Publications by authors named "Hirokazu Kawagishi"

Introduction: Crocin-I, a water-soluble carotenoid pigment, is an important coloring constituent in gardenia fruit. It has wide application in various industries such as food, medicine, chemical industry, and so on. So the content of crocin-I plays a key role in evaluating the quality of gardenia.

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is an edible and medicinal mushroom. Previously, we found hericenones C-H from the fruiting bodies and erinacines A-I from the mycelia of the fungus. These compounds stimulated nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis both and ; some have been suggested to be effective in the prevention and treatment of dementia.

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  • * The fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 demonstrated significant biodegradation of loxoprofen, achieving over 90% degradation at low concentrations after just one day and over 94% at a higher concentration after ten days.
  • * The study identified metabolites and suggested degradation pathways involving cytochrome P450, marking the first documentation of how this white-rot fungus can break down loxoprofen.
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Fungal phytochemicals derived from higher fungi, particularly those from the culinary-medicinal genus Hericium, have gained significant attention in drug discovery and healthcare. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, biological activities, and pharmacological properties of monomeric compounds isolated from Hericium species. Over the past 34 years, 253 metabolites have been identified from various Hericium species, including cyathane diterpenes, alkaloids, benzofurans, chromenes, phenols, pyrones, steroids, and other miscellaneous compounds.

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of vision loss. The aggressive form of AMD is associated with ocular neovascularization and subretinal fibrosis, representing a responsive outcome against neovascularization mediated by epithelial-mesenchymal transition of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. A failure of the current treatment (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy) has also been attributed to the progression of subretinal fibrosis.

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The bulky phenolic compound tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a brominated flame retardant used in a wide range of products; however, it diffuses into the environment, and has been reported to have toxic effects. Although it is well-known that white-rot fungi degrade TBBPA through ligninolytic enzymes, no other metabolic enzymes have yet been identified, and the toxicity of the reaction products and their risks have not yet been examined. We found that the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 converted TBBPA to TBBPA-O-β-D-glucopyranoside when grown under non-ligninolytic-enzyme-producing conditions.

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  • * Although the mechanisms of lignin degradation by these fungi are largely unknown, the study aimed to identify compounds produced by YK-624 that could enhance this process.
  • * The researchers successfully isolated and identified ergosterol, along with its metabolites, which were shown to significantly boost the lignin-degrading activity in YK-624, marking the first discovery of such ligninolytic-inducing compounds in white-rot fungi.
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  • Biohydrogen is generated by anaerobic bacteria, fungi, and algae, serving as a signaling molecule for stress responses in higher organisms.
  • White-rot fungi are shown to produce hydrogen during wood decay in aerobic conditions, but this production stops in low oxygen environments; adding oxalate and formate boosts hydrogen levels.
  • Analyzing gene expression reveals changes in organic acid metabolism linked to hydrogen production, suggesting that formate metabolism is integral to the white-rot fungi's hydrogen production mechanism, highlighting new research avenues in biohydrogen.
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In general, mushroom-forming fungi secrete liquid on the surface of mycelia just before fruiting-body formation. However, no researchers in mushroom science have paid attention to the liquid until now. We formulated a hypothesis that the liquid plays an important role(s) in the formation of the fruiting body and produces various bioactive compounds and named it the "fruiting liquid (FL)".

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  • Mushroom terpenoids are diverse fungal metabolites, with melleolides being key sesquiterpenoids that have a unique protoilludane structure.
  • The study utilized a hot spot knock-in method to clarify the biosynthetic pathway of 1α-hydroxymelleolide, revealing the role of cytochrome P450 and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase enzymes in the hydroxylation and stereochemical inversion processes.
  • A notable aspect of this biosynthesis involves the flavoprotein Mld7, which facilitates a complex reaction that leads to melleolide and related compounds, with product distribution influenced by cell membrane interactions.
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The mushroom, Pleurocybella porrigens, is widely consumed in Japan; however, in autumn 2004, acute encephalopathy due to ingestion of the mushroom in a large group of patients was reported in Japan. We have continued working on the mushroom to clarify the mechanisms underlying the acute encephalopathy that occurred due to its consumption. The data collected to date have shown that three compounds, pleurocybelline (PC), a Pleurocybella porrigens lectin (PPL), and pleurocybellaziridine (PA), in the mushroom are potentially responsible for the onset of the disease; PC that exhibit lethal activity in mice and PPL formed a complex, and the complex of the two components exhibited proteolytic activity and disrupted the blood-brain barrier.

