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Biomedical subjects

Shuichi Matsumura

Publications and source records attributed to Shuichi Matsumura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Perspectives for synthesis and production of polyurethanes and related polymers by enzymes directed toward green and sustainable chemistry.

Enzyme-catalyzed polymerization and degradation will play an important role in both the synthesis and chemical recycling of green and sustainable polyurethane. This minireview covers the new synthetic routes to polyurethane without using diisocyanate, the biodegradation of polyurethane, and the enzymatic synthesis and the chemical recycling of poly(ester-urethane) (PEU) and poly(carbonate-urethane) (PCU). The lipase-catalyzed polymerization of low molecular weight and biodegradable urethanediols with short-chain dialkyl carbonate and alkanedioates produced PCU and PEU, respectively. They were readily degraded in an organic solvent into the repolymerizable cyclic oligomers by lipase as a novel chemical recycling. These results will be applicable for the production strategies of green and sustainable polyurethanes.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2005

When should signals of submission be given?-A game theory model.

During contests, losing animals often show signals communicating submission. From an evolutionary viewpoint, however, it is not so obvious why the losing individual gives such a signal instead of running away and why the winning individual accepts the signal instead of inflicting more severe damage. We investigated factors influencing the evolution of signals of submission using a numerical ESS model. The present analysis reveals that there is much space for the evolution of signals of submission, even when the winner of an escalated contest gets some extra benefit. In most cases, signals of submission are given by animals which are slightly or moderately weaker than the opponent. Signals of submission are expected to occur frequently (1) when the value of contested resource does not differ greatly from the cost of injury, (2) when the extra benefit of winning an escalated contest is small, (3) when the opportunity for safe retreat by the losing animal is small, and (4) when the estimation of the difference in the resource holding potential (RHP) between the combatants is accurate but not perfect.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed2005

Ancient DNA from the first European farmers in 7500-year-old Neolithic sites.

The ancestry of modern Europeans is a subject of debate among geneticists, archaeologists, and anthropologists. A crucial question is the extent to which Europeans are descended from the first European farmers in the Neolithic Age 7500 years ago or from Paleolithic hunter-gatherers who were present in Europe since 40,000 years ago. Here we present an analysis of ancient DNA from early European farmers. We successfully extracted and sequenced intact stretches of maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 24 out of 57 Neolithic skeletons from various locations in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. We found that 25% of the Neolithic farmers had one characteristic mtDNA type and that this type formerly was widespread among Neolithic farmers in Central Europe. Europeans today have a 150-times lower frequency (0.2%) of this mtDNA type, revealing that these first Neolithic farmers did not have a strong genetic influence on modern European female lineages. Our finding lends weight to a proposed Paleolithic ancestry for modern Europeans.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Anthraquinone derivatives as a new family of protein photocleavers.

Certain anthraquinones, which are present in many biologically important natural products, effectively and randomly cleaved proteins (BSA or Lyso) during photoirradiation using a long wavelength UV light without any further additives. It was also found that this ability could be improved by the attachment of a suitable substituent into the anthraquinone core skeleton.

Anthraquinones↗
PubMed2005

Molecular design, chemical synthesis, and evaluation of cytosine-carbohydrate hybrids for selective recognition of a single guanine bulged duplex DNA.

The designed cytosine-carbohydrate hybrid molecule selectively recognized and stabilized the bulged duplex DNA possessing the complementary bulged DNA base, guanine, while the nucleotide base itself did not exhibit any such ability. It was also found that the assistance of the carbohydrate to stabilize the interaction between the nucleotide base and the complementally bulge DNA base is very helpful for the selective recognition and stabilization of the single-bulged duplex DNA.

Base Pair Mismatch↗
PubMed2005

Degradation of poly(lactic acid) into repolymerizable oligomer using montmorillonite K10 for chemical recycling.

The degradation of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) into a repolymerizable oligomer was carried out using a clay catalyst, montmorillonite K10 (MK10), with the objective of developing a chemical recycling process. PLLA having an Mw of 120,000 was degraded by MK10 in toluene at 100 degrees C for 6 h to produce the corresponding linear-type oligomers having a molecular weight of a few hundreds in a yield of greater than 90%. The oligomer was readily polymerized by a conventional chemical catalyst to give a high-molecular-weight PLLA. No isomerization of L-lactic acid occurred during the degradation process using MK10. The MK10 could be repeatedly used at least five times without any significant decrease in its activity. The degradation of PLLA was accelerated by the addition of a small amount of ethanol in toluene using anhydrous MK10 to produce oligomers with ethyl ester end groups.

