SUZUKI RNA Modification Project

News

2023.06.03	Award Award: Naho Akiyama（Biochemistry G.）2023 RNA society poster presentation prize
2023.06.01	Invited Talk Invited: Tsutomu Suzuki GL (Biochemistry G.) "Nanopore sequencing of tRNA modifications" at The 28th Annual Meeting of the RNA Society [Singapore]
2023.05.19	Invited Talk Invited: Tsutomu Suzuki GL (Biochemistry G.) "Nanopore sequencing of tRNA modifications" at London Calling 2023 [London, UK]
2023.05.18	Press Release Asuteka Nagao, Tsutomu Suzuki (Biochemistry G.) "Quality control of protein synthesis in the early elongation stage" Nature Communications
2023.05.17	Press Release Fan-Yan Wei (Physiology G.) "Activation of the urotensin-II receptor by remdesivir induces cardiomyocyte dysfunction" Communications Biology
2023.05.17	Publication Publication: Nagao, A., Suzuki, T., et al.(Biochemistry G.) "Quality control of protein synthesis in the early elongation stage" Nature Communications
2023.05.16	Publication Publication: Fan-Yan Wei., et al.(Physiology G.) "Activation of the urotensin-II receptor by remdesivir induces cardiomyocyte dysfunction" Communications Biology

SUZUKI RNA Modification Project

This project aims to unveil physiological roles of RNA modifications associated with fundamental biological processes. We search for novel RNA modifications from human cells and other organisms, and determine their chemical structures by RNA mass spectrometry. We are also developing nanopore sequencing of RNA modifications assisted by neural networks and deep learning. In this project, we identify novel RNA-modifying enzymes and their genes, and study biogenesis and physiological function of the RNA modifications by generating knockout mice. We aim to elucidate molecular pathogenesis of “RNA modopathies”, human diseases caused by abnormal RNA modification. Furthermore, we attempt to control cellular processes by artificially manipulating RNA modifications, thereby establishing a technological basis for future drug discovery and therapeutic measures.

Project Title: SUZUKI RNA Modification Project
Research Area: On-going
Projects: Life Innovation
Research Term: Oct 2020 - Mar 2026
Research Director: Tsutomu Suzuki ( Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo)
Research Groups: Biochemistry Group Leader:
Tsutomu Suzuki ( Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo)

Physiology Group Leader：
Fanyan Wei (Professor, Department of Modomics Biology & Medicine IDAC, Tohoku University)

Bioinformatics Group Leader：
Hiroki Ueda (Project Lecturer, Biological Data Science , Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo)

Single-Molecule Sensing Group Leader：
Hirohito Yamazaki (Specially Appointed Associate Professor for Academia-Industry Fusion, Top Runner Incubation Center for Academia-Industry Fusion, Nagaoka University of Technology)

Research Groups

Biochemistry Group
Physiology Group
Bioinformatics Group
Single-Molecule Analysis Group

Project Headquarters

Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology,
Graduate School of Engineering,
the University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

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Project Members

Biochemistry Group

Tsutomu Suzuki

Research Director/Biochemistry Group Leader

Professor
Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo

Biochemistry Group Researcher 7
Technician 1
Research Assistant 21

Biochemistry Group	Researcher 7 Technician 1 Research Assistant 21

Physiology Group

Fanyan Wei

Physiology Group Leader

Professor
Dept. Modomics Biology & Medicine IDAC, Tohoku University

Physiology Group Researcher 3
Bioinformatics Group

Hiroki Ueda

Bioinformatics Group Leader

Project Lecturer
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology,The University of Tokyo

Bioinformatics Group Researcher 2
Research Assistant 1
Single-Molecule Sensing Group

Hirohito Yamazaki

Single-Molecule Sensing Group Leader

Specially Appointed Associate Professor for Academia-Industry Fusion
Top Runner Incubation Center for Academia-Industry Fusion, Nagaoka University of Technology

Single-Molecule Sensing Group Technisian 1
Research Assistant 5

Physiology Group	Researcher 3

Bioinformatics Group	Researcher 2 Research Assistant 1

Single-Molecule Sensing Group	Technisian 1 Research Assistant 5

Project Headquarters

Administrative Manager

Tomoko Suzuki

Administrative Staff

Temporary Staff, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo

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Publication

Tomoda, E., Nagao, A.*, Shirai, Y., Asano, K., Suzuki, T., Battersby, B. and Suzuki, T.* Restoration of mitochondrial function through activation of hypomodified tRNAs with pathogenic mutations associated with mitochondrial diseases Nucleic Acids Res.(2023)
Ohno, H., Akamine, S., Mochizuki, M., Hayashi, K., Akichika, S.,Suzuki, T. and Saito, H.* Versatile strategy using vaccinia virus-capping enzyme to synthesize functional 5' cap-modified mRNAs Nucleic Acids Res.(2023)
Iizuka R.+,Yamazaki H.+ and Uemura S.* (+ equal contribution) Zero-mode waveguides and nanopore-based sequencing technologies accelerate single-molecule studies Biophysics and Physicobiology, 19, e190032 (2022)
Tani, H., Ishikawa, K., Tamashiro, H., Ogasawara, E., Yasukawa, T., Matsuda, S., Shimizu, A., Kang, D., Hayashi, JI.,Wei, FY. and Nakada, K.* Aberrant RNA processing contributes to the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases in trans-mitochondrial mouse model carrying mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) with a pathogenic A2748G mutation Nucleic Acids Res., 50(16), 9382-9396 (2022)
Noda, Y., Okada, S. and Suzuki, T.* Regulation of A-to-I RNA editing and stop codon recoding to control selenoprotein expression during skeletal myogenesis Nature Communications, 13, 2503 (2022)

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