Language：English   Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

Kokuto-shochu is a traditional Japanese spirit prepared from kokuto, obtained by evaporating water from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) juice. To clarify the effects of sugarcane cultivars on the sensory quality of kokuto-shochu, we investigated the flavor characteristics and composition of volatiles in kokuto-shochu prepared from kokuto using three different sugarcane cultivars, NiF8, Ni15, and RK97-14. Furthermore, experiments were conducted by using the cultivars collected between 2018 and 2020 to observe annual variations in their properties. The amino acid content of the three kokuto varieties did not differ significantly, but the amino acid content of NiF8 was two to five times higher than that of RK97-14, which was the same for all samples collected in the selected years. The browning degrees of kokuto were also higher in NiF8, and they were positively correlated to the amino acid contents of kokuto. The kokuto-like aroma of shochu made from Ni15 was stronger than that of shochu made from RK97-14. The concentration of ethyl lactate in shochu made from Ni15 was higher, however, the concentration of guaiacol was the lowest in the three cultivars’ products. Shochu made from NiF8 had the highest levels of Maillard reaction products (MRPs; pyrazines and furans), β-damascenone, and guaiacol amounts. In contrast, shochu made from RK97-14 tended to have a fruity flavor, and lower MRP levels than those made from NiF8. Thus, it was shown that sugarcane cultivars affect the sensory characteristics and volatiles in kokuto-shochu.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2023.03.010

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

BACKGROUND: Marine deep subsurface sediments were once thought to be devoid of eukaryotic life, but advances in molecular technology have unlocked the presence and activity of well-known closely related terrestrial and marine fungi. Commonly detected fungi in deep marine sediment environments includes Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Schizophyllum, which could have important implications in carbon and nitrogen cycling in this isolated environment. In order to determine the diversity and unknown metabolic capabilities of fungi in deep-sea sediments, their genomes need to be fully analyzed. In this study, two Penicillium species were isolated from South Pacific Gyre sediment enrichments during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 329. The inner gyre has very limited productivity, organic carbon, and nutrients. RESULTS: Here, we present high-quality genomes of two proposed novel Penicillium species using Illumina HiSeq and PacBio sequencing technologies. Single-copy homologues within the genomes were compared to other closely related genomes using OrthoMCL and maximum-likelihood estimation, which showed that these genomes were novel species within the genus Penicillium. We propose to name isolate SPG-F1 as Penicillium pacificasedimenti sp. nov. and SPG-F15 as Penicillium pacificagyrus sp. nov. The resulting genome sizes were 32.6 Mbp and 36.4 Mbp, respectively, and both genomes were greater than 98% complete as determined by the presence of complete single-copy orthologs. The transposable elements for each genome were 4.87% for P. pacificasedimenti and 10.68% for P. pacificagyrus. A total of 12,271 genes were predicted in the P. pacificasedimenti genome and 12,568 genes in P. pacificagyrus. Both isolates contained genes known to be involved in the degradation of recalcitrant carbon, amino acids, and lignin-derived carbon. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the first constructed genomes of novel Penicillium isolates from deep marine sediments, which will be useful for future studies of marine subsurface fungal diversity and function. Furthermore, these genomes shed light on the potential impact fungi in marine sediments and the subseafloor could have on global carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles and how they may be persisting in the most energy-limited sedimentary biosphere.

DOI： 10.1186/s12864-023-09320-6

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

In this study, we developed an efficient gene targeting system for the osmophilic fungus Aspergillus chevalieri, which is commonly used in the production of a dried bonito, katsuobushi. Specifically, we utilized the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 system to disrupt the ATP sulfurylase encoding sC gene. This results in methionine auxotroph and selenate-resistance. Additionally, we disrupted the DNA ligase IV encoding ligD gene, which is required for non-homologous end joining. Using the sC marker and selenate-resistance as a selection pressure, we were able to rescue the sC marker and generate a ΔligD ΔsC strain. We determined that the gene targeting efficiency of the ΔligD ΔsC strain was significantly higher than that of the parental ΔsC strain, which indicates that this strain provides efficient genetic recombination for the genetic analysis of A. chevalieri.

