抄録
My collaborators and I have consistently performed research on enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids and peptides. We have discovered various new enzymes such as vitamin B6 enzymes and elucidated the properties and functions of new enzymes and the role of coenzymes participating in their catalyzing reactions. Especially, we have developed original research on enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids and peptides, including biofactors such as sulfur and selenium. In this paper, I focus on and review four of these topics as follows: 1. Research on chemical synthesis of all diastereomers of oxidized and reduced glutathione and elucidation of the reaction characteristics of glutathione metabolism-related enzymes, i.e., glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase; 2. Discovery and characterization of a novel bifunctional low-substrate-specific amino acid racemase/cystathionine β-lyase based on whole-genome analysis and structural comparison of the genomes of 4 strains of lactic acid bacteria with high and low production of D-amino acids ; 3. Research on the discovery and characterization of selenocysteine β-lyase derived from lactic acid bacteria based on the genome information of lactic acid bacteria with high and low production of D-amino acids; 4. Research on the application of methionine γ-lyase to chiral amino acid analysis and the discovery of new functions.
