Dietary pulverized konjac glucomannan suppresses scratching behavior and skin inflammatory immune responses in NC/Nga mice.

Background: Feeding with pulverized konjac glucomannan (PKGM) suppresses the development of eczema and hyper-IgE production in NC/Nga mice, a model of atopic dermatitis. This study aimed to examine the effects of PKGM on scratching behavior and skin inflammatory immune responses in NC/Nga mice.

Methods: Four-week-old NC/Nga mice were maintained for 8 or 9 weeks on diet containing PKGM.

Production of two types of phytase from Aspergillus oryzae during industrial koji making.

In our previous study, it was determined that phytase produced by Aspergillus oryzae plays an important role in supplying phosphate to yeast in the process of making sake. During koji making, two types of phytase (Phy-I and Phy-II) are produced. The purified phytases have high thermal and pH stability, in comparison to phytase purified from a submerged culture (ACP-II).

Extracellular secretion of free fatty acids by disruption of a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

To elucidate the molecular mechanism governing fatty acid transport across the cell membrane, we first isolated a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant, B-1, that exhibits a reduced acyl-CoA oxidase activity and an increase in free fatty acid accumulation. Following mutagenesis of B-1, a mutant, YTS51, which secretes free fatty acids, was isolated. The concentration of free fatty acids in the YTS51 culture medium was about 17 times higher than that in B-1.

Production and properties of phytase and acid phosphatase from a sake koji mold, Aspergillus oryzae.

We identified three types of acid phosphatase (ACP-I, ACP-II, and ACP-III) produced by Aspergillus oryzae in a submerged culture using only phytic acid as the phosphorous substrate. The optimum pH for the activities of the three enzymes was in the range of 4.5 to 5.

Toward elucidating the full spectrum of mite allergens--state of the art.

Our research has focused on the molecular design of immunotherapeutic vaccines and the advancement of mite-allergy diagnosis. Here, we describe the research history of the major group 1 and group 2 allergens, immunoelectrophoretic analyses covering the complete spectrum of mite allergens, our results on allergens with distinctive characteristics (a conjunctival congestion-eliciting antigen [LM2], an immunotherapeutic antigen [HM2] with high efficacy and without definite adverse reactions, and a potent T-cell stimulatory antigen [HM1] with secretion of IFN-gamma), the full spectrum and immunochemical properties of the major and other important mite allergens (including our newly described allergens: a pan-allergen [tropomyosin, group 10], a potent T-cell stimulatory allergen [M-177, apolipophorin, group 14] and its peptide fragments Mag1 and Mag3, a moderate IgE-binding allergen [gelsolin/villin, group 16], an EF-hand Ca2+-binding allergen [group 17], and a less IgE-binding allergen [heat shock protein 70]), and prospects for the development of immunotherapeutic and diagnostic agents.

A new immunomodulatory function of low-viscous konjac glucomannan with a small particle size: its oral intake suppresses spontaneously occurring dermatitis in NC/Nga mice.

Background: Konjac glucomannan (GM) is a well-known dietary fiber with various beneficial functions: the higher viscosity displayed the stronger potency. However, the high-viscous GM powders, ordinary konjac powder and highly purified GM were mostly unsuitable for the application to various food industries. Our aims are to develop new physiological functions of low-viscous GM powder, pulverized GM or re-granulated fine GM, using a murine model of atopic dermatitis.

The ability of konjac-glucomannan to suppress spontaneously occurring dermatitis in NC/Nga mice depends upon the particle size.

Konjac glucomannan (GM) is a well-known dietary fiber with various beneficial functions, which the higher viscous GM is proposed to have the stronger potencies. Application of highly viscous GM to various food industries is limited for the sake of long elapsed time required to solubilize the GM. Thus, the exploration into any physiological function of low-viscous GM remained undone for a long time.

Liver transplantation-induced antihistone H1 autoantibodies suppress mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Background: In a rat model of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), recipient serum after OLT (post-OLT serum) has been reported to prevent allograft rejection. However, the molecular identities of immunosuppressive factors, which are in the early stage of post-OLT, remain elusive. This study was aimed to identify immunodominant suppressive factors present in early post-OLT serum.

