Cellular Dynamics Laboratory

In eukaryotic cells, most of genomic information is stored in the cell nucleus. The main subject of our laboratory is to understand the nucleocytoplasmic transport and organization of cell nucleus to uncover new aspects and principles on regulation and maintenance of nuclear function. Our current effort has been focused on dissecting the dynamic behavior of nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery, transport pathways, and functional relation between nuclear envelope and chromatin structure in the context of live cells and cell-free reconstituted systems. We are taking cell biological, molecular biological, and biochemical approaches coupled with newly developed imaging techniques.

Research Subjects

• Analysis of nucleocytoplasmic transport as system
• Studies of Nuclear Organization Focused on the Nuclear Periphery
• Studies of Nuclear Organization Focused on Intra-nuclear Structures

Publications

1. Kimura, M., S. Kose, N. Okumura, K. Imai, M. Furuta, N. Sakiyama, K. Tomii, P. Horton, T. Takao, and Imamoto N.:
   "Identification of cargo proteins specific for the nucleocytoplasmic transport carrier transportin by combination of an in vitro transport system and SILAC-based quantitative proteomics."
   Mol. Cell. Proteomics 12:145-157 (2013)
2. Imamoto, N. and T. Funakoshi.:
   "Nuclear pore dynamics during the cell cycle."
   Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 24:453-459 (2012)
3. Kose S, Furuta M., Imamoto N.:
   "Hikeshi, a nuclear import carrier for Hsp70s, protects cells from heat-shock induced nuclear damage"
   Cell 149: 578-589 (2012) (Faculty of 1000 selected paper)
4. Clever M, Funakoshi T, Mimura Y., Takagi M, Imamoto N.:
   "The Nucleoporin ELYS/Mel28 regulates nuclear envelope subdomain formation in HeLa cell."
   Nucleus 3:187-199 (2012)
5. Funakoshi, T., Clever, M., Watanabe, A., Imamoto, N.:
   "Localization of Pom121 to the inner nuclear membrane is required for an early step of interphase NPC assembly"
   Mol. Biol. Cell. 7: 1058-1069 (2011)
6. Maeshima K, Iino H, Hihara S, Funakoshi T, Watanabe A, Nishimura M, Nakatomi R, Yahata K, Imamoto F, Hashikawa T, Yokota H, Imamoto N.:
   "Nuclear pore formation but not nuclear growth is governed by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) during interphase."
   Nat Struct Mol Biol. 17, 1065-1071. (2010)
7. Iino H, Maeshima K, Nakatomi R, Kose S, Hashikawa T, Tachibana T, Imamoto N.:
   "Live imaging system for visualizing nuclear pore complex (NPC) formation during interphase in mammalian cells."
   Genes Cells Jun; 15 (6) : 647-60. (2010)
8. Tahara, K., Takagi, M., Ohsugi, M., Sone,T., Maeshima, K., Horiuchi,Y., Tokai-Nishizumi, N., Fumiko Nishiumi, F., Imamoto, F., Yamamoto, T., Kose, S. and Imamoto, N.:
   "Importin β and small GTPase Ran mediates the chromosome loading of human chromokinesin KID."
   J. Cell Biol, 180, 493-506 (2008)
9. Maeshima, K., Yahata, K., Sasaki, Y., Nakatomi, R., Tachibana, T., Hashikawa, T., Imamoto,, F., and Imamoto, N.:
   "Cell cycle-dependent dynamics of nuclear pores: pore-free islands and lamins."
   J. Cell Sci., 119, 4442-4451 (2006) (Faculty of 1000 selected paper)
10. Kose, S., Furuta,M., Koike,M., Yoneda, Y., and Imamoto, N.:
    "The 70kDa heat-shock cognate protein facilitates the nuclear export of the import receptors"
    J. Cell Biol., 171, 19-25 (2005)