DOI： 10.1093/bbb/zbad033

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

In this study, we investigated the changes in composition, microstructure, and starch molecular structure of shochu koji during preparation. We observed that the gelatinized and outer part of starch was decomposed in priority during the early and middle preparation stages. The gap between the starch granules increased with the delayed time. Finally, the koji microstructure became spongy. Shochu koji mold produced two α-amylases in different expression manners. Acid-labile α-amylase was produced in the early and middle preparation stages. Acid-stable α-amylase and saccharification power were produced in the middle and late stages. Throughout the koji preparation, reducing sugars content reached approximately 13-20 % of the total sugar content, with glucose representing over 70 % of the reducing sugars. α-Glucan fragments with C chains of degree of polymerization (DP) 4-73 were observed in the early and middle stages (<23 h), indicating the degradation of amylopectin at long B chains. In the latter stage, the amount of C chains of DP 6-30 decreased, while the longer C chains (DP 30<) did not change. These results showed that acid-labile α-amylase, acid-stable α-amylase, and saccharification enzymes including glucoamylase and α-glucosidase work preferentially on the amorphous regions of starch granules, and cooperative action of these enzymes during koji preparation contributes to the formation of the observed microstructure. Our study is the first report on the decomposition schemes of starch and the microstructure forming process in shochu koji.

DOI： 10.5458/jag.jag.JAG-2023_0006

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Elsevier BV  

In shochu-making, a small amount of fermenting moromi is added to a koji/water mixture instead of yeast culture to initiate fermentation. This is a characteristic process called Sashi-moto. It is known that shochu yeast is replaced by wild yeast upon repetition of Sashi-moto. The shochu yeast strains Kagoshima No. 2 (K2), Kagoshima No. 4 (C4), and Kagoshima No. 5 (H5), but not Kagoshima No. 6 (A6), were replaced by wild yeast (strain No. S5-g). K2 and C4 were easily replaced compared to H5, and the specific growth rates of K2 and C4 were lower than that of S5-g under higher osmotic pressure. Although the specific growth rate of H5 was higher than that of S5-g, its yeast population at the stationary phase was smaller than S5-g. On the other hand, both the specific growth rate and yeast population of A6 were higher than those of S5-g. The specific growth rate of yeast would be affected by osmotic tolerance and specific characters of the yeast strain.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2022.07.011

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J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The white koji fungus, Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii, is used in the production of shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. White koji fungus plays an important role in the shochu production process by supplying amylolytic enzymes such as α-amylase and glucoamylase. These enzymes convert starch contained in primary ingredients such as rice, barley, buckwheat, and sweet potato into glucose, which is subsequently utilized by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol. White koji fungus also secretes large amounts of citric acid, which lowers the pH of the shochu mash, thereby preventing the growth of undesired microbes and enabling stable production of shochu in relatively warm regions of Japan. This review describes the historical background, research tools, and recent advances in studies of the mechanism of citric acid production by white koji fungus.

DOI： 10.1093/bbb/zbac033

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Monascus purpureus have been used for making koji and other fermented foods and supplements. M. purpureus characteristically produces monacolin K (MK), a secondary metabolite that competitively inhibits cholesterol synthesis. Synchrotron light irradiation was applied to induce mutation in the strain KUPM5 to improve the MK-producing ability of M. purpureus strain KUPM5. Screening by a bioassay utilizing sensitivities to yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae from 936 colonies allows isolating three mutant strains: SC01, SC02, and SC03. These mutant strains and the parental strain KUPM5 were subjected to make koji using rice, and their metabolites were compared. All strains SC01, SC02, and SC03 in koji showed higher production of MK than the strain KUPM5. Particularly, the SC02 strain produced MK threefold higher than KUPM5 and maintained the production capabilities of other metabolites, including red, yellow, and orange pigments, mycelial contents, and α-amylase activity comparable to those of the strain KUPM5. Comparative genome analysis among strain KUPM5 and the mutants revealed that synchrotron light irradiation introduced mutations in approximately 90% of the total genes, including SNV, MNV, and indel mutations. The frequencies of SNV substitution in the whole genome occupied 68.96% of all mutations, of which 92.38% were transversions and 7.62% were transitions. This study, therefore, proved the synchrotron light irradiation was highly efficient for the strain improvement of a filamentous fungus, M. purpureus, and provided insights into the properties of mutation in the fungus by this mutagen.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2021.11.011

