Publications by authors named "Eiichiro Kan"

Article Synopsis
  • Aspergillus oryzae has 27 potential polyketide synthase (PKS) gene clusters, but most of their secondary metabolites remain unidentified.
  • Researchers focused on eight gene clusters identified as being highly expressed and discovered that certain metabolites, specifically 2,4'-dihydroxy-3'-methoxypropiophenone and its precursor, were produced in a specific growth medium.
  • Key enzymes, including PpsB and PpsA, were determined to be critical for the biosynthesis of these metabolites, while another enzyme, PpsC, is proposed to help convert the precursor to the final product, enhancing our understanding of A. oryzae's metabolic capabilities.
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Free dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), a polyunsaturated free fatty acid (FFA), is a precursor of the eicosanoid prostaglandin E1 and is expected to be a source material for artificial production. We previously constructed the Aspergillus oryzae mutant strain ARA1 that produced free DGLA from the disruptant of faaA, an acyl-CoA synthetase gene, where FFA productivity increased by 9.2-fold compared with that of the wild-type strain.

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We recently developed an Aspergillus oryzae strain in which malonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) supply is strengthened by the deletion of snfA and SCAP as an efficient host to produce a plant polyketide, curcumin. Here, we examined the effectiveness of this strain in producing another polyketide, atrochrysone carboxylic acid (ACA), which is synthesized from eight molecules of malonyl-CoA using an iterative type I polyketide synthase, ACA synthase (ACAS), and atrochrysone carboxyl ACP thioesterase (ACTE) in Aspergillus terreus. When ACAS and ACTE were introduced, the A.

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The filamentous fungus was recently used as a heterologous host for fungal secondary metabolite production. Here, we aimed to produce the plant polyketide curcumin in . Curcumin is synthesized from feruloyl-coenzyme A (CoA) and malonyl-CoA by curcuminoid synthase (CUS).

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Selenomonas ruminantium subsp. lactilytica, a strictly anaerobic ruminal bacterium, possesses typical Gram-negative cell surface structure comprising cytoplasmic membrane, peptidoglycan layer and outer membrane, whereas its 16S rRNA-based taxonomy shows that the bacteria belongs to Gram-positive Firmicutes. Complete genome analysis showed that genes or gene clusters involved in Gram-negative cell structure were scattered in the S.

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Plasmalogens (Pls) are widely distributed in the biological membrane of animals and certain anaerobic bacteria, but their functions in the cell membrane are still poorly understood. Decrease of phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen (PEPls) in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease prompted us to investigate the effect of the membrane phosphorus lipid composition on the activity of γ-secretase that produces amyloid-beta protein (Aβ). To clarify the effect of phospholipids, including PEPls, on Aβ production, γ-secretase activity was measured in an in vitro assay using yeast microsomes and reconstituted liposomes.

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