenesis and screening. Random mutants were generated by Tn5 transposon insertion, and the pathogenicity of the mutants was assessed by inoculation of the mutants on apple fruitlets. A total of 17 avirulent mutants were found through screening of 960 random mutants. Among them, 14 mutants were already reported as non-pathogenic strains, while three mutants, TS3128_M2899 (ΔSUFU ), TS3128_M2939 (ΔwcaG ), and TS3128_M3747 (ΔrecB ), were not reported. Further study of the association between E. amylovora pathogenicity and these 3 novel genes may provide new insight into the development of control methods for fire blight disease.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2007

Shelf-stability of powdered model food was determined during storage at various temperatures ($25^{\circ}C$, $35^{\circ}C$) and various moisture contents (3.5%, 6.0%, 8.0%). Moisture content, peroxide value, pH, color, microbial counting and sensory evaluation were conducted during storage. Moisture content, peroxide value, pH and color were not significantly changed during storage in all samples indicating that this powdered model food was relatively stable at given conditions. Pathogenic microorganisms, such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria spp., Clostridium perfrigens, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, were not found during storage suggesting that there was no problem in safety in this case. On the other hand, the number of artificially added Lactic acid bacteria was decreased with increasing both storage temperature and moisture content. Therefore, powdered model food was very shelf-stable and it was impossible to predict the shelf-life using above quality factors.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1982

Enterotoxigenk E. coli is one of the major causative agents of the infantile diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea. The heat-labile enterotoxin is thought to be a virulence factor in the pathogenesis of the diarrhea and to be a marker for identification of the enterotoxigenic E. coli from non pathogenic E. coli. Therefore knowledge about the heat-labile enterotoxin is essential not only for understanding the pathogenesis but also for the diagnosis of the diarrhea. However the in-vitro heat-labile enterotoxin production is reported to be greatly affected by the cultural condition. In this regards, this study was designed to know the optimal conditions for the production of the heat-labile enterotoxin by assaying the permeability factor in the 18 hours culture supernatant of E. coli 08K25(B2) H9 and of E. coli 015 H11. Results obtained were summerized as follows: 1. Amounts of heat-labile enterotoxin produced were greater at initial pH 8.5 than at 7.0 of CYES-2 broth culture. However, the bacterial growth itself was more abundant at 7.0 than at 8.5. 2. Heat-labile enterotoxin per unit volume of culture supernatant was greater at shaking culture than at standing culture condition, but ratio of the enterotoxin produced over the unit mass of E. coli calculated was greater at standing culture than shaking culture condition, indicating that the greater yields of the toxin produced at shaking culture was due to increase in E. coli cell mass compared to the standing culture condition: 3. The enterotoxin produced in the lincomycin(128 microgram/ml) supplemented media was 5 or 11 times greater on the basis of enterotoxin per unit mass of E. coli, compared to the lincomycin-non-supplemented media, indicating that lincomycin itself increases the enterotoxin production. 4. Treatment of 18 hours culture of E. coli with polymyxin B(0.2 mg/ml) for 1 hour increased the yields of enterotoxin amounting to 2 or 5 times of the non-treated control cultures.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1337-1345
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• 2006

Hypercholesterolemia is a pivotal pathogenic factor for the development and maintenance of atherosclerosis. The present study was designed to evaluate whether the methanol extract of Sorbus commixta cortex (MSC) restores vascular dysfunction in association with the aortic expressions of proinflarnmatory and adhesion molecules in high cholesterol (HC) diet-rats. Chronic treatment with low (100 mg/kg/day) or high doses (200 mg/kg/day) of MSC lowered the increase in plasma levels of triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol induced by a cholesterol-enriched diet without affecting on the plasma level of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. Vascular tone attenuated in the HC-diet rats was restored by administration with MSC. Treatment with MSC also suppressed the HC-induced increase in the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and nuclear factor-$_K$B (NF-$_K$B) p65 expressions as well as expressions levels of adhesion molecules including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and E-selectin in aorta. The present study also showed that MSC inhibited the HC-mediated induction of ET-1 and ACE expression. In histopathological examination, aortic segments in the HC-diet rat revealed thickening intima and media, which were blocked by administration with MSC. Taken together, MSC could suppress the development of atherosclerosis in the HC-diet rat model through the inhibition of the aortic expression levels of pro-inflammatory and adhesion molecules.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.46.1-46.18
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• 2020

Background: High concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 ㎛ in diameter (PM2.5) in poultry houses is an important cause of respiratory disease in animals and humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can induce severe respiratory disease in animals under stress or with abnormal immune functions. When excessively high concentrations of PM2.5 in poultry houses damage the respiratory system and impair host immunity, secondary infections with P. aeruginosa can occur and produce a more intense inflammatory response, resulting in more severe lung injury. Objectives: In this study, we focused on the synergistic induction of inflammatory injury in the respiratory system and the related molecular mechanisms induced by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa in poultry houses. Methods: High-throughput 16S rDNA sequence analysis was used for characterizing the bacterial diversity and relative abundance of the PM2.5 samples, and the effects of PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa stimulation on inflammation were detected by in vitro and in vivo. Results: Sequencing results indicated that the PM2.5 in poultry houses contained a high abundance of potentially pathogenic genera, such as Pseudomonas (2.94%). The lung tissues of mice had more significant pathological damage when co-stimulated by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa, and it can increase the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α through nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: The results confirmed that poultry house PM2.5 in combination with P. aeruginosa could aggravate the inflammatory response and cause more severe respiratory system injuries through a process closely related to the activation of the NF-κB pathway.