Yoshikazu Yamamoto

Akita Prefectural University · Department of Biological Production

Seven species new to science are described, illustrated and compared with closely related taxa. Of them, one species, i.e.: Coppinsidea vernadskiensis S. Y. Kondr., T. O. Kondratiuk et I. Yu. Parnikoza is from the Argentine Islands, Western Maritime Antarctic Peninsula, Jacke lixia hosseussii S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkös et J.-S. Hur, from South America...

The study of the reproductive biology of lichen fungal symbionts has been traditionally challenging due to their complex lifestyles. Against the common belief of haploidy, a recent genomic study found a triploid-like signal in Letharia. Here, we infer the genome organization and reproduction in Letharia by analyzing genomic data from a pure culture...

The study of the reproductive biology of lichen fungal symbionts has been traditionally challenging due to their complex and symbiotic lifestyles. Against the common belief of haploidy, a recent genomic study found a triploid-like signal in Letharia. Here, we used genomic data from a pure culture and from thalli, together with a PCR survey of the M...

Three new for science genera, i.e.: Erichansenia S. Y. Kondr., Kärnefelt et A. Thell for the ‘Caloplaca’ epithallina group of the subfamily Xanthorioideae, as well as Lendemeriella S. Y. Kondr. for the Caloplaca reptans group, and Pisutiella S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkös et E. Farkas for the Caloplaca conversa group of the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the...

Stereocaulon sorediiferum is expected to be a Cu-hyperaccumulator lichen and has fluorescent substances. To clarify the relationship between the fluorescence (FL) of the lichen and its Cu concentration, we collected S. sorediiferum samples at Cu-contaminated and uncontaminated sites in Japan, determined the concentration of Cu, K, Mg, Al, Ca, Mn, F...

The new for science genus Loekoeslaszloa S. Y. Kondr. et J.-S. Hur, confirmed by three gene phylogeny of the subfamily Teloschistoideae of the Teloschistaceae based on nrITS, nrLSU and mtSSU sequences, and ten new to science species from Eastern Asia, i.e. from South Korea: Bacidina loekoesiana S. Y. Kondr. et J.-S. Hur, Fauriea jejuensis S. Y. Kon...

In lichen symbiosis, polyol transfer from green algae is important for acquiring the fungal carbon source. However, the existence of polyol transporter genes and their correlation with lichenization remain unclear. Here, we report candidate polyol transporter genes selected from the genome of the lichen-forming fungus (LFF) Ramalina conduplicans. A...

Endolichenic fungi, nonobligate microfungi that live in lichen, are promising as new bioresources of pharmacological compounds. We found that norlichexanthone isolated from the endolichenic fungus in Pertusaria laeviganda exhibited high antioxidant activity. Norlichexanthone produced by endolichenic fungus had the antioxidant activity with same lev...

Six new for science species of lichen-forming fungi from Republic of Korea, Eastern Asia, i. e.: Bacidina jasonhuri J. P. Halda, S. Y. Kondr. et L. Lőkös, Gyalidea koreana J. P. Halda, S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkös et Hur, G. pisutii J. P. Halda, S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkös et Hur, G. poeltii S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkös, J. P. Halda et Hur, G. vezdae S. Y. Kondr.,...

Lichen secondary metabolites are known to be associated with heavy metal uptake and tolerance in lichens. Understanding the relationship between their secondary metabolites and heavy metals in them is important for clarifying the mechanisms of their heavy metal accumulation and tolerance. To determine the relationships between the concentrations of...

Buellia erubescens is reported as new for Japan. It was found growing on bark of deciduous hardwoods in the subalpine zone, in Nagano-ken, central Japan. A detailed description together with illustrations is provided based on the Japanese materials. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequences supported the Japanese specimens belong to B. erubescens.

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties, such as grain size and mineral composition, on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trac...

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties, such as grain size and mineral composition, on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trac...

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties such as grain size and mineral composition on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace...

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties such as grain size and mineral composition on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace...

Delimiting species boundaries among closely related lineages often requires a range of independent data sets and analytical approaches. Similar to other organismal groups, robust species circumscriptions in fungi are increasingly investigated within an empirical framework. Here we attempt to delimit species boundaries in a closely related clade of...

