Exploration of unique biosynthetic pathways based on the search for new natural products derived from parasites

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 38040:Bioorganic chemistry-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Ueda Daijiro 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 助教 (60843919)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 天然物 / 寄生虫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We searched for novel natural products from eight different parasite samples. Among them, GC-MS analysis of Pharurus sunameri revealed that it may be a novel cyclic compound, and we aimed to isolate and determine its structure. We analyzed about 100 g of P. sunameri isolated from various hosts to see if the compound was universally present in P. sunameri. We also checked whether parasites of the same species isolated from different hosts produced the same compound.
The results of the analysis did not confirm that the same parasites from different hosts have the same compounds. It was also not possible to identify whether the compounds were universally present in P. sunameri.

Free Research Field

生物有機化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

天然物探索が全く行われていない寄生虫に焦点を当て、研究を丹念に行えば、新規性の高い天然物が見つかり、新規生合成経路および新規酵素が発見できると考え実験を行ったが、残念ながら、その発見には至らなかった。寄生虫の安定的な供給が困難なことや、個体ごとに再現性が取れない等問題点がいくつも見つかった。しかし、寄生虫に対する天然物探索・生合成研究的アプローチは初の試みであり、いまだ不明なことは多いが、今後さらなる解析により、新規生合成経路、新規酵素の発見、新規化合物の発見等のターゲットとして期待される。