Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Masanobu Morita
Section
Graduate School of Medicine
Job title
Senior Assistant Professor
Degree

  • 博士（理学）（東北大学）

  • 修士（理学）（東北大学）

Research History 4

  • 2001 - 2008
    The Salk Institute, Research Associate

  • 1999 - 2001
    東北大学大学院理学研究科 未来開拓学術研究員

  • 2019 -
    東北大学大学院医学系研究科 講師

  • 2009 -
    東北大学大学院医学系研究科 助教

Education 2

  • 東北大学理学研究科博士課程

    - 1999/03

  • 東北大学理学部化学第二学科

    - 1994/03

Research Areas 1

  • Life sciences / Molecular biology /

Papers 49

  1. Supersulfides contribute to joint homeostasis and bone regeneration. International-journal

    Miki Maemura, Masanobu Morita, Seiryo Ogata, Yoichi Miyamoto, Tomoaki Ida, Kazuhiro Shibusaka, Soichiro Negishi, Masahiro Hosonuma, Taku Saito, Jun Yoshitake, Tsuyoshi Takata, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Eikan Mishima, Uladzimir Barayeu, Takaaki Akaike, Fumiko Yano

    Redox biology　81　103545-103545　2025/02/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103545 　

    More details Close

    The physiological functions of supersulfides, inorganic and organic sulfides with sulfur catenation, have been extensively studied. Their synthesis is mainly mediated by mitochondrial cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS2) that functions as a principal cysteine persulfide synthase. This study aimed to investigate the role of supersulfides in joint homeostasis and bone regeneration. Using Cars2AINK/+ mutant mice, in which the KIIK motif of CARS2 essential for supersulfide production was replaced with AINK, we evaluated the role of supersulfides in fracture healing and cartilage homeostasis during osteoarthritis (OA). Tibial fracture surgery was performed on the wild-type (Cars2+/+) and Cars2AINK/+ mice littermates. Bulk RNA-seq analysis for the osteochondral regeneration in the fracture model showed increased inflammatory markers and reduced osteogenic factors, indicative of impaired bone regeneration, in Cars2AINK/+ mice. Destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery was performed to produce the mouse OA model. Histological analyses with Osteoarthritis Research Society International and synovitis scores revealed accelerated OA progression in Cars2AINK/+ mice compared with that in Cars2+/+ mice. To assess the effects of supersulfides on OA progression, glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) or saline was periodically injected into the mouse knee joints after the DMM surgery. Thus, supersulfides derived from CARS2 and GSSSG exogenously administered significantly inhibited inflammation and lipid peroxidation of the joint cartilage, possibly through suppression of ferroptosis, during OA development. This study represents a significant advancement in understanding anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant functions of supersulfides in skeletal tissues and may have a clinical relevance for the bone healing and OA therapeutics.

  2. New aspects of redox signaling mediated by supersulfides in health and disease. International-journal

    Takaaki Akaike, Masanobu Morita, Seiryo Ogata, Jun Yoshitake, Minkyung Jung, Hiroki Sekine, Hozumi Motohashi, Uladzimir Barayeu, Tetsuro Matsunaga

    Free radical biology & medicine　222　539-551　2024/07/09

    DOI： 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.07.007 　

    More details Close

    Oxygen molecules accept electrons from the respiratory chain in the mitochondria and are responsible for energy production in aerobic organisms. The reactive oxygen species formed via these oxygen reduction processes undergo complicated electron transfer reactions with other biological substances, which leads to alterations in their physiological functions and cause diverse biological and pathophysiological consequences (e.g., oxidative stress). Oxygen accounts for only a small proportion of the redox reactions in organisms, especially under aerobic or hypoxic conditions but not under anaerobic and hypoxic conditions. This article discusses a completely new concept of redox biology, which is governed by redox-active supersulfides, i.e., sulfur-catenated molecular species. These species are present in abundance in all organisms but remain largely unexplored in terms of redox biology and life science research. In fact, accumulating evidence shows that supersulfides have extensive redox chemical properties and that they can be readily ionized or radicalized to participate in energy metabolism, redox signaling, and oxidative stress responses in cells and in vivo. Thus, pharmacological intervention and medicinal modulation of supersulfide activities have been shown to benefit the regulation of disease pathogenesis as well as disease control.

  3. Exclusion of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase from mitochondria causes Leigh-like disease in mice by impairing sulfide metabolism. International-journal

    Eiki Kanemaru, Kakeru Shimoda, Eizo Marutani, Masanobu Morita, Maria Miranda, Yusuke Miyazaki, Claire Sinow, Rohit Sharma, Fangcong Dong, Donald B Bloch, Takaaki Akaike, Fumito Ichinose

    The Journal of clinical investigation　2024/06/13

    DOI： 10.1172/JCI170994 　

    More details Close

    Leigh syndrome is the most common inherited mitochondrial disease in children and is often fatal within the first few years of life. In 2020, mutations in the gene encoding sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR), a mitochondrial protein, were identified as a cause of Leigh syndrome. Here, we report that mice with a mutation in the gene encoding SQOR (SqorΔN/ΔN mice), which prevented SQOR from entering mitochondria, had clinical and pathological manifestations of Leigh syndrome. SqorΔN/ΔN mice had increased blood lactate levels that were associated with markedly decreased complex IV activity and increased hydrogens sulfide (H2S) levels. Because H2S is produced by both gut microbiota and host tissue, we tested whether metronidazole (a broad-spectrum antibiotic) or a sulfur-restricted diet rescues SqorΔN/ΔN mice from developing Leigh syndrome. Daily treatment with metronidazole alleviated increased H2S levels, normalized complex IV activity and blood lactate levels, and prolonged the survival of SqorΔN/ΔN mice. Similarly, a sulfur-restricted diet normalized blood lactate levels and inhibited the development of Leigh syndrome. Taken together, these observations suggest that mitochondrial SQOR is essential to prevent systemic accumulation of H2S. Administration of metronidazole or a sulfur-restricted diet may be therapeutic approaches to treatment of patients with Leigh syndrome caused by mutations in SQOR.

