Molecular Microbial Physiology Laboratory

Department of Microbiology, Kyungpook National University, SanKyug-Dong, Buk-Gu, Taegu, 702-701, Korea

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, slow-growing, and comma-shaped bacterium first isolated from a stomach biopsy in 1982. Accumulated evidence has indicated that H. pylori can be the cause of type B chronic gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and gastric carcinoma.To prevent H. pylori infection, no vaccine is available yet and the mode of transmission has not been understood.

In Korea, the prevalence rate of H. pylori infection is high, reaching up to 80-90% at 8 years of age. PCR genotyping for cagA showed that 143 H. pylori strains isolated from patients with gastroduodenal diseases and healthy persons of Korea were cagA positive. In addition, genomic structure of 150 H. pylori isolates was completely different from those of J99 and 26695 strains whose genomic DNA sequences had determined (Nature 388:539-547, 1997; Nature 397:176-180, 1997). Previously, approximately 10% sequence of the entire genomic DNA was generated from an ordered BAC library of H. pylori 51 strain. However, the sequencing strategy for the 51 strain genome has been changed to perform by a whole-genome random sequencing method.

Dr. Rhee, K.-H. of the College of Medicine at Gyeongsang National University submitted an appilication to the Korean 21C Frontier Project of the Center for Functional Analysis of Human Genome to sequence the whole genomic DNAs of a few Korean H. pylori isolates and Dr. Ghim, S.-Y. of the College of Natural Sciences at Kyungpook National University is a collaborator. The project was funded and began on August 1, 2000.

Electron micrograph of H. pylori, isolated from Korean, showing spiral bacteria

(bar represents 400 nm).

Candidate H. pylori Strains for Sequencing

1. H. pylori 51 (isolated from duodenal ulcer patient).

2. H. pylori Y7 (isolated from chronic active gastritis patient).

3. H. pylori M3 (isolated from gastric cancer patient).

4. H. pylori 137 (isolated from chronic atrophic gastritis patient).

5. H. pylori CH150 (isolated from gastric ulcer patient).

Published Paper

Genomic diversity of Helicobacter pylori. 1999. J. Korean Soc. Microbiology 34(6): 519-532.

Participating Investigators

The investigators can be contacted by e-mail at the following addresses:

Cho, Myung-Je, Ph.D., mjecho@gshp.gsnu.ac.kr

Dept. of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, Korea

Ghim, Sa-Youl, Ph.D., ghimsa@knu.ac.kr

Dept. of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University,Taegu, Korea

Lee, Woo-Kon, Ph.D., wklee@gshp.gsnu.ac.kr

Dept. of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, Korea

Rhee, Kwang-Ho, M.D., Ph.D., Project Leader, khrhee@gshp.gsnu.ac.kr

Dept. of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, Korea

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