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Search for new compounds from Kitasato microbial library by physicochemical screening
Takuji Nakashima1, Yōko Takahashi1, Satoshi Ōmura1
1Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Biochemical Pharmacology
|October 1, 2016
Summary
The Kitasato Institute
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- The Kitasato Institute has curated a microbial library of diverse microorganisms over 50 years.
- This collection harbors strains capable of producing novel biologically active compounds.
- Discovering new microbial natural products is crucial for pharmaceutical development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Kitasato microbial library and its significance.
- To highlight the discovery of new compounds using physicochemical (PC) screening.
- To showcase the application of spectral analyses in natural product discovery.
Main Methods:
- Bioassay-guided fractionation was used to screen for active compounds.
- Physicochemical (PC) screening, utilizing UV and MS spectral data, was employed.
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used in conjunction with spectral analysis.
Main Results:
- Numerous novel natural products have been identified from the microbial collection.
- PC screening effectively identified new compounds from rare actinomycetes and Streptomyces spp.
- The study demonstrates the utility of spectral data for dereplication and discovery.
Conclusions:
- The Kitasato microbial library is a valuable resource for discovering novel bioactive compounds.
- Physicochemical (PC) screening is an efficient method for identifying new microbial natural products.
- Integrating spectral analyses accelerates the discovery of unique secondary metabolites.

