User:Masahiro Nakajima

Masahiro Nakajima received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo in 2006. He joined the group of Dr. Motomitsu Kitaoka as a postdoctoral fellow (2006–2010). He moved to Iwate Biotechnology Research Center as a researcher (2010–2012). He was an assistant professor in Taguchi Laboratory (2012–2020) and is currently an associate professor in his own laboratory (2020-) at Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science. His research currently focuses on structures and functions of carbohydrate-active enzymes acting on unique sugar chains such as β-1,2-glucan. He acts as a Responsible Curator of Glycoside Hydrolase Families GH144, GH162, GH186, GH189, GH192, GH193 and GH194, and also created clan GH-S. He determined the functions and/or crystal structures of

• GH1 β-Glucosidase [1]
• GH3 β-Glucosidases [2, 3, 4]
• GH16 β-1,3-Glucanase [5]
• GH35 β-1,2-Glucosyltransglycosylase [6] (EC 2.4.1.391 created) and β-1,2-galactosidase [7] (EC 3.2.1.230 created)
• GH38 α-Mannosidase [8]
• GH57 4-α-Glucanotransferase [9]
• GH94 1,2-β-Oligoglucan phosphorylases [10, 11] (EC 2.4.1.333 created)
• GH112 D-Galactosyl-β-1,4-L-rhamnose phosphorylase [12] (EC 2.4.1.247 created) and β-1,3-galactosyl-N-acetylhexosamine phosphorylases [12, 13, 14, 15]
• GH144 Bacterial β-1,2-glucanases [16] (family created) and sophorosylhydrolase [17] (EC 3.2.1.214 created)
• GH162 Fungal β-1,2-glucanase [18] (family created) (clan GH-S created)
• GH186 E. coli β-1,2-glucanase [19] (family created) and α-1,6-cyclized β-1,2-glucohexadecaose synthase from Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (new EC number enzyme)[20]
• GH189 Cyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase (transglycosylase domain) [21] (family created) (EC 2.4.1.397 created)
• GH192 Bacterial β-1,2-glucanase [22] (family created)
• GH193 Bacterial β-1,2-glucanase [22] (family created)
• GH194 Bacterial β-1,2-glucanase [22] (family created)

