Enzymatic Synthesis of Chitin/Chitosan Stereoisomers as Candidates for Functional Polymeric Materials

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25620177
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: KADOKAWA Jun-ichi 鹿児島大学, 理工学域工学系, 教授 (30241722)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMAMOTO KAZUYA 鹿児島大学, 理工学域工学系, 准教授 (40347084)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: キチン／キトサン / 酵素触媒重合 / 立体異性体 / ホスホリラーゼ / 非天然型

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study performed the synthesis of chitin/chitosan stereoisomers by thermostable phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. Phosphorylase catalyzes the enzymatic polymerization of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate (Glc-1-P) as a monomer to produce amylose with liberating inorganic phosphate. Because of loose specificity for the recognition of substrates, in this study, the thermostable phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of α-D-glucosamine 1-phosphate (GlcN-1-P) as an analogue monomer was achieved under the conditions for removal of inorganic phosphate from the reaction media to give a non-natural aminopolysaccaride, that is, a chitosan stereoisomer. The product was further converted into a chitin stereoisomer by N-acetylation. The thermostable phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic copolymerization of Glc-1-P and GlcN-1-P as comonomers was also carried out to produce a non-natural glucosaminoglucan.

Free Research Field

高分子化学