Takashi Watanabe

Beta-glucosidase was purified from a crude cellulase preparation from Aspergillus niger by affinity chromatography on a methacrylamide-N-methylene-bis-methacrylamide copolymer bearing cellobiamine. The purified enzyme was a dimer with an isoelectric point of 4.0. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 240 kDa by gel-permeation chromatography. The enzyme hydrolyzed specifically beta-glucosidic bonds and catalyzed transglucosylation of the beta-glucosyl group of cellobiose to yield 4

Ceriporiopsis subvermispora is capable of decomposing lignin without penetration of enzymes into wood cell walls. To elucidate the mechanism of lignolysis at a site far from enzymes, peroxidation of low molecular mass compounds produced by this fungus was analyzed. C. subvermispora produced free 9,12-octadecadienoic, 9-octadecenoic, 11-octadecenoic, hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids, predominantly at an early stage of cultivation on wood meal cultures. In prolonged cultivation period after 2 w

Borylative radical cyclization of benzo[3,4]cyclodec-3-ene-1,5-diynes to provide 5-borylated 6,7,8,9-tetrahydrobenzo[a]azulenes has been developed. The experimental results suggest that the reaction proceeds by a radical chain mechanism, in which di-tert-butyl hyponitrite (TBHN) works as a good radical initiator to form boryl radicals from N-heterocyclic carbene-boranes (NHC-boranes). The present reaction is a rare model that illustrates addition of boryl radicals to alkynes.

Journal Article Evidence for an Ester Linkage between Lignin and Glucuronic Acid in Lignin–Carbohydrate Complexes by DDQ-Oxidation Get access Takashi Watanabe, Takashi Watanabe Section of Wood Chemistry, Wood Research Institute, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Tetsuo Koshijima Tetsuo Koshijima Section of Wood Chemistry, Wood Research Institute, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611, Japan Search for oth

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC; nor-C-1-M, com-C-1-A) isolated from normal and compression woods of Pinus densiflora were hydrolyzed with two types of cellulase preparations, and the hydrolyzates formed were fractionated by adsorption chromatography on polyvinyl gel into water-soluble materials and LCC fragments. To elucidate the binding sites between the lignin and carbohydrate, the cellulase-degraded LCC fragments were subjected to acetylation, and then oxidation with 2, 3-dichloro-5, 6-di

The magnetic susceptibilities of single crystals of NiSO 4 ·7H 2 O and α-NiSO 4 ·6H 2 O have been measured in the temperature range between liquid helium and room temperatures. The magnetic susceptibility of these salts at low temperatures shows that the level splittings in the ground of each salt are not so small. The seventh water molecule in the heptahydrate salt forms a hydrogen bond and the hexahydrate salt has not a hydrogen bond. The signs of the isotropic Weiss constant of both salts whi

Acid-catalysed degradation of wood in toluene–MeOH yields the lignin monomers homovanillyl aldehyde dimethyl acetal and homosyringaldehyde dimethyl acetal selectively.

In enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosics, the access of the enzymes to exposed cellulose surfaces is a key initial step in triggering hydrolysis. However, knowledge of the structure-hydrolyzability relationship of the pretreated biomass is still limited. Here we used fluorescent-labeled recombinant carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) from Clostridium josui as specific markers for crystalline cellulose (CjCBM3) and non-crystalline cellulose (CjCBM28) to analyze the complex surfaces of wo