Soil pollution has been estimated using soil analysis and leaching test. These methods could show different data from reality due to effects by soil properties such as grain size and mineral composition. Therefore, this study advocates a new assessment and monitoring method of heavy metal polluted soil using fruticose lichens. Lichens growing at ab...

Buellia lauricassiae (Fée) Müll.Arg. was recently rediscovered in Japan for the first time since the original specimen from Ryukyu islands was collected in 1853-1856. This species grows on bark of shrubs and hardwoods mostly in the coastal forests in the warm-temperate zone in Kyushu and Honshu. A detailed description and illustrations are provided...

Swertia japonica is an important Japanese folk medicine used as a remedy for stomach disease, and secoiridoids are the main active constituents. Towards producing secoiridoids using large-scale tissue culture, we investigated the effects of phytohormone conditions on callus induction and redifferentiation of adventitious roots from calli of S. japo...

Panaefluoroline B (2) is a fluorescent yellowish-green pigment produced by the cultured mycobiont of a lichen, Amygdalaria panaeola. Panaefluoroline B (2) has an isoquinoline skeleton, a C5 unit, and an amino acid, glycine, in its structure. The biosynthetic pathway of 2 was revealed by feeding experiments using [1-(13)C]-sodium acetate and [1,2-(1...

The stress-induced α-ketol derivative of linolenic acid, identified in Lemna paucicostata as 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (KODA), is involved in the enhancement of flower formation and the breaking of dormancy. Swertia japonica is an important bitter stomachic, and its adventitious roots contain xanthones, which are antioxidant...

Understanding the relationship between Cu and Cu-hyperaccumulator lichens is important for their application in monitoring and assessing heavy metal pollution. We investigated the Cu-hyperaccumulator lichen Stereocaulon japonicum at several Cu-polluted and control sites in Japan, and found the lichen to be widely distributed. Its concentrations of...

Lichens are known to synthesize variety of secondary metabolites which show wide range of biological activities. Many substances have been successfully isolated and identified from natural thalli and mycobiont cultures. Various biological activities have been screened for chemicals produced by mycobionts in culture medium and natural thalli of lich...

We previously isolated and identified 16-O-acetylleucotylic acid (ALA) as an HL-60 human leukemia cells antiproliferative activec ompound from Myelochroa aurulenta (Tuck.) Krog & Swinsc. The screening test on this activity was performed for the acetone extracts of natural thalli of 114 species of lichens and ethanol extracts of natural thalli of 7...

Cladonja cristatella mycobiont produces naphthoquinone red pigments in a jar-fermenter culture. Agitating Lilly-Barnett medium (pH5.5) containing the mycobiont at 20｡C at 120 rpm for 28 days resulted in pigment production up to 25.3 mg/l･day.

Graphidastra japonica A.Sakata & H.Harada in the family Roccellaceae is described as new from Japan. It most resembles G. laii Aptroot & Sparrius in having fusiform-acicular ascospores, but it differs from that species by having more constantly lirelliform apothecia, a K+ olive-green hypothecium, schizopeltic acid as the only chemical constituent,...

Taxonomic study was performed on the 132 corticolous specimens of Enterographa collected from Japan, by morphological and chemical analyses, and two species are recognized: Enterographa anguinella (Nyl.) Redinger and Enterographa divergens (Müll. Arg.) Redinger. E. anguinella from Japan somewhat differs in ascospore size and septation from the desc...

Distribution of Myelochroa hayachinensis in Japan is documented, with new localities from Akita-ken, Iwate-ken, Gunma-ken, Kyoto-fu and Miyazaki-ken. Illustration in color, distribution map and HPLC chart are presented. (In Japanese)

To understand the ecology and physiology of metal-accumulating lichens growing in Cu-polluted sites, we investigated lichens near temple and shrine buildings with Cu roofs in Japan and found that Stereocaulon japonicum Th. Fr. and Cladonia humilis (With.) J. R. Laundon grow in Cu-polluted sites. Metal concentrations in the lichen samples collected...

Ramboldia haematites, a species previously known only from America, Africa and Oceania, is reported from Japan on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. This species is distinguished from all other members of the genus by the substrate, disc color, ascospore size and chemical constituents.