Bentonite↗
PubMed2005

Enzymatic transformation of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates into repolymerizable oligomers directed towards chemical recycling.

The enzymatic transformation into an oligomer was carried out with the objective of developing the chemical recycling of bacterial polyesters. Poly(R-3-hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs), such as poly[(R-3-hydroxybutyrate)-co-12%(R-3-hydroxyhexanoate)] and poly[(R-3-hydroxybutyrate)-co-12%(R-3-hydroxyvalerate)], were degraded by granulated Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized on hydrophilic silica (lipase GCA) in a diluted organic solvent at 70 degrees C. The degradation products were cyclic oligomers having a molecular weight of a few hundreds. The obtained cyclic oligomer was readily repolymerized by the same lipase (lipase GCA) to produce the corresponding polyester in a concentrated solution. The cyclic oligomer was copolymerized with epsilon-caprolactone using lipase to produce the corresponding terpolymers having an Mw of 21,000. This is the first example of the enzymatic chemical recycling of bacterial PHAs using lipase. Poly(R-3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] was also degraded into the linear-type R-3HB monomer to trimer by P(3HB)-depolymerase (PHBDP) in phosphate buffer at 37 degrees C. The degradation using PHBDP required a longer reaction time compared with the lipase-catalyzed degradation in organic solvent. The monomer composition of the oligomer depended on the origin of the PHBDP. The R-3HB monomer was predominately produced by PHBDP from Pseudomonas stutzeri, while the R-3HB dimer was produced by PHBDP from Alcaligenes faecalis T1. Repolymerization of these oligomers by lipase in concentrated organic solvent produced a relatively low-molecular-weight P(3HB) (e.g., Mw=2,000). Degradation of P(3HB) by lipase in organic solvent into repolymerizable cyclic oligomer and degradation of P(3HB) by PHBDP in buffer into hydroxy acid type R-3HB dimer.

Alcaligenes faecalis↗
PubMed2005

How many clones need to be sequenced from a single forensic or ancient DNA sample in order to determine a reliable consensus sequence?

Forensic and ancient DNA (aDNA) extracts are mixtures of endogenous aDNA, existing in more or less damaged state, and contaminant DNA. To obtain the true aDNA sequence, it is not sufficient to generate a single direct sequence of the mixture, even where the authentic aDNA is the most abundant (e.g. 25% or more) in the component mixture. Only bacterial cloning can elucidate the components of this mixture. We calculate the number of clones that need to be sampled (for various mixture ratios) in order to be confident (at various levels of confidence) to have identified the major component. We demonstrate that to be >95% confident of identifying the most abundant sequence present at 70% in the ancient sample, 20 clones must be sampled. We make recommendations and offer a free-access web-based program, which constructs the most reliable consensus sequence from the user's input clone sequences and analyses the confidence limits for each nucleotide position and for the whole consensus sequence. Accepted authentication methods must be employed in order to assess the authenticity and endogeneity of the resulting consensus sequences (e.g. quantification and replication by another laboratory, blind testing, amelogenin sex versus morphological sex, the effective use of controls, etc.) and determine whether they are indeed aDNA.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed2005

Synthesis and chemical recycling of novel poly(ester-urethane)s using an enzyme.

A series of enzymatically recyclable poly(ester-urethane)s consisting of a biodegradable diurethane moiety as a hard segment and an ester moiety as an enzymatically cleavable linkage was chemo-enzymatically prepared by two routes. The poly(ester-urethane) was prepared by a) the ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic ester-urethane monomer synthesized via the transesterification reaction of biodegradable diurethanediol and dicarboxylate ester using lipase and b) the direct polycondensation of a diurethanediol and a dicarboxylate ester. A significantly higher molecular-weight poly(ester-urethane) having the highest molecular weight (Mw) of 101,000 was produced by the ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic ester-urethane monomer when compared with that produced by the polycondensation of the dicarboxylate ester with diurethanediol. The poly(ester-urethane) was readily degraded by lipase into the corresponding cyclic oligomers; the oligomers were readily repolymerized by the ring-opening polymerization using lipase for chemical recycling.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2005

Environmentally benign beta-stereoselective glycosidations of glycosyl phosphites using a reusable heterogeneous solid acid, montmorillonite K-10.

