Chemical Biology Research Group

To promote "Chemical Biological Research" that aims to elucidate biological phenomena using chemical compounds as starting materials, chemical libraries.

Our group constructs chemical libraries through the genetic engeenering of microorganisms and organic synthesis, and databases that describe the chemical and biological information of the libraries.

We explore the useful bioactive compounds in the chemical library and identify the molecular targets of bioactive compounds, and elucidate the mechanisms behind the actions of the active compounds as well.

We continue to maintain the infrastructure for advanced studies of chemical biology and sustainable resource science.

Research Fields

Chemistry / Biology & Biochemistry / Molecular Biology & Genetics / Pharmacology & Toxicology / Microbiology / Multidisciplinary

• Construction of a chemical bank, "Natural Products Depository (NPDepo)"
• Expansion of the chemical library using genetic engineering and synthetic chemistry.
• Exploration of bioactive compounds in the chemical library through high throughput screening systems.
• Analyses of small molecule-protein interaction and development of the new analytical methods.

Publications

1. Osada, H., and Nogawa, T.:
   "Systematic isolation of microbial metabolites for natural products depository (NPDepo)"
   Pure Appl. Chem. 84, 1407-1420 (2012).
2. Takahashi, S., Toyoda, A., Sekiyama, Y., Takagi, H., Nogawa, T., Uramoto, M., Suzuki, R., Koshino, H., Kumano, T., Panthee, S., Dairi, T., Ishikawa, J., Ikeda, H., Sakaki, Y., and Osada, H.:
   "Reveromycin A biosynthesis uses RevG and RevJ for stereospecific spiroacetal formation"
   Nat. Chem. Biol. 7, 461-468 (2011).
3. Nogawa, T., Okano, A., Takahashi, S., Uramoto, M., Konno, H., Saito, T., and Osada, H.:
   "Verticilactam, a new macrolactam isolated from a microbial metabolite fraction library"
   Org. Lett. 12, 4564-4567 (2010).
4. Sun, Y., Hahn, F., Demydchuk, Y., Chettle, J., Tosin, M., Osada, H., and Leadlay, P. F.:
   "In vitro reconstruction of tetronate RK-682 biosynthesis"
   Nat. Chem. Biol. 6, 99-101 (2010).
5. Muroi, M., Kazami, S., Noda, K., Kondo, H., Takayama, H., Kawatani, M., Usui, T., and Osada, H.:
   "Application of proteomic profiling based on 2D-DIGE for classification of compounds according to the mechanism of action"
   Chemistry & Biology. 17, 460-470 (2010).
6. Miyazaki, I., Simizu, S., Okumura, H., Takagi, S., and Osada, H.:
   "A small-molecule inhibitor shows that pirin regulates migration of melanoma cells"
   Nat. Chem. Biol. 6, 667-673 (2010).
7. Osada, H.:
   "Introduction of new tools for chemical biology research on microbial metabolites"
   Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 74, 1135-1140 (2010).

Organization