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The natural pigment fucoxanthin has attracted global attention because of its superior antioxidant properties. The haptophyte marine microalgae Pavlova spp. are assumed to be promising industrial fucoxanthin producers as their lack of a cell wall could facilitate the commercialization of cultured cells as a whole food. This study screened promising Pavlova strains with high fucoxanthin content to develop an outdoor cultivation method for fucoxanthin production. Initial laboratory investigations of P. pinguis NBRC 102807, P. lutheri NBRC 102808, and Pavlova sp. OPMS 30543 identified OPMS 30543 as having the highest fucoxanthin content. The culture conditions were optimized for OPMS 30543. Compared with f/2 and Walne’s media, the use of Daigo’s IMK medium led to the highest biomass production and highest fucoxanthin accumulation. The presence of seawater elements in Daigo’s IMK medium was necessary for the growth of OPMS 30543. OPMS 30543 was then cultured outdoors using acrylic pipe photobioreactors, a plastic bag, an open tank, and a raceway pond. Acrylic pipe photobioreactors with small diameters enabled the highest biomass production. Using an acrylic pipe photobioreactor with 60-mm diameter, a fucoxanthin productivity of 4.88 mg/L/day was achieved in outdoor cultivation. Thus, this study demonstrated the usefulness of Pavlova sp. OPMS 30543 for fucoxanthin production in outdoor cultivation.

Recent advances in nucleic acid therapeutics increase the requirements for developing efficient methods for the chemical synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs). In this study, we report a new approach for the solution-phase synthesis of ODNs using the H-phosphonate method with N-unprotected 5′-phosphite monomers. The 5′-phosphite monomers are synthesized in a single step from unprotected 2′-deoxyribonucleosides using 5′-O-selective phosphitylation and can be applied to the synthetic cycle of the H-phosphonate method. We synthesized four kinds of 5′-phosphite monomers and then optimized the conditions for the condensation between the 3′-hydroxy groups of the 5′-phosphite monomers and the H-phosphonate monoesters. As a result of various investigations, solution-phase synthesis of trithymidine diphosphate (TTT) and tetramers containing four kinds of nucleobases was achieved according to the procedure consisting of repeated condensation, deprotection, and purification using simple extraction or precipitation.

Parallel artificial membrane permeation assay (PAMPA) was performed for nine amine drugs and their permeability coefficient (logP(pampa)) was determined at different pH's. The previously developed digital simulation method was successfully used to reproduce the sigmoid-like pH dependence of log P-pampa, and the distribution coefficient (log K-D,K-M) to the lipid-containing dodecane membrane could be determined for all the amine drugs studied. The thus determined log K-D,K-M values showed a linear free-energy relationship with the standard ion-transfer potential (Δ(W)(O)??∘; R2 = 0.754) and the distribution coefficient (logK(D); R-2 = 0.891), which were previously determined by ion-transfer voltammetry with the 1,2-dichloroethane|water interface. On the other side, we can predict Δ(W)(O)??∘ very accurately by a previously proposed solvation model called the "non-Bornian" model. These findings suggest a possible strategy for perfect in silico prediction of the membrane permeability of drugs.

Fucα1-2 Gal linkages, or H-antigens, constitute histo-blood group antigens and are involved in various physiological processes. In addition, recent studies have shown that the H-antigen-containing glycans play an important role, not only in establishing harmonious relationship between gut microbes and the host, but also in preventing gut dysbiosis-related diseases. Therefore, development of an efficient method for introducing Fuc residue at Gal residue at the nonreducing end of glycans via α-(1→2) linkage is desired for research as well as medicinal purposes. In this study, we succeeded in derivatizing inverting 1,2-α-l-fucosidase (AfcA) into a highly efficient 1,2-α-l-fucosynthase. The synthase specifically synthesized H type 1-, type 2-, type 3- and type 4-chain-containing oligosaccharides with yields of 57-75% based on acceptor depletion. The synthase was also able to specifically introduce Fuc residues into Lewis a/x antigens to produce Lewis b/y antigens, with yields of 43% and 62%, respectively. In addition, the enzyme efficiently introduced H-antigens into sugar chains of porcine gastric mucins, as revealed by lectin blotting and mass spectroscopy analysis of the sugars. Detailed acceptor specificity analysis using various monosaccharides and oligosaccharides unraveled unique substrate recognition feature of this synthase at the subsite (+1), which can be explained by our previous X-ray crystallographic study of AfcA. These results show that the synthase developed in this study could serve as an alternative to other H-antigen synthesis methods involving α-1,2-fucosyltransferases and retaining α-fucosidase.

