Mutant Mouse Research Core

Professor: Satoru Takahashi

Visiting Professor: Atsushi Yoshiki
 (BioResource Center, RIKEN Tsukuba Institute)

Associate Professor: Takashi Kudo

In Mutant Mouse Research Core, genetically-modified mice are created by developmental engineering. Mapping by histopathological method, we make functional analysis of transcription factors in vivo.  We make researches on the following themes.

●　Molecular mechanism of organ formation(Maf group)
Featuring functional analysis of large Maf transcript factors, we advance on molecular mechanism of organ formation and disease initiation.
●　Defining molecular mechanism of disease susceptibility (immunity group)
Disease susceptibility of individuals is determined by the balance of T cell subsets. Analyzing primarily transcription factors, T-bet, GATA-3 and RORgt, which control differentiation of Th1,Th2 and Th17.
●　Molecular mechanism research of generation/differentiation of vascular and blood cells.

We advance our research on generation mechanism of vascular and blood    cells, focusing on transcription factors SCL(Tal1), Runx1(AML1), CBF, receptor-type tyrosine kinase Flk1.  We also analyze maintenance mechanism of of embryonic stem (ES) cells.
●　Research on formation mechanism of neural network

We are studying on visual aspects (retino-tectal projection of chicken and primary visual area of mouse) in the course of formation mechanism of neural network.

References
1）Ema M, Mori D, Niwa H, Hasegawa Y, Yamanaka Y, Hitoshi S, Mimura J, Kawabe Y, Hosoya T, Morita M, Shimosato D, Uchida K, Suzuki N, Yanagisawa J, Sogawa K, Rossant J, Yamamoto M, Takahashi S, Fujii-Kuriyama Y. Kruppel-like factor 5 is essential for blastocyst development and the normal self-renewal of mouse ESCs. Cell Stem Cell. 3, 555-567, 2008.
2）Yokomizo T, Hasegawa K, Ishitobi H, Osato M, Ema M, Ito Y, Yamamoto M, Takahashi S. Runx1 is involved in primitive erythropoiesis in the mouse. Blood. 111, 4075-4080, 2008.
3）Ishizaki K, Yamada A, Yoh K, Nakano T, Shimohata H, Maeda A, Fujioka Y, Morito N, Kawachi Y, Shibuya K, Otsuka F, Shibuya A, Takahashi S. J Immunol. 178, 605-612, 2007.