pH-Dependent Structural Change in Neoculin with Special Reference to Its Taste-Modifying Activity

Yuji MORITA; Ken-ichiro NAKAJIMA; Kisho IIZUKA; Tohru TERADA; Akiko SHIMIZU-IBUKA; Keisuke ITO; Ayako KOIZUMI; Tomiko ASAKURA; Takumi MISAKA; Keiko ABE

doi:10.1271/bbb.90524

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Notes

pH-Dependent Structural Change in Neoculin with Special Reference to Its Taste-Modifying Activity

Yuji MORITA, Ken-ichiro NAKAJIMA, Kisho IIZUKA, Tohru TERADA, Akiko SHIMIZU-IBUKA, Keisuke ITO, Ayako KOIZUMI, Tomiko ASAKURA, Takumi MISAKA, Keiko ABE

Author information

Yuji MORITA
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Ken-ichiro NAKAJIMA
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Kisho IIZUKA
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Tohru TERADA
Agricultural Bioinformatics Research Unit, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Akiko SHIMIZU-IBUKA
Department of Nutritional Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture
Keisuke ITO
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Ayako KOIZUMI
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Tomiko ASAKURA
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Takumi MISAKA
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Keiko ABE
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo

Keywords: neoculin, taste-modifying activity, fluorescence, structural change, pH-dependent sweetness

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 73 Issue 11 Pages 2552-2555

DOI https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.90524

View "Advance Publication" version (November 7, 2009).

Details

Abstract

Neoculin has pH-dependent taste-modifying activity. This study found that neoculin changed pH-dependently in its tryptophan- and ANS-derived fluorescence spectra, while no such change occurred in a neoculin variant whose histidine residues were replaced with alanine. These results suggest that the sweetness of neoculin depends on structural change accompanying the pH change, with the histidine residues playing a key role.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!