Laboratory of Biomolecular Science and Reaction
Institute of Scientific and Industrial ResearchProfessor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

Shun'ichi KURODA
Toshihide OKAJIMA
Yoh WADA
Kenji TATEMATSU
Masaharu SOMIYA

skurodatokajima
yohwadakenji44
msomiya

URL: https://www.sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp/labs/smb/

The goal of this laboratory is to elucidate
various biological phenomena based oninteractions (reactions) between biomolecules andto develop technologies based on their operating
principles, thereby contributing to bio-relatedindustries, especially in the development ofpharmaceuticals. Specifically, we will investigate
the odor/smell discrimination mechanism of humanolfactory receptors, the active site of enzymes
containing built-in coenzymes structure andcatalytic reaction mechanisms, the intracellularand intercellular material transport mechanisms,
and the bacterial two-component signaltransduction mechanisms.
Analysis of odor/scentdiscrimination mechanism of humanolfactory receptor group
Although humans express only about 400
types of olfactory receptors, they candiscriminate tens of millions of odors andfragrances. The mechanism of thisdiscrimination is thought to be based on
pattern recognition by a group of olfactory
receptors with fuzzy odor/smell molecule
recognition ability (the concept of olfactory
receptor repertoire), but the details of therecognition mechanism are completely
unknown. Therefore, we developed a cellarray sensor in which all human olfactory
receptors are expressed in human-derived
cells, and each olfactory receptor-expressing
cell is aligned on a glass slide. This
reproduces the human olfactory epithelium, inwhich olfactory sensory neurons expressing
human olfactory receptors are present in thenasal cavity. Using this sensor, the responsesof all human olfactory receptors can bemeasured comprehensively and in real time
under the same conditions, not only forsimple odors but also for complex odors. If
the response intensity of each olfactory
receptor is analyzed for a wide range of odors
and fragrances, it will be possible to elucidate
the odor/fragrance discrimination mechanism(human olfactory receptor repertoire) in thehuman sense of smell ahead of the world. Inaddition, it is particularly important toemphasize that the response patterns of eacholfactory receptor (named odor matrix) output
by this cell array sensor can be used toidentify all odors and fragrances (from simple
to complex odors) perceived by the humansense of smell, with a total of approximately
400 dimensions. It is the only one of the fivehuman senses that has lagged behind in thedigital transformation of human olfactory
information, and we believe that it will be afundamental technology for VR and AR in thenear future.

388type

Mimicking Olfactory Neurons in
Cultured Cells
Human olfactory receptor sensor(388each 500cell is placed in a 400square)

Fig. 1 Overview of human olfactory
receptor array sensor

scan(50fps; 12min.)Overall view of odor
measurement system

Visualization
Olfactory
Olfactory receptor
with Careceptor
responsive sensor video data
fluorescent (horizontal axis: time; Waveform data
vertical axis:
reagent
fluorescence intensity)

Odor Matrix
Olfactory receptor type andresponse Quantification
using intensity

Figure 2 Mechanism of cyclic
peptide formation by Rajika SAM
enzyme containing iron-sulfurclusters in its active center.

Reaction mechanism and cofactor
formation mechanism of built-incoenzyme-containing enzymes

Development of novel antimicrobial
agents targeting the bacterial twocomponent signaling system

We are analyzing the two-component
signaling system that exists universally in
In enzymes such as copper amine oxidase
bacteria and molds and is involved in theand quinohemoprotein amine dehydrogenase,response to external stimuli, and developing
post-translational modification results in theantimicrobial agents that target histidine
formation of a built-in cofactor covalently
kinase, the core of the system, based on its
attached to the peptide. The mechanism of thethree-dimensional structure.
post-translational modification and the reaction
mechanism of the active enzyme have been
elucidated using structural analysis techniques,
We are only looking for students who
including neutron structural analysis, as well as
truly love research and have the will toreaction kinetic analysis. We are focusing on
work as biotech researchers in academia
the analysis of novel radical enzymes thator industry. We also focus on industrycreate intramolecular cross-links in the former.
academia collaboration activities andMolecular Mechanisms and Physiologicalhave implemented some of our research
Significance of Intracellular andresults in society.
Intercellular Material Transport
The spatiotemporal arrangement ofcomponents plays an extremely important rolein the formation of order in living organisms.
SANKEN, Osaka University
Transmission of materials and information
Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
inside and outside the cell is carried out by
the dynamic trafficking of cellular membranes. TEL: +81-6-6879-8460
We aim to understand how the dynamics of
FAX : +81-6-6879-8464
this membrane is realized by moleculardevices and how they play a role in thehigher physiological functions of multicellular
Scan here for the lab‘s website >>organisms, using the phenotype of geneticallyengineered mice as an indicator.