  4. Bag1 protein loss sensitizes mouse embryonic fibroblasts to glutathione depletion. International-journal

    Atsushi Inose-Maruyama, Hayato Irokawa, Kouki Takeda, Keiko Taguchi, Masanobu Morita, Masayuki Yamamoto, Masato Sasaki, Shusuke Kuge

    Cell stress & chaperones　29　(3)　497-509　2024/06

    DOI： 10.1016/j.cstres.2024.05.003 　

    More details Close

    Bcl2-associated athanogene-1 protein (Bag1) acts as a co-chaperone of heat shock protein 70 and heat shock cognate 70 and regulates multiple cellular processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, environmental stress response, and drug resistance. Since Bag1 knockout mice exhibited fetal lethality, the in vivo function of Bag1 remains unclear. In this study, we established a mouse line expressing Bag1 gene missing exon 5, which corresponds to an encoding region for the interface of heat shock protein 70/heat shock cognate 70. Despite mice carrying homoalleles of the Bag1 mutant (Bag1Δex5) expressing undetectable levels of Bag1, Bag1Δex5 homozygous mice developed without abnormalities. Bag1Δex5 protein was found to be highly unstable in cells and in vitro. We found that the growth of mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from Bag1Δex5-homo mice was attenuated by doxorubicin and a glutathione (GSH) synthesis inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine. In response to buthionine sulfoximine, Bag1Δex5-mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibited a higher dropping rate of GSH relative to the oxidized glutathione level. In addition, Bag1 might mitigate cellular hydrogen peroxide levels. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the loss of Bag1 did not affect mouse development and that Bag1 is involved in intracellular GSH homeostasis, namely redox homeostasis.

  5. Differential squamous cell fates elicited by NRF2 gain of function versus KEAP1 loss of function Peer-reviewed

    Jun Takahashi, Takafumi Suzuki, Miu Sato, Shuji Nitta, Nahoko Yaguchi, Tatsuki Muta, Kouhei Tsuchida, Hiromi Suda, Masanobu Morita, Shin Hamada, Atsushi Masamune, Satoru Takahashi, Takashi Kamei, Masayuki Yamamoto

    Cell Reports　2024/04

    DOI： 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114104 　

  6. 2H-Thiopyran-2-thione sulfine, a compound for converting H2S to HSOH/H2S2 and increasing intracellular sulfane sulfur levels. International-journal

    Qi Cui, Meg Shieh, Tony W Pan, Akiyuki Nishimura, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Shane S Kelly, Shi Xu, Minkyung Jung, Seiryo Ogata, Masanobu Morita, Jun Yoshitake, Xiaoyan Chen, Jerome R Robinson, Wei-Jun Qian, Motohiro Nishida, Takaaki Akaike, Ming Xian

    Nature communications　15　(1)　2453-2453　2024/03/19

    DOI： 10.1038/s41467-024-46652-7 　

    More details Close

    Reactive sulfane sulfur species such as persulfides (RSSH) and H2S2 are important redox regulators and closely linked to H2S signaling. However, the study of these species is still challenging due to their instability, high reactivity, and the lack of suitable donors to produce them. Herein we report a unique compound, 2H-thiopyran-2-thione sulfine (TTS), which can specifically convert H2S to HSOH, and then to H2S2 in the presence of excess H2S. Meanwhile, the reaction product 2H-thiopyran-2-thione (TT) can be oxidized to reform TTS by biological oxidants. The reaction mechanism of TTS is studied experimentally and computationally. TTS can be conjugated to proteins to achieve specific delivery, and the combination of TTS and H2S leads to highly efficient protein persulfidation. When TTS is applied in conjunction with established H2S donors, the corresponding donors of H2S2 (or its equivalents) are obtained. Cell-based studies reveal that TTS can effectively increase intracellular sulfane sulfur levels and compensate for certain aspects of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) deficiency. These properties make TTS a conceptually new strategy for the design of donors of reactive sulfane sulfur species.

  7. Longevity control by supersulfide-mediated mitochondrial respiration and regulation of protein quality. International-journal

    Akira Nishimura, Sunghyeon Yoon, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Tomoaki Ida, Minkyung Jung, Seiryo Ogata, Masanobu Morita, Jun Yoshitake, Yuka Unno, Uladzimir Barayeu, Tsuyoshi Takata, Hiroshi Takagi, Hozumi Motohashi, Albert van der Vliet, Takaaki Akaike

    Redox biology　69　103018-103018　2024/01/03

    DOI： 10.1016/j.redox.2023.103018 　

    More details Close

    Supersulfides, which are defined as sulfur species with catenated sulfur atoms, are increasingly being investigated in biology. We recently identified pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent biosynthesis of cysteine persulfide (CysSSH) and related supersulfides by cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS). Here, we investigated the physiological role of CysSSH in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) by generating a PLP-binding site mutation K109A in CRS1 (the yeast ortholog of CARS), which decreased the synthesis of CysSSH and related supersulfides and also led to reduced chronological aging, effects that were associated with an increased endoplasmic reticulum stress response and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics. Reduced chronological aging in the K109A mutant could be rescued by using exogenous supersulfide donors. Our findings indicate important roles for CARS in the production and metabolism of supersulfides-to mediate mitochondrial function and to regulate longevity.

  8. Supersulfide catalysis for nitric oxide and aldehyde metabolism. International-journal

    Shingo Kasamatsu, Akira Nishimura, Md Morshedul Alam, Masanobu Morita, Kakeru Shimoda, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Minkyung Jung, Seiryo Ogata, Uladzimir Barayeu, Tomoaki Ida, Motohiro Nishida, Akiyuki Nishimura, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    Science advances　9　(33)　eadg8631　2023/08/18

    DOI： 10.1126/sciadv.adg8631 　

    More details Close

    Abundant formation of endogenous supersulfides, which include reactive persulfide species and sulfur catenated residues in thiols and proteins (supersulfidation), has been observed. We found here that supersulfides catalyze S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) metabolism via glutathione-dependent electron transfer from aldehydes by exploiting alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5). ADH5 is a highly conserved bifunctional enzyme serving as GSNO reductase (GSNOR) that down-regulates NO signaling and formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) that detoxifies formaldehyde in the form of glutathione hemithioacetal. C174S mutation significantly reduced the supersulfidation of ADH5 and almost abolished GSNOR activity but spared FDH activity. Notably, Adh5C174S/C174S mice manifested improved cardiac functions possibly because of GSNOR elimination and consequent increased NO bioavailability. Therefore, we successfully separated dual functions (GSNOR and FDH) of ADH5 (mediated by the supersulfide catalysis) through the biochemical analysis for supersulfides in vitro and characterizing in vivo phenotypes of the GSNOR-deficient organisms that we established herein. Supersulfides in ADH5 thus constitute a substantial catalytic center for GSNO metabolism mediating electron transfer from aldehydes.