We investigated lichen species in the habitats of the copper (Cu)-hyperaccumulating moss Scopelophila cataractae and found that the cup lichens Cladonia subconistea and C. humilis grow on this moss. We performed X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass (ICP-MS) analysis of lichen samples and measured the visible absorption spectra of...

Myelochroa xantholepis is reported as new for Japan based on a single specimen from Miyazaki-ken, Kyushu I., southwestern Japan. It was found on trunk of evergreen hardwood in lucidophyllous forest along a river in the warm-temperate zone. The specimen is not typical of this species by lacking maculae on the dorsal surface of the lobes. Atranorin a...

List of lichen species is presented based on the collection during and just after the 3rd field meeting of the Japanese Society for Lichenology (JSL) at Iwaya-dani Gorge, Okayama-ken, western Japan. Thirty-five species are enumerated. Habit and vertical sections of ascomata are illustrated in color for Anisomeridium ubianum and Scleropyrenium kurok...

Distribution of Pyxine subcinerea in Japan is documented, with new localities from Honshu (Chiba-ken and Ibaraki-ken), Shikoku (Tokushima-ken) and Kyushu (Fukuoka-ken). Illustrations, distribution map and HPLC chart are presented. (In Japanese)

A new method for analysis of lichen triterpenoids was established using high performance liquid chromatography with the combination of a differential refractive index detector (RID) and a photodiode array detector (PDA). It is proved that this method was convenient to detect and identify aromatic and aliphatic lichen substances; it enabled quantita...

The present study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial activity of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) against Helicobacter pylori, and to optimize the culture conditions of LFF for maximum production of natural antibiotics against H. pylori. To accomplish this, a screening assay was first conducted among 19 species of LFF. The extract of Nephromopsi...

Cladonia parasitica is documented for distribution in Japan. Distribution map and habit photographs in color are presented. (In Japanese, with English captions)

Distribution of Hypotrachyna incognita in Japan is documented, with new localities from Hokkaido, Honshu (Akita-ken, Miyagi-ken, Kanagawa-ken, Aichi-ken, Kyoto-fu and Osaka-fu), and Kyushu (Kumamoto-ken and Miyazaki-ken). Color illustration, distribution map and HPLC chart are presented. (In Japanese)

Eleven species are recognized of which C. bogilana and C. subflavorubescens are described here as new to science while nine species (C. cinnabarina, C. decipiens, C. ferruginea, C. inconspecta, C. pellodella, C. scopularis, C. stantonii, C. squamosa and C. subsoluta) are reported for the first time for South Korea. Both new species are peculiar due...

Antioxidant properties of 46 lichen species collected from high-UV exposed alpine areas of southwestern China were evaluated for their therapeutic utilization. Anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, reducing power and the total phenolic contents were assessed in methanol extract of the...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of an edible lichen Ramalina conduplicans. The extract exhibited potent anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, free radical-scavenging activity, and reducing power. The total phenolic contents were found to be high in the extract. Activity-guided bioautographic thin layer chromatog...

Screening test on growth inhibition against 15 bacteria was performed with use of the acetone extracts of 70 species of natural thaili and 34 species of cultured mycobionts of lichens. The extract of natural thallus of Anaptychia palmulata (Michx.) Vain, that does not contain usnic acid, depside and depsidones previously reported as antibiotics sho...

Graphis flavopalmicola is described as a new lichenized fungus from Jeju Island (South Korea). It is characterized by smooth, whitish-gray, UV+ pale yellow thallus (lichexanthone), unbranched to irregularly branched lirellae; completely carbonized exciple, and transversely 5-9-septate ascospores. It differs from the closely related G. palmicola chi...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of an edible lichen Ramalina conduplicans. The extract exhibited potent anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, free radical-scavenging activity, and reducing power. The total phenolic contents were found to be high in the extract. Activity-guided bioautographic thin layer chromatog...

We made a floristic survey on lichens in subtropical lucidophyllous forests mostly dominated by Castanopsis sieboldii in the Yambaru (or Yanbaru) Area (N 26°48’02”, E128°16) in the north of Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Is., southwesternmost Japan, in December 2005. In this paper, seven species are reported: Cladonia subcariosa Nyl., Coenogonium luteum (D...

