Nakagawa Initiative Research Unit
Research Areas
During the histogenesis of the central nervous system, an enormous number of processes must be precisely executed according to the genetic program controlled by both cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. How is it that cell proliferation and differentiation are coordinated to generate appropriate number of neurons and glia? How does the generated neurons send axons and undergo dendritic morphogenesis characteristics of each cell? What is the role of recently identified noncoding RNAs specifically expressed in a subset of neuronal cell types? We are addressing these questions using retina as a model system, which enables conventional manipulation of gene expression by in ovo electroporation.
Research Subject
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List of Selected Publications
| (1) | Kubo, F. and Nakagawa, S.: "c-hairy1 acts as a node downstream of Wnt signaling to maintain retinal stem cell-like progenitor cells in the ciliary marginal zone." Development (2009) in press |
| (2) | Sone, M., Hayashi, T., Tarui, H., Agata, K., Takeichi, M., and Nakagawa, S.: "The mRNA-like noncoding RNA Gomafu constitutes a novel nuclear domain in a subset of neurons." Journal of Cell Science 120, 248-2506 (2007). |
| (3) | Sato, Y., Kasai, T., Nakagawa, S., Tanabe, K., Watanabe, T., Kawakami, K., and Takahashi, Y.: "Stable integration and conditional expression of electroporated transgenes in chicken embryos." Developmental Biology 305, 616-624 (2007). |
| (4) | Watanabe, T., Saito, D., Tanabe, K., Suetsugu, R., Nakaya, Y., Nakagawa, S., and Takahashi, Y.: "Tet-on inducible system combined with in ovo electroporation dissects multiple roles of genes in somitogenesis of chicken embryos." Developmental Biology 305, 625-636 (2007). |
| (5) | Koji, T., Takahashi, Y., Sato., Kawakami, K., Takeichi M., and Nakagawa, S.: "Cadherin is required for dendritic morphogenesis and synaptic terminal organization of retinal horizontal cells." Development 133, 4085-4096 (2006). |
| (6) | Kubo, F., Takeichi M., and Nakagawa, S.: "Wnt2b inhibits differentiation of retinal progenitor cells in the absence of Notch activity by downregulating the expression of proneural genes." Development 132, 2759-2770 (2005). |
| (7) | Tanabe, K., Takeichi M., and Nakagawa, S.: "Identification of a nonchordate-type classic cadherin in vertebrates: chicken Hz-cadherin is expressed in horizontal cells of the neural retina and contains a nonchordate-specific domain complex." Developmental Dynamics 229, 899-906 (2004). |
| (8) | Nakagawa, S., Takada, S., Takada, R., and Takeichi, M.: "Identification of the laminar-inducing factor: Wnt-signal from the anterior rim induces correct laminar formation of the neural retina in vitro." Developmental Biology 260, 414-425 (2003). |
| (9) | Kubo, F., Takeichi M., and Nakagawa, S.: "Wnt2b controls retinal cell differentiation at the ciliary marginal zone." Development 130, 587-598 (2003). |