  9. Persulfide Biosynthesis Conserved Evolutionarily in All Organisms

    Seiryo Ogata, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Minkyung Jung, Uladzimir Barayeu, Masanobu Morita, Takaaki Akaike

    Antioxidants & Redox Signaling　2023/08/11

    Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc

    DOI： 10.1089/ars.2023.0405 　

    ISSN： 1523-0864

    eISSN： 1557-7716

  10. Supersulphides provide airway protection in viral and chronic lung diseases. International-journal

    Tetsuro Matsunaga, Hirohito Sano, Katsuya Takita, Masanobu Morita, Shun Yamanaka, Tomohiro Ichikawa, Tadahisa Numakura, Tomoaki Ida, Minkyung Jung, Seiryo Ogata, Sunghyeon Yoon, Naoya Fujino, Yorihiko Kyogoku, Yusaku Sasaki, Akira Koarai, Tsutomu Tamada, Atsuhiko Toyama, Takakazu Nakabayashi, Lisa Kageyama, Shigeru Kyuwa, Kenji Inaba, Satoshi Watanabe, Péter Nagy, Tomohiro Sawa, Hiroyuki Oshiumi, Masakazu Ichinose, Mitsuhiro Yamada, Hisatoshi Sugiura, Fan-Yan Wei, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    Nature communications　14　(1)　4476-4476　2023/07/25

    DOI： 10.1038/s41467-023-40182-4 　

    More details Close

    Supersulphides are inorganic and organic sulphides with sulphur catenation with diverse physiological functions. Their synthesis is mainly mediated by mitochondrial cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS2) that functions as a principal cysteine persulphide synthase (CPERS). Here, we identify protective functions of supersulphides in viral airway infections (influenza and COVID-19), in aged lungs and in chronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We develop a method for breath supersulphur-omics and demonstrate that levels of exhaled supersulphides increase in people with COVID-19 infection and in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Lung damage and subsequent lethality that result from oxidative stress and inflammation in mouse models of COPD, IPF, and ageing were mitigated by endogenous supersulphides production by CARS2/CPERS or exogenous administration of the supersulphide donor glutathione trisulphide. We revealed a protective role of supersulphides in airways with various viral or chronic insults and demonstrated the potential of targeting supersulphides in lung disease.

  11. Synthesis of Sulfides and Persulfides Is Not Impeded by Disruption of Three Canonical Enzymes in Sulfur Metabolism. International-journal

    Qamarul Hafiz Zainol Abidin, Tomoaki Ida, Masanobu Morita, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Akira Nishimura, Minkyung Jung, Naim Hassan, Tsuyoshi Takata, Isao Ishii, Warren Kruger, Rui Wang, Hozumi Motohashi, Masato Tsutsui, Takaaki Akaike

    Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)　12　(4)　2023/04/03

    DOI： 10.3390/antiox12040868 　

    More details Close

    Reactive sulfur species, or persulfides and polysulfides, such as cysteine hydropersulfide and glutathione persulfide, are endogenously produced in abundance in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including mammals. Various forms of reactive persulfides occur in both low-molecular-weight and protein-bound thiols. The chemical properties and great supply of these molecular species suggest a pivotal role for reactive persulfides/polysulfides in different cellular regulatory processes (e.g., energy metabolism and redox signaling). We demonstrated earlier that cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS) is a new cysteine persulfide synthase (CPERS) and is responsible for the in vivo production of most reactive persulfides (polysulfides). Some researchers continue to suggest that 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST), cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) may also produce hydrogen sulfide and persulfides that may be generated during the transfer of sulfur from 3-mercaptopyruvate to the cysteine residues of 3-MST or direct synthesis from cysteine by CBS/CSE, respectively. We thus used integrated sulfur metabolome analysis, which we recently developed, with 3-MST knockout (KO) mice and CBS/CSE/3-MST triple-KO mice, to elucidate the possible contribution of 3-MST, CBS, and CSE to the production of reactive persulfides in vivo. We therefore quantified various sulfide metabolites in organs derived from these mutant mice and their wild-type littermates via this sulfur metabolome, which clearly revealed no significant difference between mutant mice and wild-type mice in terms of reactive persulfide production. This result indicates that 3-MST, CBS, and CSE are not major sources of endogenous reactive persulfide production; rather, CARS/CPERS is the principal enzyme that is actually involved in and even primarily responsible for the biosynthesis of reactive persulfides and polysulfides in vivo in mammals.

  12. Cysteine hydropersulfide reduces lipid peroxidation and protects against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury - Are endogenous persulfides mediators of ischaemic preconditioning? International-journal

    Kayleigh Griffiths, Tomoaki Ida, Masanobu Morita, Reece J Lamb, Jordan J Lee, Michael P Frenneaux, Jon M Fukuto, Takaaki Akaike, Martin Feelisch, Melanie Madhani

    Redox biology　60　102605-102605　2023/01/10

    DOI： 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102605 　

    More details Close

    Earlier studies revealed the presence of cysteine persulfide (CysSSH) and related polysulfide species in various mammalian tissues. CysSSH has both antioxidant and oxidant properties, modulates redox-dependent signal transduction and has been shown to mitigate oxidative stress. However, its functional relevance in the setting of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains unknown. The present study was undertaken to (1) study the dynamics of production and consumption of persulfides under normoxic and hypoxic conditions in the heart, and (2) determine whether exogenous administration of the CysSSH donor, cysteine trisulfide (Cys-SSS-Cys) at the onset of reperfusion rescues functional impairment and myocardial damage by interfering with lipid peroxidation. Utilising a well-established ex vivo Langendorff murine model, we here demonstrate that endogenous tissue concentrations of CysSSH are upregulated when oxygen supply is compromised (global myocardial ischaemia) and rapidly restored to baseline levels upon reperfusion, suggestive of active regulation. In a separate set of experiments, exogenous administration of Cys-SSS-Cys for 10 min at the onset of reperfusion was found to decrease malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, formation of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) protein adducts and rescue the heart from injury. Cys-SSS-Cys also restored post-ischaemic cardiac function, improving both coronary flow and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP). Taken together, these results support the notion that endogenous CysSSH plays an important role as a "redox preconditioning" agent to combat the oxidative insult in myocardial IRI.

