Department of Cell Biology

Subjects:

1. The role of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in development.
2. The mode of actions of membrane-anchored growth factors.
3. Ectodomain shedding mechanism of EGF family growth factor.
4. Physiological role of CD9 and the tetraspanin family proteins.
5. Epigenetics in germ cells: During germ cell differentiation, epigenetic information undergoes drastically changes. We are analyzing the molecular mechanisms of the DNA methylation, histone modifications and histone to protamine transition in spermatogenesis.
6. Transcriptional regulation of germ cell specific genes: During male germ cell development, each differentiation step requires the expression of a specific set of precisely regulated genes. We are characterizing specific transcription initiation and epigenetic modifications underlie the regulation of gene expression in germ cells.

Published Papers

1. Integrin signal masks growth-promotion activity of HB-EGF in monolayer cell cultures.

   Hiroto Mizushima, Xiaobiao Wang, Shingo Miyamoto and Eisuke Mekada

   J Cell Sci, 122 (Pt 23), 4277-4286, 2009.
2. Synergistic anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel with CRM197, an inhibitor of HB-EGF, in ovarian cancer.

   Hiroshi Yagi, Fusanori Yotsumoto, Kenzo Sonoda, Masahide Kuroki, Eisuke Mekada and Shingo Miyamoto

   Int J Cancer, 124 (6), 1429-1439, 2009.

Link

http://www.biken.osaka-u.ac.jp/