Cellular Systems Biology

Summary

The cell is a fundamental unit of life. The goal of our research project is to understand the architecture, dynamics and information processing of the cell as a whole system. Toward this ambitious goal, we combine multidisciplinary approaches. Special emphasis will be made on biochemical dissection/reconstitution and state-of-the-art imaging of fundamental cellular processes, and mathematical modeling based on precise measurements of elementary cellular reactions. Integration of such a wide range of techniques is made possible with a uniquely strong list of scientists working at RIKEN. The outcome of this project will provide a fundamental base for our understanding of development and evolution of organisms as well as biodiversity on earth.

Research Subjects

1. Dynamics of cell nuclei and chromosomes
2. Dynamics of cellular compartments
3. Cell metrics and modeling

Selected Publications

1. Kose, S., Furuta, M., and Imamoto, N. Hikeshi, a nuclear import carrier for Hsp70s, protects cells from heat-shock induced nuclear damage. Cell, in press (2012).
2. Huang, L., Nakai, Y., Kuwahara, I., and Matsumoto, K. PRAS40 is a functionally critical target for EWS repression in Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Res., 72, 1260-1269 (2012).
3. Shintomi, K., and Hirano, T. The relative ratio of condensin I to II determines chromosome shapes. Genes Dev., 25, 1464-1469 (2011).
4. Nakagawa, S., Naganuma, T., Shioi, G., and Hirose, T. Paraspeckles are subpopulation-specific nuclear bodies that are not essential in mice. J. Cell Biol., 193, 31-39 (2011).
5. Okamoto, M., Kurokawa, K., Matsuura-Tokita, K., Saito, C., Hirata, R., and Nakano, A. High-curvature domains of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are important for the organization of ER exit sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Cell Sci., in press (2012).
6. Abe, M., Makino, A., Hullin-Matsuda, F., Kamijo, K., Ohno-Iwashita, Y., Hanada, K., Mizuno, H., Miyawaki, A., and Kobayashi, T. A role for sphingomyelin-rich lipid domains in the accumulation of PIP2 to the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. Mol. Cell Biol., 32, 1396-1407 (2012).
7. Morishima, N., Nakanishi, K., and Nakano, A. Activating transcription factor-6 (ATF6) mediates apoptosis with reduction of myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) protein via induction of WW domain binding protein 1. J. Biol. Chem., 286, 35227-35235 (2011).
8. Hibino, K., Shibata, T., Yanagida, T., and Sako, Y. Activation kinetics of RAF protein in the ternary complex of RAF, RAS-GTP, and kinase on the plasma membrane of living cells: single-molecule imaging analysis. J. Biol. Chem. 286, 36460-36468 (2011).
9. Mochizuki, A., and Saito, D. Analyzing steady states of dynamics of bio-molecules from the structure of regulatory networks. J. Theor. Biol., 266, 323-335 (2010).
10. Nakakuki, T., Birtwistle, M.R., Saeki, Y., Yumoto, N., Ide, K., Nagashima, T., Brusch, L., Ogunnaike, B.A., Okada-Hatakeyama, M., and Kholodenko, B.N. Ligand-specific c-Fos expression emerges from the spatiotemporal control of ErbB network dynamics. Cell. 141, 884-896 (2010).

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