  13. Heterozygous variants in GATA2 contribute to DCML deficiency in mice by disrupting tandem protein binding

    Atsushi Hasegawa, Yuki Hayasaka, Masanobu Morita, Yuta Takenaka, Yuna Hosaka, Ikuo Hirano, Masayuki Yamamoto, Ritsuko Shimizu

    Communications Biology　5　(1)　2022/12

    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

    DOI： 10.1038/s42003-022-03316-w 　

    eISSN： 2399-3642

    More details Close

    Abstract Accumulating lines of clinical evidence support the emerging hypothesis that loss-of-function mutations of GATA2 cause inherited hematopoietic diseases, including Emberger syndrome; dendritic cell, monocyte B and NK lymphoid (DCML) deficiency; and MonoMAC syndrome. Here, we show that mice heterozygous for an arginine-to-tryptophan substitution mutation in GATA2 (G2R398W/+), which was found in a patient with DCML deficiency, substantially phenocopy human DCML deficiency. Mice heterozygous for the GATA2-null mutation (G2-/+) do not show such phenotypes. The G2R398W protein possesses a decreased DNA-binding affinity but obstructs the function of coexpressed wild-type GATA2 through specific cis-regulatory regions, which contain two GATA motifs in direct-repeat arrangements. In contrast, G2R398W is innocuous in mice containing single GATA motifs. We conclude that the dominant-negative effect of mutant GATA2 on wild-type GATA2 through specific enhancer/silencer of GATA2 target genes perturbs the GATA2 transcriptional network, leading to the development of the DCML-like phenotype. The present mouse model provides an avenue for the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of GATA2-related hematopoietic diseases.

  14. CD3鎖を標的とした超硫黄分子によるTCRシグナルを介した免疫応答制御

    守田 匡伸, 山田 充啓, 佐々木 優作, 井田 智章, 松永 哲郎, 高田 剛, 渡部 聡, 稲葉 謙次, 石井 直人, 杉浦 久敏, 本橋 ほづみ

    日本生化学会大会プログラム・講演要旨集　95回　3P-132　2022/11

    Publisher: (公社)日本生化学会

  15. CD3鎖を標的とした超硫黄分子によるTCRシグナルを介した免疫応答制御

    守田 匡伸, 山田 充啓, 佐々木 優作, 井田 智章, 松永 哲郎, 高田 剛, 渡部 聡, 稲葉 謙次, 石井 直人, 杉浦 久敏, 本橋 ほづみ

    日本生化学会大会プログラム・講演要旨集　95回　3P-132　2022/11

    Publisher: (公社)日本生化学会

  16. 8-Nitro-cGMP suppresses mineralization by mouse osteoblasts.

    Kotaro Kaneko, Yoichi Miyamoto, Tomoaki Ida, Masanobu Morita, Kentaro Yoshimura, Kei Nagasaki, Kazuki Toba, Risa Sugisaki, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike, Daichi Chikazu, Ryutaro Kamijo

    Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition　71　(3)　191-197　2022/11

    DOI： 10.3164/jcbn.21-129 　

    More details Close

    Nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species regulate bone remodeling, which occurs via bone formation and resorption by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. Recently, we found that 8-nitro-cGMP, a second messenger of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, promotes osteoclastogenesis. Here, we investigated the formation and function of 8-nitro-cGMP in osteoblasts. Mouse calvarial osteoblasts were found to produce 8-nitro-cGMP, which was augmented by tumor necrosis factor-α (10 ng/ml) and interleukin-1β (1 ng/ml). These cytokines suppressed osteoblastic differentiation in a NO synthase activity-dependent manner. Exogenous 8-nitro-cGMP (30 μmol/L) suppressed expression of osteoblastic phenotypes, including mineralization, in clear contrast to the enhancement of mineralization by osteoblasts induced by 8-bromo-cGMP, a cell membrane-permeable analog of cGMP. It is known that reactive sulfur species denitrates and degrades 8-nitro-cGMP. Mitochondrial cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase plays a crucial role in the endogenous production of RSS. The expression of osteoblastic phenotypes was suppressed by not only exogenous 8-nitro-cGMP but also by silencing of the Cars2 gene, indicating a role of endogenous 8-nitro-cGMP in suppressing the expression of osteoblastic phenotypes. These results suggest that 8-nitro-cGMP is a negative regulator of osteoblastic differentiation.

  17. T細胞受容体シグナルを標的とした超硫黄分子による免疫応答制御

    守田 匡伸, 山田 充啓, 佐々木 優作, 井田 智章, 松永 哲郎, 稲葉 謙次, 石井 直人, 杉浦 久敏, 本橋 ほづみ, 赤池 孝章

    日本細菌学雑誌　77　(1)　103-103　2022/02

    Publisher: 日本細菌学会

    ISSN： 0021-4930

    eISSN： 1882-4110

  18. Methods in sulfide and persulfide research

    Tsuyoshi Takata, Minkyung Jung, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Tomoaki Ida, Masanobu Morita, Hozumi Motohashi, Xinggui Shen, Christopher G. Kevil, Jon M. Fukuto, Takaaki Akaike

    Nitric Oxide　116　47-64　2021/11

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.niox.2021.09.002 　

    ISSN： 1089-8603

  19. Heparan sulfate promotes differentiation of white adipocytes to maintain insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. International-journal

    Takuro Matsuzawa, Masanobu Morita, Ai Shimane, Rina Otsuka, Yu Mei, Fumitoshi Irie, Yu Yamaguchi, Kazuhiko Yanai, Takeo Yoshikawa

