Advance in amino acid isotope approaches for human paleo-nutritional studies

• Project/Area Number: 17H05018
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Physical anthropology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Naito Yuichi 名古屋大学, 博物館, 研究員 (10754848)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥26,390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥20,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥6,090,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥5,980,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,380,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥5,980,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,380,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥14,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥11,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,330,000)
• Keywords: 栄養学 / 古病理 / アミノ酸 / 同位体 / ケラチン / 同位体比 / 健康 / ガスクロマトグラフィー / 人類学 / 安定同位体 / 古病理学 / 質量分析 / 古人骨

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Several new protocols were developed for analyzing specific amino acids in keratin in human hair and fingernail with mass spectrometry and stable isotope analysis. It was suggested that cystine in these body tissues could be analyzed as cysteic acid and used as a new biomarker of human nutritional conditions. Besides, through the careful examination of GC columns, solvents, derivatization techniques, etc., stable isotope measurements of minor essential amino acids were succeeded. Applying these techniques may open a new window in nutritional studies.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の手法を用いれば、過去の資料の分析によって当時の人々の健康状態や飢餓に関する知見が得られるため、考古学・人類学等の分野に貢献しうる。たとえば飢饉の際の人々の栄養状態を直接分析できるため、文献情報以外のデータを提供できる。過去の気象災害の人類社会に対する影響を新たな視点から分析できる。
一方、本手法は栄養状態の新たなバイオマーカーとして用いられれば、健康科学にも貢献する可能性がある。国外では類似のアプローチがすでに応用されはじめているが、本邦ではまだほとんどない。今後ヒトを対象とした分析例を増やすことで、新たな健康科学のツールとなることが期待される。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] “Emil Racovita” Institute of Speleology/Romanian Academy(ルーマニア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Department of Geosciences/University of Tuebingen(ドイツ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] School of Science and Technology/Nottingham Trent University(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Institute for Biochemistry and Biology/University of Potsdam(ドイツ)
• [Journal Article] Herbivory in Carnivora: the case of emblematic cave bears (2020)
  • Author(s): Meleg, I.N., Naito, Y.I., Bocherens, H.
  • Journal Title: Nature Ecology and Evolution Volume: -
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Heavy reliance on plants for Romanian cave bears evidenced by amino acid nitrogen isotope analysis (2020)
  • Author(s): Naito, Y.I., Meleg, I.N., Robu, M., Vlaicu, M., Drucker, D.G., Wissing, C., Hofreiter, M., Barlow, A., Bocherens, H.
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Pages: 6612-6612
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62990-0
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A protocol for using ATR‐FTIR for pre‐screening ancient bone collagen prior to radiocarbon dating. (2020)
  • Author(s): Naito, Y. I., Yamane, M. and Kitagawa, H.
  • Journal Title: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Volume: 34(10) Issue: 10 Pages: 1-1
  • DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8720
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in last Neanderthals and first modern humans in Europe (2019)
  • Author(s): Wiβing, C., H. Rougier, I. Crevecoeur, D.G. Drucker, S. Gaudzinski-Windheuser, M. Germonpre, A. Gomez-Olivencia, J. Krause, T. Matthies, Y.I. Naito（連携研究者）, C. Posth, P. Semal, M. Street, and H. Bocherens
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-12
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41033-3
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Reply to “Comment on “Ecological niche of Neanderthals from Spy Cave revealed by nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids in collagen.” [J. Hum. Evol. 93 (2016) 82-90]” (2018)
  • Author(s): Naito,Y.I.（連携研究者）, Y. Chikaraishi, D.G. Drucker, N. Ohkouchi, P. Semal, C. Wibing, and H. Bocherens
  • Journal Title: Journal of Human Evolution Volume: 117 Pages: 56-60
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.008
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A high burden of asymptomatic gastrointestinal infections in traditional communities in Papua New Guinea (2017)
  • Author(s): Horwood, P.F., K.W. Soli, T. Maure, Y.I. Naito（連携研究者）, A. Morita, K. Natsuhara, K. Tadokoro, J. Baba, S. Odani, E. Tomitsuka, K. Igai, J. Larkins, P.M. Siba, W. Pomat, E. McBryde, M. Umezaki, and A.R. Greenhill
  • Journal Title: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Volume: 97-6 Issue: 6 Pages: 1872-1875
  • DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0282
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Advances in the application of amino acid nitrogen isotopic analysis in ecological and biogeochemical studies (2017)
  • Author(s): Ohkouchi Naohiko、Chikaraishi Yoshito、Close Hilary G.、Fry Brian、Larsen Thomas、Madigan Daniel J.、McCarthy Matthew D.、McMahon Kelton W.、Nagata Toshi、Naito Yuichi I.、Ogawa Nanako O.、Popp Brian N.、Steffan Shawn、Takano Yoshinori、Tayasu Ichiro、Wyatt Alex S.J.、Yamaguchi Yasuhiko T.、Yokoyama Yusuke
  • Journal Title: Organic Geochemistry Volume: 113 Pages: 150-174
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2017.07.009
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Isotopic analyses suggest mammoth and plant in the diet of the oldest anatomically modern humans from far southeast Europe (2017)
  • Author(s): Drucker, D.G., Y.I. Naito（連携研究者）, S.Pean, S. Prat, L. Crepin, Y. Chikaraishi, N. Ohkouchi, S. Puaud, M. Laznickova-Galetova, M. Patou-Mathis, A. Yanevich, and H. Bocherens
  • Journal Title: Scientific Report Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Pages: 6833-6833
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07065-3
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] When diet became diverse: Isotopic tracking of subsistence strategies among Gravettian hunters in Europe (2019)
  • Author(s): Wissing C., Rougier H., Crevecoeur I., Draily C., Germonpre M., Gemez-Olivencia A., Naito Y.I., Posth C., Semal P., Bocherens H.
