Professor Division of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
Position
Deputy Director of the GCOE program
Education and Career
Ph.D. at Tohoku University, 1983
Postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, 1983
Associate professor at Tohoku University, 1991
Professor at University of Tsukuba, 1995
Professor at Tohoku University, 2007
Research Project
Since our initial discovery of the GATA transcription factor family, we have been investigating the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in physiologically essential processes, especially hematopoietic differentiation and homeostasis. To conduct those researches, we have utilized an integrative approach, that includes: 1) transgenic and mutant mouse studies, 2) numerous in vitro molecular biology and biochemical techniques, and 3) high-throughput biology paired with computational bioinformatics. Current our projects focus on: 1) regulatory interactions between GATA1 and GATA2, 2) GATA2 function in hematopoietic stem cells, and 3) leukemogenesis caused by disruptions in GATA1 function.
Also, we have discovered that a novel molecular pathway, the Nrf2-Keap1 system, can respond to oxidative stress by inducing detoxification enzymes. We aim to elucidate in greater detail the molecular basis of this “Environmental response”. The transcription factor Nrf2 is a critical mediator in this system that comprehensively regulates expression of numerous stress responsive enzymes and detoxification enzymes. Conversely, Keap1 constitutively suppresses Nrf2 activity through rapid Nrf2 degradation. Thus Nrf2 activation equates with liberation from Keap1 suppression. Furthermore, Keap1 functions as a sensor of oxidative and electrophilic stresses. Thus our laboratory has made pioneering contributions to the understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of the oxidative stress response.