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Elsevier BV  

Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii is used primarily in the production of shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled alcoholic beverage. Here, we report the chromosome-level genome sequence of A. luchuensis mut. kawachii IFO 4308 (NBRC 4308) and a comparison of the sequence with that of A. luchuensis RIB2601. The genome of strain IFO 4308 was assembled into nine contigs consisting of eight chromosomes and one mitochondrial DNA segment. The nearly complete genome of strain IFO 4308 comprises 37,287,730 bp with a GC content of 48.85% and 12,664 predicted coding sequences and 267 tRNAs. Comparison of the IFO 4308 and RIB2601 genomes revealed a highly conserved structure; however, the IFO 4308 genome is larger than that of RIB2601, which is primarily attributed to chromosome 5. The genome sequence of IFO 4308 was deposited in DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under accession numbers AP024425-AP024433.

DOI： 10.1016/j.dib.2022.107888

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：MDPI AG  

Early and quick detection of pathogens are crucial for managing the spread of infections in the biomedical, biosafety, food, and agricultural fields. While molecular diagnostics can offer the specificity and reliability in acute infectious diseases, detection of pathogens is often slowed down by the current benchtop molecular diagnoses, which are time consuming, labor intensive, and lack the mobility for application at the point-of-need. In this work, we developed a complete on-farm use detection protocol for the plant-devastating anthracnose agent: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Our methods combined a simplified DNA extraction on paper that is compatible with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), coupled with paper-based immunoassay lateral flow sensing. Our results offer simple, quick, easy, and a minimally instrumented toolkit for Colletotrichum gloeosporioides detection. This scalable and adaptable platform is a valuable alternative to traditional sensing systems towards on-the-go pathogen detection in food and agriculture, biomedical, and other fields.

DOI： 10.3390/bios12020049

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Informa UK Limited  

White koji, a solid-state culture of Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii using grains such as rice and barley, is used as a source of amylolytic enzymes and citric acid for the production of shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. We previously characterized changes in gene expression that affect the properties of white koji during the shochu production process; however, the underlying regulatory mechanisms were not determined. We then characterized the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase sirtuin, an epigenetic regulator of various biological phenomena, in A. l. mut. kawachii and found that sirtuin SirD is involved in expression of α-amylase activity and citric acid accumulation. In this addendum study, we measured the NAD+/NADH redox state and found that the NAD+ level and NAD+/NADH ratio decrease during koji production, indicating that sirtuin activity declines in the late stages of koji culture. By comparing these results with transcriptomic data obtained in our previous studies, we estimate that approximately 35% of the gene expression changes during white koji production are SirD dependent. This study provides clues to the mechanism of gene expression regulation in A. l. mut. kawachii during the production of white koji.

DOI： 10.1080/19420889.2022.2051844

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：ELSEVIER  

In this study, we compared the flavor profiles Chinese rice-flavor baijiu and Japanese awamori-traditional liquors with similar manufacturing processes. Citric acid and lactic acid were the major acid constituents in the mash of awamori and rice-flavor baijiu, respectively. The amino acid content of awamori mash was greater than that of rice-flavor baijiu owing to the higher proteolytic activities in the former. The high amino acid content also induced yeast growth at the early stage of fermentation in awamori mash, thus increasing the fermentation rate. Sensory evaluation revealed that rice-flavor baijiu had a significantly stronger alcoholic, floral, and fruity aroma, whereas the awamori had a strong sour, koji-like, oily, and cereal-like aromas. We determined the aroma threshold of (+)-ethyl D-lactate (15,400 mu g/L) and (-)-ethyl L-lactate (12,500 mu g/L). Both compounds have a common sweet, fruity, and green leaves-like aroma and a different nuance; (+)-ethyl D-lactate has a peach- and citrus-like aromas, and (-)-ethyl L-lactate has an apple-like and milky aromas. In rice-flavor baijiu, (-)-ethyl Llactate constitutes the major isoform, as evident from the higher concentration of L (+)-lactic acid in the mash. Higher alcohols, (-)-ethyl L-lactate, and isoamyl acetate contents were greater in rice-flavor baijiu, while 1-octen-3-ol and acetic acid were greater in awamori. These results showed that solid-state saccharification contributed to the production of ethyl lactate by supplying in the mash a large amount of lactic acid produced by Rhizopus oryzae and koji contributed to the production of 1-octen-3-ol via the high fatty acid oxygenase activity produced by Aspergillus luchuensis.

