The role of natural compounds acting as catalysts

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15439
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIYAMA Tatsuya 日本大学, 生物資源科学部, 助教 (10759541)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 有機触媒 / グラナチシン / アクチノロージン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We had researched that demonstrating the universality of organocatalysts derived from organisms and elucidating their physiological roles. We carried out, (1) searching for unknown organocatalysts, (2) investigating the effects of catalyst on other microorganisms, (3) the crystal structure analysis for organocatalyst-binding protein complex. The result is as follows. (1) Organocatalytic genes were discovered from rare actinomycetes and marine actinomycetes. In addition, a plurality of strains of bacteria having strong catalytic activity were isolated from nature. (2) The growth of bacteria was compared with and without catalyst addition. As a result, there was a difference in phenotype among some bacteria strains. (3) The three-dimensional structure was solved by X-ray crystal structure analysis. A pocket that seems to be a binding site was confirmed in the structure. We also succeeded in expressing mutant proteins of amino acids that are presumed to be involved in binding.

Free Research Field

応用微生物

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

酵素、リボザイムは生体触媒として知られるが、有機触媒もまた生体触媒であることが明らかとなった。しかし、生体触媒としての有機触媒の生理的な意義については不明なままである。本研究を実施し得られた成果は、生物が広く有機触媒を生産していること、またそれを感受する生物がいることを示唆するものである。また、自己の生産するタンパク質と有機触媒とは結合することが明らかとなり、これは低分子有機化合物―タンパク質の新規な相互作用を想起させる。