• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권9호
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• pp.1288-1294
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• 2021

There are a growing number of reports of hospital-acquired infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Many plant products are now being used as a natural means of exploring antimicrobial agents against different types of human pathogenic bacteria. In this research, we sought to isolate and identify an active molecule from Sedum takesimense that has possible antibacterial activity against various clinical isolates of MRSA. NMR analysis revealed that the structure of the HPLC-purified compound was 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-glucose. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of different extract fractions against numerous pathogenic bacteria was determined, and the actively purified compound has potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, i.e., MRSA and its clinical isolates. In addition, the combination of the active compound and β-lactam antibiotics (e.g., oxacillin) demonstrated synergistic action against MRSA, with a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.281. The current research revealed an alternative approach to combating pathogenesis caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria using plant materials. Furthermore, using a combination approach in which the active plant-derived compound is combined with antibiotics has proved to be a successful way of destroying pathogens synergistically.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 한국균학회 2014년도 추계학술대회 및 정기총회
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• pp.11-11
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• 2014

Fungal pathogens have huge impact on health and economic wellbeing of human by causing life-threatening mycoses in immune-compromised patients or by destroying crop plants. A key determinant of fungal pathogenesis is their ability to undergo developmental change in response to host or environmental factors. Genetic pathways that regulate such morphological transitions and adaptation are therefore extensively studied during the last few decades. Given that epigenetic as well as genetic components play pivotal roles in development of plants and mammals, contribution of microbial epigenetic counterparts to this morphogenetic process is intriguing yet nearly unappreciated question to date. To bridge this gap in our knowledge, we set out to investigate histone modifications among epigenetic mechanisms that possibly regulate fungal adaptation and processes involved in pathogenesis of a model plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. M. oryzae is a causal agent of rice blast disease, which destroys 10 to 30% of the rice crop annually. Since the rice is the staple food for more than half of human population, the disease is a major threat to global food security. In addition to the socioeconomic impact of the disease it causes, the fungus is genetically tractable and can undergo well-defined morphological transitions including asexual spore production and appressorium (a specialized infection structure) formation in vitro, making it a model to study fungal development and pathogenicity. For functional and comparative analysis of histone modifications, a web-based database (dbHiMo) was constructed to archive and analyze histone modifying enzymes from eukaryotic species whose genome sequences are available. Histone modifying enzymes were identified applying a search pipeline built upon profile hidden Markov model (HMM) to proteomes. The database incorporates 22,169 histone-modifying enzymes identified from 342 species including 214 fungal, 33 plants, and 77 metazoan species. The dbHiMo provides users with web-based personalized data browsing and analysis tools, supporting comparative and evolutionary genomics. Based on the database entries, functional analysis of genes encoding histone acetyltransferases and histone demethylases is under way. Here I provide examples of such analyses that show how histone acetylation and methylation is implicated in regulating important aspects of fungal pathogenesis. Current analysis of histone modifying enzymes will be followed by ChIP-Seq and RNA-seq experiments to pinpoint the genes that are controlled by particular histone modifications. We anticipate that our work will provide not only the significant advances in our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms operating in microbial eukaryotes but also basis to expand our perspective on regulation of development in fungal pathogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권9호
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• pp.1542-1550
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• 2016

This is the first report that paromomycin, an antibiotic derived from Streptomyces sp. AG-P 1441 (AG-P 1441), controlled Phytophthora blight and soft rot diseases caused by Phytophthora capsici and Pectobacterium carotovorum, respectively, in chili pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Chili pepper plants treated with paromomycin by foliar spray or soil drenching 7 days prior to inoculation with P. capsici zoospores showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in disease severity (%) when compared with untreated control plants. The disease severity of Phytophthora blight was recorded as 8% and 50% for foliar spray and soil drench, respectively, at 1.0 ppm of paromomycin, compared with untreated control, where disease severity was 83% and 100% by foliar spray and soil drench, respectively. A greater reduction of soft rot lesion areas per leaf disk was observed in treated plants using paromomycin (1.0 μg/ml) by infiltration or soil drench in comparison with untreated control plants. Paromomycin treatment did not negatively affect the growth of chili pepper. Furthermore, the treatment slightly promoted growth; this growth was supported by increased chlorophyll content in paromomycin-treated chili pepper plants. Additionally, paromomycin likely induced resistance as confirmed by the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes: PR-1, β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, PR-4, peroxidase, and PR-10, which enhanced plant defense against P. capsici in chili pepper. This finding indicates that AG-P 1441 plays a role in pathogen resistance upon the activation of defense genes, by secretion of the plant resistance elicitor, paromomycin.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.357-362
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• 2016

