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Synthetic Cellular Chemistry Laboratory
Yukishige ITO
Chief Scientist
Yukishige ITO (D.Phar.)
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Research Areas

Glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins and glycolipids contain glycan chains. The latter are intimately connected with in various biological events, such as cell-cell recognition, differentiation and malignant transformation. It is becoming clear that they also play critical roles in glycoprotein activity control, stabilization, folding and degradation. Synthesis of complex and structurally diverse glycan chains is a challenging subject in synthetic organic chemistry. It is attracting a broad attention as an important area at the interface with biology. Based on these backgrounds, various attempts to synthesize glycoconjugates, particularly glycoproteins and related compounds are under current investigation, which aims at the clarification of biological roles of glycan chains. The development of new methodologies in glycan chain synthesis is another major on going subject of investigation. This program aims at establishment of fully selective and rapid assembly of glycoconjugate related glycan chains. Computational approach on glycan chains is also performed in order to clarify the conformation of biologically active oligosaccharides.

Research Subject

  1. Development of syntheic methodologies for creation of glycoconjugate-related molecules
  2. Synthetic sutdies on biologically important glycoconjugates
  3. Studies on intracellular functions of glycoproteins
  4. Development of polysaccharide derived materials

Related links

  1. RIKEN Advanced Science Institute Website_Laboratories PageNew Window
  2. ERATO ITO Glycotrilogy Project PageNew Window

Press release

May 11, 2010
New function for degrading poorly-formed proteins discovered in PNGase
July 13, 2007
Synthetic Cellular Chemistry Laboratory of DRI achieved the first synthesis of cis-N-acetyl-D-glycosamine, an amino saccharide that exhibits potent anti-Helicobacter pylori properties.

RIKEN RESEARCH

May 06, 2011
Sugar synthesis hits the sweet spot
Novel tuberculosis treatments could result from success in artificially synthesizing sugar-based structures of the bacterium’s cell wall New Window
August 29,2008
New route to specific sugars
A new method to selectively synthesize unusual linkages for sugar derivatives allows scientists access to important biological compounds New Window
August 15, 2008
Chemical synthesis of sugar chains to unravel the mysteries of their roles in biological phenomena New Window
May 30, 2008
Working well in a crowded cell
Understanding how glycoproteins are processed in cells may help scientists develop therapies for specific disorders New Window
October 05,2007
Sweet synthesis to aid understanding of bacteria
A new route to synthesize an antibiotic may also lead to new drugs New Window
February 23, 2007
One sugar or two?
A better understanding of enzyme function using synthetic carbohydrate substrates New Window

List of Selected Publications

  1. Ishiwata, A., Sakurai, A., Nishimiya, Y., Tsuda, S., and Ito, Y.:
    "Synthetic study and structural analysis of the antifreeze agent xylomannan from Upis ceramboides"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133, 19524-19535 (2011)
  2. Nakagawa, Y., Doi, T., Masuda, Y., Tagegoshi, K., Igarashi, Y., and Ito, Y.:
    "Mapping of the primary mannose binding site of Pradimicin A"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133, 17485-17493 (2011)
  3. Ishiwata, A. and Ito, Y.:
    "Synthesis of docosasaccharide arabina motif of mycobacterial cell wall"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 2275-2291 (2011)
  4. Nakagawa, Y., Masuda, Y., Yamada, K., Doi, T., Takegoshi, K., Igarashi, Y., and Ito, Y.:
    "Solid-state NMR spectroscopic analysis of the Ca2+-dependent mannose binding of pradimicin A"
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 6084-6088 (2011)
  5. Totani, K., Ihara, Y., Tsujimoto, T., Matsuo, I., and Ito, Y.:
    "The recognition motif of the folding-sensor enzyme UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase"
    Biochemistry 48, 2933-2940 (2009)
  6. Manabe, S., Ishii, K., Hashizume, D., Koshino, H., and Ito, Y.:
    "Evidence for endocyclic cleavage of conformationally restricted glycopyranosides"
    Chem. Eur. J., 6894-6901 (2009)
  7. Lee, Y.J., Ishiwata, A., and Ito, Y.:
    "Stereoselective Synthesis of β-L-Rhamnopyranosides"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 6330-6331 (2008).
  8. Totani, K., Ihara, Y., Matsuo, I., and Ito, Y.:
    "Effects of macromolecular crowding on glycoprotein processing enzymes"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 2101-2107 (2008)
  9. Manabe, S., Ishii, K., and Ito, Y.:
    "N-Benzyl-2,3-oxazolidinone as a glycosyl donor for selective a-glycosylation and one-pot oligosaccharide synthesis involving 1,2-cis-glycosylation"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 10666-10667 (2006).
  10. Totani, K., Matsuo, I., Ihara, Y., and Ito, Y.:
    "Substrate specificity analysis of endoplasmic reticulum glucosidase II using synthetic high-mannose-type glycans"
    J. Biol. Chem., 281, 31502-31508 (2006)

Members

Principal Investigator

Yukishige ITO
Chief Scientist

Staff Scientist

Shino MANABE
Senior Research Scientist
Akihiro ISHIWATA
Senior Research Scientist
Yu NAKAGAWA
Senior Research Scientist
Junichi AIKAWA
Senior Research Scientist
Yasuharu SAKAMOTO
Senior Research Scientist

Postdoctoral Fellow

Yoshiyuki AIHARA
Postdoctoral Researcher