Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences

About: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences is a education organization based out in Hachiōji, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Endoplasmic reticulum & Total synthesis. The organization has 2455 authors who have published 2855 publications receiving 47677 citations. The organization is also known as: Tōkyō yakka daigaku.

An Overview of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 3CL Protease Inhibitors: Peptidomimetics and Small Molecule Chemotherapy.

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a newly emerged coronavirus that infected more than 8000 individuals and resulted in more than 800 (10–15%) fatalities in 2003. The causative a...

Methanogenesis facilitated by electric syntrophy via (semi)conductive iron-oxide minerals

Abstract: Methanogenesis is an essential part of the global carbon cycle and a key bioprocess for sustainable energy. Methanogenesis from organic matter is accomplished by syntrophic interactions among different species of microbes, in which interspecies electron transfer (IET) via diffusive carriers (e.g. hydrogen and formate) is known to be the bottleneck step. We report herein that the supplementation of soil microbes with (semi)conductive iron-oxide minerals creates unique interspecies interactions and facilitates methanogenesis. Methanogenic microbes were enriched from rice paddy field soil with either acetate or ethanol as a substrate in the absence or presence of (semi)conductive iron oxides (haematite or magnetite). We found that the supplementation with either of these iron oxides resulted in the acceleration of methanogenesis in terms of lag time and production rate, while the supplementation with an insulative iron oxide (ferrihydrite) did not. Clone-library analyses of 16S rRNA gene fragments PCR-amplified from the enrichment cultures revealed that the iron-oxide supplementation stimulated the growth of Geobacter spp. Furthermore, the addition of a specific inhibitor for methanogenesis suppressed the growth of Geobacter spp. These results suggest that Geobacter grew under syntrophic association with methanogens, and IET could occur via electric currents through (semi)conductive iron-oxide minerals (termed 'electric syntrophy'). Given the ubiquity of conductive minerals in nature, such energetic interactions may occur widely in soil and sediments and can be used to develop efficient bioenergy processes.

Decreased extra-renal urate excretion is a common cause of hyperuricemia.

Abstract: ABCG2, also known as BCRP, is a high-capacity urate exporter, the dysfunction of which raises gout/hyperuricemia risk. Generally, hyperuricemia has been classified into urate 'overproduction type' and/or 'underexcretion type' based solely on renal urate excretion, without considering an extra-renal pathway. Here we show that decreased extra-renal urate excretion caused by ABCG2 dysfunction is a common mechanism of hyperuricemia. Clinical parameters, including urinary urate excretion, are examined in 644 male outpatients with hyperuricemia. Paradoxically, ABCG2 export dysfunction significantly increases urinary urate excretion and risk ratio of urate overproduction. Abcg2-knockout mice show increased serum uric acid levels and renal urate excretion, and decreased intestinal urate excretion. Together with high ABCG2 expression in extra-renal tissues, our data suggest that the 'overproduction type' in the current concept of hyperuricemia be renamed 'renal overload type', which consists of two subtypes-'extra-renal urate underexcretion' and genuine 'urate overproduction'-providing a new concept valuable for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.