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. Membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase cleaves off the NH2-terminal portion of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor and converts it into a heparin-independent growth factor.

   Naohiko Koshikawa, Hiroto Mizushima, Tomoko Minegishi, Ryo Iwamoto, Eisuke Mekada and Motoharu Seiki

   Cancer Res, 70 (14), 6093-6103, 2010.
2. HB-EGF function in cardiac valve development requires interaction with heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

   Ryo Iwamoto, Naoki Mine, Taichiro Kawaguchi, Seigo Minami, Kazuko Saeki and Eisuke Mekada

   Development, 137 (13), 2205-2214, 2010.
3. Anti-human HB-EGF monoclonal antibodies inhibiting ectodomain shedding of HB-EGF and diphtheria toxin binding.

   Miki Hamaoka, Ichino Chinen, Takuya Murata, Seiji Takashima, Ryo Iwamoto and Eisuke Mekada

   J Biochem, 148 (1), 55-69, 2010.
4. Humanized gene replacement in mice reveals the contribution of cancer stroma-derived HB-EGF to tumor growth.

   Tomoko Ichise, Satoshi Adachi, Minako Ohishi, Masahito Ikawa, Masaru Okabe, Ryo Iwamoto and Eisuke Mekada

   Cell Struct Funct, 35 (1), 3-13, 2010.
5. Transcriptional regulation of the human establishment of cohesion 1 homolog 2 gene.

   Masahiro Nishihara, Minoru Yamada, Masatoshi Nozaki, Kumiko Nakahira and Itaru Yanagihara

   Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 393 (1), 111-117, 2010.
6. Involvement of ETS1 in thioredoxin-binding protein 2 transcription induced by a synthetic retinoid CD437 in human osteosarcoma cells.

   Koichi Hashiguchi, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Akiko Tomita, Chisa Ueda, Yuji Akechi, Tomohiko Sakabe, Akihiro Kurimasa, Masami Nozaki, Toshiyuki Yamada, Shigeki Tsuchida and Goshi Shiota

   Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 391 (1), 621-626, 2010.

Link

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