• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1122-1132
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• 2018

In this study, we attempted to find new and efficient microbial enzymes for producing rare sugars. A ribose-5-phosphate isomerase B (OsRpiB) was cloned, overexpressed, and preliminarily purified successfully from a newly screened Ochrobactrum sp. CSL1, which could catalyze the isomerization reaction of rare sugars. A study of its substrate specificity showed that the cloned isomerase (OsRpiB) could effectively catalyze the conversion of $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnose to $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnulose, which was unconventional for RpiB. The optimal reaction conditions ($50^{\circ}C$, pH 8.0, and 1 mM $Ca^{2+}$) were obtained to maximize the potential of OsRpiB in preparing $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnulose. The catalytic properties of OsRpiB, including $K_m$, $k_{cat}$, and catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$), were determined as 43.47 mM, $129.4sec^{-1}$, and 2.98 mM/sec. The highest conversion rate of $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnose under the optimized conditions by OsRpiB could reach 26% after 4.5 h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful attempt of the novel biotransformation of $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnose to $\text\tiny{L}$-rhamnulose by OsRpiB biocatalysis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1997

The molecular weight 30 kDa membrane protein of Toxoplusma Sondii (Toxoplasma 30 kDa) apparently conserved in most strains of T. gondii and sera of infected hosts. The present study aimed to elucidate Toxoplasmc 30 kDa as a useful diagnotic antigen for serodiagnisis of toxoplasmosis by ELISA and for induction of protective immunity. Murine spleen cells immunized with the membrane antigen of T. gondii were fused with mouse Sp2/0-Ag 14 myeloma cells. Out of 8 clones selected, five were IgG2b, the others belonged to IgG 1 and IgG2a. The 30 kDa antigen was distributed mainly on the surface membrane of tachyzoites by indirect fluorescence method. Murine peritoneal macrophages which were activated by 30 kDa antigen produced more amounts of NO2 compared with crude antigen-treated group, however there were no significant differences in toxoplamacidal activity between the two groups. Higher specificity of Toxoplosma 30 kDa antigen was recognized for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis than the crude antigen. From these results, ToxopLasmo 30 kDa antigen enhances the cytotoxic effect of macrophages as well as a more reliable means for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis by ELISA. Key words: Toxoplosma gondii, 30 kDa antigen (p30), mouse, serodiagnosis, macrophage, cytotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.183-188
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• 2004

Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 capable of degrading TNT has been found to have three nitroreductase fractions designated as NTR fractions I, II, and III. NTR in a previous study. This study was attempted to reveal physiological and molecular characteristics of NTR fractions I, II, and III in strain OK-5. Several chemicals (e.g., EDTA, NaCl, dithiothreitol, $\beta$-mercaptoethanol) were tested for their effect on enzyme activity of NTRs, demonstrating that enzyme activities of NTR fractions I, II, and III from OK-5 were inhibited in the presence of $\beta$-mercaptoethanol. Substrate specificity test showed that NTR fractions I, II, and III all have over 70% enzyme activities for nitrobenzene or RDX as a substrate. N-terminal amino acid sequence of NTR fraction I from Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 was $^1MSDLLNADAVVQLFRTARDS^20$ and exhibited 70% sequence homology with that of NTR from Xanthomonas campestris. NTR I gene from Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 (SmOK5nrI) shared extensive sequence homology in deduced amino acid sequence of PCR product with NTRs from Xanthomonas campestris (81 %), X. axonopodis (75%), Streptomyces avermitilis(30%), whereas they had low homology with that from P. putida KT2440 (pnrB) (16%).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2009

A bacterial strain producing intracellular phytase was isolated from cultivable soil near cowsheds and identified as a fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. BUN1. The BUN1 phytase, partially purified by cation and anion exchange chromatography, exhibited its optimal activity at $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5. As for substrate specificity, it was very specific for phytate and showed little activity on other phosphorylated conjugates. Its activity was greatly inhibited by metal ions such as $Cu^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, and $Zn^{2+}$. Addition of corn starch to PSM (phytasesynthetic medium) [0.5% sodium phytate, 0.5% $(NH_4)_2SO_4$, 0.5% KCl, 0.01% $MgSO_4\cdot7H_2O$, 0.01% $CaCl_2\cdot2H_2O$, 0.01% NaCl, 0.001% $FeSO_4\cdot7H_2O$, 0.001% $MnSO_4\cdot4H_2O$; pH 6.5] for the phytase production significantly induced its enzyme activity in comparison with other carbon sources tested.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.215-221
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• 2010