The lichen substance, 16-O-acetyl-leucotylic acid (1), was isolated from an acetone extract of Myelochroa aurulenta and found to exhibit antiproliferative activity against HL-60 human leukemia cells. This is the first report on its anti-leukemia activity (EC50=21 μM) which is greater than that of leucotylic acid (2) and the structurally related ant...

The lichen substance, 16-O-acetyl-leucotylic acid (1), was isolated from an acetone extract of Myelochroa aurulenta and found to exhibit antiproliferative activity against HL-60 human leukemia cells. This is the first report on its anti-leukemia activity (EC(50)=21 microM) which is greater than that of leucotylic acid (2) and the structurally relat...

Two dark red pigments which could not be detected In the natural thallus, were isolated from the cultured mycobiont of the lichen Sphaerophorus finqilis (L.) Pers. Although these chemical substances were identified as the previously known compounds 3-ethyl-2,7-dihydroxy-naphthazarin and boryquinone on the b.isis of their spectral data, this is the...

Eight lichen species, Cetraria aculeata, Cladonia furcata, Pseudephebe pubescens, Sphaerophorus globosus, Stereocaulon alpinum, Umbilicaria antarctica, Usnea antarctica and Usnea aurantiacoatra, were collected from King George Island, maritime Antarctica, for the evaluation of antioxidant activities. Anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, free r...

In order to determine the allelopathic nature of lichen acids produced by lichen mycobionts, we compared lichen photobionts with other photosynthetic organisms in terms of inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport around photosystem II (PSII) by representative lichen acids. Whereas at the thylakoid level we found no clear difference in tolera...

Distributions of Peltigera collina and Peltigera didcatyla in Japan are documented, with new localities from Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku for both species. Distribution maps are presented. (In Japanese)

Distributions of Pyxine limbulata and Pyxine sorediata in Japan are documented, with new localities from Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku for P. limbulata and from Hokkaido and Honshu for P. sorediata. Color illustration and distribution maps are presented. (In Japanese)

Mazaediothecium mohamedii H.Harada & Yoshik.Yamam. in the family Pyrenulaceae is described as new from a tropical rain forest in Peninsular Malaysia. It differs from the most closely related species, M. album from Costa Rica, by a prominent involucrellum, well-developed periphyses and brown ascospores. It was found growing on a hardwood trunk at th...

Distributions of Canoparmelia aptata and Canoparmelia texana in Japan are documented. Color illustrations, distribution maps and HPLC chart are presented. (In Japanese)

Karoowia saxeti was recorded during the lichen field expedition in southern part of Korea in 2006. The lichen was found on the rock surface along coastal line. This species was easily recognized by chemistry (K+ yellow) and the presence of isidia. Thallus was saxicolous, subcrustose, more or less lobate at the center with clearly lobed margins, 2~6...

The phylogeny of Pertusariales was studied using partial sequences of the mitochondrial SSU and nuclear LSU rDNA of 96 ascomycetes, including 70 newly obtained sequences. Our analysis confirms Pertusariaceae being polyphyletic and falling into four well-supported monophyletic groups. Pertusariaceae s.str. is restricted to Pertusaria s.str. and Loxo...

Leioderma sorediatum is reported from Nagano-ken (or Nagano Prefecture) as the fifth locality in Japan, with distribution map. Habit photographs including color ones are presented based on the Japanese specimen. HPLC chert shows the presence of a small amount of squamatic acid only. (In Japanese. Illustrations incl. HPLC with English captions)

In atrazine-tolerant tobacco cells with Ser to Thr mutation at the 264th amino acid of PsbA polypeptide in photosystem II (PSII), electron trannsport around the secondary quinone acceptor (Q(B)) site was inhibited to a greater extent by barbatic acid than in wild-type cells. Further characterization suggests similar mode of action of barbatic acid...

Tania mohamedii H.Harada & Yoshik.Yamam. in the family Arthoniaceae is described as new from a tropical montane forest in Peninsular Malaysia. It was found growing on a hardwood trunk and is characterized by a byssoid yellowish thallus with brown hypothallus, lecideoid ascomata with dark brown disc and pale margin below, an exciple composed of more...