Two-dimensional IgE-binding spectrum of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen allergens.

Background: Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen is one of the most prevalent sources of the allergens that elicit rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Only Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 have been well characterized as the major allergens of this pollen.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to complete the repertoire of C.

Grouping newly isolated docosahexaenoic acid-producing thraustochytrids based on their polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles and comparative analysis of 18S rRNA genes.

Seven strains of marine microbes producing a significant amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6, n-3) were screened from seawater collected in coastal areas of Japan and Fiji. They accumulate their respective intermediate fatty acids in addition to DHA. There are 5 kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profiles which can be described as (1) DHA/docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; C22:5, n-6), (2) DHA/DPA/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5, n-3), (3) DHA/EPA, (4) DHA/DPA/EPA/arachidonic acid (AA; C20:4, n-6), and (5) DHA/DPA/EPA/AA/docosatetraenoic acid (C22:4, n-6).

Evidence of isozymes for delta6 fatty acid desaturase in rat hepatocytes.

The expression of delta6 fatty acid desaturase, previously identified, was suppressed almost completely by hyper expression of the corresponding antisense gene in a transformant of the rat hepatic cell line BRL-3A. Conversion rates of [1-14C] linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and tetracosapentaenoic acid into the respective delta6 fatty acids were equivalent to those in control cells. This finding suggested that all of these reactions were catalyzed by at least two delta6 desaturase isozymes in rat hepatocytes.

Purification and characterization of a novel fungal alpha-glucosidase from Mortierella alliacea with high starch-hydrolytic activity.

The fungal strain Mortierella alliacea YN-15 is an arachidonic acid producer that assimilates soluble starch despite having undetectable alpha-amylase activity. Here, a alpha-glucosidase responsible for the starch hydrolysis was purified from the culture broth through four-step column chromatography. Maltose and other oligosaccharides were less preferentially hydrolyzed and were used as a glucosyl donor for transglucosylation by the enzyme, demonstrating distinct substrate specificity as a fungal alpha-glucosidase.

A high-molecular-weight mite antigen (HM1) fraction aggravates airway hyperresponsiveness of allergic mice to house dusts and whole mite cultures.

Background: The house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae is the most common aeroallergen causing human allergic asthma. Previously, we demonstrated that a high-molecular-weight allergenic fraction (HM1), which was abundant in D. farinae extracts, induced a proliferative response of T cells from healthy donors.

Induction of a proliferative response of T cells by a high-molecular antigen in Dermatophagoides farinae feces.

Background: We have previously demonstrated that high-molecular mite antigen (HM1) from Dermatophagoides farinae feces is an allergen which binds to mite-allergic patients IgE. HM1 also induced a proliferative response in lymph node cells from mite-immunized mice as well as nonimmunized mice. In the present study, we demonstrated that HM1 induced T cell proliferation and investigated the HM1-stimulated T cell proliferative pathways using nonallergic human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC).

Identification and expression of a rat fatty acid elongase involved in the biosynthesis of C18 fatty acids.

A major part of the palmitic acid (C16:0) generated by fatty acid synthase is converted into stearic acid (C18:0) via carbon chain elongation. Here, we describe the cloning and expression of a rat hepatic enzyme, rELO2, responsible for the elongation of C16:0, presumably at the condensing reaction. Heterologous expression experiments in a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, demonstrated the elongation activity of rELO2 on C16:0 and to a lesser extent, C18:0 and fatty acids with low desaturation degree.

Der f 16: a novel gelsolin-related molecule identified as an allergen from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae.

Allergen from the house dust mite (Dermatophagoides sp.) is a major trigger factor of allergic disorders, and its characterization is crucial for the development of specific diagnosis or immunotherapy. Here we report the identification of a novel dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) antigen whose primary structure belongs to the gelsolin family, a group of actin cytoskeleton-regulatory proteins.