Hoshino Shotaro Specially Appointed Associate Professor
AffiliationSection of Natural Products Chemistry, Division of Medicinal Resources, Department of Research and Development
Research fieldsNatural Products Chemistry
Campus careerPh.D. (Pharmaceutical Science)
Biography University of Toyama Faculty Research Profiles
Education
2014.3 B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
2016.3 M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
2019.3 Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Job career
2019.4 Postdoctoral Researcher, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
2019.6 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, USA
2022.4 Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
2023.4 Assistant Professor, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University
2026.10 Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama
Research theme
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Outline of the research
Natural products have made major contributions to drug development as important sources of drug leads due to their diverse chemical structures and biological activities. However, the discovery of novel natural products has become increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, recent genomic analyses have revealed that microorganisms harbor numerous unexploited biosynthetic pathways, which are attracting attention as potential sources of new natural products. By combining conventional isolation and structure elucidation techniques with genetic engineering, bioinformatics, and metabolomic analyses, I explore novel natural products derived from these biosynthetic pathways and investigate their biosynthetic mechanisms and biological roles. In recent years, I have focused particularly on organoarsenic natural products recently discovered in actinomycetes, with the aim of elucidating their chemical diversity and biosynthetic mechanisms.
Thoughts on research
Biosynthetic pathways for natural products in microorganisms and plants remain largely unexplored. The organoarsenic metabolites from actinomycetes that I am currently studying are one such example: their existence and biosynthetic pathway were uncovered more than 40 years after the producing strain was discovered. Many natural products are therefore still “waiting to be discovered.” Few moments are as rewarding as uncovering such compounds by testing hypotheses through diverse experimental approaches. Meanwhile, although natural products are important resources for drug discovery, the biological roles of many remain unclear despite the substantial energy and resources required for their biosynthesis. By revealing why these compounds are produced, I hope to deepen our understanding of biological phenomena.
Paper
Luteoagmacins A and B, new antimicrobial agmatine derivatives from a hot spring water-derived Luteococcus sp.
S. Hoshino, E. Nagai, H. Komaki, S. Ijichi, S. Asamizu, H. Onaka
J. Antibiot., Advanced Online Publication.
Functional Characterization of Late-Stage Biosynthetic and Transporter Genes within the Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of the Organoarsenic Natural Product Bisenarsan
S. Hoshino, S. Ijichi, H. Onaka
Recent advances in the biosynthetic studies of bacterial organoarsenic natural products
S. Hoshino, H. Onaka, I. Abe
Nat. Prod. Rep., 42, 663-671 (2025).
Insights into Arsenic Secondary Metabolism in Actinomycetes from the Structure and Biosynthesis of Bisenarsan
S. Hoshino, S. Ijichi, S. Asamizu, H. Onaka
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 145, 17863-17871 (2023).
Structural Elucidation of Tenebrathin: Cytotoxic C-5-Substituted γ-Pyrone with a Nitroaryl Side Chain from Streptoalloteichus tenebrarius
S. Hoshino, T. Mitsuhashi, T. Kikuchi, C.P. Wong, H. Morita, T. Awakawa, M. Fujita, I. Abe
Org. Lett., 21, 6519-6522 (2019).
keyword
Natural Products, Biosynthesis, Organoarsenicals, Genome mining, Actinomycetes, Genetic engineering
