• Title/Summary/Keyword: toxins

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Microbial Forensics: Bioterrorism and Biocrime

  • Eom, Yong-Bin
    • Biomedical Science Letters
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.55-63
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    • 2018
  • Microbes and their toxins can be bioweapons that bioterrorists use them to commit bioterrorism and biocrime. Due to the potential and relative ease of the bioattack, life-threat pathogenic agents (bacteria, viruses, and toxins) as bioweapon revealed the need for a new field of microbial forensics. Microbial forensics is a new scientific discipline combining microbiology and forensic science, which is focused on characterization of evidence from a bioterrorism, biocrime, and an inadvertent release of biothreat agents. The sophisticated analytical tool and knowledge of microbial forensics can provide investigative leads and help determine who was responsible for the biocrime, the source of the bioweapon, and how and where the bioweapon was produced. Among the fields of microbial forensics, this paper will briefly describe evidence collection, handling, packaging, transportation, storage, analytical methods of evidence, and review microbial forensics as a response to bioterrorism and biocrime.

Abundance of the Toxic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella in Jinhae Bay, Korea as Measured by Specific Real-time PCR Probe

  • Park, Tae-Gyu;Kang, Yang-Soon;Park, Young-Tae
    • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.227-235
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    • 2009
  • The marine toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella has been implicated in numerous paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) events in many countries. Due to difficulties in rapidly identifying A. catenella, field-based study of this species has been problematic. The present study developed a TaqMan format A. catenella-specific probe for real-time PCR assay (specific to Korean genotype) based on LSU rDNA sequence information for studying geographic and temporal distribution of the species in surface sediments and water columns of Jinhae Bay, Korea. The field survey from 2007 to 2008 revealed that A. catenella occurred in most seasons at low densities, mostly below 1 cell $mL^{-1}$, and was more abundant in spring (maximum cell density of 2 cells $mL^{-1}$) when shellfish exceed the quarantine toxin level for PSP toxins in Jinhae Bay.

Development of New Analysis Method of Cyanobacterial Toxins in Reservoirs (호수에서의 남조류 독성물질의 새로운 분석법 개발)

  • Pyo, Dong Jin;Song, Gi Seop;Yun, Seok Chang;Kim, Beom Cheol;Lee, Dae Un
    • Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.38 no.10
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    • pp.741-748
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    • 1994
  • A new HPLC method for the analysis of cyanobacterial toxins, i.e. microcystin was developed using cyano-type prepacked cartridge while the conventional method was to utilize ODS cartridge. The cartridge was washed with 0.5 M acetic acid, then microcystins RR and LR were eluted from the cartridge with 30% acetonitrile. A better degree of quantitation was observed than with a ODS cartridge. Especially, in the case of microcystin LR a great difference in peak area was observed.

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Temporal Changes in Abundances of the Toxic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum (Dinophyceae) in Chinhae Bay, Korea

  • Park, Tae-Gyu;Kang, Yang-Soon
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.18 no.12
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    • pp.1331-1338
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    • 2009
  • Marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum producing paralytic shellfish toxins is responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). To investigate its temporal distributions in Chinhae Bay where PSP occurs annually, SYBR Green I based A. minutum-specific real-time PCR probe was developed on the LSU rDNA region. Assay specificity and sensitivity were tested against related species, and its specificity was further confirmed by sequencing of field-derived samples. Ten months field survey in 2008 (a total 100 surface water samples) by using the real-time PCR probe showed that A. minutum was detected at very low densities of 1-4 cells $L^{-1}$ in May and June being spring in Chinhae Bay, Korea.

Effects of Light on Production of Toxins by Helminthosporium victoriae and H. carbonum

  • Cho Eui Kyoo;Scheffer Robert P.
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.14 no.2 s.23
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    • pp.47-52
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    • 1975
  • Helminthosporium vicotoriae and H. carbonum were grown under fluorescent plus incandescent lights, or in darkness, with several different temperature regimes. There was little or no effect of light on toxin production by H. victoriae. Light-grown cultures of H. carbonum had significantly higher titres of host-specific toxin than did dark-grown cultures. Light had no significant effect on growth of either fungus. Maximum titres of host-specific toxins from both fungi were evident at the time maximum growth was reached. Minimum pH values in Fries modified medium occurred at the time of, or slightly before maximum level of toxin was reached.

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Snake Venom: A Potent Anticancer Agent

  • Jain, Deepika;Kumar, Sudhir
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.13 no.10
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    • pp.4855-4860
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    • 2012
  • Since cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and there is an urgent need to find better treatment. In recent years remarkable progress has been made towards the understanding of proposed hallmarks of cancer development and treatment. Treatment modalities comprise radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy. Currently, the use of chemotherapeutics remains the predominant option for clinical control. However, one of the major problems with successful cancer therapy using chemotherapeutics is that patients often do not respond or eventually develop resistance after initial treatment. This has led to the increased use of anticancer drugs developed from natural resources. The biodiversity of venoms and toxins makes them a unique source from which novel therapeutics may be developed. In this review, the anticancer potential of snake venom is discussed. Some of the included molecules are under clinical trial and may find application for anticancer drug development in the near future.

Burkholderia Diversity and Versatility: An Inventory of the Extracellular Products

  • Vial, Ludovic;Groleau, Marie-Christine;Dekimpe, Valerie;Deziel, Eric
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.17 no.9
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    • pp.1407-1429
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    • 2007
  • The Burkholderia genus consists of over 40 Gram-negative, ${\beta}$-proteobacteria species that occupy remarkably diverse ecological niches. This genus contains species pathogenic to human, animals, and plants, as well as species involved in promoting plant growth and biodegradation of pollutants. This is largely explained by the extraordinary versatility of Burkholderia, as reflected by the remarkable diversity of extracellular products released by these bacteria. We exhaustively surveyed the extracellular enzymes, siderophores, toxins, antimicrobials, and other secondary metabolites produced by the members of this very diverse genus. Available information on regulation, especially quorum sensing mechanisms, and secretion is highlighted.