Development of enzymatic saccharification method for complete utilization of seaweed biomass

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26450284
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic life science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Akihiko 徳島大学, 大学院生物資源産業学研究部, 教授 (20155360)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 海藻 / セルラーゼ / アミラーゼ / アオサ / アラメ / ラミナラン / フロロタンニン / EHEP

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Marine algae can provide a high-yield source of biofuels without compromising food supplies. The marine gastropod, the sea hare Aplysia kurodai, shows clear feeding preference for sea lettuce and brown algae such as Eisenia bicyclis. Therefore, research on the glucose production system of sea hares from seaweed polysaccharides could contribute important new insights into the development of biofuel processing technologies from seaweed. To investigate the digestive amylolytic system in marine invertebrates, comprehensive enzymatic analysis of amylolytic glucanases in A. kurodai was performed. Our findings provide the first example of an enzymatic process of glucose liberation from starch in the digestive fluid of invertebrates.
Furthermore, a novel 25 kDa protein that enhances E. bicyclis saccharification by β-glucosidases (BGLs) was purified from the digestive fluid of A. kurodai, and its cDNA was cloned. EHEP protects BGLs from phlorotannin inhibition by binding to phlorotannins.

Free Research Field

酵素化学