Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Filamentous fungi generally have various metabolic pathways producing unique compounds utilizing variety of starting materials. Of them, Aspergillus oryzae, which are widely used in Japanese food industry has known to produce kojic acid (KA) for many years in particular conditions. Comparison of several genomes of Aspergilli has shown two groups of genomes diff erent in size. Th e bigger genomes were found to possess more metabolic genes such as secretory hydrolases and secondary metabolisms. Th e expression regulation of those genes is of great interest because the former genes are useful to degrade raw materials in fermentation and because the latter genes are responsible to produce bio-active compounds, which could be utilized in pharmaceutical industry and could be essential to pathogenic ability. However, large diversity and expression in limited conditions of the genes have made their analyses signifi cantly diffi cult. Recently, we have determined genes responsible to KA biosynthesis. Th e gene cluster consisted of three genes encoding oxidoreductase, a transporter and a transcription regulator, which located on the non-syntenic block. As a part of the studies to improve KA productivity, we have analyzed epigenetic regulation of the cluster by analyzing acetylation and methylation of histone H3. Th e ChIP analysis using anti-dimethyl H3 (lys4) and anti-acetyl H3 (lys9, 14) indicated close relation between the modifi cations and the expression levels of the genes for KA biosynthesis. Based on the observations above, determination of novel secondary metabolism genes by OMICS analyses including transcriptome and extrolites analyses in combination with bioinformatics is underway. Th e results should be useful to further elucidate transcriptional mechanism of secondary metabolism gene.

Biography

Hiroko Hagiwara has completed his PhD from Saitama University and postdoctoral studies from Riken and AIST. She has contributed to genome sequencing and functional genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus oryzae and to development of novel technologies useful in genomic studies including comprehensive screening method using bacteriophage and automated SNP detection method using paramagnetic beads.