1. Research Subject: Molecular mechanism, Cell biology, Evolution, and Application of Novel Denitrifying Systems. The major original findings of our laboratory are: denitrification by eukaryote (fungi, yeasts) and actinomycetes; nitric oxide reductase cytochorome P450nor and its crystal structure; P460foxy, a fused protein of P450 and its reductase; mitochondrial novel respiratory metabolism.
2. Subjects from now on: The fungal denitrifying system is localized at mitochondria and a comparison of its respiratory metabolism with the bacterial counterpart is of extreme interest. Denitrification is also important in global environment issues. (1) Construction of aerobic denitrifying systems that do not emit the green house gas (N₂O), of which concentration in the atmosphere is now increasing rapidly as the result of increasing activities of humanity. (2) Isolation of the proteins and genes of many components involved in the novel denitrifying systems. (3) Transcriptional regulation mechanism for the expression of the eukaryotic denitrifying system. (4) Analysis of mitochondrial genomes of the denitrifying fungi. (5) Structures and reaction mechanisms of P450nor, P450foxy, flavohemoglobin, and other components of the novel denitrifying systems.

Recent Publications

2005

2004-2003

2002-2000

　

Awards

Discovery and Elucidation of Novel Microbial Metabolism

Profs. HIROFUMI SHOUN

The Japan Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry Society Award, 2004
*Awarded to members with honorable research achievements in the fields of Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry.

・An award ceremony : 28th March 2004 at International　Conference　Center　Hiroshima ( 1-5 Nakajima-cyo Naka-ku Hiroshima 〒730-0811 )
・An award lecuture : 28th March 2004 13:00 - 13:20 at International　Conference　Center　Hiroshima　

Professor Kei Arima Memorial Award, Japan Bioindustry Association, 2002
Dicovery of the Fungal Denitrifying System and Studies on Structure-Function Relationship of P450nor

TEL +81-3-5841-5148
FAX +81-3-5841-5148
ahshoun@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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