• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.67-73
• /
• 2013

Microbial diversity of soil samples from ancient stone-lined tombs was investigated. The tombs, discovered at Eoryung Ocheon-Ri site, Korea, were estimated to be belonged to middle class people from an ancient country, Gaya, which existed till AD 559 at the southern part of Korea. Nine fungal stains and 70 bacterial strains were isolated from the twelve soil samples, which were collected from the tomb Nos. 5 and 6. Ribosomal DNA sequence analysis discovered 5 fungal and 22 bacterial strains belonged to 10 genus groups from the tomb No. 5 while 1 fungal and 28 bacterial strains belonged to 6 genus from the tomb No. 6. The higher microbial diversity suggests that the tomb No. 5 was constructed warmer season than the tomb No. 6. Moreover, the discovery of Staphylococcus warneri, which is found as part of the skin flora on human and animals, and Bacillus aquimaris, which is a marine bacterium and can be discovered from tidal flat, from the surface of large dagger suggests that the ancient people may use meat and seafood at the burial ceremony.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.72-79
• /
• 2001

The effect of phenol on the change of bacterial community in the effluent water from a wastewater treatment plant was analyzed by PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). The fragments of 16S rDNA were amplified by PCR with bacterial primers, where one of the primers was biotinylated at the 5'-end. After digestion with restriction enzymes, HaeIII and AluI, the biotinylated terminal restriction tragments (T-RFs) of the digested products were selectively isolated by using streptavidin paramagnetic particles. The single-stranded DNA of T-RFs was separated by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel and detected by silver staining technique. When 10 standard strains were analyzed by our method, each strain had a unique T-RF which corresponded to the calculated size from the known sequences of RDP database. The T-RFLP fingerprint generated from the effluent water was very complex, and the predominant T-RFs corresponded to members of the genus Acinetobacter, Bacillus and Pseudomonas. In addition, the perturbation of bacterial community was observed when phenol was added to the sample at the final concentration of 250 $l^{-1}$. The number of T-RFs increased and the major bacterial population could be assigned to the genus Acinetobacter, Comamonas, Cytophaga and Pseudomonas. A intense band assigned to the putative genera of Acinetobacter and Cytophaga was eluted, amplified, and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence of the T-RF showed close relationship with the sequence of Acinetobacter junii.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.273-285
• /
• 2005

Genetic variation of notorious invasive plants, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) and giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) were examined using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA. A total of 18 different ITS types were detected from 156 individuals of common ragweed sampled mainly from the southern part of Korean peninsula whereas four types were identified from 46 individuals of giant ragweed. High sequence diversity observed from common ragweed in Korean populations was interpreted as multiple introduction. Genetic recombination was suggested as possible method for the production of some of the ITS types while point mutation was mainly responsible for the origin of the sequence diversity. This study provided some of basic genetic information needed for understanding of the evolutionary process in ragweed during invasion.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.373-386
• /
• 2003

Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA were determined for 14 individuals representing eight taxa from Scopolia s. str. and related genera, Anisodus and Atropanthe. We found that the ITS sequences of Korean endemic species, S. parviflora, are significantly different from its allied species, S. japonica. This is contradictory to traditional taxonomic treatments in which those species are regarded as conspecific. S. parviflora exhibited closer relationship to S. carniolica, which is disjunctly distributed in Europe. In spite of substantially high sequence divergence between S. japonica and S. parvlflora/S. carniolica clade, morphological resemblance is evident among the species. Morphological stasis concept (retardation of morphological differentiation or evolution of similar characters among the disjuncts in a similar ecological habitat) was referred to understand this rather unusual evolutionary feature. S. lutescens, another Korean endemic species, shared almost identical ITS sequences with S. parviflora. Lack of diagnostic character distinguishing the taxa suggests that they are conspecific. Anisodus carniolicoides, which was originally described in Scopolia, was grouped with A. luridus and A. tanguticus. The monophyletic Anisodus formed a sister group relationship with a monotypic genus Atropanthe.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.143-152
• /
• 2008

Purpose: Specific bacteria are believed to play an important role in chronic periodontitis. Although extensive microbial analyses have been performed from subgingival plaque samples of periodontitis patients, systemic analysis of subingival microbiota has not been carried out in a Korean population so far. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of 29 putative periodontal pathogens in Korean chronic periodontitis patients and evaluate which pathogens are more associated with Korean chronic periodontitis. Material and Methods: A total of 86 subgingival plaque samples were taken from 15 chronic periodontits(CP) patients and 13 periodontally healthy subjects in Korea. CP samples were obtained from the deepest periodontal pocket (>3 mm probing depth[PD]) and the most shallow periodontal probing site ($\leq$3 mm PD) in anterior tooth and posterior tooth, respectively, of each patient. Samples in healthy subjects were obtained from 1 anterior tooth and 1 posterior tooth. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of subgingival plaque bacteria was performed. Detection frequencies(% prevalence) of 29 putative periodontal pathogens were investigated as bacterium-positive sites/total sites. Results: With the exception of Olsenella profuse and Prevotella nigrescens, the sites of diseased patients generally showed higher prevalence than the healthy sites of healthy subjects for all bacteria analyzed. Tanerella forsythensis (B.forsythus), Campylobacter rectus, Filifactor alocis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas endodontalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis were detected in more than 80% of sites with deep probing depths in CP patients. In comparison between the sites (deep or shallow PD) of CP patients and the healthy sites of healthy subjects, there was statistically significant difference(P<0.05) of prevalence in T.forsythensis (B.forsythus), C.rectus, Dialister invisus, F.alocis, P.gingivalis and Treponema denticola. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the four putative periodontal pathogens, T.forsythensis (B.forsythus), C.rectus, P.gingivalis and F.alocis are closely related with CP patients in the Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.133-160
• /
• 2006

