Laboratory for Germline Development
Team Leader
Akira NAKAMURA (Ph.D.)
Germ cells, such as sperm and egg cells, are often one of the first cell types to be formed during animal development. In many species, formation of germline cells is controlled by maternal RNAs and proteins localized to a distinct part of the egg cytoplasm, called the germ plasm. However, the germ plasm is a structure shrouded in mystery. The molecular mechanisms behind germ plasm assembly, and germ plasm control of germ cell development, are still poorly understood. We would like to answer this century-old issue by studying the fruit fly (Drosophila), an ideal organism due to its powerful molecular genetics. Furthermore, since recent studies have shown similarities between totipotent germline cells and multipotent stem cells, we expect that this work will provide important information concerning regeneration as well as reproduction.
- Understanding of how germ plasm is assembled and maintained
- Understanding of how RNA localization and translation are spacio-temporally regulated
- Understanding of how germ plasm regulates germline development
- March 05, 2008
- Rbsn-5, a new factor in pole plasm assembly
- July 25, 2006
- New role for Vasa in Ciona germline
- Hanyu-Nakamura, K., Sonobe-Nojima-H., Tanigawa, A., Lasko, P., and Nakamura, A.:
"Drosophila Pgc protein inhibits P-TEFb recruitment to chromatin in primordial germ cells."
Nature 451, 730-733. (2008) - Tanaka, T., and Nakamura, A.:
"The endocytic pathway acts downstream of Oskar in Drosophila germ plasm assembly."
Development 153, 1107-1117. (2008) - Barbee, S.A., Estes, P.S., Cziko, A.-M., Hillebrand, J., Luedeman, R.A., Coller, J.M., Johnson, N., Howlett, I.C., Geng, C., Ueda, R., Brand, A.H., Newbury, S.F., Wilhelm, J.E., Levine, R.B., Nakamura, A., Parker, R., and Ramaswami, M.:
"Staufen- and FMRP-containing neuronal RNPs are structurally and functionally related to somatic P-bodies."
Neuron 52, 997-1009 (2006). - Shirae-Kurabayashi, M., Nishikata, T., Takamura, K., Tanaka, K.J., Nakamoto, C., and Nakamura, A.:
"Dynamic redistribution of vasa homolog and exclusion of somatic cell determinants during germ cell specification in Ciona intestinalis."
Development 133, 2683-2693 (2006) - Sengoku, T., Nureki, O., Nakamura, A., Kobayashi, S., and Yokoyama, S.:
"Structural basis for RNA unwinding by the DEAD-box protein Drosophila Vasa."
Cell 125, 287-300 (2006). - Borg, P.R., Nakamura, A., and Blackwell, T.K.:
"A conserved RNA-protein complex component involved in physiological germline apoptosis regulation in C. elegans."
Development 132, 4975-4986 (2005). - Hanyu-Nakamura, K., Kobayashi, S., and Nakamura, A.:
"Germ cell-autonomous Wunen2 is required for germline development in Drosophila embryos."
Development, 131, 4545-4553 (2004). - Nakamura, A., Sato, K., and Hanyu-Nakamura, K.:
"Drosophila Cup is an eIF4E-binding protein that associates with Bruno and regulates oskar mRNA translation in oogenesis."
Dev. Cell, 6, 69-78 (2004). - Styhler, S., Nakamura, A., and Lasko, P.:
"VASA localization requires the SPRY-domain and SOCS-box containing protein, GUSTAVUS."
Dev. Cell, 3, 865-876 (2002). - Nakamura, A., Amikura, R., Hanyu, K., and Kobayashi, S.:
"Me31B silences translation of oocyte-localizing RNAs through the formation of cytoplasmic RNP complex during Drosophila oogenesis."
Development, 128, 3233-3242 (2001).