    The Journal of biological chemistry　297　(3)　101006-101006　2021/07/24

    DOI： 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101006 　

    More details Close

    Heparan sulfate (HS), a highly sulfated linear polysaccharide, is involved in diverse biological functions in various tissues. Although previous studies have suggested a possible contribution of HS to the differentiation of white adipocytes, there has been no direct evidence supporting this. Here, we inhibited the synthesis of HS chains in 3T3-L1 cells using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, resulting in impaired differentiation of adipocytes with attenuated bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4)-fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) signaling pathways. HS reduction resulted in reduced glucose uptake and decreased insulin-dependent intracellular signaling. We then made heterozygous mutant mice for the Ext1 gene, which encodes an enzyme essential for the HS biosynthesis, specifically in the visceral white adipose tissue (Fabp4-Cre+::Ext1flox/WT mice, hereafter called Ext1Δ/WT) to confirm the importance of HS in vivo. The expression levels of transcription factors that control adipocyte differentiation, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, were reduced in Ext1Δ/WT adipocytes, which contained smaller, unilocular lipid droplets, reduced levels of enzymes involved in lipid synthesis, and altered expression of BMP4-FGF1 signaling molecules. Furthermore, we examined the impact of HS reduction in visceral white adipose tissue on systemic glucose homeostasis. We observed that Ext1Δ/WT mice showed glucose intolerance because of insulin resistance. Our results demonstrate that HS plays a crucial role in the differentiation of white adipocytes through BMP4-FGF1 signaling pathways, thereby contributing to insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis.

  20. Sulfide catabolism ameliorates hypoxic brain injury. International-journal

    Eizo Marutani, Masanobu Morita, Shuichi Hirai, Shinichi Kai, Robert M H Grange, Yusuke Miyazaki, Fumiaki Nagashima, Lisa Traeger, Aurora Magliocca, Tomoaki Ida, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Daniel R Flicker, Benjamin Corman, Naohiro Mori, Yumiko Yamazaki, Annabelle Batten, Rebecca Li, Tomohiro Tanaka, Takamitsu Ikeda, Akito Nakagawa, Dmitriy N Atochin, Hideshi Ihara, Benjamin A Olenchock, Xinggui Shen, Motohiro Nishida, Kenjiro Hanaoka, Christopher G Kevil, Ming Xian, Donald B Bloch, Takaaki Akaike, Allyson G Hindle, Hozumi Motohashi, Fumito Ichinose

    Nature communications　12　(1)　3108-3108　2021/05/25

    DOI： 10.1038/s41467-021-23363-x 　

    More details Close

    The mammalian brain is highly vulnerable to oxygen deprivation, yet the mechanism underlying the brain's sensitivity to hypoxia is incompletely understood. Hypoxia induces accumulation of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that inhibits mitochondrial respiration. Here, we show that, in mice, rats, and naturally hypoxia-tolerant ground squirrels, the sensitivity of the brain to hypoxia is inversely related to the levels of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR) and the capacity to catabolize sulfide. Silencing SQOR increased the sensitivity of the brain to hypoxia, whereas neuron-specific SQOR expression prevented hypoxia-induced sulfide accumulation, bioenergetic failure, and ischemic brain injury. Excluding SQOR from mitochondria increased sensitivity to hypoxia not only in the brain but also in heart and liver. Pharmacological scavenging of sulfide maintained mitochondrial respiration in hypoxic neurons and made mice resistant to hypoxia. These results illuminate the critical role of sulfide catabolism in energy homeostasis during hypoxia and identify a therapeutic target for ischemic brain injury.

  21. The establishment of a novel high-throughput screening system using RNA-guided genome editing to identify chemicals that suppress aldosterone synthase expression. International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Ryo Ito, Masanobu Morita, Taichi Nakano, Ikuko Sato, Atsushi Yokoyama, Akira Sugawara

    Biochemical and biophysical research communications　534　672-679　2021/01/01

    DOI： 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.11.020 　

    More details Close

    Aldosterone is synthesized in the adrenal by the aldosterone synthase CYP11B2. Although the control of CYP11B2 expression is important to maintain the mineral homeostasis, its overexpression induced by the depolarization-induced calcium (Ca2+) signaling activation has been reported to increase the synthesis of aldosterone in primary aldosteronism (PA). The drug against PA focused on the suppression of CYP11B2 expression has not yet been developed, since the molecular mechanism of CYP11B2 transcriptional regulation activated via Ca2+ signaling remains unclear. To address the issue, we attempted to reveal the mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of CYP11B2 using chemical screening. We generated a cell line by inserting Nanoluc gene as a reporter into CYP11B2 locus in H295R adrenocortical cells using the CRSPR/Cas9 system, and established the high-throughput screening system using the cell line. We then identified 9 compounds that inhibited the CYP11B2 expression induced by potassium-mediated depolarization from the validated compound library (3399 compounds). Particularly, tacrolimus, an inhibitor of phosphatase calcineurin, strongly suppressed the CYP11B2 expression even at 10 nM. These results suggest that the system is effective in identifying drugs that suppress the depolarization-induced CYP11B2 expression. Our screening system may therefore be a useful tool for the development of novel medicines against PA.

  22. Production of IL-17A at Innate Immune Phase Leads to Decreased Th1 Immune Response and Attenuated Host Defense against Infection with Cryptococcus deneoformans. International-journal

    Ko Sato, Hideki Yamamoto, Toshiki Nomura, Jun Kasamatsu, Tomomitsu Miyasaka, Daiki Tanno, Ikumi Matsumoto, Takafumi Kagesawa, Anna Miyahara, Tong Zong, Akiho Oniyama, Kotone Kawamura, Rin Yokoyama, Yuki Kitai, Shigenari Ishizuka, Emi Kanno, Hiromasa Tanno, Hiromi Suda, Masanobu Morita, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yoichiro Iwakura, Keiko Ishii, Kazuyoshi Kawakami

    Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)　205　(3)　686-698　2020/08/01

    DOI： 10.4049/jimmunol.1901238 　

    More details Close

    IL-17A is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by many types of innate immune cells and Th17 cells and is involved in the elimination of extracellularly growing microorganisms, yet the role of this cytokine in the host defense against intracellularly growing microorganisms is not well known. Cryptococcus deneoformans is an opportunistic intracellular growth fungal pathogen that frequently causes fatal meningoencephalitis in patients with impaired immune responses. In the current study, we analyzed the role of IL-17A in the host defense against C. deneoformans infection. IL-17A was quickly produced by γδT cells at an innate immune phase in infected lungs. In IL-17A gene-disrupted mice, clearance of this fungal pathogen and the host immune response mediated by Th1 cells were significantly accelerated in infected lungs compared with wild-type mice. Similarly, killing of this fungus and production of inducible NO synthase and TNF-α were significantly enhanced in IL-17A gene-disrupted mice. In addition, elimination of this fungal pathogen, Th1 response, and expression of IL-12Rβ2 and IFN-γ in NK and NKT cells were significantly suppressed by treatment with rIL-17A. The production of IL-12p40 and TNF-α from bone marrow-derived dendritic cells stimulated with C. deneoformans was significantly suppressed by rIL-17A. In addition, rIL-17A attenuated Th1 cell differentiation in splenocytes from transgenic mice highly expressing TCR for mannoprotein 98, a cryptococcal Ag, upon stimulation with recombinant mannoprotein 98. These data suggest that IL-17A may be involved in the negative regulation of the local host defense against C. deneoformans infection through suppression of the Th1 response.

