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Laboratory for Cell Asymmetry
Fumio MATSUZAKI
Group Director
Fumio MATSUZAKI (Ph.D.)
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Research Areas

Asymmetric division gives rise to two differently fated cells from a single progenitor cell, and is a basic mechanism to generate cellular diversity, which is utilized in a variety of developmental contexts. During our study on genetic programs of Drosophila neural development, we have found that the asymmetric division of neural stem cells plays a pivotal role in specifying neural cell fates. Since then, we have focused on the mechanism of the asymmetric divisions of neural precursor cells and underlying cell polarity. We extend our analysis from Drosophila to vertebrates and aim to understand roles of cellular asymmetry in creating multi-cellular organisms.

Research Subject

  1. Genetic programs of neural development
  2. Asymmetric division of neural stem cells

Related links

  1. RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology Website_Laboratories PageNew Window

Press release

September 18, 2008
Molecular basis of neural progenitor diversityNew Window
May 15, 2006
Asymmetry assured: Mud orients mitotic spindle with cell polarity during neuroblast divisionNew Window

RIKEN RESEARCH

April 04, 2008
Splitting up cell fates during brain development
The orientation of the axis of progenitor cell division in the brain dictates whether daughter cells will maintain the parental cell fateNew Window
August 11, 2006
Placement of a new piece of the puzzle of cell division
Mud, an evolutionarily conserved protein, links cell polarity with cell divisionNew Window

List of Selected Publications

  1. Shitamukai A, Konno D, Matsuzaki F.:
    "Oblique radial glial divisions in the developing mouse neocortex induce self-renewing progenitors outside the germinal zone that resemble primate outer-subventricular zone progenitors."
    The Journal of Neuroscience in Press (2011)
  2. Ogawa H, Ohta N, Moon W, Matsuzaki F.:
    "Protein phosphatase 2A negatively regulates aPKC signaling by modulating phosphorylation of Par-6 in Drosophila neuroblast asymmetric divisions."
    Journal of Cell Science 2009 122(Pt 18):3242-9 (2009)
  3. Kawaguchi A, Ikawa T, Kasukawa T, Ueda HR, Kurimoto K, Saitou M, and Matsuzaki F.:
    "Single-cell gene profiling defines differential progenitor subclasses in mammalian neurogenesis."
    Development 135, 3113-3124 (2008).
  4. Konno D, Shioi G, Shitamukai A, Mori A, Kiyonari H, Miyata T, Matsuzaki F.:
    "Neuroepithelial progenitors undergo LGN-dependent planar divisions to maintain self-renewability during mammalian neurogenesis."
    Nat Cell Biol.100, 93-101 (2008)
  5. Izumi, Y., Ohta, N., Hisata K., Raabe, T. and Matsuzaki, F.:
    "Drosophila Pins-binding protein Mud regulates spindle-polarity coupling and centrosome organization."
    Nat. Cell Biol. 8, 586-593 (2006).
  6. Izumi, Y., Ohta, N., Itoh-Furuya, A., Fuse, N., and Matsuzaki, F.:
    "Differential functions of G protein and Baz/aPKC signaling pathways in Drosophila neuroblast asymmetric division"
    J. Cell Biol., 164, 729-738 (2004).
  7. Fuse, N., Hisata, K., Katzen, L.A., and Matsuzaki, F.:
    "Heterotrimeric G proteins regulate daughter cell size asymmetry in Drosophila neuroblast divisions"
    Curr. Biol., 13, 947-954 (2003).
  8. Ohshiro, T., Yagami, T., Zhang, C., and Matsuzaki, F.:
    "Role of cortical tumor suppressor proteins in asymmetric division of Drosophila neuroblast"
    Nature, 408, 593-596 (2000).
  9. Matsuzaki, F., Ohshiro, T., Ikeshima-Kataoka, H., and Izumi, H.:
    "Miranda localizes staufen and prospero asymmetrically in mitotic neuroblasts and epithelial cells in early Drosophila embryogenesis"
    Development, 125, 4089-4098 (1998).
  10. Ikeshima-Kataoka, H., Skeath, J.B., Nabeshima, Y., Doe, C.Q., and Matsuzaki, F.:
    "Miranda directs Prospero to a daughter cell during Drosophila asymmetric divisions"
    Nature, 390, 625-629 (1997).
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