MINORU UJITA, PH.D.

Professor

Laboratory of Biological Chemistry,

Department of Applied Biological Chemistry,

Faculty of Agriculture,

Meijo University

Tempaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan
E-mail: ujita@meijo-u.ac.jp
Tel.: +81-52-838-2449
Fax: +81-52-833-5524

  • Biography
    Minoru Ujita earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Nagoya University, Japan in 1995. Dr. Ujita did postdoctoral work at Aichi Medical University, Japan and The Burnham Institute in La Jolla, USA. He was recruited to Meijo University as Assistant Professor in 2001 and promoted to Professor in 2012. His major research interest is to determine the structure/function of polysaccharides, glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, lectins, and glycan receptors. His hobbies include aikido (Japanese martial arts), softball, listening to music, and reading Japanese historical novels.

  • Publications

    List of Publications via PubMed
    (NIH National Library of Medicine)

    ・Okumura, H., Sato, T., Sakuma, R., Fukushima, H., Matsuda, T., and Ujita, M., Identification of distinctive interdomain interactions among ZP-N, ZP-C and other domains of zona pellucida glycoproteins underlying association of chicken egg-coat matrix. FEBS Open Bio 5, 454-465 (2015).

    ・Ujita, M., Koike, S., Yamauchi, Y., Kiochi, N., Yura, H., Yamanaka, M., and Okumura, H., Functional expression of recombinant human macrophage beta-glucan receptor dectin-1 using baculovirus-silkworm expression system. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 78, 1203-1205 (2014).

    ・Okumura, H., Fukushima, H., Momoda, M., Ima, Y., Matsuda, T., and Ujita, M., Diverse lectin-binding specificity of four ZP3 glycoprotein isoforms with a discrete isoelectric point in chicken egg coat. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 424, 586-592 (2012).

    ・Ujita, M., Inoue, R., Makino, Y., Katsuno, Y., and Okumura, H., Binding specificity of the recombinant cytoplasmic domain of Cordyceps militaris beta-1,3-glucan synthase catalytic subunit. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 75, 171-174 (2011).

    ・Ujita, M., Yamanaka, M., Maeno, Y., Yoshida, K., Ohshio, W., Ueno, Y., Banno, Y., Fujii, H., and Okumura, H., Expression of active and inactive recombinant soluble trehalase using baculovirus-silkworm expression system and their glycan structures. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 111, 22-25 (2011).

    ・Ujita, M., Nagayama, H., Kanie, S., Koike, S., Ikeyama, Y., Ozaki, T., and Okumura, H., Carbohydrate binding specificity of recombinant human macrophage beta-glucan receptor dectin-1. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 73, 237-240 (2009).

    ・Watanabe, N., Hattori, M., Yokoyama, E., Isomura, S., Ujita, M., and Hara, A., Entomogenous fungi that produce 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid). J. Biosci. Bioeng. 102, 365-368 (2006).

    ・Ueno, Y., He, N., Ujita, M., Yamamoto, K., Banno, Y., Fujii, H., and Aso, Y., Silkworm midgut proteins interacting with a hemolymph protease inhibitor, CI-8. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 70, 1557-1563 (2006).

    ・Ujita, M., Katsuno, Y., Suzuki, K., Sugiyama, K., Takeda, E., Yokoyama, E., and Hara, A., Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the beta-1,3-glucan synthase catalytic subunit gene from a medicinal fungus, Cordyceps militaris. Mycoscience 47, 98-105 (2006).

    ・Hattori, M., Isomura, S., Yokoyama, E., Ujita, M., and Hara, A., Extracellular trypsin-like proteases produced by Cordyceps militaris. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 100, 631-636 (2005).

    ・Ujita, M., Katsuno, Y., Kawachi, I., Ueno, Y., Banno, Y., Fujii, H., and Hara, A., Glucan-binding activity of silkworm 30-kDa apolipoprotein and its involvement in defense against fungal infection. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 69, 1178-1185 (2005).

    ・Ujita, M., Sakai, K., Hamazaki, K., Yoneda, M., Isomura, S., and Hara, A., Carbohydrate binding specificity of the recombinant chitin-binding domain of human macrophage chitinase. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 67, 2402-2407 (2003).

    ・Ito, T., Yokoyama, E., Sato, H., Ujita, M., Funaguma, T., Furukawa, K., and Hara, A., Xylosidases associated with the cell surface of Penicillium herquei IFO 4674. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 96, 354-359 (2003).

    ・Hara, A., Tomita, M., Misaki, R., Hattori, M., Sato, H., Yokoyama, E., and Ujita, M., Purification and properties of extracellular N-acetylglucosaminidases from Paecilomyces tenuipes. Chitin Chitosan Res. 9, 1-10 (2003).

    ・Ujita, M., Kimura, A., Nishino, D., Yokoyama, E., Banno, Y., Fujii, H., and Hara, A., Specific binding of silkworm Bombyx mori 30-kDa lipoproteins to carbohydrates containing glucose. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 66, 2264-2266 (2002).