  23. Mitochondrial cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase is expressed via alternative transcriptional initiation regulated by energy metabolism in yeast cells. International-journal

    Akira Nishimura, Ryo Nasuno, Yuki Yoshikawa, Minkyung Jung, Tomoaki Ida, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Masanobu Morita, Hiroshi Takagi, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    The Journal of biological chemistry　294　(37)　13781-13788　2019/09/13

    DOI： 10.1074/jbc.RA119.009203 　

    More details Close

    Eukaryotes typically utilize two distinct aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase isoforms, one for cytosolic and one for mitochondrial protein synthesis. However, the genome of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) contains only one cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase gene (YNL247W, also known as CRS1). In this study, we report that CRS1 encodes both cytosolic and mitochondrial isoforms. The 5' complementary DNA end method and GFP reporter gene analyses indicated that yeast CRS1 expression yields two classes of mRNAs through alternative transcription starts: a long mRNA containing a mitochondrial targeting sequence and a short mRNA lacking this targeting sequence. We found that the mitochondrial Crs1 is the product of translation from the first initiation AUG codon on the long mRNA, whereas the cytosolic Crs1 is produced from the second in-frame AUG codon on the short mRNA. Genetic analysis and a ChIP assay revealed that the transcription factor heme activator protein (Hap) complex, which is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, determines the transcription start sites of the CRS1 gene. We also noted that Hap complex-dependent initiation is regulated according to the needs of mitochondrial energy production. The results of our study indicate energy-dependent initiation of alternative transcription of CRS1 that results in production of two Crs1 isoforms, a finding that suggests Crs1's potential involvement in mitochondrial energy metabolism in yeast.

  24. Molecular Mechanism of Cellular Oxidative Stress Sensing by Keap1. International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Takafumi Suzuki, Aki Muramatsu, Ryota Saito, Tatsuro Iso, Takahiro Shibata, Keiko Kuwata, Shin-Ichi Kawaguchi, Takao Iwawaki, Saki Adachi, Hiromi Suda, Masanobu Morita, Koji Uchida, Liam Baird, Masayuki Yamamoto

    Cell reports　28　(3)　746-758　2019/07/16

    DOI： 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.047 　

    More details Close

    The Keap1-Nrf2 system plays a central role in the oxidative stress response; however, the identity of the reactive oxygen species sensor within Keap1 remains poorly understood. Here, we show that a Keap1 mutant lacking 11 cysteine residues retains the ability to target Nrf2 for degradation, but it is unable to respond to cysteine-reactive Nrf2 inducers. Of the 11 mutated cysteine residues, we find that 4 (Cys226/613/622/624) are important for sensing hydrogen peroxide. Our analyses of multiple mutant mice lines, complemented by MEFs expressing a series of Keap1 mutants, reveal that Keap1 uses the cysteine residues redundantly to set up an elaborate fail-safe mechanism in which specific combinations of these four cysteine residues can form a disulfide bond to sense hydrogen peroxide. This sensing mechanism is distinct from that used for electrophilic Nrf2 inducers, demonstrating that Keap1 is equipped with multiple cysteine-based sensors to detect various endogenous and exogenous stresses.

  25. Generation and Molecular Characterization of Human Ring Sideroblasts: a Key Role of Ferrous Iron in Terminal Erythroid Differentiation and Ring Sideroblast Formation. International-journal

    Kei Saito, Tohru Fujiwara, Shunsuke Hatta, Masanobu Morita, Koya Ono, Chie Suzuki, Noriko Fukuhara, Yasushi Onishi, Yukio Nakamura, Shin Kawamata, Ritsuko Shimizu, Masayuki Yamamoto, Hideo Harigae

    Molecular and cellular biology　39　(7)　2019/04/01

    DOI： 10.1128/MCB.00387-18 　

    More details Close

    Ring sideroblasts are a hallmark of sideroblastic anemia, although little is known about their characteristics. Here, we first generated mutant mice by disrupting the GATA-1 binding motif at the intron 1 enhancer of the ALAS2 gene, a gene responsible for X-linked sideroblastic anemia (XLSA). Although heterozygous female mice showed an anemic phenotype, ring sideroblasts were not observed in their bone marrow. We next established human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived proerythroblast clones harboring the same ALAS2 gene mutation. Through coculture with sodium ferrous citrate, mutant clones differentiated into mature erythroblasts and became ring sideroblasts with upregulation of metal transporters (MFRN1, ZIP8, and DMT1), suggesting a key role for ferrous iron in erythroid differentiation. Interestingly, holo-transferrin (holo-Tf) did not induce erythroid differentiation as well as ring sideroblast formation, and mutant cells underwent apoptosis. Despite massive iron granule content, ring sideroblasts were less apoptotic than holo-Tf-treated undifferentiated cells. Microarray analysis revealed upregulation of antiapoptotic genes in ring sideroblasts, a profile partly shared with erythroblasts from a patient with XLSA. These results suggest that ring sideroblasts exert a reaction to avoid cell death by activating antiapoptotic programs. Our model may become an important tool to clarify the pathophysiology of sideroblastic anemia.

