• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.74-79
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• 2004

Ingestion of shellfish-associated Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the primary cause of potentially severe gas-troenteritis in many countries. However, only Kanagawa phenomenon (hemolysin) positive (KP$\^$+/) strains of V. parahaemolyticus are isolated from patients, whereas >99％ of strains isolated from the environment do not produce this hemolysin (i.e. are KP$\^$-/). The reasons for these differences are not known. Following a temperature downshift, Vibrio parahaemolyticus enters the viable but noncultur-able (VBNC) state wherein cells maintain viability but cannot be cultured on routine microbiological media. We speculated that KP$\^$+/ and KP$\^$-/ strains may respond differently to the temperature and salinity conditions of seawater by entering into this state which might account for the low numbers of cul-turable KP$\^$+/ strains isolated from estuarine waters. The response of eleven KP$\^$+/ and KP$\^$-/ strains of V. parahaemolyticus following exposure to a nutrient and temperature downshift in different salinities, similar to conditions encountered in their environment, was examined. The strains included those from which the KP$\^$+/ genes had been selectively removed or added. Our results indicated that the ability to produce hemolysin did not affect entrance into the VBNC state. Further, VBNC cells of both biotypes could be restored to the culturable state following an overnight temperature upshift.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.225-233
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• 2002

Kanagawa hemolysin (KH), an exotoxin produced from Kanagawa phenomenon-positive Vibrio parahemolyticus, has been shown to possess various biological activities including hemolysis, enterotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of KH on the cardiovascular system and its mechanism, employing in vivo and in vitro experiments of the rat. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of 100 mHU KH produced a marked and continuous pressor effect (icv KH-pressor effect), and the icv pressor effect was not repeatable. However, intravenous (iv) injection of the same dose of KH induced a prominent depressor effect (iv KH-depressor effect). The icv KH-pressor effect was inhibited by acid-denaturation, while the iv KH-depressor effect was not. Simultaneous icv administration of the three agents (ouabain, diltiazem, or bumetanide: $10{\mu}g/kg$ each) significantly reduced the pressor effect. The icv KH-pressor effect was inhibited by treatment with iv phentolamine or chlorisondamine, but was not affected by iv candesartan. The iv KH-depressor effect was repeatable and was attenuated by treatment with iv NAME or methylene blue. In vitro experiments using isolated thoracic aorta, $10^{-6}$ M phenylephrine (PE) and 50 mM KCl produced a sustained contraction. In rings contracted with either agents, KH showed relaxant responses in a concentration- dependent fashion and the relaxation (KH-vasorelaxation) was not dependent on the existence of the endothelium. The KH-vasorelaxation in the endothelium-intact rings contracted by PE was abolished by methylene blue treatment. In summary, the present findings suggest that in the icv KH-pressor effect the cation leak-inducing action of KH is implicated, which leads to the increased central sympathetic tone, that the iv KH-depressor effect results from the vasorelaxation via NO-guanylate cyclase system, and that the KH-vasorelaxation is independent of the endothelium and the guanylate cyclase system is involved in it. In conclusion, the mechanism of KH producing the icv pressor effect may not be identical to that of KH producing the iv depressor effect.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.330-336
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• 2004

Fifty-two pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated from the environments of Busan and Yeosu, Korea. Forty-three of these strains showed protease activities, whereas 4 strains showed $\alpha / \beta$ hemolysin activities and 6 strains had urease activities. Their pathogenic factors were not overlapping except one strain, which had both protease and hemolysin activities. The 6 urease-positive strains (V. parahaemolyticus YKB4, YKB14, S25, YFB20, YFO21, and YFO22) showed the same biochemical characteristics as a reference strain [V. parahaemolyticus KCTC 2471 (urease-negative)], except for urease production. The 6 urease-positive strains showed different urease activities in their culture supernatant during the growth. The urease activity of S25 increased sharply at the late exponential phase, and was the highest at the initial stationary phase and was kept until the late stationary phase. The other 5 isolates, except C25, showed urease activities at the mid-stationary phase and increased steadily until the late stationary phase, when the urease activity was maximal. To compare the degree of virulence of V. parahaemolyticus with different pathogenic factors, hemolysin, protease, or urease-positive strains were injected into groups of 10 each of ICR mice (7- to l0-week-old males). The lethal rates of urease-positive V. parahaemolyticus, YKB14, YKB4, and S25, were significantly high, being 50, 70, and 80%, respectively. Protease-positive V. parahaemolyticus strains FM39 and FM50 showed 40% and 60% of lethal rate, respectively. Hemolysin-positive V. parahaemolyticus strains S34 and S72 had no mortality, similar to nonpathogenic V. parahaemolyticus FM12.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.178-182
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• 2002

