Development of allosteric catalysts that mediates self-replication through template recognition

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19129
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Organic chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Hidetoshi 東京理科大学, 理学部第一部化学科, 教授 (50322798)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: アロステリック / 分子認識 / 自己複製 / キラル誘起 / 有機触媒 / 分子カプセル / 水素結合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Allosteric catalysts, which change their structure and activate the catalytic site through guest binding, are expected to be able to produce products in response to the external environment and stimuli.
In this study, we have developed chiral allosteric catalysts in which the free rotation of the axle part of the receptor is prevented by the first guest binding, which favors the second guest binding and transfers the chirality of one to the other.
We have developed various allosteric receptors and chiral allosteric transfer units that are capable of inducing chirality. In this process, we found chiral self-associated dimers that is hexaply hydrogen-bonded in an unprecedented hydrogen-bonding manner. In addition, the organocatalytic properties of the developed receptors were investigated for the purpose of template replication.

Free Research Field

有機化学、超分子化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アロステリック効果や自己複製は、生命現象において最も興味深い現象の一つであるが、分子認識に伴う構造変化の連動が重要な役割を担うように、分子レベルでの解明および時人工系での実現が望まれている。本研究は、生命活動に採用されてきた効率的な情報伝達・制御機構および自己複製機構を、アロステリック効果の発現機構を理解し利用することで、人工分子でも合理的に設計可能で、得られた成果は学術的にも広く影響力をもつと考えている。さらに、今後の刺激応答性物質や刺激応答性触媒の開発にアロステリック制御による増幅効果という新たな設計指針を導入することで、これまでにない高効率な応答性、反応性を生み出すとも期待される。