Aizawa Laboratory

Vertebrate body is composed of three regions: the trunk region that is segmented by somites, the hindbrain/pharyngeal region where two rhombomeres unit with one pharyngeal arch and the rostral head where neither somites nor notochord exist. Each tissue and organ are formed in each germ layer, ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm, under positional informations along anterior/posterior, dorsal/ventral and lef/right axes. The ultimate goal of the researches in this group is to elucidate how the vertebrate body plan is established both ontogenetically and phylogenetically. Vertebrate body develops from rostral head, as it is in all metazoan, and brain is a unique creature in vertebrates. Special attention is paid on molecular mechanisms of head development. The research is mainly based on genetic studies in mice, but studies will be also accomplished with a variety of vertebrates. We aim at the comprehensive understanding of the phylogenetic transition of mechanisms of head development in vertebrates.

Research Subjects

• Molecular Mechanisms of Anterior-Posterior Axis Formation
• Molecular Mechanisms of Head Induction
• Molecular Mechanisms of Reagionalization in Forebrain and Midbrain

Publications

1. Abe T, Sakaue-Sawano A, Kiyonari H, Shioi G, Inoue K, Horiuchi T, Nakao K, Miyawaki A, Aizawa S, Fujimori T
   Visualization of cell cycle in mouse embryos with Fucci2 reporter directed by Rosa 26 promoter.
   Development 140, 237-46 (2013)
2. Ohmura, T., Shioi, G., Hirano, M. and Aizawa, S.
   Neural tube defects by NUAK1 and NUAK2 double mutation.
   Dev. Dyn. 241, 1350-1364. (2012).
3. Inoue, F., Kurokawa, D., Takahashi, M. and Aizawa, S.
   Gbx2 directly restricts Otx2 expression to forebrain and midbrain, competing with class III POU factors.
   Mol. Cell. Biol. 32, 2618-2627. (2012).
4. Kurokawa, D., Ohmura, T., Akasaka, K. and Aizawa, S.
   A lineage specific enhancer drives Otx2 expression in teleost organizer tissues.
   Mech. Dev. 128, 653-661. (2012).
5. Takechi, M., Takeuchi, M., Ota, KG., Nishimura, O., Mochii, M., Itomi, K., Adachi, N., Takahashi, M., Fujimoto, S., Tarui, H., Okabe, M., Aizawa, S. and Kuratani, S.
   An overview of transcriptome profiles identified in hagfish, shark, and bichir: Current issues arising from some nonmodel vertebrate taxa.
   J. of Experimental Zoology Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution 316, 526-546. (2011).
6. Shibata, M., Nakao, H., Kiyonari H., Abe T. and Aizawa, S.
   MicroRNA-9 regulates neurogenesis in mouse telencephalon by targeting multiple transcription factors.
   J. Neurosci. 31, 3407-3422. (2011).
7. Sakurai, Y., Kurokawa, D., Kiyonari, H., Kajikawa, E., Suda, Y. and Aizawa, S.
   Otx2 and Otx1 protect diencephalon and mesencephalon from caudalization into metencephalon during early brain regionalization.
   Dev. Biol. 347, 392-403. (2010).
8. Suda, Y., Kokura, K., Kimura, J., Kajikawa, E., Inoue, F. and Aizawa, S.
   The same enhancer regulates the earliest Emx2 expression in caudal forebrain primordium, subsequent expression in dorsal telencephalon and later expression in the cortical ventricular zone.
   Development 137, 2939-2949. (2010).
9. Kurokawa, D., Ohmura, T., Ogino, H., Takeuchi, M., Inoue, A., Inoue, F., Suda, Y. and Aizawa, S.
   Evolutionary origin of the Otx2 enhancer for its expression in visceral endoderm.
   Dev. Biol. 342, 110-120. (2010).
10. Takeuchi, M., Takahashi, M., Okabe, M. and Aizawa, S.
    Germ layer patterning in bichir and lamprey; an insight into its evolution in vertebrates.
    Dev. Biol. 332, 90-102. (2009).