Salmonella is an important food-and water-borne pathogen associated with acute gastrointestinal illnesses around the world. The most common serotypes isolated from humans are Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and S. Enteritidis. Traditional detection methods for Salmonella are based on cultures using selective media and characterization of suspicious colonies by biochemical and serological tests. These methods are generally time-consuming and not so highly sensitive. Recently, the Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification and real-time PCR has been used as a highly sensitive, specific, and rapid test for the presence of pathogenic bacteria. In this study, a LAMP and real-time PCR was used to detect S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. We selected target genes, which were the in invA and a randomly cloned sequence specific for the genus Salmonella. With LAMP and real-time PCR, random sequence was detected from Salmonella spp, invA were detected from all strain of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. This assay indicate that the specificity, sensitivity and rapid of the LAMP and real-time PCR make them potentially valuable tools for detection of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.606-611
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• 2009

Performance test was carried out between selective media which are generally used in Staphylococcus aureus isolation from food. Sensitivity, determined according to the appearance of characteristic colonies when 30 different S. aureus strains were tested, resulted as Baird-Parker agar (RPF)> $Petrifilm^{TM}$ Staph Express plate> Baird-Parker agar> Mannitol salt agar. Also, the four different media showed the same selectivity because all tested media did not produce the false positive colonies. Recovery efficiency from the artificially inoculated foodstuff was almost the same for the tested media. Presumptive colonies were collected from the dried fishery product using Mannitol salt agar and collected strains were tested on 4 different selective agar. Almost presumptive strains did not show the false positive colonies except for S. carnosus ssp carnosus. This strain was identified as false positive colonies on Mannitol salt agar, Baird-Parker agar and $Petrifilm^{TM}$ Staph Express plate. But Baird-Parker agar (RPF) did not show the false positive colonies with the same strains. So, it was concluded that the Baird-Parker agar (RPF) has more higher selectivity than other tested media in this experiment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.623-632
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• 1993

This study was conducted to develop a sensitized latex-antigen for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis in animals. Tachyzoites of T gondii(RH-strain) harvested from mouse peritoneal cavity were purified through the filtraton of polycarbonate membrane(pore size, $3.0{{\mu}m}$, Costar Co.) and disrupted by ultrasonicator. The tachyzoite suspension was ultracentrifuged for 30 min at $60,000{\times}g(4{^{\circ}C})$ and the supernatant was used as a water-lysate antigen. Polystyrene latex particles of $0.8{{\mu}m}$ in diameter(Sigma) were used for the preparation of sensitized latex-antigen suspension. The several parameters including the preparation conditions, incubation buffer. serum dilution buffer and stability of agglutination reactions were evaluated and the results obtained were summarized as follows : 1. The antigen consisting of a water-lysate of T gondii tachyzoites was adsorbed onto polystyrene latex particles of $0.8{{\mu}m}$ in diameter by adding a latex suspension to an equal volume of diluted antigen solution and by incubating the mixture at $37{^{\circ}C}$ under different conditions. 2. The optimum incubation buffer used for the antigen sensitization was 0.1M Tris-HCl buffer(pH 8.0). 3. The optimum serum dilution buffer used for the latex agglutination test was 0.1M Tris-HCl-NaCl buffer(pH 7.4) containing 300 mM NaCl. But 0.1M Tris-HCl-NaCl buffer(pH 7.4) containing 300-600 mM NaCl, 0.5% BSA and 0.01% Tween-20 improved the agglutination pattems and cleared the background of microplate well without the effects on L.A titer. 4. The time required for antigen sensitization was 40 and 60 min in incubation buffer(pH 8.0) at $37{^{\circ}C}$. But the optimun time for antigen sensitization was min at $37{^{\circ}C}$. 5. The optimun quantity of antigen absorbed on latex particles for proper agglutination was the range of 20 to $32{\mu}g$ of latex particles. 6. The optimun concentration of the latex-antigen suspension for the proper agglutination reaction was determined as 0.2%(w/v). 7. The specificity, rapidity and simplicity of the latex-particle agglutination test suggested that it might be adaptable to large scale serum screening.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.178-182
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• 2022

