• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.174-180
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• 2014

We analyzed the genetic diversity of Cylindrocarpon destructans isolates obtained from Korean ginseng (i.e., Panax ginseng) roots by performing virulence tests and nuclear ribosomal gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mt SSU) rDNA sequence analysis. The phylogenetic relationship analysis performed using ITS DNA sequences and isolates from other hosts helped confirm that all the Korean C. destructans isolates belonged to Nectria/Neonectria radicicola complex. The results of in vivo and ex vivo virulence tests showed that the C. destructans isolates could be divided into two groups according to their distinctive difference in virulence and the genetic diversity. The highly virulent Korean isolates in pathogenicity group II (PG II), together with foreign isolates from P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius, formed a single group. The weakly virulent isolates in pathogenicity group I, together with the foreign isolates from other host plants, formed another group and exhibited a greater genetic diversity than the isolates of PG II, as confirmed by the mt SSU rDNA sequence analysis. In addition, as the weakly virulent Korean isolates were genetically very similar to the foreign isolates from other hosts, they were likely to originate from hosts other than the ginseng plants.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.335-343
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• 2009

The pathogenicity and acute toxicity of Lactobacillus (L.) pentosus PL11 from eel (Anguilla japonica) were investigated using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The pathogenicity of L. pentosus PL11 was examined after treating the rats with $10^{11}$ CFU/mL, $10^9$ CFU/mL or $10^7$ CFU/mL doses of L. pentosus PL11 culture or 0.85% NaCl (Control) intragastrically. For acute toxicity studies, rats were treated with dried culture broth of L. pentosus PL11 at doses of 5,000 mg/mL, 2,500 mg/mL, 1,250 mg/mL or 625 mg/mL or Lactobacilli MRS broth (Control), and clinical signs or mortalities were monitored for two weeks. The results of the present investigation revealed no mortalities or obvious clinical signs in rats administered with the live bacterial cultures or dried culture broth at any investigated dose level. Also, no significant differences were observed in net body weight gain, gross pathological findings, feed and water consumption and body temperature among the different treatment groups and between the treated and control rats. It can be concluded from the above findings that L. pentosus PL11 is a safe probiotic strain with potential as feed additive to increase the feed efficiency or health of fish.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2007

Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae and 4 Vibrio spp.(V. anguillarum, V. splendidus, V. harveyi and V. ordalii) were isolated from the diseased olive flounders, Paralichthys olivaceus. The isolates were tested on the pathogenicity in vitro. The properties of extracellular products(ECPs) were investigated with enzymatic activities, hemolytic activities toward the sheep and olive flounder erythrocytes, and cytotoxicity activities on the cell-line. And potential signal transduction pathways of the bacterial internalization were detected by using signal transduction inhibitors. P. damselae was high in phospholipase activity, hemolytic activity to olive flounder erythrocytes and cytotoxicity activity. And P. damselae had diversified internalizing pathways as compared to isolated vibrios. Therefore, these activities may be related with pathogenicity of P. damselae.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2008

Ripe rot was frequently observed on fruits, leaves and stems of grape growing in eight locations in Korea from 2004 to 2006. All 30 isolates of Colletotrichum sp. were obtained from lesions of the ripe rot on grape plants. Out of the isolates, 19 isolates were identified as Colletotrichum acutatum and the others as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Inter and intra specific variations of the Colletotrichum spp. isolates were investigated using RAPD and sequences of rDNA ITS and $\beta$-tubulin-2. Isolates of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides were distinctly differentiated by molecular analyses. Phylogenetic trees of ITS and$\beta$-tubulin-2 showed that Korean isolates of C. acutatum were clustered into groups A2 and A3 among the eight global groups. A2 included non-chromogenic isolates and A3 chromogenic ones. Both C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides isolates were tested for pathogenicity to grape leaves. All isolates tested induced lesions on the leaves of grape by artificial inoculation. There was no difference in pathogenicity between C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides isolates. This is the first report that C. acutatum except C. gloeosporioides causes grape ripe rot in Korea.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the pathogenicity and acute single toxicity of Lactobacillus spp. PSC101 (PSC101) isolated from pigs and L. acidophilus (LA) at 2.5$\times$$10^9$CFU or 2.5$\times$$10^{12}$colony forming units (CFU) in mice for 14 days. After oral administration of the bacteria into mice, we could not find their any specific pathogenicity from the standpoints of clinical signs, and changes in body weight and body temperature, as compared with the control group during 14 days. We further investigated the toxicity of concentrated culture broth ($\times$10) after fermentation of them for safe industrial process. As the results, we could not find any clinical signs, changes in body weight and body temperature, as compared with the control group (MRS broth) for 14 days. The results obtained in this study suggest that the potentially probiotic, PSC101, is non-toxic in mice and is therefore likely to be safe for pig use.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the pathogenicity of Paenibacillus (R) polymyxa JB 115 and single oral dose toxicity of culture broth containing (${\beta}$-glucan (CBG-JB 115) produced from P. polymyxa JB 115 in Sprague-Dawely rats of both sexes for 14 days. After oral administration of P. polymyxa JB 115 into rats, we could not find any abnormal clinical signs and variation in the body weight and temperature as compared with control group. We also investigated the acute toxicity of CBG-JB 115. As the results, there were no clinical signs and variance in the body weight and temperature related with CBG-JB 115 in comparison with the control group. From the this experiment, we could not find out any significant pathogenicity and toxicity induced by P. polymyxa JB 115 or by CBG-JB 115. Results of this study demonstrated that consumption of P. polymyxa JB 115 and its culture broth containing (${\beta}$-glucan was not associated with any obvious signs of toxicity in Sprague-Dawely rats even following consumption of large quantities.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.225-233
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• 2013

