Tohru Kino

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Tohru Kino (木野 亨, Kino Tōru) is a Japanese chemist and pharmacologist, best known for his discovery of tacrolimus.

While working for Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Company in the 1980s (Astellas Pharma today), Kino and his colleagues found that FK-506 (now called tacrolimus), which is produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces tsukubaensisis, could be expected to be an immunosuppressive drug. [1]

For his achievement, Kino received the Prime Minister Award from the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation in 2004. [2]

Related Research Articles

Tacrolimus chemical compound

Tacrolimus, also known as fujimycin or FK506, is an immunosuppressive drug used mainly after allogeneic organ transplant to lower the risk of organ rejection. It achieves this by inhibiting calcineurin involved in the production of interleukin-2, a molecule that promotes the development and proliferation of T cells, which are vital to the body's learned immune response. Tacrolimus is also used in the treatment of other T cell-mediated diseases such as eczema and psoriasis., severe refractory uveitis after bone marrow transplants, exacerbations of minimal change disease, Kimura's disease, and the skin condition vitiligo.

<i>Streptomyces</i> genus of Actinobacteria

Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described. As with the other Actinobacteria, streptomycetes are gram-positive, and have genomes with high GC content. Found predominantly in soil and decaying vegetation, most streptomycetes produce spores, and are noted for their distinct "earthy" odor that results from production of a volatile metabolite, geosmin.

Ascomycin chemical compound

Ascomycin, also called Immunomycin, FR-900520, FK520, is an ethyl analog of tacrolimus (FK506) with strong immunosuppressant properties. It has been researched for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and skin diseases, and to prevent rejection after an organ transplant.

FKBP

FKBP, or FK506 binding protein, is a family of proteins that have prolyl isomerase activity and are related to the cyclophilins in function, though not in amino acid sequence. FKBPs have been identified in many eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans, and function as protein folding chaperones for proteins containing proline residues. Along with cyclophilin, FKBPs belong to the immunophilin family.

Ribostamycin aminoglycoside antibiotic

Ribostamycin is an aminoglycoside-aminocyclitol antibiotic isolated from a streptomycete, Streptomyces ribosidificus, originally identified in a soil sample from Tsu City of Mie Prefecture in Japan. It is made up of 3 ring subunits: 2-deoxystreptamine (DOS), neosamine C, and ribose. Ribostamycin, along with other aminoglycosides with the DOS subunit, is an important broad-spectrum antibiotic with important use against human immunodeficiency virus and is considered a critically important antimicrobial by the World Health Organization., Resistance against aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as ribostamycin, is a growing concern. The resistant bacteria contain enzymes that modify the structure through phosphorylation, adenylation, and acetylation and prevent the antibiotic from being able to interact with the bacterial ribosomal RNAs.

Streptomyces tsukubaensis is a species of actinobacteria. It produces the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus. Tacrolimus was first isolated from S. tsukubaensis in 1984.

Kimuras disease Human disease

Kimura's disease is a benign rare chronic inflammatory disorder. Its primary symptoms are subdermal lesions in the head or neck or painless unilateral inflammation of cervical lymph nodes.

Streptomyces nodosus is a bacterial species in the genus Streptomyces.

Streptomyces isolates have yielded the majority of human, animal, and agricultural antibiotics, as well as a number of fundamental chemotherapy medicines. Streptomyces is the largest antibiotic-producing genus of actinobacteria, producing chemotherapy, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic drugs, and immunosuppressants. Streptomyces isolates are typically initiated with the aerial hyphal formation from the mycelium.

Streptomyces albospinus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from the Akita City in Japan. Streptomyces albospinus produces spinamycine, phenamide, phenelfamycin G and phenelfamycin H.

Streptomyces amakusaensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from the Amakusa Island in Japan. Streptomyces amakusaensis produces tuberin and nagstatin.

Streptomyces lavendulae is a species of bacteria from the genus Streptomyces. It is isolated from soils globally and is known for its production of medically useful biologically active metabolites. To see a photo of this organism click here.

Streptomyces durmitorensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from the Durmitor National Park in Serbia and Montenegro.

Streptomyces hokutonensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from rhizosphere roots from strawberries in Hokuto, Yamanashi in Japan.

Streptomyces kasugaensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from the city Nara in Japan. Streptomyces kasugaensis produces kasugamycin and thiolutin.

Streptomyces tacrolimicus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from deer dung. Streptomyces tacrolimicus produces tacrolimus.

Streptomyces tateyamensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from the sponge Haliclona from the pacific coastline of the city Tateyama in the Chiba prefecture in Japan. Streptomyces tateyamensis produces the antibiotic thiopeptin B.

Streptomyces tsukubensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil in Ibaraki in Japan. Streptomyces tsukubensis produses the immunosuppressant tacrolimus.

Streptomyces tubercidicus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil in Japan. Streptomyces tubercidicus produces tubercidin and ascomycin.

Streptomyces virginiae is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil. Streptomyces virginiae produces actithiazic acid, virginiamycins and cycloserine.

References

  1. Kino, T; Hatanaka, H; Hashimoto, M; Nishiyama, M; Goto, T; Okuhara, M; Kohsaka, M; Aoki, H; Imanaka, H (1987). "FK-506, a novel immunosuppressant isolated from a Streptomyces. I. Fermentation, isolation, and physico-chemical and biological characteristics". The Journal of Antibiotics. 40 (9): 1249–55. doi:10.7164/antibiotics.40.1249. PMID   2445721.
  2. 全国発明表彰 平成16年受賞者一覧 第一表彰区分 (in Japanese)