Despite the long history of mushroom use, studies examining the genetic function of mushrooms and the development of new varieties via bio-molecular methods are significantly lacking compared to those examining other organisms. However, owing to recent developments, attempts have been made to use a novel gene-editing technique involving CRISPR/Cas9 technology and genetic scissors in mushroom studies. In particular, research is actively being conducted to utilize ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that can be genetically edited with high efficiency without foreign gene insertion for ease of selection. However, RNPs are too large for Cas9 protein to pass through the cell membrane of the protoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, guide RNA is unstable and can be easily decomposed, which remarkably affects gene editing efficiency. In this study, nanoparticles were used to mitigate the shortcomings of RNP-based gene editing techniques and to obtain transformants stably. We used Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom) Sanjo705-13 monokaryon strain, which has been successfully used in previous genome editing experiments. To identify a suitable osmotic buffer for the isolation of protoplast, 0.6 M and 1.2 M sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, and KCl were treated, respectively. In addition, with various nanoparticle-forming materials, experiments were conducted to confirm genome editing efficiency via the formation of nanoparticles with calcium phosphate (CaP), which can be bound to Cas9 protein without any additional amino acid modification. RNPs/NP complex was successfully formed and protected nuclease activity with nucleotide sequence specificity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-89
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• 1979

One strain of Penicillium sp. (175-66-B), isolated from soil, was able to produce a substance that has a strong inibition activity against the Agkistrodon and Trimeresurus venoms. In this experiment, the chemical and biological properties of the sample were investigated. As an inhibitory substance, it was effective to the proteinase, hemorrhagic and lethal factors of Agkistrodon and Trimeresurus venoms, and also effective to several fractions of the proteinases and hemorrhagic factors of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffi venom. Moreover, in the addition of prednisotone, it was more effective for the cure of the mouse envenomated with the venom amount of two fold of MLD$_{100}$. This substance was very stable to the acid, alkali and heat. Its melting point was high enough to sublime at 222$^{\circ}C$ without any decomposition. This sample was easily dissolved only in hot water, but not in several organic solvents except for a little dissolution in elate. It did not have the chelating activity. It had very strong specificity to the snake venoms. but its activity was depressed by the addition of zinc or cupric salts. This sample had no acute toxicity to the mouse. Its chemical formula was $C_{16}$ $H_{12}$$N_2$ $O_{10}$ with the molecular weight of about 392. It has two epoxy groups and four carboxyl radicals, but amino, nitrite and nitrate radicals, unsaturated bonds and aromatic ring were not detected. Theuchemical configuration of this sample was suggested to be;

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.377-382
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• 2008

Purpose : The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of skin test by an inactivated, 1/50 diluted solution of attenuated varicella vaccine in evaluating the immune status to varicella. Methods : Total 41 subjects (22 males, 19 females, aged 1-32 years) were enrolled from July to August, 2005. Past medical history including varicella infection, varicella vaccination were investigated through questionnaires. The skin test solution was prepared from solution of attenuated varicella vaccine(Oka strain) which was inactivated by exposure to room temperature for 10 days and diluted at 1/50 with normal saline. Skin test was done by injecting 0.1 mL of the solution intradermally into the volar surface of the right forearm and sterile normal saline was used as a control on the left forearm. Positive reaction was defined when the transverse diameter of the induration was 5 mm or more. Serum varicella zoster virus specific IgG antibody test by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was done. Results : In adults, the sensitivity of the varicella zoster virus skin test compared to ELISA was 94.7% and the positive predictive value was 100%. In children, both the positive predictive value and specificity were 100% but the sensitivity and the negative predictive value were 50% and 30.7% respectively. Children showed smaller skin test reactivity compared to adults. Conclusion : The varicella zoster virus skin test using inactivated, 1/50 diluted solution of attenuated varicella vaccine was proved as one of the useful tools for evaluating the immunity and susceptibility of the varicella zoster virus.