| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9801338 | Science and Technology of Advanced Materials | 2005 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) requires the availability of photosensitizers which have a high efficiency and selectivity for the destruction of tumor cells. Chlorophyll (Chl) a is one of the favorable photosensitizers, because it has a high extinction coefficient in the red light region, where light transmission through the human tissues is very high. However, Chl a had a serious problem that it cannot be dissolved in water, so we tried to prepare water-soluble chlorophyllide a from Chl a by several enzymes, and serendipitously came across a unique formation of Chl d from Chl a when papain was used in aqueous acetone. Similar oxidation was observed in Chl b and pheophytin a, although the reactions were very slow. Our finding will provide insight into the unsolved key question as to the biosynthetic pathway of Chl d via Chl a in a recently found novel cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Materials Science (General)
Authors
Hajime Koizumi, Yuka Itoh, Sadamasa Hosoda, Machiko Akiyama, Takayuki Hoshino, Yoshihiro Shiraiwa, Masami Kobayashi,