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Molecular Enzymology Lab
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A lab that uncovers the function and structure of enzymes that synthesize and break down sugars.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering enzyme function and structure at the molecular level
The Molecular Enzymology Lab studies the relationship between function and structure in enzymes, the biological catalysts.
In particular, targeting enzymes that break down or synthesize carbohydrates, it uses kinetic analysis to quantify enzyme properties.
By combining analysis of mutant enzymes made through protein engineering with three-dimensional structure analysis, the lab aims for an understanding that can also lead to drug development and the production of functional carbohydrates.
Faculty members also have their desks in the same room as the students, so research proceeds in an environment where it is easy to report and consult at any time.
Key terms
- Protein engineering
- A technique that substitutes or removes amino acids in a protein to study its function or give it new functions
- Cryo-electron microscopy
- A method that rapidly freezes a sample and observes it with an electron beam to determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins and other molecules
- Oligosaccharide
- A sugar made of a few monosaccharides, such as glucose, linked together
NewsLab news
A review article on GH15 enzymes was published in the Journal of Applied Glycoscience
A master's student received an Excellence Presentation Award at the Hokkaido Branch Lecture Meeting of the Japanese Society of Applied Glycoscience
The three-dimensional structure and inhibition mechanism of MGAM, an enzyme that raises blood glucose levels, were elucidated (JEIMC)
A paper elucidating the catalytic mechanism of dextran dextrinase was published in JBC
A paper on an engineered enzyme capable of synthesizing neokestose and other sugars was published in Enzyme Microb Tech
ResearchResearch themes
Focusing mainly on enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, the lab builds on kinetic analysis and combines it with protein engineering and three-dimensional structure analysis to understand the relationship between enzyme function and structure. It also pursues research that leads to applications such as drug development and the production of functional carbohydrates.
*Illustrative imageEnzymes That Break Down Mirror-Image Glucose
Glucose had been thought to exist in nature only as the D-form, but the lab discovered a new enzyme, α-L-glucosidase, which breaks down glucosides of the mirror-image L-form. It is now investigating, with collaborators, enzymes involved in the synthesis and breakdown of L-form sugars.
*Illustrative imageStarch-Degrading Enzymes and Blood Glucose
The lab has determined the three-dimensional structure of MGAM, an enzyme that breaks down starch in the small intestine, using cryo-electron microscopy, and is searching for inhibitors that could lead to the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes. It also engineers glycosyltransferases that produce functional oligosaccharides.
*Illustrative imageStructures That Determine the Reaction Mechanism
The lab has identified groups of enzymes that have similar amino acid sequences but different reaction mechanisms. It studies everything from the fundamentals of how these enzymes catalyze reactions to applications for efficiently producing monosaccharides and oligosaccharides.
*Illustrative imageSugar-Transporting Proteins and More
The lab also studies proteins that recognize specific sugars and carry them into cells (SBPs), as well as enzymes that carry out oxidation-reduction and isomerization of sugars. Drawing on recombinant protein technology, it also takes part in developing a formulation to treat dairy cows with low conception rates.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Molecular Enzymology Lab consist of faculty members and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMasayuki Okuyama
- Associate ProfessorTakayoshi Tagami
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Potato amyloplast granules observed at 200 magnification under a polarized microscope with interference plate inserted. Massimo Brizzi 2021” Massimo Brizzi / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Enzymes That Break Down Mirror-Image Glucose: “L-Glucose Molekülbaukasten 9090” Bin im Garten / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Starch-Degrading Enzymes and Blood Glucose: “Wheat starch granules” Kiselov Yuri / Public domain (cropped)
- Structures That Determine the Reaction Mechanism: “PDB 1gah EBI” Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute / Public domain (cropped)
- Sugar-Transporting Proteins and More: “1fqc mbp” Opabinia regalis / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Biology Lab): “Arabidopsis thal twice background” Reo On / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genome Biochemistry Lab): “Sirex noctilio emerging” Paula Klasmer, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, Argentina / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Gene Regulation Lab): “Sugar beet field ( )” Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Applied Molecular Entomology Lab): “Da Lat - Silkworms eating mulberry leaves” P. Hughes / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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