The authors identified 68 Vibrio strains from Gwangan beach seawater from June to October in 2001. We identified them as 19 strains of Vibrio alginolyticus, 15 strains of V. vulnificus, 15 strains of V. parahaemolyticus, 11 strains of V. cholerae non O1, 7 strains of V. fluvialis and just one strain of V. hollisae. They showed their typical biochemical characteristics by API 20E kit (bioMerieux), respectively. It was examined whether their cultural supernatants had enzymatic activities such as hemolysin, protease or urease. The 46 strains showed hemolytic activities and/or protease activities. But we could not find any strain which had urease activity. All isolates of V. cholerae non O1 showed $\beta$ hemolysis. The others showed $\alpha$ hemolysis or did not show clear zones on sheep blood agar plates. These results of Kanagawa phenomenon were not always correspondant with hemolytic activities of cultural supernatants at late log phase. Some strains had higher hemolytic activities despite of showing protease activities on skim milk agar plates and in litmus milk media. On the other hand, some strains showed protease activities but did not show hemolytic activities. Therefore we could guess that there were the relationships between hemolysins and proteases produced by pathogenic vibrios.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.522-528
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• 2003

본 연구는 식중독 환자로부터 분리한 장염비브리오균 120 균주를 세균학적 특성시험, 항균제 감수성 여부, 독소 유전자와 독소조절유전자의 검출 및 보유 여부를 PCR, RPLA 로 시험하였으며, 각 지역간의 분리 세균을 GS-PCR, PFGE 시험으로 병원체 상관 관계를 분석한 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 장염비브리오균은 0%의 NaCl 농도에서는 성장을 보이지 않았고, 8% NaCl이 첨가된 농도에서는 성장을 보였다. 국내 설사환자의 장염비브리오균의 O, K 혈청형은 17가지로 나타났으며, 이 중 O3:K6형이 68.3%로 가장 많았다. Ampicillin 등 18가지 항균제 시험에서 Ampicillin, Ticacillin에 높은 내성을 보였으며, Ampicillin, Ticacillin, Vancomycin에 동시 내성을 나타낸 경우가 52.5%로 나타났다. 독소조절 유전자 toxR은 PCR시험에서 시험균주 모두 368bp 크기의 유전자를 가지고 있었으며 장염 비브리오균의 조기진단에 유용한 것으로 확인되었고, 독소유전자 tdh는 120균주 중 109 균주만이 199bp 크기의 유전자를 보유하고 11균주가 음성이었다. trh 독소 유전자를 보유한 균주는 시험균주 중 3 균주만이 250bp 크기의 유전자를 보유하고 있었으며, tdh, trh 유전자를 동시에 가지고 있는 균주는 3균주로 이 균주의 TDH 독소 생성능은 x16 정도로 독소 생성능이 미약했다. 독소생성 Kanagawa 시험에서 120균주 중 107균주가 양성반응 을 나타내었으며, Kanagawa 양성반응을 보인 균주은 모두 tdh 유전자를 보유하고 있었다. Group Specific-PCR에서 최근에 유행을 일으키는 O3:K6 혈청형의 유연관계를 찾는데 유용한 것으로 나타났다. 조절유전자 toxRS 염기서열을 분석한 결과 같은 혈청형이라도 3균주는 7개의 염기서열 차이를 나타내었으며, 이는 현재 유행을 일으키는 균주와는 다른 균주임을 확인하였다. PFGE로 보다 더 세분화하여 혈청관계를 분류할 수 있었으며, 식중독 환자 유래 장염비브리오균은 3가지 type으로 나타났으며, 이들 균주 사이에는 상호 밀접한 상관관계를 나타내었다. 따라서 PFGE 기법으로 얻어진 결과는 분자 역학적으로 유용한 도구로 사용될 수 있음을 확인하였다.