the mode of action in the combined-culture methods that induce potential secondary metabolism

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02120
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Hiroyasu Onaka 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任教授 (80315829)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 共培養 / 天然物スクリーニング / 抗生物質生産 / 放線菌 / ミコール酸 / 微生物間相互作用 / 二次代謝産物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Actinomycetes are known to conduct a wide variety of secondary metabolisms. Many secondary metabolites have been discovered from actinomycetes and have been used as pharmaceutical drugs. However, genome analysis has revealed that only a few secondary metabolites have been discovered in actinomycetes, and that many potential secondary metabolites have not yet been discovered.
The discovery of such potential secondary metabolites is expected to lead to the development of new drugs. Therefore, we have established a "combined-culture" as a method to activate potential secondary metabolisms, and have already discovered over 35 new secondary metabolites. This method was inspired by the soil environment in which actinomycetes generally live, and it activates the potential secondary metabolism of actinomycetes by co-culture of mycolic acid-containing bacteria (MACB) and actinomycetes. In this study, we investigated the mode of action in the combined-culture.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学、天然物化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

天然物は医薬品の供給源として重要である。特に、昨今のコロナウイルスを初めとした多様な感染症被害は依然として人類の脅威であるため、新たな医薬品の開発は重要な研究テーマの一つである。複合培養法は微生物由来天然物の探索に有用な技術である。多様な天然物を生産することが知られている放線菌とミコール酸含有細菌を共培養することにより、従来の純粋培養では生産しなかった様々な天然物を放線菌が生産するようになる。今回の研究では、複合培養の作用機構解明を進めた。また、複合培養を用いた天然物探索も進め、新たに12種類の新規天然物の発見に成功した。