Department of Materials and Life Sciences

Saito Tamao

  (齊藤 玉緒)

Profile Information

Affiliation
Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University
Degree
理学士(北海道大学)
修士(理学)(北海道大学)
博士(理学)(北海道大学)

Contact information
tasaitosophia.ac.jp
Researcher number
30281843
J-GLOBAL ID
200901082725057371
researchmap Member ID
1000200178

(Subject of research)
Molecular biological studies on novel hybrid type polyketide synthase
Chemical Ecology of the Cellular Slime Mould


Papers

 58
  • Salma Zulqaida, Tamao Saito, Chihiro Ito, Yoshiaki Takaya
    BPB Reports, 6(2) 37-42, 2023  Peer-reviewed
  • Tamao Saito, Tomoyuki Iijima, Kohei Koyama, Tomonori Shinagawa, Ayaka Yamanaka, Tsuyoshi Araki, Noriyuki Suzuki, Toyonobu Usuki, Robert R. Kay
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1983), Sep 28, 2022  Peer-reviewedLead authorCorresponding author
    The soil is a rich ecosystem where many ecological interactions are mediated by small molecules, and in which amoebae are low-level predators and also prey. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum has a high genomic potential for producing polyketides to mediate its ecological interactions, including the unique ‘Steely’ enzymes, consisting of a fusion between a fatty acid synthase and a chalcone synthase. We report here that D. discoideum further increases its polyketide potential by using the StlB Steely enzyme, and a downstream chlorinating enzyme, to make both a chlorinated signal molecule, DIF-1, during its multi-cellular development, and a set of abundant polyketides in terminally differentiated stalk cells. We identify one of these as a chlorinated dibenzofuran with potent anti-bacterial activity. To do this, StlB switches expression from prespore to stalk cells in late development and is cleaved to release the chalcone synthase domain. Expression of this domain alone in StlB null cells allows synthesis of the stalk-associated, chlorinated polyketides. Thus, by altered expression and processing of StlB, cells make first a signal molecule, and then abundant secondary metabolites, which we speculate help to protect the mature spores from bacterial infection.
  • Shiro Tsuyuzaki, Tamao Saito, Risa S. Arakawa
    Mires and Peat, 28, Sep, 2022  Peer-reviewed
  • Elisabeth R. D. Seiler, Kohei Koyama, Tomoyuki Iijima, Tamao Saito, Yuko Takeoka, Masahiro Rikukawa, Masahiro Yoshizawa-Fujita
    polymer, 13(12) 1942-1942, Jun, 2021  Peer-reviewed
    Cellulose is the main component of biomass and is the most abundant biopolymer on earth; it is a non-toxic, low-cost material that is biocompatible and biodegradable. Cellulose gels are receiving increasing attention as medical products, e.g., as wound dressings. However, the preparation of cellulose hydrogels employing unmodified cellulose is scarcely reported because of the cumbersome dissolution of cellulose. In previous studies, we developed the new promising cellulose solvent N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium hydroxide in an aqueous solution, which can dissolve up to 20 wt% cellulose within a short time at room temperature. In this study, we employed this solvent system and investigated the gelation behavior of cellulose after crosslinker addition. The swelling behavior in water (swelling ratio, water uptake), the mechanical properties under compression, and the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis were investigated. We have developed a simple and fast one-pot method for the preparation of cellulose gels, in which aqueous pyrrolidinium hydroxide solution was acting as the solvent and as an antibacterial reagent. The pyrrolidinium hydroxide content of the gels was controlled by adjustment of the water volume employed for swelling. Simple recovery of the solvent system was also possible, which makes this preparation method environmentally benign.
  • Suzuki Nobuhiro, Arakawa Risa, S. Taguchi Naoyuki, Sim Joongeun, Katsurashima Sayaka, Kiyono Hanako, Kimura Nobutada, Kikawada Yoshikazu, Kanzawa Nobuyuki, Saito Tamao
    Wetland Research, 10 37-46, Aug 10, 2020  Peer-reviewed

Misc.

 11

Books and Other Publications

 3

Presentations

 29

Research Projects

 20