  26. Polysulfide stabilization by tyrosine and hydroxyphenyl-containing derivatives that is important for a reactive sulfur metabolomics analysis Peer-reviewed

    Hisyam Abdul Hamid, Akira Tanaka, Tomoaki Ida, Akira Nishimura, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Shigemoto Fujii, Masanobu Morita, Tomohiro Sawa, Jon M. Fukuto, Péter Nagy, Ryouhei Tsutsumi, Hozumi Motohashi, Hideshi Ihara, Takaaki Akaike

    Redox Biology　21　101096　2019/02

    DOI： 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101096 　

    ISSN： 2213-2317

  27. Hyperactivation of Nrf2 leads to hypoplasia of bone in vivo International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Eiki Yoshida, Takafumi Suzuki, Masanobu Morita, Keiko Taguchi, Kohei Tsuchida, Hozumi Motohashi, Minoru Doita, Masayuki Yamamoto

    Genes to Cells　23　(5)　386-392　2018/05

    Publisher: Wiley

    DOI： 10.1111/gtc.12579 　

    ISSN： 1356-9597

    More details Close

    Keap1 is a negative regulator of Nrf2, a master transcription factor that regulates cytoprotection against oxidative and electrophilic stresses. Although several studies have suggested that the Keap1-Nrf2 system contributes to bone formation besides the maintenance of redox homeostasis, how Nrf2 hyperactivation by Keap1 deficiency affects the bone formation remains to be explored, as the Keap1-null mice are juvenile lethal. To overcome this problem, we used viable Keap1-deficient mice that we have generated by deleting the esophageal Nrf2 in Keap1-null mice (NEKO mice). We found that the NEKO mice exhibit small body size and low bone density. Although nephrogenic diabetes insipidus has been observed in both the NEKO mice and renal-specific Keap1-deficient mice, the skeletal phenotypes are not recapitulated in the renal-specific Keap1-deficient mice, suggesting that the skeletal phenotype by Nrf2 hyperactivation is not related to the renal phenotype. Experiments with primary culture cells derived from Keap1-null mice showed that differentiation of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts was attenuated, showing that impaired differentiation of osteoblasts rather than osteoclasts is responsible for bone hypoplasia caused by Nrf2 hyperactivation. Thus, we propose that the appropriate control of Nrf2 activity by Keap1 is essential for maintaining bone homeostasis.

  28. Cysteine Hydropersulfide Production Catalyzed by Cysteinyl-tRNA Synthetases Peer-reviewed

    Tomoaki Ida, Akira Nishimura, Masanobu Morita, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE　112　189-190　2017/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.10.297 　

    ISSN： 0891-5849

    eISSN： 1873-4596

  29. Moonlighting Functions of Cysteinyl-tRNA Synthetases: Cycteine Hydropersulfide Production and Regulation of Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Bioenergetics Peer-reviewed

    Takaaki Akaike, Akira Nishimura, Tomoaki Ida, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Masanobu Morita, Hozumi Motohashi

    FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE　112　182-183　2017/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.10.284 　

    ISSN： 0891-5849

    eISSN： 1873-4596

  30. Cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase governs cysteine polysulfidation and mitochondrial bioenergetics. International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Takaaki Akaike, Tomoaki Ida, Fan-Yan Wei, Motohiro Nishida, Yoshito Kumagai, Md Morshedul Alam, Hideshi Ihara, Tomohiro Sawa, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Shingo Kasamatsu, Akiyuki Nishimura, Masanobu Morita, Kazuhito Tomizawa, Akira Nishimura, Satoshi Watanabe, Kenji Inaba, Hiroshi Shima, Nobuhiro Tanuma, Minkyung Jung, Shigemoto Fujii, Yasuo Watanabe, Masaki Ohmuraya, Péter Nagy, Martin Feelisch, Jon M Fukuto, Hozumi Motohashi

    Nature communications　8　(1)　1177-1177　2017/10/27

    DOI： 10.1038/s41467-017-01311-y 　

    More details Close

    Cysteine hydropersulfide (CysSSH) occurs in abundant quantities in various organisms, yet little is known about its biosynthesis and physiological functions. Extensive persulfide formation is apparent in cysteine-containing proteins in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells and is believed to result from post-translational processes involving hydrogen sulfide-related chemistry. Here we demonstrate effective CysSSH synthesis from the substrate L-cysteine, a reaction catalyzed by prokaryotic and mammalian cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases (CARSs). Targeted disruption of the genes encoding mitochondrial CARSs in mice and human cells shows that CARSs have a crucial role in endogenous CysSSH production and suggests that these enzymes serve as the principal cysteine persulfide synthases in vivo. CARSs also catalyze co-translational cysteine polysulfidation and are involved in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and bioenergetics. Investigating CARS-dependent persulfide production may thus clarify aberrant redox signaling in physiological and pathophysiological conditions, and suggest therapeutic targets based on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.

  31. Effects of deficiency of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 on skeletal organization: a mechanism for diminished nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 during osteoclastogenesis Peer-reviewed

    Eiko Sakai, Masanobu Morita, Masahiro Ohuchi, Mizuho A. Kido, Yutaka Fukuma, Kazuhisa Nishishita, Kuniaki Okamoto, Ken Itoh, Masayuki Yamamoto, Takayuki Tsukuba

    FASEB JOURNAL　31　(9)　4011-4022　2017/09

    DOI： 10.1096/fj.201700177R 　

    ISSN： 0892-6638

    eISSN： 1530-6860

  32. 細菌から哺乳類に至るまで保存されている硫化水素代謝酵素Sqrdlの遺伝子改変マウスを用いた機能解析

    守田 匡伸, 南嶋 洋司, 井田 智章, 松永 哲郎, 笠松 真吾, 西村 明, 藤井 重元, 市瀬 史, 赤池 孝章

    日本細菌学雑誌　72　(1)　98-98　2017/02

    Publisher: 日本細菌学会

    ISSN： 0021-4930

    eISSN： 1882-4110

  33. レドックスシグナルの活性イオウ分子制御

    笠松 真吾, 守田 匡伸, 赤池 孝章

    ファルマシア　53　(3)　210-214　2017

    Publisher: 公益社団法人 日本薬学会

    DOI： 10.14894/faruawpsj.53.3_210 　

    More details Close

    活性酸素種（ROS）は、非特異的化学修飾をもたらす毒性因子としての側面の他に、生理的な細胞内シグナル（レドックスシグナル）分子としての機能を持つ。ROS・レドックスシグナルはその下流で生じる親電子物質を介して巧妙に制御されている。最近、新規レドックスシグナル制御因子として活性イオウ分子種が同定された。活性イオウ分子種によるレドックスシグナル制御機構の解析は、酸化ストレスの関わる疾病の新規予防・治療戦略の開発に寄与すると期待される。