Objectives : Scolopendrae Corpus has a broad array of clinical applications in Korean medicine, including treatment of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. To explore the global gene expression profiles in human Raw cell lines treated with Scolopendrae Corpus herbal-acupuncture solution (SCHAS), cDNA microarray analysis was performed. Methods : The Raw 264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), SCHAS, or both. The primary data was normalized by the total spots of intensity between two groups, and then normalized by the intensity ratio of reference genes such as housekeeping genes in both groups. The expression ratio was converted to log2 ratio. Normalized spot intensities were calculated into gene expression ratios between the control and treatment groups. Greater than 2 fold changes between two groups were considered to be of significance. Results : Of the 8 K genes profiled in this study, with a cut-off level of two-fold change in the expression, 20 genes (BCL2-related protein A1, MARCKS-like 1, etc.) were upregulated and 5 genes (activated RNA polymerase II transcription cofactor 4, calcium binding atopy-related autoantigen 1, etc.) downregulated following LPS treatment. 139 genes (kell blood group precursor (McLeod phenotype), ribosomal protein S7, etc.) were upregulated and 42 genes (anterior gradient 2 homolog (xenopus laevis), phosphodiesterase 8B, etc.) were downregulated following SCHAS treatment. And 10 genes (yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae intergeneic sequence 4-1, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, etc.) were upregulated and 8 genes (spermatid perinuclear RNA binding protein, nuclear receptor binding protein 2, etc.) were downregulated following co-stimulation of SCHAS and LPS. Discussions : It is thought that microarrays will play an ever-growing role in the advance of our understanding of the pharmacological actions of SCHAS in the treatment of arthritis. But further studies are required to concretely prove the effectiveness of SCHAS.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.375-380
• /
• 2011

We isolated an endophytic actionmycete from root tissues of rice plant collected from paddy field near Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea. Surface sterilized roots were laid on the selective agar plates and incubated. The powdery actinomycete colonies appeared on the root surface after four weeks incubation. We isolated a strain JK-5 among them and could determine its taxonomical position as Streptomyces diastaticus subsp. ardesiacus by using 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. The chemotaxonomical and morphological studies confirmed the taxonomical position of the strain JK-5. The shape of aerial hyphae was flexible and they contained spore chains with more than 30 smooth spherical spores per chain. Cell walls contained LL-diaminopimelic acid. There was no characteristic sugar in whole-cell hydrolysates. The major fatty acids were anteiso-15:0, anteiso-17:0 and iso-16:0. The specific menaquinones, MK-9 ($H_6$), MK-9 ($H_8$), were detected. The GC content was 72%. Antifungal activities of the strain JK-5 were relatively strong against fungal plant pathogens. The endophytic growth of the strain JK-5 was confirmed by SEM observation of the root and stem of the infected rice plant.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.7-21
• /
• 2019

The genus Heterocapsa is one of the major dinoflagellate groups, with some of its species having worldwide distributions. However, prior to the present study, the phototrophic species Heterocapsa minima has been reported only from the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Recently, H. minima was found in the Korean waters, and a clonal culture was established. This culture was used to examine the morphology of the Korean strain H. minima HMMJ1604 through light and scanning electron microscopy, as well as for its genetic characterization. Furthermore, to determine the nationwide distribution of H. minima in Korea, its abundance was quantified in the waters of 28 stations in all four seasons in 2016-2018 using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The overall morphology of H. minima HMMJ1604 was very similar to that of the Irish strain H. minima JK2. However, the Korean strain had five pores around the pore plate, whereas the Irish strain had six pores. When properly aligned, the sequences of the large subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions of the ribosomal DNA of the Korean strain were identical to those of the Irish strain. This species was detected in the waters of 26 out of 28 stations, but its abundance was greater than $1.0cells\;mL^{-1}$ at 8 stations. The highest abundance of H. minima was $44.4cells\;mL^{-1}$. Although this species was found in all seasons, its abundance was greater than $1.0cells\;mL^{-1}$ when the water temperature and salinity were $10.9-25.0^{\circ}C$ and 17.5-34.1, respectively. To the best knowledge, the present study reported for the first time that H. minima lives in the Pacific Ocean and is widely distributed in the Korean waters.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2021

The phylogenetic relationships among thirty-two strains (P1~P32; including Cordyceps sp., Paecilomyces sp., Beauveria sp., Aranthomyces sp., Isaria sp. and Himenostilbe sp.) in Miryang region located in the southern part of Korea, were investigated based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA. A fragment of ITS region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the specific primer pairs ITS1 and ITS4. After obtained same size of PCR products from various strains, we cloned them into a pGEM-T easy vector to determine their sequences. BLAST analyses of the nucleotide sequence ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 gene fragments revealed the identity and their phylogenetic relationship. Among 32 strains isolated from Miryang region, Cordyceps militaris was shared 100% sequences with Genbank (AY49191, EU825999, AY491992), while some species are not shared perfectly with reported sequences. For example, strain P17 (P. tenuipes in Ulju-gun Gaji Mountain) has some differences among the other strains of P. tenuipes (Miryang-si Jocheon-eup, Miryang-si Gaji Mountain) and those of gene bank. We conclude that ITS analyses with strains in the suburbs of Miryang in this study can be effectively used as a tool for classification, evaluation and collection of the natural eco-type genetic resources.