The standard Gibbs energy of ion transfer at the 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface (ΔGtr(o,W→O)) was determined for 26 organic cations and 24 anions by means of ion-transfer voltammetry with a micro oil/water interface. Based on the data sets, a theoretical analysis was performed with the non-Bornian solvation model, in which the solvation energy of an organic ion is evaluated from local electric fields on the surface of the ion. The semi-empirical equations thus obtained are available for relatively accurate prediction of (ΔGtr(o,W→O)) for organic ions. The mean absolute error was 1.9 or 3.1 kJ mol(-1) for cations or anions, respectively, corresponding to the error of ∼20 or ∼30 mV in the standard ion-transfer potential. In this paper, energy decomposition has been performed to discuss different contributions to (ΔGtr(o,W→O)) from the "hydrated" (strongly charged) and positively and negatively charged "non-hydrated" (moderately charged) surfaces as well as from the hydrophobic interaction (cavity formation energy).

The bifidogenic effect of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) has long been known, yet the precise mechanism underlying it remains unresolved. Recent studies show that some species/subspecies of Bifidobacterium are equipped with genetic and enzymatic sets dedicated to the utilization of HMOs, and consequently they can grow on HMOs; however, the ability to metabolize HMOs has not been directly linked to the actual metabolic behavior of the bacteria. In this report, we clarify the fate of each HMO during cultivation of infant gut-associated bifidobacteria. Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis JCM1222, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum JCM1217, and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192 were selected for this purpose and were grown on HMO media containing a main neutral oligosaccharide fraction. The mono- and oligosaccharides in the spent media were labeled with 2-anthranilic acid, and their concentrations were determined at various incubation times using normal phase high performance liquid chromatography. The results reflect the metabolic abilities of the respective bifidobacteria. B. bifidum used secretory glycosidases to degrade HMOs, whereas B. longum subsp. infantis assimilated all HMOs by incorporating them in their intact forms. B. longum subsp. longum and B. breve consumed lacto-N-tetraose only. Interestingly, B. bifidum left degraded HMO metabolites outside of the cell even when the cells initiate vegetative growth, which indicates that the different species/subspecies can share the produced sugars. The predominance of type 1 chains in HMOs and the preferential use of type 1 HMO by infant gut-associated bifidobacteria suggest the coevolution of the bacteria with humans.

The breast-fed infant intestine is often colonized by particular bifidobacteria, and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are considered to be bifidogenic. Recent studies showed that Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis can grow on HMOs as the sole carbon source. This ability has been ascribed to the presence of a gene cluster (HMO cluster-1) contained in its genome. However, the metabolism of HMOs by the organism remains unresolved because no enzymatic studies have been completed. In the present study, we characterized β-galactosidases of this subspecies to understand how the organism degrades type-1 (Galβ1-3GlcNAc) and type-2 (Galβ1-4GlcNAc) isomers of HMOs. The results revealed that the locus tag Blon_2016 gene, which is distantly located from the HMO cluster-1, encodes a novel β-galactosidase (Bga42A) with a significantly higher specificity for lacto-N-tetraose (LNT; Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4Glc) than for lacto-N-biose I (Galβ1-3GlcNAc), lactose (Lac) and type-2 HMOs. The proposed name of Bga42A is LNT β-1,3-galactosidase. The Blon_2334 gene (Bga2A) located within the HMO cluster-1 encodes a β-galactosidase specific for Lac and type-2 HMOs. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the physiological significance of Bga42A and Bga2A in HMO metabolism. The organism therefore uses two different β-galactosidases to selectively degrade type-1 and type-2 HMOs. Despite the quite rare occurrence in nature of β-galactosidases acting on type-1 chains, the close homologs of Bga42A were present in the genomes of infant-gut associated bifidobacteria that are known to consume LNT. The predominance of type-1 chains in HMOs and the conservation of Bga42A homologs suggest the coevolution of these bifidobacteria with humans.