  • Organizer: 9th Annual ESHE Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Ecological flexibility of the Pleistocene Sumatran serow and the possible cause of local extinction of the Himalayan goral in Thailand (2019)
  • Author(s): Suraprasit K., Shoocongdej R., Naito Y.I., Jaeger J.-J., Chaimanee Y., Wattanapituksakul A., Bocherens H.
  • Organizer: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Gazelle hunting activities around Tor Hamar rock-shelter in Jordan viewed from carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of tooth enamel and ZooMS (2019)
  • Author(s): Naito Y. I., Belmaker M., Bocherens H., Nakazawa T., Osawa M., Wissing C., Kadowaki S.
  • Organizer: International Symposium on Paleoanthropology in Commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Discovery of the First Skullcap of Peking Man
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Amino acid nitrogen isotope analysis suggests herbivory for Romanian cave bears (Ursus ingressus). (2019)
  • Author(s): Naito Y.I., Meleg I.N., Vlaicu M., Drucker D.G., Wissing C., Hofreiter M., Barlow A., Bocherens H.
  • Organizer: 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Identification of animal species by mass spectrometry of collagen extracted from Neolithic and Paleolithic bones and teeth (2019)
  • Author(s): Nakazawa T., Osawa M., Matsuo K., Inuzuka M., Ito Y., Kawahara K., Naito Y.I., Kadowaki S., Nishiaki Y.
  • Organizer: ASMS 2019
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ガゼルの歯の炭素・酸素同位体比からみたヨルダン・Tor Hamar遺跡における旧石器時代人の狩猟活動 (2019)
  • Author(s): 内藤裕一, 門脇誠二
  • Organizer: 日本旧石器学会第17回大会
• [Presentation] Paleoenvironmental studies Tor Hamar, Southern Jordan: Human adaptability during MIS 3 (2019)
  • Author(s): Belmaker M., Bocherns H., Naito Y., O’Brien H.D., Wissing C., Tamura T., Kadowaki S.
  • Organizer: AAPA 88th Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Isotopic evidence for high mammoth consumption by late Neandertals and early modern humans in Europe and its possible ecological impact (2018)
  • Author(s): Bocherens H., Drucker D., Naito Y., Wissing C.
  • Organizer: 8th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Isotopic insights into paleoecology (diet, mobility) of late Neandertals in North-West Europe (2018)
  • Author(s): Wissing C., Rougier H., Crevecoeur I., Drucker D., Germonpre M., Naito Y.I., Posth C., Semal P., Bocherens H.
  • Organizer: The Hugo Obermaier Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Gazelle hunting activities around Tor Hamar rock-shelter in Jordan viewed from carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of tooth enamel. (2018)
  • Author(s): Naito Y. I., Belmaker M., Bocherens H., Wissing C., Kadowaki S.
  • Organizer: The International Workshop, Cultural History of PaleoAsia
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Paleodiets of late Quaternary humans and mammals inferred from nitrogen isotopic composition of individual amino acids in bone collagen (2018)
  • Author(s): Naito Y. I., Bocherens H., Chikaraishi Y., Drucker D.G., Germonpre M., Hobson K.A., Ohkouchi N.
  • Organizer: Isoecol2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Gazelle hunting activities around Tor Hamar rock-shelter in Jordan viewed from carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of tooth enamel (2018)
  • Author(s): Naito Y. I., Belmaker M., Bocherens H., Wissing C., Kadowaki S.
  • Organizer: Isoecol2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A prescreening protocol for radiocarbon dating of ancient bone collagen using ATR-FTIR (2018)
  • Author(s): Naito Y.I., Yamane M., Kitagawa H.
  • Organizer: The 23rd International Radiocarbon Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A promised method of diatom frustule separation from sediments for radiocarbon dating (2018)
  • Author(s): Yamane M., Naito Y.I., Kitagawa H
  • Organizer: The 23rd International Radiocarbon Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Stable isotope analysis of pollen grains for terrestrial paleoclimate reconstruction revisited (2017)
  • Author(s): Yuichi I. Naito
  • Organizer: JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ガゼルの歯の酸素同位体比からみたTor Hamarにおける狩猟活動：定量化の試みと制約 (2017)
  • Author(s): 内藤裕一、H. ボチェレンス、門脇誠二
  • Organizer: 文部科学省科学研究費補助金・新学術領域研究2016-2020：パレオアジア文化史学第4回研究大会
• [Book] The Routledge Handbook on Bioarchaeology and Isotopes (印刷中) (2020)
  • Author(s): Naito, Y.I.
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group