    ・Kawachi, I., Fujieda, T., Ujita, M., Ishii, Y., Yamagishi, K., Sato, H., Funaguma, T., and Hara, A., Purification and properties of extracellular chitinases from the parasitic fungus Isaria japonica. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 92, 544-549 (2001).

    ・Ujita, M. and Fukuda, M., Regulation of poly-N-acetyllactosamine biosynthesis in O-glycans. Trends Glycosci. Glycotechnol. 13, 177-191 (2001).

    ・Misra, A. K., Ujita, M., Fukuda, M., and Hindsgaul, O., Synthesis and enzymatic evaluation of mucin type core 4 O-glycan. Carbohydr. Lett. 4, 71-76 (2001).

    ・Ujita, M., Misra, A. K., McAuliffe, J., Hindsgaul, O., and Fukuda, M., Poly-N-acetyllactosamine extension in N-glycans and core 2- and core 4-branched O-glycans is differentially controlled by i-extension enzyme and different members of the beta1,4-galactosyltransferase gene family. J. Biol. Chem. 275, 15868-15875 (2000).

    ・Ujita, M., McAuliffe, J., Hindsgaul, O., Sasaki, K., Fukuda, M. N., and Fukuda, M., Poly-N-acetyllactosamine synthesis in branched N-glycans is controlled by complemental branch specificity of i-extension enzyme and beta1,4-galactosyltransferase I. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 16717-16726 (1999).

    ・Ujita, M., McAuliffe, J., Suzuki, M., Hindsgaul, O., Clausen, H., Fukuda, M. N., and Fukuda, M., Regulation of I-branched poly-N-acetyllactosamine synthesis: Concerted actions by i-extension enzyme, I-branching enzyme, and beta1,4-galactosyltransferase I. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 9296-9304 (1999).

    ・McAuliffe, J. C., Ujita, M., Fukuda, M., and Hindsgaul, O., Synthesis of selectively radiolabeled hexasaccharides for the determination of enzymatic regioselectivity. Glycoconj. J. 16, 767-772 (1999).　　　

    ・Ujita, M., McAuliffe, J., Schwientek, T., Almeida, R., Hindsgaul, O., Clausen, H., and Fukuda, M., Synthesis of poly-N-acetyllactosamine in core 2 branched O-glycans: The requirement of novel beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase IV and beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. J. Biol. Chem. 273, 34843-34849 (1998).

    ・Sasaki, K., Kurata-Miura, K., Ujita, M., Angata, K., Nakagawa, S., Sekine, S., Nishi, T., and Fukuda, M., Expression cloning of cDNA encoding a human beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase that is essential for poly-N-acetyllactosamine synthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 14294-14299 (1997).

    ・Kurita, K., Shinomura, T., Ujita, M., Zako, M., Kida, D., Iwata, H., and Kimata, K., Occurrence of PG-Lb, a leucine-rich small chondroitin/dermatan sulphate proteoglycan in mammalian epiphyseal cartilage: Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the mouse cDNA. Biochem. J. 318, 909-914 (1996).

    ・Ujita, M., Shinomura, T., and Kimata, K., Molecular cloning of the mouse osteoglycin-encoding gene. Gene 158, 237-240 (1995).

    ・Ito, K., Shinomura, T., Zako, M., Ujita, M., and Kimata, K., Multiple forms of mouse PG-M, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan generated by alternative splicing. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 958-965 (1995).

    ・Zako, M., Shinomura, T., Ujita, M., Ito, K., and Kimata, K., Expression of PG-M(V3), an alternatively spliced form of PG-M without a chondroitin sulfate attachment region in mouse and human tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 3914-3918 (1995).

    ・Shinomura, T., Zako, M., Ito, K., Ujita, M., and Kimata, K., The gene structure and organization of mouse PG-M, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan: Genomic background for the generation of multiple PG-M transcripts. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 10328-10333 (1995).

    ・Shinomura, T., Zako, M., Ujita, M., Ito, K., and Kimata, K., Multiplicity of the core protein of PG-M, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. Connect. Tissue 27, 199-205 (1995).

    ・Ujita, M., Shinomura, T., Ito, K., Kitagawa, Y., and Kimata, K., Expression and binding activity of the carboxyl-terminal portion of the core protein of PG-M, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27603-27609 (1994).

    ・Aoki, N., Ujita, M., Kuroda, H., Urabe, M., Noda, A., Adachi, T., Nakamura, R., and Matsuda, T., Immunologically cross-reactive 57-kDa and 53-kDa glycoprotein antigens of bovine milk fat globule membrane: Isoforms with different N-linked sugar chains and differential glycosylation at early stages of lactation. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1200, 227-234 (1994).

    ・Ujita, M., Furukawa, K., Aoki, N., Sato, T., Noda, A., Nakamura, R., Greenwalt, D. E., and Matsuda, T., A change in soybean agglutinin binding patterns of bovine milk fat globule membrane glycoproteins during early lactation. FEBS Lett. 332, 119-122 (1993).

Japanese, Meijo University