Bio-Active Compounds Discovery Research Unit

As the research platform for the sustainable resources and their application, we are developing the platforms for the discovery and validation of useful bio-active compounds. After the development and refinement of these platforms, bioactive compounds useful for the improvement of photosynthesis efficiency, N₂ fixation, denitrification and recovery of rare metals will be identified. We will validate the bioactivity of RIKEN NPDepo chemical library compounds and develop and refine the detection system of the phosphorylation dependent protein-protein interaction. The chemical array systems for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds are also being improved.

Research Fields

Chemistry / Molecular Biology & Genetics / Pharmacology & Toxicology / Clinical Medicine / Mathematics

• Construction of the screening system for bio-active compounds with novel molecular targets
• Refinement of the chemical array system
• Analysis of the mechanisms behind the activities of compounds with novel biological activity
• Mining and functional analysis of novel molecular targets

Publications

1. Y. Kondoh, H. Osada.:
   "High-throughput Screening Identifies Small Molecule Inhibitors of Molecular Chaperones. (Review Article)"
   Curr Pharm Des. 19, 473-492 (2013)
2. N. Watanabe, H. Osada.:
   "Phosphorylation-dependent protein-protein interaction modules as potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. (Review Article)"
   Current Drug Targets 13, 1654-1658 (2012)
3. Futamura Y, Kawatani M, Kazami S, Tanaka K, Muroi M, Shimizu T, Tomita K, Watanabe N, Osada H.:
   "Morphobase, an Encyclopedic Cell Morphology Database, and its Use for Drug Target Identification."
   Chem. Biol. 19, 1620-1630 (2012)
4. Uchida, S., Watanabe, N., Kudo, Y., Yoshioka, K., Matsunaga, T., Ishizaka, Y., Nakagama, H., Poon, R.Y.C., Yamashita, K.:
   "SCFβTrCP mediates stress-activated MAP kinase-induced Cdc25B degradation."
   J. Cell Sci. 124, 2816-2825 (2011)
5. E.B. Ong, N. Watanabe, A. Saito, Y. Futamura, K.H. Abd El Galil, A. Koito, N. Najimudin, H. Osada.:
   "Vipirinin, a coumarin-based HIV-1 Vpr Inhibitor, interacts with a hydrophobic region of Vpr."
   J. Biol. Chem. 286, 14049-14056 (2011)
6. Watanabe N, Sekine T, Takagi M, Iwasaki J, Imamoto N, Kawasaki H, Osada H.:
   "Deficiency in chromosome congression by the inhibition of Plk1 polo box domain-dependent recognition."
   J. Biol. Chem. 284, 2344-2353 (2009)