Regulation of the sugar metabolism in cyanobacteria and application to the synthesis of functional oligosaccharides

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15754
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 38030:Applied biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Ube National College of Technology (2020-2022); National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (2019)
• Principal Investigator: MACHIDA Shuntaro 宇部工業高等専門学校, 物質工学科, 助教 (40827490)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ラン藻 / 微細藻類 / 有用物質生産 / ヒトミルクオリゴ糖 / 腸内環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, interest in the production of useful substances by microalgae has increased. In this study, we aimed to construct a synthetic system for the functional oligosaccharide lacto-N-biose I (LNB) using glycogen, a storage polysaccharide, as a starting material by modifying the cyanobacterial carbon metabolism system. As a result, the lethal toxicity of N-acetylglucosamine, the substrate of LNB, during the production of accumulation strains was clarified. In addition, a synthetic method for LNB using bifidobacterial crude extract was successfully established.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで、微細藻類が合成する脂質やカロテノイドに注目が集まり、それらの代謝に関する知見が多く蓄積されてきたが、機能性オリゴ糖生産を目的とした糖代謝に関する研究報告はほとんどない。本研究は、微細藻類を利用した機能性オリゴ糖合成に必要な、糖代謝系に関する新たな知見の収集を目指すところに学術的意義がある。また、本研究で得られた知見は将来的に、光合成生物による糖1リン酸あるいはアミノ糖を基質とした様々な機能性オリゴ糖を生産するための技術開発に役立つと期待できる。