Naoto Shimizu

Cloning of the gene for undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase was successful, providing the first primary structure for any prenyltransferase that catalyzes Z-prenyl chain elongation. A genomic DNA library of Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 was constructed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant clones were grown on nylon membranes. The membrane was incubated directly by floating it on a reaction mixture containing radiolabeled isopentenyl diphosphate, nonlabeled farnesyl diphosphate, and Mg2+. Only the

The N-terminal portion of parathyroid hormone is critical for PTH-1 receptor (P1R) activation and has been postulated to be alpha-helical when bound to the receptor. We investigated whether substitution of the sterically hindered and helix-promoting amino acid alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) in N-terminal PTH oligopeptides would improve the capacity of the peptide to activate the P1R. Analysis of the effects of individual Aib substitutions at each position in [Ala(3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]

We here addressed the basic question, how does extrachromosomal DNA behave when it is placed in the nuclear or the cytoplasmic environment and how is it eliminated? To do this, we tracked microinjected DNA molecules in live cells. In the cytoplasm, the diffusion of microinjected DNA was inhibited in a size- and linearity-dependent manner, probably by the intermediate filament. This was followed by the rapid disappearance of the DNA fluorescent signal. In the nucleus, the diffusion was also depen

Corn stover is an abundant and underused source of lignocellulose waste biomass that can be transformed into a high-quality energy resource using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). This investigation has focused on the effect of processing parameters on the products of HTC—namely solid fuel or hydrochar and liquid and gas fractions. HTC was conducted in a temperature-controlled small batch reactor with corn stover and deionized water under oxygen-free conditions obtained by pressurizing the react

Antioxidant polyphenols in black tea residue are an underused source of bioactive compounds. Microencapsulation can turn them into a valuable functional ingredient for different food applications. This study investigated the potential of using spent black tea extract (SBT) as an active ingredient in food packaging. Free or microencapsulated forms of SBT, using a pectin-sodium caseinate mixture as a wall material, were incorporated in a cassava starch matrix and films developed by casting. The ef

Current antagonists for the parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptor (PTHR) are N-terminally truncated or N-terminally modified analogs of PTH(1-34) or PTHrP(1-34) and are thought to bind predominantly to the N-terminal extracellular (N) domain of the receptor. We hypothesized that ligands that bind only to PTHR region comprised of the extracellular loops and seven transmembrane helices (the juxtamembrane or J domain) could also antagonize the PTHR. To test this, we started

The structural genes encoding the two essential components A and B of hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase, which produce the precursor of the prenyl side chain of menaquinone-6, were cloned from Micrococcus luteus B-P 26.

Spent black tea (SBT), waste remaining after producing tea beverages, is potentially an underutilized source of antioxidant phenolic compounds. This study evaluated the integrated processes of subcritical solvent extraction of polyphenols from SBT followed by microencapsulation to improve the stability of obtained extract. Optimization of extraction conditions was carried out by response surface methodology for the best recovery of antioxidant phenolic compounds. Two variables [temperature (°C)

Spent black tea (SBT) is a residue from tea beverage production and considered as a potential source of active polyphenols. This study aimed to develop a pilot-scale process on semi-continuous subcritical solvent extraction (SSE) of polyphenols from SBT by exploiting the lab-scale knowledge. Treatment of SBT with ethanol-water (50% w/w) as solvent at 125 °C and 0.3 MPa achieved a significantly higher yield of polyphenols (80.82 g gallic acid equivalents/kg black tea) with antioxidant activity (6

In research and development of highly functional materials, new materials and compounds are required to achieve target values of multiple properties and activities Y. Because regression methods that construct a single model for each Y variable cannot consider the relationships between the Y variables, the search for candidates for materials that satisfy all of the target Y values cannot be efficiently performed. Furthermore, pseudo-inverse analysis of models, where promising candidates are selec

Constraining the N-terminal PTH backbone conformation with di-alkyl amino acids at positions 1 and 3 may be a general strategy for optimizing and minimizing the PTH pharmacophore; however, inhibitory side-chain effects may be encountered. The new analogs presented should be useful as minimum-length functional probes of the PTH-PTH receptor interaction mechanism.

Abstract Background The application of organic fertilizer is a sustainable approach to maintain soil fertility in agricultural crop production. In contrast to other organic fertilizers, the digestate from by-products of anaerobic digestion has not been well characterized in terms of its agronomic properties. In this study, different fertilization treatments were investigated to evaluate their impacts on growth, yield and fruit quality of tomatoes and on soil properties under greenhouse and field

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTAcid-catalyzed isomerization of cycloartane triterpene alcohols. The formation of cucurbitane- and lanostane-type isomersNaoto Shimizu, Toshihiro Itoh, Masao Saito, and Taro MatsumotoCite this: J. Org. Chem. 1984, 49, 4, 709–712Publication Date (Print):February 1, 1984Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 February 1984https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jo00178a030https://doi.org/10.1021/jo00178a030research-articleACS Publicati