Laboratories
Home > Laboratories > Advanced Science Institute > Chemical Biology Department > Chemical Genomics Research Group > Molecular Ligand Target Research Team
Molecular Ligand Target Research Team
Charles M.BOONE
Team Leader
Charles M.BOONE (Ph.D.)
mail Click

Research Areas

Small molecular ligands with unique activities must have the specific target molecules that exist in their cells or organisms. Identification of the target molecules is critical for elucidating the mode of action of the molecular ligands and for drug development. However, drug target identification has been difficult in general, because the mode of interactions between the molecular ligands and their targets is not uniform. Our team aims at developing innovative techniques based on global analysis of yeast genetic interaction and physical interaction using mass spectrometry, which leads to quick and accurate detection of the ligand-target interactions. Furthermore, novel assay systems for mode-of-action studies based on protein post-translational modifications and epigenetics will be established.

Research Subject

  1. Global analysis of genetic and physical interaction between molecular ligands and their target molecules
  2. Mode of action of bioactive compounds
  3. Identification and characterization of target proteins that interact with molecular ligands using mass and NMR spectrometry

Related links

  1. RIKEN Advanced Science Institute Website_Laboratories PageNew Window
  2. Individual Website Laboratory PageNew Window

List of Selected Publications

  1. Ho, CH., Piotrowski, J., Dixon, SJ., Baryshnikova, A., Costanzo, M., and Boone, C.:
    "Combining functional genomics and chemical biology to identify targets of bioactive compounds."
    Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol., 15: 66-78, 2011.
  2. Nishimura, S., Arita, Y., Honda, M., Iwamoto, K., Matsuyama, A., Shirai, A., Kawasaki, H., Kakeya, H., Kobayashi, T., Matsunaga, S., and Yoshida, M.:
    "Marine antifungal theonellamides target 3beta-hydroxysterol to activate Rho1 signaling."
    Nat. Chem. Biol., 6: 519-526, 2010.
  3. Maekawa, T., Jin, W., and Ishii, S.:
    "The role of ATF-2 family transcription factors in adipocyte differentiation: antiobesity effects of p38 inhibitors."
    Mol. Cell. Biol., 30: 613-625, 2010.
  4. Maekawa, T., Kim, S., Nakai, D., Makino, C, Takagi, T., Ogura, H., Yamada, K., Chatton, B., and Ishii, S.:
    "Social isolation stress induces ATF-7 phosphorylation and impairs silencing of the 5-HT 5B receptor gene."
    EMBO J., 29: 196-208, 2010.
  5. Sasaki, K., Ito, T., Nishino, N., Khochbin, S., and Yoshida, M.:
    "Real-time imaging of histone H4 hyperacetylation in living cells."
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106: 16257-16262, 2009.
  6. Ho, CH., Magtanong, L., Barker, SL., Gresham, D., Nishimura, S., Natarajan, P., Koh, JL., Porter, J., Gray, CA., Andersen, RJ., Giaever, G., Nislow, C., Andrews, B., Botstein, D., Graham, TR., Yoshida, M., and Boone, C.:
    "A molecular barcoded yeast ORF library enables mode-of-action analysis of bioactive compounds."
    Nat. Biotechnol., 27: 369-377, 2009.
  7. Shirai, A., Matsuyama, A., Yashiroda, Y., Hashimoto, A., Kawamura, Y., Arai, R., Komatsu, Y., Horinouchi, S., and Yoshida, M.:
    "Global analysis of gel mobility of proteins and its use in target identification."
    J. Biol. Chem., 283: 10745-10752, 2008.
  8. Yashiroda, Y., Matsuyama, A., and Yoshida, M.:
    "New insights into chemical biology from ORFeome libraries."
    Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol., 12: 55-59, 2008.
Page Top