Gibberella fujikuroi species complex (GFSC) was isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed samples from ten Asian countries and investigated for incidence of GFSC, molecular characteristics, and pathogenicity. Regardless of geographic origin, GFSC was detected with incidences ranging from 3% to 80%. Four species, Fusarium fujikuroi, F. concentricum, F. proliferatum, and F. verticillioides, were found to show an association with rice seeds, with F. fujikuroi being the predominant species. In phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences, no relationship was found between species, isolates, and geographic sources of samples. Unidentified fragments of the ${\beta}$-tubulin gene were observed in ten isolates of F. fujikuroi and F. verticillioides. With the exception of three isolates of F. fujikuroi, F. fujikuroi, F. proliferatum, and F. verticillioides were found to have FUM1 (the fumonisin biosynthetic gene); however, FUM1 was not found in isolates of F. concentricum. Results of pathogenicity testing showed that all isolates caused reduced germination of rice seed. In addition, F. fujikuroi and F. concentricum caused typical symptoms of bakanae, leaf elongation and chlorosis, whereas F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides only caused stunting of seedlings. These findings provide insight into the characteristics of GFSC associated with rice seeds and might be helpful in development of strategies for management of bakanae.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

Among different types of spoilage, microbial contamination can cause feed decomposition, which results in decreases in feed intake and productivity, infection, and breeding disorder. During the storage time, various microbes have a chance to inoculate with depreciation of feed and to infect the animals. We investigated bacteria that inhabit diverse feed ingredients and complete feed which have been stored for a few months. We isolated and identified 30 genera and 62 species of bacteria. Among these 62 species, 21 species were of non-pathogenic bacteria, 18 species were of pathogenic bacteria, 9 species were of opportunistic pathogens, and 14 species were of unknown bacteria. Pantoea allii and 24 species showed proteolytic enzyme activity. We also confirmed that 6 species including Pseudomonas psychrotolerans showed ${\alpha}$-amylase activity, and 29 species including Burkholderia vietnamiensis showed cellulase activity. Microbacterium testaceum and 3 species showed resistance to Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Streptomycin, Gentamicin, Carbenicillin, and Erythromycin ($50{\mu}g/mL$). Using mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor L.) as a model for pathogenicity, we confirmed that 8 species including Staphylococcus xylosus had pathogenicity for mealworm larvae. Especially, Enterobacter hormaechei, Staphylococcus xylosus, and Staphylococcus hominis were reported as being pathogenic for humans. This research suggests that hygienic management of animal feed is essential because beneficial and harmful bacteria can inhabit animal feed differently during storage and distribution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1495-1502
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• 2014

Metarhizium anisopliae is a widely studied model to understand the virulence factors that participate in pathogenicity. Proteases such as subtilisin-like enzymes (Pr1) and trypsin-like enzymes (Pr2) are considered important factors for insect cuticle degradation. In four M. anisopliae strains (798, 6342, 6345, and 6347), the presence of pr1 and pr2 genes, as well as the enzymatic activity of these genes, was correlated with their virulence against two different insect pests. The 11 pr1 genes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K) and pr2 gene were found in all strains. The activity of individual Pr1 and Pr2 proteases exhibited variation in time (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) and in the presence or absence of chitin as the inductor. The highest Pr1 enzymatic activity was shown by strain 798 at 48 h with chitin. The highest Pr2 enzymatic activity was exhibited by the 6342 and 6347 strains, both grown with chitin at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Highest mortality on S. exigua was caused by strain 6342 at 48 h, and strains 6342, 6345, and 6347 caused the highest mortality 7 days later. Mortality on Prosapia reached 30% without variation. The presence of subtilisin and trypsin genes and the activity of these proteases in M. anisopliae strains cannot be associated with the virulence against the two insect pests. Probably, subtilisin and trypsin enzyme production is not a vital factor for pathogenicity, but its contribution is important to the pathogenicity process.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.607-613
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• 2004

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infection is an important pathogen of stomach cancer after chronic gastritis and ulceration in the stomach and duodenum. However, the virulences of H. pylori strains have not been well-defined between clinical isolates. This study was designed to establish water-immersion-restraint stress (WIRS) model in mongolian gerbil for comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains. To determine an optimal duration time for WIRS model in gerbil, 5-week-old Mongolian gerbils were divided into different groups by WIRS duration time. After graded duration of WIRS, the macroscopic ulcer index (UI) was measured with the stomach and duodenum of sacrificed animal. There were no significant differences between male and female in same duration group. However, the UI increased significantly in a time-dependent fashion. The group of 6 hours-WIRS animals showed severe hemorrhage and ulceration in their stomach and duodenum. On the other hand, the very mild lesions induced in 2 hours-treated animals. Therefore, we determined an optimal duration time for WIRS model in gerbil as 4 hours. Thereafter, we evaluated whether this WIRS model in gerbil could be used as an useful tool for in vivo comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains by enhancement of pathological severity in H. pylori-infected gerbils. Mongolian gerbils were divided into H. pyloriinfected and PBS-inoculated groups. Thereafter, they were divided again into 4 hours-WIRS and no WIRS subgroups. After treatment, the severity of pathological changes was evaluated in a same manner with previous duration-determining experiment. When the animals were exposed to WIRS, the UI was significantly higher in the infected group than in the uninfected group. These results suggested that the established gerbil-WIRS model in this study enhanced effectively the severity of pathogenic changes in the H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils and could be used as an useful tool for in vivo comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains.