| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
1,5-D-Anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-AF) is a sugar that is produced by the action of alpha-glucan lyase on starch and glycogen. The structure of 1,5-AF resembles to glucose, however, it was shown to serve as a potent inhibitor of bacterial growth. Compared to Gram-negative bacteria, Gram positive ones inhibited much. The growth of yeasts and fungi tested were not affected by 1,5-AF.
When 1,5-AF was incorporated to the medium for Bacillus subtilis, the sporulation of the bacteria was strongly inhibited. This phenomenon was also observed when B. cereus and thermoacidophilic Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris were tested.
When intact spores were germinated in the presence of 1,5-AF, more than half of the spores were not normally grown up. When the spores treated for germination was plated containing 1,5-AF, the sugar inhibited the growth of the bacterium almost completely.
The lines of these evidence gave the conclusion that 1,5-AF is a very useful food material that prevents the sporulation and germination of B. subtilis. The mechanisms of sporulation and germination may quite resembles among endospore forming bacteria, 1,5-AF is expected to be valuable for some kind of food-poisoning bacteria such as B. cereus, Clostridium perfringens, C. botulinum, B. anthracis etc.
In order to clarify the mechanisms for this inhibitory action of 1,5-AF on spore formation and spore germination of B. subtilis, we analyzed proteins of bacteria grown either in the presence and absence of 1,5-AF. Comparisons of proteins by 2D gel electrophoresis or analysis on a mass spectrometer showed that some key proteins in spore formation and cell growth were missing. We will continue to identify those proteins.
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