Distribution of Bulbothrix isidiza in Japan is documented, with new localities from Chiba-ken, Shizuoka-ken, and Aichi-ken on Honshu Island. Illustrations, distribution map and HPLC chart are presented. (In Japanese)

New fluorescent compounds, named panaefluorolines D-H, were isolated from the cultured mycobiont of a lichen, Amygdalaria panaeola. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, especially 2D-NMR. The relative configuration of panaefluoroline D was determined by means of X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Novel fluorescent substances, named panaefluorolines A–C (1–3), were isolated from the cultured mycobiont of a lichen, Amygdalaria panaeola. These structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, especially 2D NMR.

Distribution of Flavopunctelia soredica in Japan is documented, with a new locality in Nagano-ken, central Japan. Illustrations and distribution map are presented. (In Japanese)

Screening of growth inhibition of two wood decaying Fungi, Trametes versicolor and Fomitopsis palustris, by 46 strains of cultured lichen mycobionts is reported. Cell-aggregates of each mycobiont strain were placed on agar-plates of malt-yeast extract medium, glucose peptone medium, and potato dextrose medium and pre-incubated. After a month, a woo...

Two isofuranonaphthoquinone derivatives, named arthoniafurones A (1-acetyl-8-hydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione) and B [1-acetyl-4,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-9(4H)-one], were isolated from a spore-derived culture of the mycobiont of the lichen Arthonia cinnabarina, that is new to Japan. Bostrycoidin and 8-O-methylbostrycoidin were also identi...

A zearalenone derivative, 6-(4,5-dihydbroxy-IO-methyl-6-oxo-7-undecenyl)-resorcylic acid lactone, was isolated from the liquid culture of a thallus-derived mycobiont and a thallus of Baeomyces placophyHus. The structure including the stereochemistry was established by spectro-scopic studies.

Lichens have been used as medicines, dyes, perfumes, and food and drink stuffs since ancient times all over the world. Within the last two decades many pharmacologically active compounds have been isolated from lichens. However, mass harvesting of lichens as an industrial resource may lead to extinction of species. Therefore, if lichens are to be u...

Lichens are dual organisms formed from a symbiotic association of a fungus, the mycobiont, and an alga and/or cyanobacterium, the photobiont, in which numerous photosynthetic cells are intertwined in a matrix of fungal hyphae. Such definitions raise the question as to whether lichens are technically individual organisms. Many aspects of lichen biol...

Among 68 species of lichen mycobionts tested it was observed that the growth of six. viz. Cladonia boryi, Pyyenula japonica, Stereocaulon alpinum, S. sorediiferum, Tremulecia atrala and Vsnea Qri2onica, was promoted by the addition of copper ions to ihe medium. Sixty-five percent of the tested species grew well at 30 ppm of copper ions. The Tremnle...

Tissue cultures of six lichens of Ramalina species were induced on malt-yeast extract medium supplemented with various concentrations of sodium chloride. The growth of mycobionts and photobionts from thallus fragments inoculated was affected by the concentrations of NaCl. Inhibitory effects of NaCl on the growth of tissue cultures were not differen...

A new naphthazarin pigment obtained from the liquid culture of a spore-derived mycobiont of a lichen, Cladonia cristatella, was examined to apply to the dyeing of silk. The pigment is a deep red color and consists of the chemicals 3-ethyl-2-hydroxy-7-methoxynaphthazarin. The absorption spectra of the pigment-aluminum methanol solutions were recorde...

Effects of the nitrogen sources in the medium for the production of secondary metabolites in lichens were examined. The usnic acid production by a mycobiont of the lichen Usnea hirta was higher in the liquid medium containing ammonium and nitrate ions than in those containing amino acids.

Halophilic or salt tolerant lichen mycobionts were screened for 77 species on an NaCl enriched medium. Only the Niebla homalea mycobiont collected from the North American Pacific seashore showed evident halophilic growth: 145% growth on malt-yeast extract agar-medium supplemented with 0.9 M NaCl and 129% growth at 1.2 M NaCl in comparison with that...

Ascospore germination and hyphal growth of the following lichen genera were tested in various concentrations of NaCl: Arthonia, Buellia, Caloplaca, Cladonia, Graphis, Lecanora, Myelochroa, Ochrolechia, Parmelia, Porpidia, Ramalina, Stereocaulon and Usnea. At high NaCl concentrations spore germination and hyphal growth were inhibited, and the shape...

