Akihiro Okamoto

Study on the ecophysiological role of redox-active membrane vesicles generated from periodontal pathogen in oral biofilm

Researcher

Akihiro Okamoto

Outline

Anaerobic microbial activity inside certain biofilms is maintained by the movement of electrons between bacterial cells, referred as “electrical symbiosis”. In this project, I will study the physiological role of redox-active membrane vesicles in oral biofilm causing periodontal disease from the perspective of electrosymbiosis. The electrochemical interaction between membrane vesicles and pathogenic bacteria in the biofilms will be studied by whole-cell electrochemical and mass spectrometry techniques that we have develped. The elucidation of the physiological importace of redox-active membrane vescles would enable us to develop technologies to monitor and control the activity of pathogenic bacteria.

Tatsuto Kageyama

Toward an understanding of melanosome transfer in hair pigmentation

Researcher

Tatsuto Kageyama

Outline

In this project, I aim to elucidate melanosome transfer in hair follicles by using time-lapse imaging and to identify genes involved in melanosome transfer by microarray analysis.

Shunsuke Kimura

Molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of microparticle uptake by airway M cells.

Researcher

Shunsuke Kimura

Outline

Microparticles in the air are inhaled into the respiratory tracts and induce immune responses, sometimes cause respiratory diseases. The way of microparticle into the body across the epithelium is largely unknown. We found that M cells are in the airway and have a high uptake capacity of microparticles. In this research project, I will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the transcytosis of microparticles by M cells. I will clarify the physical properties of microparticles that are easily incorporated into cells by using in vitro culture model. I will further investigate the differentiation mechanisms of airway M cells. I will generate airway-specific M-cell-null mice to investigate the biological significance of airway M cells in respiratory diseases and allergy.

Yusuke Sato

Design of novel fluorescent probes for the analysis of exosome functions

Researcher

Yusuke Sato

Outline

Exosome surfaces vary depending on the cellular origins and the physiological conditions of the cells. This research aims to design new class of exosome-binding fluorescent probes whose signals significantly response to the exosome surfaces with a view toward the development of novel exosome-based diagnostics.

Yoshitaka Sato

Dissection of exosome-mediated viral infection and virus-associated diseases

Researcher

Yoshitaka Sato

Outline

Viral infection elicits a variety of host cell responses, causing symptoms and diseases. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a ubiquitous gamma-herpesvirus, causes various diseases in human, including benign infectious mononucleosis and some malignancies. In this study, I will investigate how exosomes released from EBV-infected cells contribute to disease formation in benign and malignant virus-associated diseases. Therefore, I would like to demonstrate the importance of exosomes in virus-associated diseases.

Yuko Simada

The venom particles as a hijack strategy of parasitoid wasps on their host internal environment

Researcher

Yuko Simada

Outline

Parasitoid wasps produce a variety of bioactive substances to avoid their host immune system and take nutrition without disturbing their hosts’ development. This project aims to identify the venom components of particles which are produced by parasitoid wasps and examine the functional roles and dynamics of particles as a novel hijack strategy of parasitism. This study provides significant insight into developing environmental-friendly insecticides or antibiotics against pathogenic fungi.

Kenji Sueyoshi

Development of Size Classification and Aptamer Selection of Exosomes for Origin Discrimination and Body Kinetics Analysis

Researcher

Kenji Sueyoshi

Outline

A novel micro and nanofluidic device for size classification of exosomes will be developed. After the size classification of exosomes obtained from cultured cells, aptamers specifically binding with exosomes will be selected by a newly developed microdevice based on electrophoretic filtration. Aptamer tags which are degitalized sequences of exosome aptamers, will be analyzed by deep learning for orign descrimination and body kinetics analysis of exosomes.

Yosuke Tashiro

Analyses of molecular mechanism on membrane vesicle secretion in bacterial biofilms

Researcher

Yosuke Tashiro

Outline

Bacteria secrete extracellular vesicles called as “membrane vesicles (MVs)”. MVs have roles of transfering virulence factors and signals to other cells. Vesicle formation is enhanced in biofilms, which are bacterial aggregated state, but the mechanism remains unknown. The aim of this study is to understand the molecular mechanism on vesicles secretion of pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the biofilm state. It might provide new insight into vesicle-mediated infection and contribute to the regulation of pathogenesis.

Takao Yasui

Unveiling miRNA secretion pathway via comprehensive capture and machine learning analysis of extracellular vesicles

Researcher

Takao Yasui

Outline

I conduct a nanowire-based comprehensive capture method for extracellular vesicles (EVs) and a machine learning-based miRNA profiling for analysis of “tumor miRNA/tumor secreting EV-miRNA”, “EV-miRNA in blood”, and “EV-miRNA in urine.” And then, I unveil miRNA secretion pathway throuhg categolizing EV-miRNA into four types: cancer-related miRNA, cancer-reacted miRNA, noise miRNA, and unknown miRNA.

Tomoyoshi Yamano

Role of extracellular vesicles in T cell development and its application

Researcher

Tomoyoshi Yamano

Outline

The capacity to distinguish self from non-self is a key feature of the immune system. Intrathymic selection events that shape the developing T cell repertoire are a critical component of quality control in the immune system. A failure of self-tolerance results in autoimmune tissue-destruction. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the thymus contribute to the selection of developing T cells. However, it remains unknown how the tiny population of thymic APCs could educate a vast repertoire of T cells. I will clarify the contribution of extracellular vesicles (EV) in T cells development. In particular, I will analyze whether thymic EVs could delete autoreactive T cells. As an application, I will develop engineered exosomes, which can regulate immune response against self and non-self.