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1. Kumakura H, Motouchi S, Kobayashi K, Inoue M, Kariuda N, Nakai H, and Nakajima M. A β-1,2-glucan-associated glycoside hydrolase family 1 β-glucosidase from Streptomyces griseus. Protein Sci. 2025 Sep;34(9):e70255. DOI:10.1002/pro.70255 |
2. Nakajima M, Yamashita T, Takahashi M, Nakano Y, and Takeda T. Identification, cloning, and characterization of β-glucosidase from Ustilago esculenta. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2012 Mar;93(5):1989-98. DOI:10.1007/s00253-011-3538-2 |
3. Nakajima M, Yoshida R, Miyanaga A, Abe K, Takahashi Y, Sugimoto N, Toyoizumi H, Nakai H, Kitaoka M, and Taguchi H. Functional and Structural Analysis of a β-Glucosidase Involved in β-1,2-Glucan Metabolism in Listeria innocua. PLoS One. 2016;11(2):e0148870. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0148870 |
4. Ishiguro R, Tanaka N, Abe K, Nakajima M, Maeda T, Miyanaga A, Takahashi Y, Sugimoto N, Nakai H, and Taguchi H. Function and structure relationships of a β-1,2-glucooligosaccharide-degrading β-glucosidase. FEBS Lett. 2017 Dec;591(23):3926-3936. DOI:10.1002/1873-3468.12911 |
5. Nakajima M, Yamashita T, Takahashi M, Nakano Y, and Takeda T. A novel glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoside hydrolase from Ustilago esculenta functions in β-1,3-glucan degradation. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Aug;78(16):5682-9. DOI:10.1128/AEM.00483-12 |
6. Kobayashi K, Shimizu H, Tanaka N, Kuramochi K, Nakai H, Nakajima M, and Taguchi H. Characterization and structural analyses of a novel glycosyltransferase acting on the β-1,2-glucosidic linkages. J Biol Chem. 2022 Mar;298(3):101606. DOI:10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101606 |
7. Nakazawa Y, Kageyama M, Matsuzawa T, Liang Z, Kobayashi K, Shimizu H, Maeda K, Masuhiro M, Motouchi S, Kumano S, Tanaka N, Kuramochi K, Nakai H, Taguchi H, and Nakajima M. Structure and function of a β-1,2-galactosidase from Bacteroides xylanisolvens, an intestinal bacterium. Commun Biol. 2025 Jan 16;8(1):66. DOI:10.1038/s42003-025-07494-1 |
8. Nakajima M, Imamura H, Shoun H, and Wakagi T. Unique metal dependency of cytosolic alpha-mannosidase from Thermotoga maritima, a hyperthermophilic bacterium. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2003 Jul 1;415(1):87-93. DOI:10.1016/s0003-9861(03)00222-4 |
9. Nakajima M, Imamura H, Shoun H, Horinouchi S, and Wakagi T. Transglycosylation activity of Dictyoglomus thermophilum amylase A. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2004 Nov;68(11):2369-73. DOI:10.1271/bbb.68.2369 |
10. Nakajima M, Tanaka N, Furukawa N, Nihira T, Kodutsumi Y, Takahashi Y, Sugimoto N, Miyanaga A, Fushinobu S, Taguchi H, and Nakai H. Mechanistic insight into the substrate specificity of 1,2-β-oligoglucan phosphorylase from Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans. Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 15;7:42671. DOI:10.1038/srep42671 |
11. Nakajima M, Toyoizumi H, Abe K, Nakai H, Taguchi H, and Kitaoka M. 1,2-β-Oligoglucan phosphorylase from Listeria innocua. PLoS One. 2014;9(3):e92353. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0092353 |
12. Nakajima M, Nishimoto M, and Kitaoka M. Characterization of three beta-galactoside phosphorylases from Clostridium phytofermentans: discovery of d-galactosyl-beta1->4-l-rhamnose phosphorylase. J Biol Chem. 2009 Jul 17;284(29):19220-7. DOI:10.1074/jbc.M109.007666 |
13. Nakajima M, Nishimoto M, and Kitaoka M. Characterization of beta-1,3-galactosyl-N-acetylhexosamine phosphorylase from Propionibacterium acnes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2009 May;83(1):109-15. DOI:10.1007/s00253-008-1838-y |
14. Nakajima M and Kitaoka M. Identification of lacto-N-Biose I phosphorylase from Vibrio vulnificus CMCP6. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Oct;74(20):6333-7. DOI:10.1128/AEM.02846-07 |
15. Nakajima M, Nihira T, Nishimoto M, and Kitaoka M. Identification of galacto-N-biose phosphorylase from Clostridium perfringens ATCC13124. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2008 Mar;78(3):465-71. DOI:10.1007/s00253-007-1319-8 |
16. Abe K, Nakajima M, Yamashita T, Matsunaga H, Kamisuki S, Nihira T, Takahashi Y, Sugimoto N, Miyanaga A, Nakai H, Arakawa T, Fushinobu S, and Taguchi H. Biochemical and structural analyses of a bacterial endo-β-1,2-glucanase reveal a new glycoside hydrolase family. J Biol Chem. 2017 May 5;292(18):7487-7506. DOI:10.1074/jbc.M116.762724 |
17. Shimizu H, Nakajima M, Miyanaga A, Takahashi Y, Tanaka N, Kobayashi K, Sugimoto N, Nakai H, and Taguchi H. Characterization and Structural Analysis of a Novel exo-Type Enzyme Acting on β-1,2-Glucooligosaccharides from Parabacteroides distasonis. Biochemistry. 2018 Jul 3;57(26):3849-3860. DOI:10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00385 |
18. Tanaka N, Nakajima M, Narukawa-Nara M, Matsunaga H, Kamisuki S, Aramasa H, Takahashi Y, Sugimoto N, Abe K, Terada T, Miyanaga A, Yamashita T, Sugawara F, Kamakura T, Komba S, Nakai H, and Taguchi H. Identification, characterization, and structural analyses of a fungal endo-β-1,2-glucanase reveal a new glycoside hydrolase family. J Biol Chem. 2019 May 10;294(19):7942-7965. DOI:10.1074/jbc.RA118.007087 |
19. Motouchi S, Kobayashi K, Nakai H, and Nakajima M. Identification of enzymatic functions of osmo-regulated periplasmic glucan biosynthesis proteins from Escherichia coli reveals a novel glycoside hydrolase family. Commun Biol. 2023 Sep 21;6(1):961. DOI:10.1038/s42003-023-05336-6 |
20. Motouchi S, Komba S, Nakai H, and Nakajima M. Discovery of Anomer-Inverting Transglycosylase: Cyclic Glucohexadecaose-Producing Enzyme from Xanthomonas, a Phytopathogen. J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Jul 3;146(26):17738-17746. DOI:10.1021/jacs.4c02579 |
21. Tanaka N, Saito R, Kobayashi K, Nakai H, Kamo S, Kuramochi K, Taguchi H, Nakajima M, and Masaike T. Functional and structural analysis of a cyclization domain in a cyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Feb 1;108(1):187. DOI:10.1007/s00253-024-13013-9 |
22. Nakajima M, Tanaka N, Motouchi S, Kobayashi K, Shimizu H, Abe K, Hosoyamada N, Abara N, Morimoto N, Hiramoto N, Nakata R, Takashima A, Hosoki M, Suzuki S, Shikano K, Fujimaru T, Imagawa S, Kawadai Y, Wang Z, Kitano Y, Nihira T, Nakai H, and Taguchi H. New glycoside hydrolase families of β-1,2-glucanases. Protein Sci. 2025 Jun;34(6):e70147. DOI:10.1002/pro.70147 |