Environmentally benign and stereoselective beta-glycosidations of glycopyranosyl phosphites and alcohols using a reusable heterogeneous solid acid, montmorillonite K-10, as an activator have been developed. By these glycosidations, beta-gluco-, 2-deoxy-beta-gluco-, and beta-mannopyranosides were selectively produced in good to high yields.

Bentonite↗
PubMed2004

Transformation of biodegradable polyesters into cyclic oligomers under continuous flow using an enzyme-packed column.

The enzymatic degradation of typical chemically synthesized biodegradable plastics, such as poly(butylene adipate) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone), to a repolymerizable cyclic oligomer under continuous flow using an enzyme column was studied, directed towards green chemical recycling. It was confirmed that both polymers were quantitatively transformed into the corresponding cyclic oligomers by passage through the column packed with immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) at 40 degrees C using a toluene solution. Compared to the batch treatment in a flask, a short reaction time and a low reaction temperature occurred for complete transformations of the polyesters by continuous flow through the enzyme column. The degradation activity of the enzyme column was maintained for at least six months at 40 degrees C. Conceptual scheme of the continuous degradation equipment using the enzyme column.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed2004

Enzymatic synthesis and chemical recycling of poly(carbonate-urethane).

Novel enzymatically recyclable poly(carbonate-urethane) consisting of a diurethane moiety as a hard segment and a carbonate linkage as an enzymatically cleavable unit was prepared by the polycondensation of biodegradable diurethanediol and diethyl carbonate using lipase. The produced poly(carbonate-urethane) was readily transformed by lipase into the corresponding cyclic oligomers which were more easily repolymerized by lipase to produce a higher molecular weight poly(carbonate-urethane) than that of the parent poly(carbonate-urethane).

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2004

The significant effect of the carbohydrate structures on the DNA photocleavage of the quinoxaline-carbohydrate hybrids.

The novel DNA interactive quinoxaline-carbohydrate hybrids possessing disaccharides as the carbohydrate moieties were designed and synthesized, and their DNA photocleaving abilities were evaluated in order to examine the effect of the disaccharide structures. The configurations of the glycosidic bonds in the disaccharide strongly affected the DNA photocleaving ability, and two beta-glycosidic bond linkages were very effective for the DNA photocleavage. Furthermore, the quinoxaline-disaccharide hybrids exhibited selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells with photoirradiation.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2004

Lipase-catalyzed transformation of poly(lactic acid) into cyclic oligomers.

Enzymatic transformations into cyclic oligomers were carried out with the objective of developing chemical recycling of poly(lactic acid)s, such as poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA), poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), which are typical biodegradable polymers. They were degraded by lipase in an organic solvent to produce the corresponding cyclic oligomer with a molecular weight of several hundreds. PDLLA (with a Mw of 84,000) was quantitatively transformed into cyclic oligomers by lipase RM (Lipozyme RM IM) in chloroform/hexane at 60 degrees C. PLLA (with a Mw of 120,000) was transformed into cyclic oligomer by lipase CA (Novozym 435) at a higher temperature of 100 degrees C in o-xylene. The oligomer structure was identified by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight) mass spectrometry.

Biotransformation↗
PubMed2003

Glycidol-carbohydrate hybrids: a new family of DNA alkylating agents.

Novel and chiral glycidol-carbohydrate hybrids possessing an epoxy group as a DNA alkylating moiety were designed and synthesized. These artificial hybrids selectively alkylated DNA at the N-7 sites of the guanines and cleaved DNA without any additives. The binding ability of the glycidol was significantly enhanced by the attachment of the carbohydrate.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2002

Vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase inhibitory activity of synthetic analogues of the concanamycins: is the hydrogen bond network involving the lactone carbonyl, the hemiacetal hydroxy group, and the C-19 hydroxy group essential for the biological activity of the concanamycins?

Synthetic analogue of the concanamycins, which lacks the hydrogen bond network existing in the concanamycin structure, retains vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) inhibitory activity and induces apoptosis to cancer cells that overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