Research Areas

The goal of this laboratory is to understand how cellular activities such as cell motility and adhesion are coordinated to build higher-order structures of tissue, organ and organisms. To tackle this problem, we mainly use the model organism Drosophila that is suited for genetic dissection of biological processes and for high-resolution imaging. We address the problem at three levels of cellular organization: single cell, multiple cells, and organ. In the study of multicellular level, we addressed the question of how epithelial cell sheets are remodeled to build higher-order structures of the tracheal system, which forms a stereotyped network of epithelial tubules. We have extensively studied details of cell shape and cell interaction control during invagination of tracheal placode, the first step of three-dimensional morphogenesis. We have also elucidated the mechanism of target recognition and adhesion of tracheal branch connection, and subsequent fusion of tubules. In the single cell level approach, we study cell elongation in order to reveal essential roles of cytoskeletons in cell shape morphogenesis. We have chosen two model cells, bristles and spermatids, each representing extreme example of robust cell elongation and are suitable for application of high-resolution imaging techniques. In the case of bristle elongation, we have unveiled the novel role of polarized trafficking of recycling endosome and its upstream regulator IKK epsilon in sustaining robust cell elongation processes. In the case of spermatid elongation, a feed forward mechanism involving mutual activation of cytoplasmic microtubules and mitochondria was found to be essential for maintaining active growth zone at the tip of sperm tail. Finally we attempted to apply cell biological information to understand the process of higher-order structure of the insect and other protostome limbs in the context to evolution.

Research Subject

1. Dynamics of epithelial architectures in morphogenesis
2. Control of cytoskeletons in cell morphogenesis
3. Mechanisms of insect limb development

Related links

1. RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology Website_Laboratories Page
2. Individual Website Laboratory Page

RIKEN RESEARCH

August 05 ,2011

The long and short of sperm tails
Experiments using fruit flies as a model system reveal a molecular mechanism underlying sperm morphogenesis in insects

May 20 ,2011

Keeping traffic moving
An enzyme helps control the extension of cellular tendrils by regulating the delivery of supplies needed for growth

July 13, 2007

'Quality control' system for organogenesis