Understanding of the fundamental properties of serum amyloid A4 to elucidate its physiological and pathological significance

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 47020:Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry and physicochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Kobe Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Masafumi 神戸薬科大学, 薬学部, 教授 (40411904)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山田 俊幸 自治医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50211636)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 血清アミロイドA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Serum amyloid A4 (SAA4) is a protein that circulates in human blood. Despite its high blood concentrations, little attention has been paid to the significance of SAA4 molecule because its physiological functions and relationship to disease are largely unknown until now. So far, we have focused on the pathological understanding of SAA1. In the present study, in order to understand the fundamental properties of SAA4 at the protein molecular level, we prepared SAA4 using an E. coli expression system and investigated the characteristics of SAA4 secreted from cultured cells.

Free Research Field

物理系薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

SAA4に関する研究は世界的に見てもほとんど行われていない。したがって、学術的には未知のタンパク質分子の構造や機能を解明するという意義があると考えられるが、現時点では、社会的意義があるかは不明である。しかしながら、SAA4の生理的・病理的意義があると信じ、研究材料を準備すると同時にいくつかの評価系を確立することができたため、本研究によりSAA4の基本的性質の理解に向けた下地ができたと考えている。