gen. nov., sp. nov., a mesophilic and halophilic bacterium isolated from tidal flat sediment.

Two novel bacteria, MJ-SS3 and MJ-SS4, were isolated from tidal flat sediment sampled in Gochang, Republic of Korea. The isolates were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, yellow-coloured, oxidase-positive, and catalase-positive. Strains MJ-SS3 and MJ-SS4 grew at 20-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6-8 (optimum, pH 7.

Construction of a bivalent vaccine against anthrax and smallpox using the attenuated vaccinia virus KVAC103.

Background: Anthrax and smallpox are high-risk infectious diseases, and considered as potential agents for bioterrorism. To develop an effective countermeasure for these diseases, we constructed a bivalent vaccine against both anthrax and smallpox by integrating a gene encoding protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis to the genome of the attenuated vaccinia virus strain, KVAC103.

Results: Immunization with this bivalent vaccine induced antibodies against both PA and vaccinia virus in a mouse model.

Molecular epidemiology of sequence type 33 of Shiga toxin-producing O91:H14 isolates from human patients and retail meats in Korea.

Sequence type (ST) 33 of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) strain O91:H14 has been proposed as a potential domestic clone of STEC in Korea because of its high prevalence among human patients with mild diarrhea or asymptomatic carriers. Herein, the clonal diversity of 17 STEC O91:H14 isolates of ST33 during 2003 to 2014 was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, including 14 isolates from human patients and 3 from retail meats. Their virulence characteristics, acid resistance, and antimicrobial susceptibility were also determined.

Draft Genome Sequence of the First South Korean Clinical Isolate of Burkholderia pseudomallei, H0901.

We report here the draft genome sequence of H0901. This strain was isolated in 2003 from the first melioidosis patient in South Korea.

Draft Genome Sequences of Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus Strains in South Korea.

We report here the draft genome sequences of four vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) strains from South Korean hospitals participating in a nationwide laboratory surveillance program for vancomycin-intermediate and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus All strains harbor mutations in the walKR, graSR, and/or rpoB genes that are known frequently mutated determinants of VISA.

Structure and transfer of the vanA cluster in vanA-positive, vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium, and its revertant mutant.

Of 18 vanA-positive vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium isolates, vanRS in the vanA cluster was detected in all isolates, while vanHAX was detected in only 2 isolates. Following exposure to glycopeptides, 22.2% of vancomycin-susceptible E.

Recent trends of antigenic variation in Bordetella pertussis isolates in Korea.

Pertussis is a representative vaccine-preventable disease. However, there have been recent outbreaks in countries where even higher vaccination against the disease. One reason is the emergence of antigenic variants, which are different to vaccine type.

Proteomic Analysis of Intracellular and Membrane Proteins From Voriconazole-Resistant Candida glabrata.

Objectives: The proteomic analysis of voriconazole resistant Candida glabrata strain has not yet been investigated. In this study, differentially expressed proteins of intracellular and membrane fraction from voriconazole-susceptible, susceptible dose-dependent (S-DD), resistant C. glabrata strains were compared with each other and several proteins were identified.

Nasal colonization by four potential respiratory bacteria in healthy children attending kindergarten or elementary school in Seoul, Korea.

A longitudinal analysis was carried out of the colonization by four potential respiratory pathogens - Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Staphylococcus aureus - in 165 healthy children (aged 3-7 years) attending three kindergartens and 417 healthy children (aged 7-10 years) attending an elementary school in Seoul, Korea, by four consecutive examinations over 1 year. The prevalence of nasal carriers of one or more of four bacteria was found to be higher in younger children (≤7 years) (mean 68.6%) than that in older children (mean 46.

Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Housekeeping Genes and Antigenic Determinant Genes in Bordetella pertussis Strains Isolated in Korea.

Objectives: To confirm genotype diversities of clinical isolates of Bordetella pertussis and to evaluate the risk of pertussis outbreak in Korea.

Methods: Seven housekeeping genes and 10 antigenic determinant genes from clinical B. pertussis isolates were analyzed by Multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

Genomic diversity of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 from environmental water sources and clinical specimens using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) from 1985 to 2007, Korea.

The molecular typing of 202 Legionella pneumophila sg 1 isolates obtained from environmental water sources and clinical specimens from 1985 to 2007 was conducted using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In this study, a total of 212 isolates were grouped into 35 different PFGE types and Type 1 was the predominant type, accounting for 28.7% in PFGE types.

Distribution of Legionella species from environmental water sources of public facilities and genetic diversity of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 in South Korea.

A total of 560 Legionella species were isolated from environmental water sources from public facilities from June to September 2008 throughout South Korea. The distribution of Legionella isolates was investigated according to geographical region, facility type, and sample type. The genetic diversity of 104 isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (sg 1) was analyzed by sequence-based typing (SBT).

Novel diagnostic algorithm using tuf gene amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism is promising tool for identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a major cause of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients, making the reliable and rapid identification of NTM to the species level very important for the treatment of such patients. Therefore, this study evaluated the usefulness of the novel target genes tuf and tmRNA for the identification of NTM to the species level, using a PCRrestriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PRA). A total of 44 reference strains and 17 clinical isolates of the genus Mycobacterium were used.

Targeting the rpoB gene using nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism for identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria in hospital tap water.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in the environment and can cause nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. Recently the presence of NTM in public drinking water and hospital water distribution systems has been reported. Their ability to form biofilms and their resistance to chlorine both contribute to their survival and colonization in water distribution systems.

Characterization of erythromycin resistance of Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from pharyngitis patients in Korea.

Six hundred fifteen isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were collected over a 6-year period from patients with pharyngitis in Korea. All isolates were characterized in terms of their antibiotic resistance, the phenotypes of erythromycin resistance, the frequencies of erm(B), erm(A), and mef(A) genes, and the emm genotype. The prevalent emm genotypes were emm12 and emm4.

Efficacy of non-toxic deletion mutants of protective antigen from Bacillus anthracis.

Current human anthrax vaccines available in the United States and Europe consist of alum-precipitated supernatant material from cultures of a toxigenic, nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis. The major component of human anthrax vaccine that confers protection is protective antigen (PA). A second-generation human vaccine using the recombinant PA (rPA) is being developed.