RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Nutritional Biology
Team Director: Fumiaki Obata (Ph.D.)
Research Summary
The organismal healthspan is significantly influenced by the quality and quantity of the diet, but our understanding of the detailed molecular mechanisms remains limited. Diet contributes to the metabolic and physiological homeostasis of animals directly as nutrients or indirectly via gut microbiome, but a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms is lacking. In our laboratory, we study the physiological functions of various nutrients and gut bacteria during each life stage, including development, growth, reproduction, and aging, as well as the adaptation mechanisms of animals to nutritional over- and undernutrition. We are also trying to elucidate the mechanisms by which transient dietary intake during development and development influences health status throughout life.
Main Research Fields
- Biology
Related Research Fields
- Agricultural Sciences
- Biological Sciences
- Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
- Environmental physiology
- Developmental biology
- Biological pharmacy
Keywords
- Nutrition
- Lifespan
- Gut microbiota
- Metabolism
- Innate Immunity
Selected Publications
- 1.
Oi A, Obata F.
"Nutrient sensing and signalling of specific amino acids: Insights from Drosophila study."
Current Opinion in Cell Biology (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2025.102547 - 2.
Fujita Y, Ishibuchi T, Uematsu A, et al.
"Manipulating dietary protein and amino acids in the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus impacts circulating metabolites and FGF21 levels."
Scientific Reports 15 , 31055 (2025) doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-16749-0 - 3.
Oi A, Shinoda N, Nagashima S, et al.
"A nonsecretory antimicrobial peptide mediates inflammatory organ damage in Drosophila renal tubules"
Cell Reports 44(1), 115082 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115082 - 4.
Obata F, Miura M.
"Regulatory Mechanisms of Aging Through the Nutritional and Metabolic Control of Amino Acid Signaling in Model Organisms."
Annual Review of Genetics 58, (2024) doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-111523-102042 - 5.
Kosakamoto H, Sakuma C, Okada R, et al.
"Context-dependent impact of the dietary non-essential amino acid tyrosine on Drosophila physiology and longevity."
Science Advances 10(35), eadn7167 (2024) doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn7167 - 6.
Kosakamoto H, Miura M, Obata F.
"Epidermal tyrosine catabolism is crucial for metabolic homeostasis and survival against high-protein diets in Drosophila."
Development 151(1), dev202372 (2024) doi: 10.1242/dev.202372 - 7.
Kosakamoto H, Obata F, Kuraishi J, et al.
"Early-adult methionine restriction reduces methionine sulfoxide and extends lifespan in Drosophila."
Nature Communications 14(1), 7832 (2023) doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43550-2 - 8.
Onuma T, Yamauchi T, Kosakamoto H, et al.
"Recognition of commensal bacterial peptidoglycans defines Drosophila gut homeostasis and lifespan."
PLOS Genetics 19(4), e1010709 (2023) doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010709 - 9.
Kosakamoto H, Okamoto N, Aikawa H, et al.
"Sensing of the non-essential amino acid tyrosine governs the response to protein restriction in Drosophila."
Nature Metabolism 4(7), 944-959 (2022) doi: 10.1038/s42255-022-00608-7
Recent Research Results
Mar. 26, 2024
Flies fed restricted diet in early adulthood live longer
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Fumiaki Obata
- Team Director
Core members
- Ayano Oi
- Postdoctoral Researcher
- Yusuke Kato
- Student Trainee
- Yuka Fujita
- Student Trainee
- Souto Kitazawa
- Student Trainee
- Miyu Kubota
- Student Trainee
- Ayako Matoba
- Technical Staff I
- Rina Okada
- Technical Staff I
- Katsura Tomioka
- Research Part-time Worker II
- Mari Shoji
- Assistant
- Tadashi Uemura
- Senior Visiting Scientist
- Hina Kosakamoto
- Visiting Scientist
Contact Information
Developmental Biology Buildings A N705
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047
Tel: +81-(0)7-8306-3368
Email: fumiaki.obata@riken.jp