DOI： 10.1016/j.fbio.2021.101375

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

DOI： 10.1002/tkm2.1303

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Other Link： https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/tkm2.1303

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are chromosomally integrated self-transmissible mobile genetic elements. Although some ICEs are known to carry genes for the degradation of aromatic compounds, information on their genetic features is limited. We identified a new member of the ICEclc family carrying biphenyl catabolic bph genes and salicylic acid catabolic sal genes from the PCB-degrading strain Pseudomonas stutzeri KF716. The 117-kb ICEbph-salKF716 contains common core regions exhibiting homology with those of degradative ICEclc from P. knackmussii B13 and ICEXTD from Azoarcus sp. CIB. A comparison of the gene loci collected from the public database revealed that several putative ICEs from P. putida B6-2, P, alcaliphila JAB1, P. stutzeri AN10, and P. stutzeri 2A20 had highly conserved core regions with those of ICEbph-salKF716, along with the variable region that encodes the catabolic genes for biphenyl, naphthalene, toluene, or phenol. These data indicate that this type of ICE subfamily is ubiquitously distributed within aromatic compound-degrading bacteria. ICEbph-salKF716 was transferred from P. stutzeri KF716 to P. aeruginosa PAO1 via a circular extrachromosomal intermediate form. In this study, we describe the structure and genetic features of ICEbph-salKF716 compared to other catabolic ICEs.

DOI： 10.3390/microorganisms9122462

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：WILEY  

Rice-flavor baijiu is a traditional Chinese liquor. The flavor profile and volatiles presented with or without the solid-state saccharification (SSS) were investigated to reveal the effects of SSS process on the quality of rice-flavor baijiu. The liquor prepared with SSS had a sweet flavor. It contained significantly higher contents of β-phenylethyl alcohol, β-phenylethyl acetate, and ethyl lactate with odor active value of >1. The liquor prepared without SSS had a cheese-like flavor. It was confirmed that the cheese-like flavor derived from butanoic acid was only detected in the liquor prepared without SSS. SSS facilitated the biosynthesis of β-phenylethyl alcohol and ethyl lactate by supplying a large amount of phenylalanine and lactic acid at the initial stage of fermentation, and it prevented contamination. These results indicated that the SSS process contributed to produce the characteristic flavor compounds of rice-flavor baijiu. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Solid-state saccharification (SSS) process of rice-flavor baijiu contributes not only in brewing, but also in the production of the characteristic flavor compounds and the repression of the off-flavor derived from the contamination. Therefore, SSS is a critical process to control the flavor of rice-flavor baijiu.

DOI： 10.1111/1750-3841.15935

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

In this study, we report the chromosome-level genome sequence of the osmophilic filamentous fungus Aspergillus chevalieri M1, which was isolated from a dried bonito, katsuobushi. This fungus plays a significant role in the fermentation and ripening process. Thus, elucidating the sequence data for this fungus will aid in subsequent genomic research on the fungi involved in katsuobushi production.

DOI： 10.1128/MRA.00385-21

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Aspergillus puulaauensis strain MK2 was isolated from a dead hard tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). Here, we determined the chromosome-level genome sequence of A. puulaauensis MK2.

DOI： 10.1128/MRA.00372-21

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Aspergillus luchuensis is used for the production of awamori and shochu, which are traditional Japanese distilled alcoholic beverages. Here, we determined the chromosome-level genome sequence of A. luchuensis RIB2601.

