Nobuaki Hori

AILIM/ICOS: Its Expression and Functional Analysis with Monoclonal Antibodies

Activation-inducible lymphocyte immuno-mediatory molecule (AILIM/ICOS) is the third member of the co-stimulatory molecule CD28/CTLA-4 (CD152) family, and an inducible cell surface glycoprotein expressed on lymphocytes following activation. To determine the expression profile of the molecule, we generated monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against human, rat, and mouse AILIM/ICOS. None of the MAbs bound to AILIM/ICOS of other species. The numbers of AILIM/ICOS-positive cells among human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and rat and mouse splenocytes were very low (0.5, 0.4, and 1.2%, respectively), and the cells included many CD4-positive T cells except in the case of rat. Rat AILIM/ICOS-positive cells among splenocytes included many CD45RA-positive B cells, although the expression on lymph node cells was similar to that on human PBMC and mouse splenocytes. Among rat thymocytes, the AILIM/ICOS expression was mainly localized on CD4- and CD8-double positive T cells. The binding of AILIM/ICOS to B7h-Ig, which is the ligand-Fc chimeric protein, was inhibited by all AILIM/ICOS-specific MAbs except for SG430. The potency of the co-stimulatory activity of CD3 and AILIM/ICOS as to T-cell proliferation was found to be substantial in human. Interestingly, the levels of stimulation with the two types of MAbs were equal to that with CD3 and CD28 despite the different functions of the two MAbs in the AILIM/ICOS-B7h interaction. On the other hand, the potencies in rat and mouse, although two independent MAbs were tested, were relatively lower than that of CD28-mediated co-stimulation.

Production of 5-methyluridine by immobilized thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859

5-Methyluridine was produced continuously from thymine and inosine by immobilized enzymes, which consisted of thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and thermostable pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase obtained from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859. The process was carried out in a column reactor at 60 degrees C for 17 d without any bacterial contamination under non-aseptical conditions. Half-lives of the activity of the immobilized enzymes were 47 d and 4.5 d at 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C, respectively, although half-life of the crude enzyme was only 14 h at 70 degrees C.

Continuous Asymmetric Reduction Of 4-Oxoisophorone By Thermophilic Bacteria Using A Hollow Fiber Reactor

Continuous asymmetric reduction of 4-oxoisophorone by the thermophilic bacterium Thermomonospora curvata JTS321 was examined using three reactor systems: packed bed, fluidized bed and hollow fiber. T. curvata was immobilized in polyacrylamide-hydrazide gels when used in the packed and fluidized bed reactors. Of the three reactor systems, the highest productivity (964 mg.1-1.h-1) was observed in the fluidized bed reactor. However, many cells grew outside of the gel matrix, causing product contamination. The productivity of the hollow fiber reactor was 504 mg.1-1.h-1; the problem of cell contamination of the product was avoided, as the molecular cut-off of the hollow fibers (400 000) was of an appropriate size to prevent cell leakage to the product stream. We therefore consider that the hollow fiber reactor is most suitable for continuous microbial conversions.

Enzymatic Synthesis of 5-Methyluridine from Adenosine and Thymine with High Efficiency.

5-Methyluridine (5MU) was synthesized efficiently from adenosine, thymine, and phosphate by a combination of adenosine deaminase (ADA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PUNP), pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PYNP), and xanthine oxidase (XOD). Adenosine was converted into inosine first by ADA. 5MU and hypoxanthine were synthesized from inosine and thymine by PUNP and PYNP. The hypoxanthine formed was converted into urate via xanthine by XOD. After inosine was completely consumed, an equilibrium state, in which 5MU, thymine, ribose-1-phosphate, and phosphate were involved, was achieved. At the equilibrium state, the maximum yield of 5MU was obtained. The yield of 5MU was 74%, when the initial concentrations of adenosine, thymine, and phosphate were 5 mM each. On the other hand, in the absence of ADA or XOD the yield of 5MU was 1.8%. Several kinds of nucleosides were also synthesized with high yield by the same method.

Synthesis of 5-methyluridine by a thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859

Many thermophiles, which can grow at 65°C, were examined as to their ability to produce 5-methyluridine from inosine and thymine (5-methyluracil) in the presence of phosphate and cells as enzyme sources. Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859 was selected as a strain that synthesized 5-methyluridine efficiently. The reaction is supposed to be carried out by a combination of a thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and a thermostable pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase. Their half-lives were 7200 hr and 400 hr at 63°C, and 148 hr and 14 hr at 70°C, respectively.

The Effects of Organic Solvent on the Ribosyl Transfer Reaction by Thermostable Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase and Pyrimidine Nucleoside Phosphorylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859

The effects of organic solvents on the reaction rate and equilibrium of the ribosyl transfer reaction catalyzed by thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859 were examined at 60°C. The reaction rate in the presence of 10% acetone was 1.6 times higher than that of the control. Acetone was the best organic solvent among those tested for accelerating the reaction rate without denaturing the enzymes. On the other hand, the reaction rate in the presence of 5% ethyl acetate was 1.5 times higher than that of the control. However the enzymes were denatured completely after 1 h incubation. Consequently, the acceleration was not attributed to the stabilization of the enzymes. The equilibrium constants of the reaction were not influenced by the presence of acetone, methyl or ethyl alcohols.

Asymmetric Reduction of 4-Oxoisophorone Using Immobilized Thermophilic Bacteria Under Conditions of Controlled Cell Growth

Asymmetric reduction of 2,6,6,-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-l,4-dione (4-oxoisophrone) to (6R)-2,2,6-trimethyl-1,4-cyclohexane-dione((3R)-dihydro-4-oxoisophorone) was catalysed by immobilized thermophilic bacteria, Thermomonospora curvata JTS 321. Because of leakage of entrapped cells from gel beads during reactions using culture medium, we optimized the medium to allow the microbial conversion under conditions of controlled cell growth. Of the media screened, liver infusion medium was found to be the most suitable and microbial conversion was achieved without cell leakage from the immobilized gels. Immobilized T. curvata cells were repeatedly used for the asymmetric reduction of 4-oxoisophorone, more than 15 times, with an extent of conversion of 50%.

Optimal culture conditions of Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859 for the production of a thermostable enzyme to synthesize 5-methyluridine

Abstract The optimal culture conditions of a thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859, were examined for the production of a thermostable enzyme to synthesize 5-methyluridine from inosine and thymine in the presence of phosphate by the ribosyl transfer reaction. Elevation of the agitation velocity and the addition of inosine to the medium were effective in improving the production of the enzyme. By optimizing the culture conditions, the production amounts of cells and enzyme per volume of medium were increased by 4.6 and 10.1 times, respectively, compared to the initial results.