We synthesized and characterized two magnetically isolated spin ladders, Cu2(CO3)(ClO4)2(NH3)6 (1) and Cu2(CO3)(ClO4)2(H2O)(NH3)5 (2), which are the first examples of carbonate bridging molecular spin ladders. Compounds 1 and 2 form a ladder configuration by stacking a structural unit composed of two Cu(2+) ions and one CO3(2-), where the Cu-O-Cu interactions form the rungs and legs of each ladder and the counter anions (ClO4(-)) occupy the space between the ladders and ensure their magnetic isolation. A S = 1/2 magnetically isolated spin-ladder model with a ladder-rung magnetic interaction J1/k(B) = 364 K (where J is defined as positive for antiferromagnetic interactions) and a ladder-leg magnetic interaction J2/k(B) = 27.4 K accurately predicts the temperature dependence of the molar magnetic susceptibility for 1. The ladder configuration of 2 is similar to that of 1 except that the CO3(2-) is alternately skewed in different directions in the stacked structural unit. Interestingly, this minor structural variation in 2 results in its remarkably different magnetic behavior; the magnetic susceptibility curve of 2 is accurately described by an alternating chain model with J3/k(B) = 7.26 K and J4/k(B) = 4.42 K.

Weaning rats were fed a 5% or 30% fat diet containing limited calcium pantothenate for 28 d. The plasma, liver and adrenal pantothenic acid levels in the rats fed on the 30% fat diet were significantly lower than with the 5% fat diet. The results suggest that the high-fat diet affected pantothenic acid metabolism.

The intracellular beta-glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus NBRC1777 (KmBglI) belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 3 and has a unique domain architecture. Selenomethionine-labelled KmBglI was purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using the purified enzyme at 30 mg ml(-1), 0.04 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 5.1, 16%(w/v) PEG 8000 and 20%(v/v) glycerol. The crystal belonged to space group C2, with unitcell parameters a = 245.8, b = 148.7, c = 119.9 angstrom, beta = 112.9 degrees. Multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion data were collected at 2.4 and 2.5 angstrom resolution. A tetramer was assumed to be present in the asymmetric unit, which gave a Matthews coefficient of 2.6 angstrom(3) Da(-1).

α-L-fucosyl residues attached at the non-reducing ends of glycoconjugates constitute histo-blood group antigens Lewis (Le) and ABO and play fundamental roles in various biological processes. Therefore, establishing a method for synthesizing the antigens is important for functional glycomics studies. However, regiospecific synthesis of glycosyl linkages, especially α-L-fucosyl linkages, is quite difficult to control both by chemists and enzymologists. Here, we generated an α-L-fucosynthase that specifically introduces Le(a) and Le(x) antigens into the type-1 and type-2 chains, respectively; i.e. the enzyme specifically accepts the disaccharide structures (Galβ1-3/4GlcNAc) at the non-reducing ends and attaches a Fuc residue via an α-(1,4/3)-linkage to the GlcNAc. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed the structural basis of this strict regio- and acceptor specificity, which includes the induced fit movement of the catalytically important residues, and the difference between the active site structures of 1,3-1,4-α-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.111) and α-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.51) in glycoside hydrolase family 29. The glycosynthase developed in this study should serve as a potentially powerful tool to specifically introduce the Le(a/x) epitopes onto labile glycoconjugates including glycoproteins. Mining glycosidases with strict specificity may represent the most efficient route to the specific synthesis of glycosidic bonds.