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It is believed that wood-rot fungi change their wood decay activities due to influences from co-existing bacterial communities; however, it is difficult to elucidate experimentally the interaction mechanisms in fungal-bacterial consortia because the bacterial community structure is quite unstable and readily changes. Indeed, the wood decay properties of fungal-bacterial consortia consisting of a white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 and a natural bacterial community changed dramatically during several sub-cultivations on wood. Therefore, development of a sub-cultivation method that imparts stability to the bacterial community structure and fungal phenotype was attempted.

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A novel compound () along with two known compounds ( and ) were isolated from the culture broth of , and three known compounds (-) were isolated from its fruiting bodies. The planar structure of was determined by the interpretation of spectroscopic data. By comparing the specific rotation of the compound with that of the analog compound, the absolute configuration of was determined to be .

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Fairy chemicals (FCs), 2-azahypoxanthine (AHX), imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA), and 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine (AOH), are molecules with many diverse functions in plants. The defined biosynthetic pathway for FCs is a novel purine metabolism in which they are biosynthesized from 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide. Here, we show that one of the purine salvage enzymes, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), recognizes AHX and AOH as substrates.

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2-Azahypoxanthine was isolated from the fairy ring-forming fungus as a fairy ring-inducing compound. 2-Azahypoxanthine has an unprecedented 1,2,3-triazine moiety, and its biosynthetic pathway is unknown. The biosynthetic genes for 2-azahypoxanthine formation in were predicted by a differential gene expression analysis using MiSeq.

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2-Azahypoxanthine (AHX) and 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine (AOH), discovered as causal substances of fairy rings are known to be endogenous in the fairy ring-forming Lepista sordida. In this study, we showed that xanthine dioxygenase, an a-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, might catalyze the conversion of AHX to AOH in the fungus. Furthermore, this enzyme is the first reported molybdopterin-independent protein of hypoxanthine metabolism.

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Two compounds and were isolated from the culture broth of . This is the first time that compound was isolated from a natural source. The structure of compound was identified via 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fairy chemicals (FCs) have potential applications in agriculture, cosmetics, and medicine, but their high production costs limit their use.
  • The study explored ways to reduce these costs by testing food industrial by-products like corn steep liquor (CSL), rice bran, wheat bran, and Japanese liquor lees as nutritional additives for fungi that produce FCs.
  • Results showed that CSL greatly enhanced both FCs and mycelial production, with 1% CSL being best for mycelial yield and 6% for FC production, indicating a balance needed in nutrient levels for optimal growth.
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  • * Researchers isolated a lethal protein called pleurocybelline (PC) from the mushroom, which did not harm the brain directly but formed a complex with another protein, showing damaging effects.
  • * A toxic substance named pleurocybellaziridine (PA) was also found in the mushroom, and a mixture of PC, PPL, and PA caused increased cell death in the hippocampus, suggesting their roles in the disease's progression.
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  • The study focused on the white-rot fungus YK-624, known for its ability to break down tough organic pollutants due to its strong ligninolytic activity.
  • Researchers successfully sequenced its complete mitochondrial genome, which is 129,567 base pairs long and includes important genetic components such as rRNA and tRNA genes.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed that YK-624 belongs to the Phanerochaetaceae family within the Polyporales order, helping to clarify its evolutionary relationships.
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Among the "fairy chemicals" involved in forming the natural phenomenon of "fairy rings," we focused on 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine (AOH) as a candidate functional cosmetic ingredient. In previous studies, AOH was confirmed to be safe for use on human skin, and no adverse reactions were observed in any of the safety studies. In this study, we report the results of a clinical trial using a lotion containing AOH.

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Five compounds including a new compound (1) were isolated from mycelia of a mushroom-forming fungus Agaricus blazei. Compound 2 was isolated from nature for the first time. Their structures were determined by the interpretation of spectroscopic data.

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Fungi belonging to the Ascomycete genus Cordyceps are endoparasitoids and parasites, mainly of insects and other arthropods. Cordyceps militaris has been used as a therapeutic drug for cancer patients. However, the infection, parasitism, and fruiting body formation mechanisms of this fungus are still unknown.

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As a traditional Chinese medicine, Linn has been used for a long time in China. However, the studies on secondary metabolites of its endophytic fungi were not fully sufficient. Thus, the endophytic fungus, , collected from the lateral buds of , was here investigated.

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