ALD1 (ABERRANT GROWTH AND DEATH2 [AGD2]-LIKE DEFENSE1) is one of the key defense regulators in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. In these model plants, ALD1 is responsible for triggering basal defense response and systemic resistance against bacterial infection. As well ALD1 is involved in the production of pipecolic acid and an unidentified compound(s) for systemic resistance and priming syndrome, respectively. These previous studies proposed that ALD1 is a potential candidate for developing genetically modified (GM) plants that may be resistant to pathogen infection. Here we introduce a role of ALD1-LIKE gene of Oryza sativa, named as OsALD1, during plant immunity. OsALD1 mRNA was strongly transcribed in the infected leaves of rice plants by Magnaporthe oryzae, the rice blast fungus. OsALD1 proteins predominantly localized at the chloroplast in the plant cells. GM rice plants over-expressing OsALD1 were resistant to the fungal infection. The stable expression of OsALD1 also triggered strong mRNA expression of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED PROTEIN1 genes in the leaves of rice plants during infection. Taken together, we conclude that OsALD1 plays a role in disease resistance response of rice against the infection with rice blast fungus.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.377-387
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• 2016

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a member of the genus Begomovirus, is one of the most important viruses of cultivated tomatoes worldwide, mainly causing yellowing and curling of leaves with stunting in plants. TYLCV causes severe problems in sub-tropical and tropical countries, as well as in Korea. However, the mechanism of TYLCV infection remains unclear, although the function of each viral component has been identified. TYLCV C4 codes for a small protein involved in various cellular functions, including symptom determination, gene silencing, viral movement, and induction of the plant defense response. In this study, through yeast-two hybrid screenings, we identified TYLCV C4-interacting host proteins from both healthy and symptom-exhibiting tomato tissues, to determine the role of TYLCV C4 proteins in the infection processes. Comparative analyses of 28 proteins from healthy tissues and 36 from infected tissues showing interactions with TYLCV C4 indicated that TYLCV C4 mainly interacts with host proteins involved in translation, ubiquitination, and plant defense, and most interacting proteins differed between the two tissues but belong to similar molecular functional categories. Four proteins-two ribosomal proteins, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase, and 14-3-3 family protein-were detected in both tissues. Furthermore, the identified proteins in symptom-exhibiting tissues showed greater involvement in plant defenses. Some are key regulators, such as receptor-like kinases and pathogenesis-related proteins, of plant defenses. Thus, TYLCV C4 may contribute to the suppression of host defense during TYLCV infection and be involved in ubiquitination for viral infection.

• 한국식물병리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식물병리학회 1994년도 Proceedings of International Symposium on BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PLANT DISEASES Korean Society of Plant Pathology
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• pp.86-102
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• 1994

To understand the molecular structure and pathogenesis mechanism of Korean garlic viruses, we have isolate cDNA clones for garlic viruses. The partial nucleotide sequences of 24 cDNA clones were determined and that of six clones containing poly (A) tail were compared with those of other plant viruses. One of those clones, V9 has 81.8% similarity in nucleotide sequence and 93.0% in deduced amino acid sequence, respectively, to the coat protein gene for garlic mosaic virus (GMV). Northern blot analysis with the clone V9 demonstrated that the genome of GMV is 7.8 kb long and has poly (A) tail. The anti-coat protein antibody for GMV recognizes 35 kDa polypeptide which could be the coat protein of GMV from infected garlic leaf extract or virus preparation. Clone G7 has about 62% of deduced amino acid sequence identity with the members of potyvirus group. Northern blot analysis with the clone G7 demonstrated that the genome of the potyvirus I garlic is 9.0 kb long and has poly (A) tail. The third clone, S81, shows 42% amino acid identity to the potexvirus. The other clones are under the characterization. To test the possibility of producing garlic virus resistant plant, we have designed a hairpin type ribozyme to cleave V9 RNA at the middle of the coat protein gene. From the cleavage reactions in vitro with two different sizes of RNA substrates, V9SUB (144 nucleotides) and V9 RNA (1,361 nucleotides), the ribozyme can cleave V9 sequence effectively at the predicted site. To study the activity of the ribozyme in vivo, plant transformation is in progress. Further possibilities to produce garlic virus resistant plant will be discussed.

