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- Screening for Probiotic Properties of Strains Isolated from Feces of Various Human Groups
- Sathyaseelan Sathyabama , Rajendran Vijayabharathi , Palanisamy Bruntha devi , Manohar Ranjith kumar , Venkatesan Brindha Priyadarisini
- J. Microbiol. 2012;50(4):603-612. Published online July 21, 2012
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-012-2045-1
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- 49 Scopus
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Abstract
- The present study searched for potential probiotic strains from various human fecal samples. A total of 67 aerobic and 38 anaerobic strains were isolated from 5 different categories of human feces. Systematic procedures were used to evaluate the probiotic properties of the isolated strains. These showed about 75–97% survivability in acidic and bile salt environments. Adhesion to intestinal cell line Caco-2 was also high. The isolates exhibited hydrophobic properties in hexadecane. The culture supernatants of these strains showed antagonistic effects against pathogens. The isolates were resistant to a simulated gastrointestinal environment in vitro. Of the 4 best isolates, MAbB4 (Staphylococcus succinus) and FIdM3 (Enterococcus fecium), were promising candidates for a potential probiotic. S. succinus was found to be a probiotic strain, which is the second such species reported to date in this particular genus. A substantial zone of inhibition was found against Salmonella spp., which adds further support to the suggestion that the probiotic strain could help prevent intestinal infection. This study suggested that the human flora itself is a potential source of probiotics.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilms: Variations Among Strains and Correlations with Other Cell Properties
- Christin N. McQueary , Luis A. Actis
- J. Microbiol. 2011;49(2):243-250. Published online May 3, 2011
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-011-0343-7
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- 62 Scopus
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Abstract
- Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes serious infections in humans by colonizing and persisting on surfaces normally found in hospital settings. The capacity of this pathogen to persist in these settings could be due to its ability to form biofilms on inanimate surfaces. This report shows that although the ATCC 19606T type strain and 8 different clinical isolates form biofilms, there are significant variations in the cell density and microscopic structures of these cell aggregates, with 3 of the isolates forming pellicles floating on the surface of stagnant broth cultures. PCR indicated that, like ATCC 19606T, all 8 clinical isolates harbor all the genetic components of the CsuA/BABCDE chaperone-usher pili assembly system, which is needed for biofilm formation on plastic. Pili detection in cells of all strains examined supports the presence and function of a pilus assembly system. However, only one of them produced the putative ATCC 19606T CsuA/B pilin subunit protein. Hydrophobicity tests and motility assays also showed significant variations among all tested strains and did not result in direct correlations between the biofilm phenotype and cell properties that could affect biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. This lack of correlation among these 3 phenotypes may reflect some of the variations already reported with this pathogen, which may pose a challenge in the treatment of the infections this pathogen causes in humans using biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces as a target.
- Analysis of fusogenic activity of autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) gp64 envelope glycoprotein
- Kim, Hee Jin , Yang, Jai Myung
- J. Microbiol. 1996;34(1):7-14.
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Abstract
- The baculovirus gp64 glycoprotein is a major component of the envelope of budded virus (BV) and has been shown that it plays an essential role in the infection process, especially virus-cell membrane fusion. We have cloned Autographa californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (AcNPV) gp64 protein were examined for membrane fusion activity by using a synchtium formation assay under various conditions. The optimal conditions required for inducing membrane fusion are 1) form pH 4.0 to 4.8 2) 15 min exposure of cells to acidic pH 3) at least 1㎍ of gp64 cloned plasmid DNA per 3 × 10^6 cells 4) and an exposure of cells to acidic pH at 72 h post-transfection. In order to investigate the role of hydrophobicity of the gp64 glycoprotein for the membrane fusion, the two leucine residues (amino acid position at 229 and 230) within hydrophobic region I were substituted to alanine by PCR-derived site-directed mutagenisis and the membrane fusion activity of the mutant was analysed. The gp64 glycoprotein carrying double alamine substitution mutation showed no significant difference in fusion activity. This result suggested that minor changes in hydrophobicity at the amino acid position 229 and 230 does not affect the acid-induced membrane fusion activity of the gp64 glycoprotein.
- Identification and Characterization of an Oil-degrading Yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica 180
- Kim, Tae Hyun+ , Lee, Jung-Hyun , Oh, Young Sook , Bae, Kyung Sook , Kim, Sang Jin
- J. Microbiol. 1999;37(3):128-135.
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Abstract
- Among oil-degrading microorganisms isolated from oil-polluted industrial areas, one yeast strain showed high degradation activity of aliphatic hydrocarbons. From the analyses of 18S rRNA sequences, fatty acid, coenzyme Q system, G+C content of DNA, and biochemical characteristics, the strain was identified as Yarrowia lipolytica 180. Y. lipolytica 180 degraded 94% of aliphatic hydrocarbons in minimal salts medium containing 0.2% (v/v) of Arabian light crude oil within 3 days at 25℃. Optimal growth conditions for temperature, pH, NaCl concentration, and crude oil concentration were 30℃, pH 5-7, 1%, and 2% (v/v), respectively. Y. lipolytica 180 reduced surface tension when cultured on hydrocarbon substrates (1%, v/v), and the measured values of the surface tension were in the range of 51 to 57 dynes/cm. Both the cell free culture broth and cell debris of Y. lipolytica 180 were capable of emulsifying 2% (v/v) crude oil by itself. They were also capable of degrading crude oil (2%). The strain showed a cell surface hydrophobicity higher than 90%, which did not require hydrocarbon substrates for its induction. These results suggest that Y. lipolytica has high oil-degrading activity through its high emulsifying activity and cell hydrophobicity, and further indicate that the cell surface is responsible for the metabolism of aliphatic hydrocarbons.
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