Publications by authors named "Masaaki Sakurai"

A high-throughput RapidFire mass spectrometry assay is described for elongation of very long-chain fatty acids family 6 (Elovl6). Elovl6 is a microsomal enzyme that regulates the elongation of C12-16 saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Elovl6 may be a new therapeutic target for fat metabolism disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

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The Bloom's syndrome protein, BLM, is a member of the conserved RecQ helicase family. Although cell lines lacking BLM exist, these exhibit progressive genomic instability that makes distinguishing primary from secondary effects of BLM loss problematic. In order to be able to acutely disable BLM function in cells, we undertook a high throughput screen of a chemical compound library for small molecule inhibitors of BLM.

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Background: Small molecule modulators of epigenetic processes are currently sought as basic probes for biochemical mechanisms, and as starting points for development of therapeutic agents. N(ε)-Methylation of lysine residues on histone tails is one of a number of post-translational modifications that together enable transcriptional regulation. Histone lysine demethylases antagonize the action of histone methyltransferases in a site- and methylation state-specific manner.

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2-Oxoglutarate- and Fe(ii)-dependent oxygenases are a major class of N(epsilon)-methyl lysine demethylases that are involved in epigenetic regulation. Assays suitable for implementation in a high-throughput manner have been lacking for these enzymes. Here, we describe the design and implementation of a robust and miniaturized high-throughput kinetic assay for inhibitors of JMJD2E using a formaldehyde dehydrogenase-coupled reaction with real-time fluorescence detection.

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A novel inhibitor of STAT6 activation, named as TMC-264 (1), was discovered from the fermentation broth of Phoma sp. TC 1674. Based on spectroscopic analyses, TMC-264 was found to be a novel tricyclic polyketide with chloro-1H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-4,6-dione.

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[structure: see text] TMC-264 (1), a novel tricyclic heptaketide with a unique chloro-1H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-4,6-dione skeleton, was discovered from the fungus Phoma sp. TC 1674. The structure was elucidated on the basis of NMR analyses of normal abundance and biosynthetically (13)C-enriched TMC-264.

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New inhibitors of IL-4 signal transduction, designated as TMC-256A1 and C1, were discovered together with TMC-256B1, a previously known dihydronaphthopyrone, from the fermentation broth of Aspergillus niger var niger TC 1629 by using an IL-4 driven reporter gene assay. Based on spectroscopic analyses, TMC-256A1 and C1 were found to be new members of the naphthopyrone antibiotics. TMC-256A1, B1 and C1 inhibited the IL-4 driven luciferase activity with IC50 values of 25 microM, 30 microM and 1.

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