DOI： 10.1128/MRA.00384-21

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The traditional Japanese single distilled liquor, which uses koji and yeast with designated ingredients, is called "honkaku shochu." It is made using local agricultural products and has several types, including barley shochu, sweet potato shochu, rice shochu, and buckwheat shochu. In the case of honkaku shochu, black koji fungus (Aspergillus luchuensis) or white koji fungus (Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii) is used to (1) saccharify the starch contained in the ingredients, (2) produce citric acid to prevent microbial spoilage, and (3) give the liquor its unique flavor. In order to make delicious shochu, when cultivating koji fungus during the shochu production process, we use a unique temperature control method to ensure that these three important elements, which greatly affect the taste of the produced liquor, are balanced without any excess or deficiency. This review describes in detail the production method of honkaku shochu, a distilled spirit unique to Japan and whose market is expected to expand worldwide, with special attention paid to the koji fungi cultivation step. Furthermore, we describe the history of the koji fungi used today in the production of shochu, and we provide a thorough explanation of the characteristics of each koji fungi. We also report the latest research progress on this topic.

DOI： 10.3390/jof7070517

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry  

DOI： 10.1271/kagakutoseibutsu.59.241

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：WILEY  

Additional moisture in preparing red koji, Monascus-fermented rice, is a characteristic production process. To determine how additional moisture affects red koji preparation as per quality, we compared the growth of Monascus purpureus, enzyme and pigment production, and related gene expressions using our findings. We considered two kinds of red koji: one prepared with additional moisture at the middle part of the preparation and the other prepared without additional moisture. Our results showed that additional moisture did not promote the growth of M. purpureus, but it was significantly increased the pigment (red and yellow) and tended to increase the alpha-amylase level and saccharification power. Although adding a high amount of moisture (approximately 60% moisture content) promoted pigment production, it slightly repressed enzyme production. In contrast, adding approximately 50% moisture content promoted enzyme production. These findings showed that the additional moisture can affect the quality of red koji on the purpose. The expression of 10 pigment biosynthetic gene clusters and two glycohydrolase genes in red koji after adding moisture was analyzed through real-time qPCR. Eight genes were upregulated within 1 hr after adding water, with mppR2 being the first upregulated gene within 30 min. The expression of genes as per pigment production quickly responded to additional moisture during solid-state fermentation. Moreover, acetyl-CoA, which is a starting substrate for pigment content in red koji was increased within 3 hr after adding water. This study first described the relationship between additional moisture and expression of pigment biosynthetic genes by Monascus spp. during red koji preparation.

DOI： 10.1111/1750-3841.15610

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PubMed

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：ELSEVIER  

We investigated the contribution of the complex expressions of two alpha-amylases, namely acid-stable alpha-amylase (AS-amylase) and acid-labile alpha-amylase (AL-amylase), from Aspergillus kawachii to the microstructure of koji and the brewing. AL-amylase was found to be the primary contributor to the decomposition of starch in the early stage of koji making. From the middle stage, both alpha-amylases decomposed the starch in a coordinated manner, and at the final stage, acid-stable alpha-amylase and glucoamylase decomposed the starch granules. Characterization of koji prepared by the single disruptions of AS-amylase or AL-amylase genes, double disruption of both alpha-amylase genes, and triple disruption of two alpha-amylase and glucoamylase genes in A. kawachii cells indicated that both alpha-amylases can work in a synergistic manner to decompose starches during koji making. AL-amylase was found, for the first time, to play an important role in starch decomposition in koji. The speed of alcohol fermentation and ester contents of the fermented mash were higher the mash prepared the control strain, followed by single, double, and triple disruptants. These results indicate that the microstructure of koji plays a role in promoting alcohol fermentation and flavor development.

DOI： 10.1016/j.lwt.2020.110580

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Citrate exporter CexA plays a key role in the production of citric acid in fungi; however, its role in intracellular metabolism has remained unclear. In this study, we comparably characterized homologous cexA genes in the white koji fungus Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii and the yellow koji fungus Aspergillus oryzae, which exhibit high and low abilities, respectively, to produce citric acid. Disruption of cexA caused a significant decline of both extracellular and intracellular citric acid accumulation in Aspergillus kawachii, while overexpression of the A. kawachii cexA gene (AkcexA) into A. oryzae significantly enhanced both extracellular and intracellular citric acid accumulation in A. oryzae to a level comparable to that of A. kawachii. In addition, overexpression of two intrinsic cexA homologs (AocexA and AocexB) in A. oryzae also enhanced its extracellular and intracellular citric acid accumulation. Comprehensive analysis of intracellular metabolites from an AkcexA-overexpressing strain of A. oryzae compared with its control strain identified metabolic changes associated with intracellular citric acid accumulation via the glycolytic pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. Our results indicate that citric acid export enhances not only extracellular citric acid accumulation but also intracellular metabolic fluxes to generate citric acid.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.09.002

