Abstract
I started research in Teikyo University soon after graduation of doctor course in University of Tokyo and continued research at the same laboratory for more than 30 years. The first research theme given by my supervisor, Prof. Nojima was to make antibody specific for PAF, potent mediator of inflammation and allergy, in order to use for immunochemical detection and quantitation of PAF. I succeeded in preparing antibody to PAF, but it was difficult to establish the method to apply this antibody to immunological detection of PAF. The reason was that rapid enzymatic hydrolysis of acetyl group from PAF interfered immunochemical reaction. These problems prompted me to examine PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) which degrades acetyl ester of PAF. I purified plasmatype PAF-AH from serum, determined partial amino-acid sequences and obtained cDNA clone by screening a cDNA library using a probe prepared by PCR reaction. After cDNA cloning of plasmatype PAF-AH, I researched transacetylation reaction in which acetyl group of PAF is transferred to sphingosine, in ORAU, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA from 1997-1998. This transacetylation reaction was catalyzed by PAF-AH II, another subtype of PAF-AHs. After returning to Teikyo University again, I continued study about PAF-AH under the supervision of Prof. Inoue. I demonstrated that erythrocyte PAF-AH mainly included catalytic subunit, α1, which was not expressed in adult organisms. I moved to Itabashi campus with other researchers of pharma-sciences in Mar 2012. I was deeply impressed by the environment rich in excellent many researchers and analytical equipment. I am hoping this introduction of my research interests the researchers in Teikyo Itabashi campus.