Laboratory for Cell Adhesion and Tissue Patterning

To understand how animal cells constitute the multicellular systems, we study the regulatory mechanisms of cell-cell adhesion, focusing on cadherin adhesion molecules and associated proteins, such as catenins. One of our interests along this line is to identify signaling mechanisms that regulate cell-cell contacts, and to determine their roles in morphogenetic cell rearrangement. We are expecting that the outcomes of these studies would also contribute to our understanding of how cancer cells become invasive and metastatic. Our another interest is to explore the mechanisms of how neurons recognize each other and establish synaptic connections, leading to the organization of complex neural networks. The potential roles of cadherins and other membrane-associated proteins in such neural developmental processes are being studied.

Research Subjects

• Regulation of morphogenesis by cadherins and catenins
• Mechanisms of abnormal cell adhesion in cancer cells
• Cell recognition mechanisms in interneuronal connections
• Microtubule dynamics and cellular architecture

Publications

1. Nagae, S., Meng, W., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Non-centrosomal microtubules regulate F-actin organization through the suppression of GEF-H1 activity."
   Genes to Cells in press. (2013)
2. Tanaka, N., Meng, W., Nagae, S., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Nezha/CAMSAP3 and CAMSAP2 cooperate in epithelial-specific organization of non-centrosomal microtubules. "
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109, 20029-20034 (2012)
3. Vassilev, V., Mandai, M., Yonemura, S., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Loss of N-cadherin from the endrothelium causes stromal edema and epithelial dysgenesis in the mouse cornea."
   Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 53, 7183-7193 (2012)
4. Nishimura, T., Honda, H., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Planar cell polarity links axes of spatial dynamics in neuraltube closure."
   Cell 149, 1084-1097 (2012)
5. Hirano, S., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Cadherins in brain morphogenesis and wiring."
   Physiol. Rev. 92, 597-634 (2012)
6. Ishiuchi, T., and Takeichi M.:
   "Nectins localize Willin to cell-cell junctions."
   Genes Cells 17, 387-397(2012)
7. Taguchi, K., Ishiuchi, T., and Takeichi, M.:
   "Mechanosensitive EPLIN-dependent remodeling of adherens junctions regulates epithelial reshaping."
   J. Cell Biol. 194, 643-656 (2011)
8. Takeichi, M.:
   "Self-organization of animal tissues: cadherin-mediated processes."
   Dev. Cell 21, 24-26 (2011)
9. Togashi, H., Kominami, K., Waseda, M., Komura, H., Miyoshi, J., Takeichi, M., and Takai, Y.:
   "Nectins establish a checkerboard-like cellular pattern in the auditory epithelium."
   Science 333, 1144-1147 (2011)
10. Oda, H., and Takeichi, M.:
    "Structural and functional diversity of cadherin at the adherens junction."
    J. Cell Biol. 193, 1137-1146 (2011)