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• Study on lactic acid bacteria

• Application of Awamori Moromi vinegar

• Analysis of microbes in Awamori Brewing

• Defence Proteins of Tropical Plant

• Relationship Between Structure and Antifungal Activity of Plant Chitinases

Published Papers 【 display / non-display 】

Published Papers 【 display / non-display 】

• Caleosin expression enhances plant insect resistance

  Sakihito Kitajima, Toshiharu Akino, Hideki Yoshida, Kenji Miura, Toki Taira, Eric Hyrmeya Savadogo, Naoki Tani

  Current Plant Biology ( Current Plant Biology )  43   2025.09 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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    DOI

• Chitinase-activity-independent anti-insect effect of class V chitinase from fig trees (<i>Ficus carica</i>)

  Kitajima, S; Akino, T; Yoshida, H; Miura, K; Taira, T; Yazaki, K; Munakata, R; Murata, Y; Sugimori, M; Tani, N; Savadogo, EH

  PLANTA ( Planta )  262 ( 3 ) 61   2025.07 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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• Artificial Lipidation of Antifungal Proteins and Antifungal Behavior: A Case Study with Cholesterylation.

  Safaat M, Uchida K, Santoso P, Sato R, Taira T, Wakabayashi R, Goto M, Kamiya N

  Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology     e2401081   2025.06 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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• Topical Delivery of Artificial Lipidated Antifungal Proteins for the Treatment of Subcutaneous Fungal Infections Using a Biocompatible Ionic Liquid-Based Microemulsion

  Safaat, M; Saputra, H; Santoso, P; Taira, T; Wakabayashi, R; Goto, M; Kamiya, N

  ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES ( ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces )  17 ( 2 ) 3062 - 3071   2025.01 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

  　View Summary

  The rising incidence of fungal infections, compounded by the emergence of severe antifungal resistance, has resulted in an urgent need for innovative antifungal therapies. We developed an antifungal protein-based formulation as a topical antifungal agent by combining an artificial lipidated chitin-binding domain of antifungal chitinase (LysM-lipid) with recently developed ionic liquid-in-oil microemulsion formulations (MEFs). Our findings demonstrated that the lipid moieties attached to LysM and the MEFs effectively disrupted the integrity of the stratum corneum in a mouse skin model, thereby enhancing the skin permeability of the LysM-lipids. Among the MEFs incorporating LysM modified with lauric (C12), myristic (C14), and palmitic (C16) acids, the LysM-C14-loaded MEF emerged as the most promising candidate, exhibiting potent antifungal activity against Trichoderma viride growing actively beneath the skin. The stability of the MEFs was investigated after a 28 day storage period at room temperature, and both LysM-C14- and LysM-C16-loaded MEFs retained comparable antifungal activity with that of the freshly prepared MEFs. These results highlight the considerable potential of LysM-lipid-loaded MEFs as effective topical antifungal agents.

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• Exploring the molecular structure of lipids in the design of artificial lipidated antifungal proteins

  Saputra, H; Safaat, M; Uchida, K; Santoso, P; Wakabayashi, R; Goto, M; Taira, T; Kamiya, N

  RSC PHARMACEUTICS ( Rsc Pharmaceutics )  1 ( 2 ) 372 - 378   2024.06 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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Other Papers 【 display / non-display 】

Other Papers 【 display / non-display 】

• Structure and antifungal activity of chitin-degrading enzymes

  Taira Toki, Takashima Tomoya

  Glycoforum ( 生化学工業株式会社 )  26 ( 2 ) A4   2023.04

   

  DOI CiNii Research

• Development of Novel Moromi Vinegar Beverage Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacterium

  NODAKE Yuichi, TODA Satomi, SUGAYA Saori, UEMA Choryo, TAIRA Toki

  JOURNAL OF THE BREWING SOCIETY OF JAPAN ( Brewing Society of Japan )  118 ( 11 ) 744 - 751   2023

   

  DOI CiNii Research

• Phenolic acid decarboxylase of <i>Aspergillus luchuensis</i> plays a crucial role in 4-vinylguaiacol production during <i>awamori</i> brewing

  Seibutsu-kogaku Kaishi ( The Society for Biotechnology, Japan )  100 ( 2 ) 79 - 79   2022.02

   

  DOI CiNii Research

• Production of 4-vinylguaiacol, a Vanillin Precursor, by <i>Aspergillus luchuensis</i> in Awamori Brewing

  MAEDA Mayumi, TAIRA Toki

  JOURNAL OF THE BREWING SOCIETY OF JAPAN ( Brewing Society of Japan )  117 ( 5 ) 327 - 334   2022

   

  DOI CiNii Research

• Identification and characterization of nigeran synthesis-related genes from Aspergillus luchuensis

  上地敬子, 渡嘉敷直杏, 平良東紀, 水谷治

  日本農芸化学会大会講演要旨集(Web)   2021   2021

   

  J-GLOBAL

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

• Development of antifungal system based on chitinases

  Toki Taira, Haruna Tsuhako, Shigekazu Yano, Keiko Uechi

  Workshop on Chitin Biology and Beyond  (大連（中国）)  2019.09  -  2019.09 

• Antifungal activity of Pteris ryukyuensis chitinase-A and its enhancement with LysM domain multimers

  Tomoya Takashima, Ryo Sunagawa, Keiko Uechi, Toki Taira

  Workshop on Chitin Biology and Beyond  (大連（中国）)  2019.09  -  2019.09 

• Antifungal activities of LysM domain multimers and their fusion chitinases

  Tomoya Takashima, Keiko Uechi, Toki Taira

  14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference  (Osaka)  2018.08  -  2018.08 

• Lysin motifs from Plant Chitinases

  Y. Kitaoku, S. Nishimura, T. Numata, W. Suginta, T. Taira, T. Fukamizo, T. Ohnuma

  14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference  (Osaka)  2018.08  -  2018.08 

• Antifungal activity of chitinases

  Toki Taira

  14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference  (Osaka)  2018.08  -  2018.08 

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Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

• Functional design of amphiphilic artificial proteins working at heterologous cellular interfaces

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A)

  Project Year: 2023.04  -  2027.03 

  Direct: 36,300,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 47,190,000 (YEN)  Total: 10,890,000 (YEN)

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

  Project Year: 2020.04  -  2023.03 

  Direct: 3,200,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,160,000 (YEN)  Total: 960,000 (YEN)

• Exploring the novel properties of proteins by controlling the partial hydrophobicity

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A)

  Project Year: 2019.04  -  2023.03 

  Direct: 34,900,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 45,370,000 (YEN)  Total: 10,470,000 (YEN)

• Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists(B)

  Project Year: 2009  -  2010 

  Direct: 2,500,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 750,000 (YEN)  Total: 3,250,000 (YEN)

Preferred joint research theme 【 display / non-display 】

Preferred joint research theme 【 display / non-display 】

• Study on lactic acid bacteria

• Application of Awamori Moromi vinegar

• Analysis of microbes in Awamori Brewing

• Defence Proteins of Tropical Plant

• Relationship Between Structure and Antifungal Activity of Plant Chitinases