Sterylglucoside metabolism of eucaryotic microbes

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04488
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Makoto 九州大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (40253512)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 角田 佳充 九州大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (00314360) ; 谷 元洋 九州大学, 理学研究院, 准教授 (20452740)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 糖脂質 / 代謝 / 病原性真菌 / 海洋性真核生物 / ステリルグルコシド / アシルステリルグルコシド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We identified two ergosteryl glucoside (EG) synthase genes of the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, and generated each gene-deficient mutant and both genes double-deficient mutants. Analyses of the defective mutants showed that EG synthesis is important for the heat stress tolerance of C. neoformans, therby it relates to the survival in the mouse and its pathogenecity for mouse. On the other hand, we found that marine eukaryotic microbe Aurantiochytrium limacinum synthesizes various steryl glucosides (SGs) in which glucose is bound to various sterols. Furthermore, we identified a novel acyl steryl glucoside in which DHA is bound to glucose of SG in A. limacinum.

Free Research Field

応用生物科学