Post-transcriptional Control Research Unit

The discovery of microRNAs dramatically widened the field of post-transcriptional control of gene expression. MicroRNAs and RNA-binding proteins regulate the translation and degradation of mRNAs in the cytoplasm, and consequently regulate the expression level of proteins involved in diverse biological processes, including development, cell differentiation, immune responses, and various diseases such as cancers. Most of the regulatory molecules function in very large ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Aiming at elucidating the molecular basis of the mRNA regulation, we will develop technologies to analyze the relevant huge RNP complexes, in combining molecular biology, biochemistry and structural biology.

Research Fields

Biology & Biochemistry / Molecular Biology & Genetics

Research Subjects

• Development of cell-free systems that recapitulate the post-transcriptional regulation of mRNAs.
• In vitro reconstitution of the huge RNP complexes.

Publications

1. Wakiyama, M., and Yokoyama, S.:
   "MicroRNA-mediated deadenylation in a mammalian cell-free system"
   Methods Mol. Biol. in press.
2. Wakiyama, M., and Yokoyama, S.:
   "microRNA-mediated mRNA deadenylation and repression of protein synthesis in a mammalian cell-free system"
   Prog. Mol. Subcell. Biol. 50, 85-97 (2010).
3. Takimoto, K., Wakiyama, M., and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Mammalian GW182 contains multiple Argonaute-binding sites and function in microRNA-mediated translational repression"
   RNA 15, 1078-1089 (2009).
4. Wakiyama, M., Takimoto, K., Ohara, O., and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Let-7 microRNA-mediated mRNA deadenylation and translational repression in a mammalian cell-free system"
   Genes Dev. 21, 1857-1862 (2007).
5. Wakiyama, M., Kaitsu, Y., and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Cell-free translation system from Drosophila S2 cells that recapitulates RNAi"
   Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 343, 1067-1071 (2006).