• 생약학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.335-340
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• 2008

Diabetes mellitus is metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin secretion or insulin receptor insensitivity to endogenous insulin. It is well-known that hyperglycemia is one of the main causes of oxidative stress in both type 1 and 2 diabetes. Oxidative stress is related by death of pancreatic ${\beta}$ cell and dysfunction of ${\beta}$ cell. Although ${\beta}$ cell death or dysfunction is induced by many substances or molecules, increased evidences that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in ${\beta}$ cell death or dysfunction. Considering the importance of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, we investigated the cytoprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in pancreatic ${\beta}$ cell line RIN-m5F cell. 110 Plant sources were collected in Mt. Baek-du, and extracted with methanol. These extracts had been screened the protective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in RIN-m5F cells at 50 and 200 ${\mu}g$/ml. Of these, ten methanolic extracts, aerial part of Erigenron cannadensis, aerial part of Lespedeza juncea, whole plant of Alopecurus aequalis, fruit of Lycium chinense, leaf of Morus alba, rhizome of Polygonatum odoratum, root of Ampelosis japonica, whole plant of Ranunculus japonicus, aerial part of Polygonum sieboldii, rhizome of Arisaema amurense var. violaceum showed significant protective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in pancreatic ${\beta}$ cell line RIN-m5F cell.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2016

Potato is one of the most important crops worldwide. Its commercial cultivars are highly susceptible to many fungal and bacterial diseases. Among these, bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum causes significant yield loss. In the present study, integrated proteomics and genomics approaches were used in order to identify bacterial wilt resistant genes from Rs resistance potato cultivar CT-206-10. 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS analysis identified eight differentially abundant proteins including glycine-rich RNA binding protein (GRP), tomato stress induced-1 (TSI-1) protein, pathogenesis-related (STH-2) protein and pentatricopeptide repeat containing (PPR) protein in response to Rs infection. Further, semi-quantitative RT-PCR identified up-regulation in transcript levels of all these genes upon Rs infection. Taken together, our results showed the involvement of the identified proteins in the Rs stress tolerance in potato. In the future, it would be interesting to raise the transgenic plants to further validate their involvement in resistance against Rs in potato.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.323-329
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• 2014

Two cultivars Buram-3-ho (susceptible) and CR-Hagwang (moderate resistant) of kimchi cabbage seedlings showed differential defense responses to anthracnose (Colletotrichum higginsianum), black spot (Alternaria brassicicola) and black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, Xcc) diseases in our previous study. Defense-related hormones salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene led to different transcriptional regulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression in both cultivars. In this study, exogenous application of SA suppressed basal defenses to C. higginsianum in the 1st leaves of the susceptible cultivar and cultivar resistance of the 2nd leaves of the resistant cultivar. SA also enhanced susceptibility of the susceptible cultivar to A. brassicicola. By contrast, SA elevated disease resistance to Xcc in the resistant cultivar, but not in the susceptible cultivar. Methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatment did not affect the disease resistance to C. higginsianum and Xcc in either cultivar, but it compromised the disease resistance to A. brassicicola in the resistant cultivar. Treatment with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) ethylene precursor did not change resistance of the either cultivar to C. higginsianum and Xcc. Effect of ACC pretreatment on the resistance to A. brassicicola was not distinguished between susceptible and resistant cultivars, because cultivar resistance of the resistant cultivar was lost by prolonged moist dark conditions. Taken together, exogenously applied SA, JA and ethylene altered defense signaling crosstalk to three diseases of anthracnose, black spot and black rot in a cultivar-dependent manner.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.349-354
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• 2005

A virus isolate collected from infected paprika (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) was characterized as Potato virus Y (PVY) based on biological, serological, cytopathological, and molecular properties. In host range studies, the paprika isolate produced the mosaic symptom on some tobacco, tomato and pepper (Capsicum annuum). A new paprika isolate also infected potato cultivars which is different biological characteristic compared to the other popular potyvirus infecting paprika, Pepper mottle virus (PepMoV). Previously reported PVY strains, $PVY^o$ and $PVY^N$ did not infect pepper and typical PepMoV isolates did not infect potato. Distinctive inclusion patterns of the scroll, pinwheel, long laminated inclusions, and helper components in the cytoplasm of infected cells were also different to those observed by the typical PVY isolate infections. However, the paprika isolate reacted to the monoclonal antibody of $PVY^N$ strain with high absorbance readings. RT-PCR amplification, cloning, and sequencing of the 3' untranslated region and a part of coat protein gene also added additional evidence of the paprika isolate as the $PVY^N$-related isolate. Multiple alignments as well as cluster dendrograms of PVY-paprika isolate revealed close phylogenetic relationship to the $PVY^N$ subgroup. Altogether, these results suggest that a new PVY isolate infecting paprika contained distinct characteristics compared to the other previously described PVY strains with closer relationship to the $PVY^N$ strain.