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：John Wiley and Sons Inc  

DOI： 10.1002/jib.674

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Substrate-induced gene expression (SIGEX) is a high-throughput promoter-trap method. It is a function-based metagenomic screening tool that relies on transcriptional activation of a reporter gene green fluorescence protein (gfp) by a metagenomic DNA library upon induction with a substrate. However, its use is limited because of the relatively small size of metagenomic DNA libraries and incompatibility with screening metagenomes from anaerobic environments. In this study, these limitations of SIGEX were addressed by fine-tuning metagenome DNA library construction protocol and by using Evoglow, a green fluorescent protein that forms a chromophore even under anaerobic conditions. Two metagenomic libraries were constructed for subseafloor sediments offshore Shimokita Peninsula (Pacific Ocean) and offshore Joetsu (Japan Sea). The library construction protocol was improved by (a) eliminating short DNA fragments, (b) applying topoisomerase-based high-efficiency ligation, (c) optimizing insert DNA concentration, and (d) column-based DNA enrichment. This led to a successful construction of metagenome DNA libraries of approximately 6 Gbp for both samples. SIGEX screening using five aromatic compounds (benzoate, 3-chlorobenzoate, 3-hydroxybenzoate, phenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions revealed significant differences in the inducible clone ratios under these conditions. 3-Chlorobenzoate and 2,4-dichlorophenol led to a higher induction ratio than that for the other non-chlorinated aromatic compounds under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. After the further screening of induced clones, a clone induced by 3-chlorobenzoate only under anaerobic conditions was isolated and characterized. The clone harbors a DNA insert that encodes putative open reading frames of unknown function. Previous aerobic SIGEX attempts succeeded in the isolation of gene fragments from anaerobes. This study demonstrated that some gene fragments require a strict in vivo reducing environment to function and may be potentially missed when screened by aerobic induction. The newly developed anaerobic SIGEX scheme will facilitate functional exploration of metagenomes from the anaerobic biosphere.

DOI： 10.3389/fmicb.2021.726024

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J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.05.006

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PubMed

Publisher：Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry  

DOI： 10.1080/09168451.2020.1792761

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Journal of General and Applied Microbiology  

DOI： 10.2323/jgam.2019.09.003

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Nanomaterials  

DOI： 10.3390/nano10051003

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2019.11.004

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PubMed

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2019.09.017

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PubMed

Publisher：Applied and Environmental Microbiology  

DOI： 10.1128/AEM.01950-19

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PubMed

Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.3389/fnut.2020.00115

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2019.03.019

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids  

DOI： 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.05.004

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PubMed

Publisher：Genes  

DOI： 10.3390/genes10050404

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Applied and Environmental Microbiology  

DOI： 10.1128/AEM.03136-18

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PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Microbiology Resource Announcements  

DOI： 10.1128/MRA.01613-18

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PubMed

Publisher：Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.07.003

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PubMed

Publisher：Food Science and Technology Research  

DOI： 10.3136/fstr.25.313

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Publisher：Journal of Applied Microbiology  

DOI： 10.1111/jam.14061

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology  

DOI： 10.1099/ijsem.0.002670

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PubMed

Publisher：European Journal of Cell Biology  

DOI： 10.1016/j.ejcb.2018.03.007

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PubMed

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Journal of General and Applied Microbiology  

