Exploration of biosynthetic enzymes of marine cyclic ethers in dinoflagellates

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01798
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biomolecular chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Satake Masayuki 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (90261495)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 環状エーテル / 生合成酵素 / 海洋微細藻

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ladder-shaped polyethers (LSPs) are secondary metabolites produced by marine dinoflagellates and have unique structures and strong bioactivities. The biosynthesis of LSPs has been proposed. However, the fused ether ring formation of marine LSPs has not yet been elucidated because of a lack of genetic information of dinoflagellates and the complexity of these structures.
For exploration of biosynthetic enzymes such as epoxidase and an epoxide-opening enzyme, model precursor compounds were synthesized. Incubation of the model compounds with dinoflagellate extracts gave rise to a 6-membered ether ring products. These results strongly indicated that the epoxide-opening enzyme was found in the extract from dinoflagellates.

Free Research Field

天然物化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

渦鞭毛藻が生産する環状エーテル化合物の生合成酵素の発見は、これまで不明であった海産天然物の生合成機構の詳細を明らかとした。本酵素の利用により、環状エーテル化合物の合成が有機試薬、溶媒の使用無く行えることになる。有機溶媒を使用しないため、製品の安全性が向上し、今後、医薬品や化学品への応用が可能となる。また、酵素阻害剤の開発により有毒物質生産制御につながり、赤潮被害や海産食中毒予防が可能となり、公衆衛生および水産業保護にも貢献する。