A new amino acid solorinine [1] having a quaternary ammonium structure that we had previously isolated from the lichen Solorina crocca (L.) Ach., collected in Canada, was contained in all specimens of S. crocea from Europe and North America as well as from Japan. Solorinine was detected in all species of Solorina and Peltigera, both members of the...

This is a study of the factors that affect discharge and germination of lichen ascospores. Spore discharges from apothecia of many lichens were shown to be influenced by discharge period, collecting seasons, storage temperatures and storage periods. Tested species had more or less an endogenous rhythm of sporulation fundamentally in the dark withou...

Barbatic acid, a lichen-derived depside, inhibited oxygen evolution in spinach thylakoid membranes. It also affected parameters of Chi fluorescence, (Fm'-F)/F and Fv/Fm. Using specific donors and acceptors of electrons, we found two sites of inhibition in the PS II complex. The primary site, which is responsible for the inhibition of oxygen evoluti...

The analogues of lichen components showing anti-tyrosinase activities were synthesized. 4-Alkylresorcinol derivatives showed both the inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity in B-16 melanona cells at the doses of 10 mM to 1.2 mM. Resorcinol and 4-methylresorcinol showed the inhibitory effect with a low cytotoxicity at the doses of 2.5 mM and 600 μM am...

The synthetic analogues oflichen compounds were prepared to compare with their anti-tyrosinase activities against those of intact lichen thalti. One of the synthetic analogues, 4-alkylresor-cinols, showed strong activities.

A new method to analyse optical activity of usnic and isousnic acids was established using high performance liquid chromatography with a chiral column. The method enabled analysis of these compounds even when their concentrations were low. Either (+)-or (—)-usnic acid was pro duced in most species examined here, but in the case of Flavocetruria lic...

Streptococcus mutans induces both H2O2-forming and H2O-forming NADH oxidases in the presence of O2 [M. Higuchi, J. Gen. Microbiol., 130, 1819-1826 (1984)]. In this paper, a nox-1 gene encoding H2O2-forming NADH oxidase (NOX-1) from Streptococcus mutans was cloned, and the nucleotides sequenced. The structural gene of nox-1 consisted of 1530 base pa...

High pigment-producing cell aggregates of the cultured spore-derived mycobiont of a lichen, Cladonia cristatella, were isolated by clonal selection. The new naphthazarin derivatives, cristazarin (3-ethyl-2-hydroxy-7-methoxynaphthazarin) and 6-methylcristazarin, were identified as red pigments from the liquid culture. A depside, barbatic acid, was a...

To discover the molecular properties of two distinct NADH oxidases, corresponding to H2O2-forming oxidase (NOX-1) and H2O-forming oxidase (NOX-2) induced in Streptococcus mutans, for the first step we had cloned and sequenced the nox-1 gene encoding NOX-1. In this paper, a nox-2 gene encoding NOX-2 from S. mutans was cloned, and the nucleotides seq...

Inhibition of tumor promoter-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation was screened using tissue culture and thallus extracts of lichens. Usnea longissima ACH. thallus and Cetraria ornata MULL. ARG. tissue culture showed strong inhibitory activity. We identified (+)-usnic acid (1), barbatic acid (2), diffractaic acid (3), 4-O-demethylbarbatic aci...

Diffractaic acid and usnic acid were identified as the analgesic and antipyretic components of a lichen, Usnea diffracta. Both compounds showed an analgesic effect by the acetic acid-induced writhing and tail-pressure methods in mice. Regarding the effect on normal body temperature and LPS-induced hyperthermia in mice, diffractaic acid showed a sig...

This is the first study on the factors that affect cell growth and the production of secondary metabolites of a lichen mycobiont in liquid culture. An ascospore-derived strain of Cladonia cristatella mycobiont accumulated and excreted red pigments into a liquid medium. Growth of the mycobiont was increased by using liquid Lilly–Barnett medium conta...

Cytochromes in a cultured cells of the mycobiont of Cladonia vulcani Sav. were studied, b -and c -type cytochromes and aa 3 -type cytochrome c oxidase were found in the membrane fraction, while b - and c -type cytochromes were found in the soluble fraction. Soluble cytochrome c -549.5 was purified, and some of its molecular properties were determin...