DOI： 10.2323/jgam.2017.02.004

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PubMed

Publisher：Genome Announcements  

DOI： 10.1128/genomeA.01126-17

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PubMed

Publisher：Yeast  

DOI： 10.1002/yea.3243

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PubMed

Publisher：Environmental Microbiology Reports  

DOI： 10.1111/1758-2229.12561

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PubMed

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：Food Chemistry  

DOI： 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.12.005

Scopus

PubMed

Publisher：Genome Announcements  

DOI： 10.1128/genomeA.01624-16

Scopus

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：(一社)日本生薬学会  

中国および韓国で入手した市場品の神麹15種をサンプルとし、菌叢、酵素活性(アミラーゼ、リパーゼ、プロテアーゼ)およびフェルラ酸含量について調査した。Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE)解析の結果、神麹には乳酸菌や枯草菌など複数の微生物が存在し、製品によって微生物の種類が大きく異なることが判明した。また、半数以上のサンプルでアミラーゼ活性およびリパーゼ活性を認め、全サンプルでフェルラ酸の含有を認めた。色調により暗褐色系、白色系、黄褐色系の3群に分類して主成分分析した結果、酵素活性が検出されなかったのは全て黄褐色群で、明度が低いほどフェルラ酸含量が高い傾向であった。以上より、神麹は、色調によって酵素活性およびフェルラ酸含量の予測が可能であると考えられた。

Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Publisher：The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy  

<p>"<i>Shinkiku</i>" is a traditional digestive drug prepared by the fermentation of wheat and some herbs with fermentative microbes. <i>Shinkiku</i> is manufactured in China and Korea, and also used in Japanese <i>Kampo</i> medicine as a component of <i>Hangebyakujutsutemmato</i>. However, there are currently no quality standards for <i>shinkiku</i>, and thus, the quality of <i>shinkiku</i> has considerable variation depending on its manufacturer. Although these variations would be partially derived from the differences in fermentative microbes, there are no studies about microbial diversities or chemical constituents in commercial <i>shinkiku</i>. Thus, we investigated the microbial diversity and chemical constituents of 15 commercial <i>shinkiku</i> samples to standardize its quality. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rDNA and ITS1 sequences revealed that different microbes such as <i>Lactobacillus</i> sp. and <i>Candida</i> sp. were present in each <i>shinkiku</i> sample. On the other hand, most <i>shinkiku</i> samples showed amylase (12/15 samples) and lipase activities (9/15 samples) that behave as digestants. In addition, all samples commonly contained ferulic acid (>10 nmol/g), which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Thus, enzyme activities and ferulic acid were suggested to be one of the candidates for use as reference standards for the quality control of <i>shinkiku</i>. Exceptional <i>shinkiku</i> samples without enzyme activities showed a baked brown color, and ferulic acid content was inversely related with the brightness color of <i>shinkiku</i> (R²=0.47). Therefore, it seems that color indices would be effective to predict the quality of <i>shinkiku</i> such as enzyme activities and ferulic acid.</p>

DOI： 10.24684/jspharm.71.1_41

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1002/jib.334

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.2323/jgam.2016.01.001

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

CiNii Books

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)和漢医薬学会  

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

Language：English  

The white koji fungus, Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii, is used in the production of shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. White koji fungus plays an important role in the shochu production process by supplying amylolytic enzymes such as α-amylase and glucoamylase. These enzymes convert starch contained in primary ingredients such as rice, barley, buckwheat, and sweet potato into glucose, which is subsequently utilized by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol. White koji fungus also secretes large amounts of citric acid, which lowers the pH of the shochu mash, thereby preventing the growth of undesired microbes and enabling stable production of shochu in relatively warm regions of Japan. This review describes the historical background, research tools, and recent advances in studies of the mechanism of citric acid production by white koji fungus.

DOI： 10.1093/bbb/zbac033

PubMed

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

J-GLOBAL

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (trade magazine, newspaper, online media)   Publisher：朝倉書店  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (bulletin of university, research institution)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

Event date： 2014.11

Language：Japanese  

Venue：東北大学.  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.10

Language：Japanese  

Venue：浜松アクトシティコングレスセンター.  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.9

Language：Japanese  

Venue：札幌コンベンションセンター.  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.9

Language：Japanese  

Venue：札幌コンベンションセンター.  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.9

Language：Japanese  

Venue：東京大学  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.9

Language：Japanese  

Venue：東京大学  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.8

Language：English  

Venue：Bangkok, Thailand.  

国際学会

Event date： 2014.4

Language：Japanese  

Venue：九州大学  

その他

Event date： 2014.3

Language：Japanese  

Venue：明治大学  

国内学会

Event date： 2014.3

Language：Japanese  

Venue：明治大学  

国内学会

Language：Japanese