| Project/Area Number |
18580202
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Fisheries chemistry
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
OKADA Shigeru The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, associate professor (00224014)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,920,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
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| Keywords | microalgae / Botryococcus braunii / biosynthesis / isoprenoid / 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase / 1-deoxy-D-xylulose synthase / 1-deoxy-D-xylullose synthase |
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| Research Abstract |
A green microalga Botryococcus braunii produces a large amount of liquid hydrocarbons that are promising as a renewable energy source. This alga is classified into three chemical races A, B, and L by the type of hydrocarbon produced. The B race produces a large amount of triterpene hydrocarbons. All terpenes are biosynthesized from the universal precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). The triterpenes produced by the alga are specifically synthesized by precursors derived from not the mevalonate pathway but the "non-mevalonate (DOXP/MEP)" pathway. We tried to isolate cDNA clone of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) that catalyzes the first reaction in the DOXP/MEP pathway. in order to understand the mechanism of hydrocarbon production by B. braunii, and obtained three different clones All of these genes coded active DXS proteins. Kinetic parameters of the recombinant DXS proteins from this alga were not significantly different from those of the higher plants. Levels of mRNA for three DXS were high when the alga actively produces triterpenes.
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