Methanotrophs could degrade methane and various chlorinated hydrocarbons. The analysis on methane monooxygenase gene cluster sequence would help to understand its catalytic mechanism and enhance the application in pollutants biodegradation. The methanotrophs was enriched and isolated with methane as the sole carbon source in the nitrate mineral salt medium. Then, five chlorinated hydrocarbons were selected as cometabolic substrates to study the biodegradation. The phylogenetic tree of 16S rDNA using MEGE5.05 software was constructed to identify the methanotroph strain. The pmoCAB gene cluster encoding particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) was amplified by semi-nested PCR in segments. ExPASy was performed to analyze theoretical molecular weight of the three pMMO subunits. As a result, a strain of methanotroph was isolated. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strain belongs to a species of Methylocystis, and it was named as Methylocystis sp. JTC3. The degradation rate of trichloroethylene (TCE) reached 93.79% when its initial concentration was 15.64 μmol/L after 5 days. We obtained the pmoCAB gene cluster of 3 227 bp including pmoC gene of 771 bp, pmoA gene of 759 bp, pmoB gene of 1 260 bp and two noncoding sequences in the middle by semi-nested PCR, T-A cloning and sequencing. The theoretical molecular weight of their corresponding gamma, beta and alpha subunit were 29.1 kDa, 28.6 kDa and 45.6 kDa respectively analyzed using ExPASy tool. The pmoCAB gene cluster of JTC3 was highly identical with that of Methylocystis sp. strain M analyzed by Blast, and pmoA sequences is more conservative than pmoC and pmoB. Finally, Methylocystis sp. JTC3 could degrade TCE efficiently. And the detailed analysis of pmoCAB from Methylocystis sp. JTC3 laid a solid foundation to further study its active sites features and its selectivity to chlorinated hydrocarbon.
Methylocystaceae ; classification ; metabolism ; Multigene Family ; Oxygenases ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Trichloroethylene ; metabolism

We identified 6 sucrose-fermenting Vibrio vulnificus strains and examined their virulence characteristics. They were all encapsulated, motile, capable of producing toxins and utilizing transferrin-bound iron, cytotoxic to cultured cells, and virulent enough to kill mice. They could be definitely identified only by genetic identification methods such as PCR, and not by conventional culture-based identification methods such as API 20E (bioMerieux, France). These results indicate that it is essential to adopt genetic approaches as early as possible in order to avoid misdiagnosis of such strains, especially in clinical situations.
Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Fermentation ; Mice ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sucrose/*metabolism ; Vibrio vulnificus/genetics/growth & development/*pathogenicity ; Virulence

BACKGROUND: By conventional methods, the identification of anaerobic bacteria is more time consuming and requires more expertise than the identification of aerobic bacteria. Although the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) systems are relatively less studied, they have been reported to be a promising method for the identification of anaerobes. We evaluated the performance of the VITEK MS in vitro diagnostic (IVD; 1.1 database; bioMerieux, France) in the identification of anaerobes. METHODS: We used 274 anaerobic bacteria isolated from various clinical specimens. The results for the identification of the bacteria by VITEK MS were compared to those obtained by phenotypic methods and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Among the 249 isolates included in the IVD database, the VITEK MS correctly identified 209 (83.9%) isolates to the species level and an additional 18 (7.2%) at the genus level. In particular, the VITEK MS correctly identified clinically relevant and frequently isolated anaerobic bacteria to the species level. The remaining 22 isolates (8.8%) were either not identified or misidentified. The VITEK MS could not identify the 25 isolates absent from the IVD database to the species level. CONCLUSIONS: The VITEK MS showed reliable identifications for clinically relevant anaerobic bacteria.
Bacteria, Anaerobic/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Bacterial Typing Techniques/*instrumentation/*methods ; Body Fluids/microbiology ; Databases, Genetic ; Humans ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*analysis/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

No abstract available.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; DNA/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spondylitis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Streptococcus/*genetics/isolation & purification

A 42-yr-old man with hepatitis B virus associated liver cirrhosis was admitted to the emergency room because of multiple seizures, a history of chills and myalgia over the previous 2 weeks, and 3 days of melena. He was febrile with a temperature of 38.0degrees C. There were no symptoms and signs related to the genitourinary system, skin, or joints. Three sets of blood cultures were obtained and oxidase-positive, gram-negative diplococci were detected after 25.9-26.9 hr of incubation in all aerobic vials. The organism was positive for catalase and oxidase, and was identified as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, using a Vitek Neisseria-Haemophilus Identification card (bioMerieux Vitek, Inc., USA). Further, 16S rRNA sequencing of this isolate revealed a 99.9% homology with the published sequence of N. gonorrhoeae strain NCTC 83785 (GenBank Accession No. NR_026079.1). Acute bleeding by variceal rupture seems to be a likely route of introduction of N. gonorrhoeae from the mucosa into the blood. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of gonococcal bacteremia in Korea.
Adult ; Bacteremia/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Catalase/metabolism ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/complications/*diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*etiology ; Gonorrhea/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Ligation ; Liver Cirrhosis/diagnosis ; Male ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Oxidoreductases/metabolism ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

No abstract available.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Enterobacteriaceae/classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Pneumonia/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*diagnosis ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

No abstract available.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Colon/*microbiology/pathology ; Fusobacterium/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/microbiology/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections ; Flavobacterium/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/blood/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

No abstract available.
Aged ; Bronchiectasis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mycobacterium/classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

No abstract available.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Bacteremia/blood/*diagnosis/microbiology ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Cholecystitis/blood/cerebrospinal fluid/microbiology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Enterococcus faecium/drug effects/isolation & purification/metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Ochrobactrum/drug effects/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization