Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Thalamus Development
Laboratory Head
Tomomi SHIMOGORI (Ph.D.)
Diencephalon, contains developing thalamus and hypothalamus, make direct connection to the neocortex, hippocampus and amygdala, respectively, and known to function to maintain higher order cognition and homeostasis. In later developmental time point such as circuit formation stage, it is likely that input from thalamus and hypothalamus influence postsynaptic neurons and change their gene expression, cell survival and dendrite formation by neuronal activity.
To understand how thalamus and hypothalamus can control correct circuit formation and control animals behavior, we are currently focusing on following three projects. First, we use mouse somatosensory barrel cortex which development is controlled by thalamic axon innervation, to reveal molecular mechanism of postsynaptic neuron development. Next, we study molecular mechanism of brain dysfunction in developing hypothalamus, which is triggered by maternal separation. At last, we use common marmoset brain to test gene expression, which is different with mouse cortex, thalamus and hypothalamus to understand mechanism of higher function brain evolution.
- Role of thalamocortical axons on thalamocortical circuit development.
- Effect of maternal separation on hypothalamic development and behaviour.
- Molecular mechanism of higher functional brain development in marmoset.
- May 03, 2010
- Gene database created for the hypothalamus, which regulates instinct and emotional action
- August 13, 2008
- Elucidation of the mechanism of formation of thalamus functional domains as an information mediator for the cerebral cortex
- November 27, 2009
- Deducing the evolution of the cerebral cortex from the thalamus
- Shimogori T and Ogawa M.:
"Gene application with in utero electroporation in mouse embryonic brain."
Dev Growth Differ. 50;499-506. (2008) - Kataoka A and Shimogori T.:
"FGF8 controls regional identity in the developing thalamus."
Development. 135; 2873-81 (2008) - Suzuki-Hirano A and Shimogori T.:
"The role of Fgf8 in telencephalic and diencephalic patterning."
Semin. Cell. Devbiol. 20; 719-725 (2009) - Fabre P, Shimogori T, Charron F.:
"Segregation of ipsilateral retinal ganglion cell axons at the optic chiasm requires the Shh receptor Boc."
J Neurosci. 30; 266-75. (2010) - Shimogori T, Lee DA, Miranda-Angulo A, Yang Y, Jiang L, Yoshida AC, Kataoka A, Mashiko H, Avetisyan M, Qi L, Qian J, and Blackshaw S.:
"A genomic atlas of mouse hypothalamic development."
Nat Neurosci. 13:767-75. (2010) - Toyoda R, Assimacopoulos S, Wilcoxon J, Taylor A, Feldman P, Suzuki-Hirano A, Shimogori T, Grove EA.:
"FGF8 acts as a classic diffusible morphogen to pattern the neocortex."
Development. 137:3439-48. (2010) - Blackshaw S, Scholpp S, Placzek M, Ingraham H, Simerly R, Shimogori T.:
"Molecular pathways controlling development of thalamus and hypothalamus: from neural specification to circuit formation."
J Neurosci. 30:14925-30. (2010) - Suzuki-Hirano A, Ogawa M, Kataoka A, Yoshida AC, Itoh D, Ueno M, Blackshaw S, Shimogori T.:
"Dynamic spatiotemporal gene expression in embryonic mouse thalamus."
J Comp Neurol. 519; 528-43. (2011) - Yuge K, Kataoka A, Yoshida AC, Itoh D, Aggarwal M, Mori S, Blackshaw S, Shimogori T.:
"Region-specific expression in early postnatal mouse thalamus."
J Comp Neurol. 519; 544-61. (2011) - Matsui A, Yoshida AC, Kubota M, Ogawa M and Shimogori T.:
"Mouse in utero electroporation: Controlled spatio-temporal gene transefection."
J Vis Exp. 54 pii: 3024. doi: 10.3791/3024. (2010)
Principal Investigator
- Tomomi SHIMOGORI
- Laboratory Head
Members
- Asuka MATSUI
- Research Scientist
- Miyako HIRABAYASHI
- Research Scientist
- Nagatoki KINOSHITA
- Research Scientist
- Asuka HIRANO
- Visiting Researcher
- Yurie MAEDA
- Research Associate
- Hiromi MASHIKO
- Technical Staff I
- Mami U
- Technical Staff I
- Yoshiko ABE
- Technical Staff I
- Aya YOSHIDA
- Technical Staff II
- Satomi KIKUCHI
- Technical Staff II
- Ayumi ABE
- Assistant
- Hiroaki KANKI
- Visiting Scientist
- Takaki MIYATA
- Visiting Scientist
- Masaharu OGAWA
- Part-time Staff