β-Glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus (KmBglI) belongs to the GH3 (glycoside hydrolase family 3). The enzyme is particularly unusual in that a PA14 domain (pf07691), for which a carbohydrate-binding role has been claimed, is inserted into the catalytic core sequence. In the present study, we determined the enzymatic properties and crystal structure of KmBglI in complex with glucose at a 2.55 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) resolution. A striking characteristic of KmBglI was that the enzyme activity is essentially limited to disaccharides, and when trisaccharides were used as the substrates the activity was drastically decreased. This chain-length specificity is in sharp contrast with the preferred action on oligosaccharides of barley β-D-glucan glucohydrolase (ExoI), which does not have a PA14 domain insertion. The structure of subsite (−1) of KmBglI is almost identical with that of Thermotoga neapolitana β-glucosidase and is also similar to that of ExoI, however, the structures of subsite (+1) significantly differ among them. In KmBglI, the loops extending from the PA14 domain cover the catalytic pocket to form subsite (+1), and hence simultaneously become a steric hindrance that could limit the chain length of the substrates to be accommodated. Mutational studies demonstrated the critical role of the loop regions in determining the substrate specificity. The active-site formation mediated by the PA14 domain of KmBglI invokes α-complementation of β-galactosidase exerted by its N-terminal domain, to which the PA14 domain shows structural resemblance. The present study is the first which reveals the structural basis of the interaction between the PA14 domain and a carbohydrate.

Recent studies showed that the urinary excretion of the water-soluble vitamins can be useful as a nutritional index. To determine how fasting affects urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins, a human study and an animal experiment were conducted. In the human study, the 24-h urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in 12 healthy Japanese adults fasting for a day was measured. One-day fasting drastically decreased urinary thiamin content to 30%, and increased urinary riboflavin content by 3-fold. Other water-soluble vitamin contents did not show significant change by fasting. To further investigate the alterations of water-soluble vitamin status by starvation, rats were starved for 3 d, and water-soluble vitamin contents in the liver, blood and urine were measured during starvation. Urinary excretion of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B(6) metabolite 4-pyridoxic acid, nicotinamide metabolites and folate decreased during starvation, but that of vitamin B(12), pantothenic acid and biotin did not. As for blood vitamin levels, only blood vitamin B(1), plasma PLP and plasma folate levels decreased with starvation. All water-soluble vitamin contents in the liver decreased during starvation, whereas vitamin concentrations in the liver did not decrease. Starvation decreased only concentrations of vitamin B(12) and folate in the skeletal muscle. These results suggest that water-soluble vitamins were released from the liver, and supplied to the peripheral tissues to maintain vitamin nutrition. Our human study also suggested that the effect of fasting should be taken into consideration for subjects showing low urinary thiamin and high urinary riboflavin.

Bifidobacteria are predominant bacteria present in the intestines of breast-fed infants and offer important health benefits for the host. Human milk oligosaccharides are one of the most important growth factors for bifidobacteria and are frequently fucosylated at their non-reducing termini. Previously, we identified 1,2-alpha-l-fucosidase (AfcA) belonging to the novel glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 95, from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254 (Katayama T, Sakuma A, Kimura T, Makimura Y, Hiratake J, Sakata K, Yamanoi T, Kumagai H, Yamamoto K. 2004. Molecular cloning and characterization of Bifidobacterium bifidum 1,2-alpha-l-fucosidase (AfcA), a novel inverting glycosidase (glycoside hydrolase family 95). J Bacteriol. 186:4885-4893). Here, we identified a gene encoding a novel 1,3-1,4-alpha-l-fucosidase from the same strain and termed it afcB. The afcB gene encodes a 1493-amino acid polypeptide containing an N-terminal signal sequence, a GH29 alpha-l-fucosidase domain, a carbohydrate binding module (CBM) 32 domain, a found-in-various-architectures (FIVAR) domain and a C-terminal transmembrane region, in this order. The recombinant enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli and was characterized. The enzyme specifically released alpha1,3- and alpha1,4-linked fucosyl residues from 3-fucosyllactose, various Lewis blood group substances (a, b, x, and y types), and lacto-N-fucopentaose II and III. However, the enzyme did not act on glycoconjugates containing alpha1,2-fucosyl residue or on synthetic alpha-fucoside (p-nitrophenyl-alpha-l-fucoside). The afcA and afcB genes were introduced into the B. longum 105-A strain, which has no intrinsic alpha-l-fucosidase. The transformant carrying afcA could utilize 2'-fucosyllactose as the sole carbon source, whereas that carrying afcB was able to utilize 3-fucosyllactose and lacto-N-fucopentaose II. We suggest that AfcA and AfcB play essential roles in degrading alpha1,2- and alpha1,3/4-fucosylated milk oligosaccharides, respectively, and also glycoconjugates, in the gastrointestinal tracts.