Abstract: Provided are a ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder having high solubility in water, a glucan-containing composition using the powder or the like, a method for producing the ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder, an inclusion complex, a method for producing the inclusion complex, and a method for recovering a guest molecule. The ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder has a saturation solubility in water at 25° C. of from 1.0 to 20.0 % by mass. The ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder is such that in a particle size distribution of ?-1,3-1,6-glucans, determined by subjecting the ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder to dynamic light scattering measurements, a particle size of a peak representing a largest volume fraction is in a range from 5 nm to 15 nm, and a volume fraction of a peak outside of the particle size range from 5 nm to 15 nm is 30 % or less of the volume fraction of the peak having the largest volume fraction.

Abstract: Provided are a ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder having high solubility in water, a glucan-containing composition using the powder or the like, a method for producing the ?3-1,6-glucan powder, an inclusion complex, a method for producing the inclusion complex, and a method for recovering a guest molecule. The ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder has a saturation solubility in water at 25° C. of from 1.0 to 20.0 % by mass. The ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder is such that in a particle size distribution of ?3-1,6-glucans, determined by subjecting the ?-1,3-1,6-glucan powder to dynamic light scattering measurements, a particle size of a peak representing a largest volume fraction is in a range from 5 nm to 15 nm, and a volume fraction of a peak outside of the particle size range from 5 nm to 15 nm is 30 % or less of the volume fraction of the peak having the largest volume fraction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a gene carrier composed of a hydrogen-bonding polymer having a polymer chain with hydrogen-bonding sites formed on the polymer chain, in which the polymer chain has a conformation similar to the conformation of a nucleic acid, and particularly, the polymer chain has helix parameters similar to the helix parameters of a nucleic acid of a helix structure. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrogen-bonding polymer is composed of ?-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan. The carrier can be expected to be applied as a vector and a separator for nucleic acids because it is capable of interacting with a nucleic acid to form a complex with the nucleic acid and thus carrying the nucleic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a gene carrier composed of a hydrogen-bonding polymer having a polymer chain with hydrogen-bonding sites formed on the polymer chain, in which the polymer chain has a conformation similar to the conformation of a nucleic acid, and particularly, the polymer chain has helix parameters similar to the helix parameters of a nucleic acid of a helix structure. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrogen-bonding polymer is composed of ?-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan. The carrier can be expected to be applied as a vector and a separator for nucleic acids because it is capable of interacting with a nucleic acid to form a complex with the nucleic acid and thus carrying the nucleic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new type of immunostimulating agent including an immunostimulating oligonucleotide complexed with a carrier which is safe and has a high transfection effect. The carrier complexed with the immunostimulating oligonucleotide to form the immunostimulating agent is a polysaccharide having ?-1,3-bonds (preferably ?-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan). A preferred example of the immunostimulating oligonucleotide is one containing an unmethylated CpG motif. The polysaccharide for use is preferably modified with nucleic acid-binding functional group and/or cell membrane-affinitive functional group.

Abstract: Disclosed are gene carriers utilizing ?-1,3-glucan and methods of preparing the same. The ?-1,3-glucan has at least one 1,6-glucopyranoside branch and is chemically modified through periodate oxidation and reductive amination so as to impart nucleic acid-binding functional groups (for example, cationic functional groups) to at least some of the 1,6-glucopyranoside branches thereof. Triple helix ?-1,3-glucan is dissolved in a polar organic solvent to form single-stranded ?-1,3-glucan. By replacing, in the presence of a nucleic acid, the polar organic solvent for the solution containing the chemically modified single-stranded ?-1,3-glucan by water, a complex (gene carrier) is formed in which the nucleic acid is bound to double-stranded ?-1,3-glucan.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new type of immunostimulating agent including an immunostimulating oligonucleotide complexed with a carrier which is safe and has a high transfection effect. The carrier complexed with the immunostimulating oligonucleotide to form the immunostimulating agent is a polysaccharide having ?-1,3-bonds (preferably ?-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan). A preferred example of the immunostimulating oligonucleotide is one containing an unmethylated CpG motif. The polysaccharide for use is preferably modified with nucleic acid-binding functional group and/or cell membrane-affinitive functional group.

Abstract: Disclosed are gene carriers utilizing ?-1,3-glucan and methods of preparing the same. The ?-1,3-glucan has at least one 1,6-glucopyranoside branch and is chemically modified through periodate oxidation and reductive amination so as to impart nucleic acid-binding functional groups (for example, cationic functional groups) to at least some of the 1,6-glucopyranoside branches thereof. Triple helix ?-1,3-glucan is dissolved in a polar organic solvent to form single-stranded ?-1,3-glucan. By replacing, in the presence of a nucleic acid, the polar organic solvent for the solution containing the chemically modified single-stranded ?-1,3-glucan by water, a complex (gene carrier) is formed in which the nucleic acid is bound to double-stranded ?-1,3-glucan.

Abstract: Disclosed is a gene carrier composed of a hydrogen-bonding polymer having a polymer chain with hydrogen-bonding sites formed on the polymer chain, in which the polymer chain has a conformation similar to the conformation of a nucleic acid, and particularly, the polymer chain has helix parameters similar to the helix parameters of a nucleic acid of a helix structure. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrogen-bonding polymer is composed of &bgr;-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan. The carrier can be expected to be applied as a vector and a separator for nucleic acids because it is capable of interacting with a nucleic acid to form a complex with the nucleic acid and thus carrying the nucleic acid.