  34. Redox Signaling Regulated by Cysteine Persulfide and Protein Polysulfidation Peer-reviewed

    Shingo Kasamatsu, Akira Nishimura, Masanobu Morita, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Hisyam Abdul Hamid, Takaaki Akaike

    MOLECULES　21　(12)　2016/12

    DOI： 10.3390/molecules21121721 　

    ISSN： 1420-3049

  35. Generation of a New Model Rat: Nrf2 Knockout Rats Are Sensitive to Aflatoxin B1 Toxicity. International-journal

    Keiko Taguchi, Misaki Takaku, Patricia A Egner, Masanobu Morita, Takehito Kaneko, Tomoji Mashimo, Thomas W Kensler, Masayuki Yamamoto

    Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology　152　(1)　40-52　2016/07

    DOI： 10.1093/toxsci/kfw065 　

    More details Close

    THE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NRF2: (NF-E2-related-factor 2) REGULATES A BATTERY OF ANTIOXIDATIVE STRESS-RESPONSE GENES AND DETOXICATION GENES, AND NRF2 KNOCKOUT LINES OF MICE HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING CRITICALLY TO THE CLARIFICATION OF ROLES THAT NRF2 PLAYS FOR CELL PROTECTION HOWEVER, THERE ARE APPARENT LIMITATIONS IN USE OF THE MOUSE MODELS FOR INSTANCE, RATS EXHIBIT MORE SUITABLE FEATURES FOR TOXICOLOGICAL OR PHYSIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS THAN MICE IN THIS STUDY, WE GENERATED 2 LINES OF NRF2 KNOCKOUT RATS BY USING A GENOME EDITING TECHNOLOGY; 1 LINE HARBORS A 7-BP DELETION Δ7 AND THE OTHER LINE HARBORS A 1-BP INSERTION +1 IN THE NRF2 GENE IN THE LIVERS OF RATS HOMOZYGOUSLY DELETING THE NRF2 GENE, AN ACTIVATOR OF NRF2 SIGNALING, CDDO-IM, COULD NOT INDUCE EXPRESSION OF REPRESENTATIVE NRF2 TARGET GENES TO EXAMINE ALTERED TOXICOLOGICAL RESPONSE, WE TREATED THE NRF2 KNOCKOUT RATS WITH AFLATOXIN B1 AFB1, A CARCINOGENIC MYCOTOXIN THAT ELICITS GENE MUTATIONS THROUGH BINDING OF ITS METABOLITES TO DNA AND FOR WHICH THE RAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A REASONABLE SURROGATE FOR HUMAN TOXICITY INDEED, IN THE NRF2 KNOCKOUT RAT LIVERS THE ENZYMES OF THE AFB1 DETOXICATION PATHWAY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNREGULATED SINGLE DOSE ADMINISTRATION OF AFB1 INCREASED HEPATOTOXICITY AND BINDING OF AFB1-N7-GUANINE TO HEPATIC DNA IN NRF2 KNOCKOUT RATS COMPARED WITH WILD-TYPE NRF2 KNOCKOUT RATS REPEATEDLY TREATED WITH AFB1 WERE PRONE TO LETHALITY AND CDDO-IM WAS NO LONGER PROTECTIVE THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT NRF2 KNOCKOUT RATS ARE QUITE SENSITIVE TO AFB1 TOXICITIES AND THIS RAT GENOTYPE EMERGES AS A NEW MODEL ANIMAL IN TOXICOLOGY.

  36. Unique cistrome defined as CsMBE is strictly required for Nrf2-sMaf heterodimer function in cytoprotection Peer-reviewed

    Akihito Otsuki, Mikiko Suzuki, Fumiki Katsuoka, Kouhei Tsuchida, Hiromi Suda, Masanobu Morita, Ritsuko Shimizu, Masayuki Yamamoto

    FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE　91　45-57　2016/02

    DOI： 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2015.12.005 　

    ISSN： 0891-5849

    eISSN： 1873-4596

  37. Characterizations of Three Major Cysteine Sensors of Keap1 in Stress Response Peer-reviewed

    Ryota Saito, Takafumi Suzuki, Keiichiro Hiramoto, Soichiro Asami, Eriko Naganuma, Hiromi Suda, Tatsuro Iso, Hirotaka Yamamoto, Masanobu Morita, Liam Baird, Yuki Furusawa, Takaaki Negishi, Masakazu Ichinose, Masayuki Yamamoto

    MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY　36　(2)　271-284　2016/01

    DOI： 10.1128/MCB.00868-15 　

    ISSN： 0270-7306

    eISSN： 1098-5549

  38. UG4 enhancer-driven GATA-2 and bone morphogenetic protein 4 complementation remedies the CAKUT phenotype in Gata2 hypomorphic mutant mice. Peer-reviewed

    Ainoya Keiko, Moriguchi Takashi, Ohmori Shin'ya, Souma Tomokazu, Takai Jun, Morita Masanobu, Chandler Kelly J, Mortlock Douglas P, Shimizu Ritsuko, Engel James Douglas, Lim Kim-Chew, Yamamoto Masayuki

    Mol Cell Biol　32　(12)　2312-2322　2012/06

    DOI： 10.1128/MCB.06699-11 　

  39. Survival Strategy and Disease Pathogenesis According to the Nrf2-Small Maf Heterodimer Peer-reviewed

    Masanobu Morita, Hozumi Motohashi

    Oxidative Stress in Vertebrates and Invertebrates: Molecular Aspects of Cell Signaling　63-82　2011/11/07

    Publisher: John Wiley and Sons

    DOI： 10.1002/9781118148143.ch5 　

  40. Kruppel-like factor 5 Is Essential for Blastocyst Development and the Normal Self-Renewal of Mouse ESCs Peer-reviewed

    Masatsugu Ema, Daisuke Mori, Hitoshi Niwa, Yoshikazu Hasegawa, Yojiro Yamanaka, Seiji Hitoshi, Junsei Mimura, Yoh-ichi Kawabe, Tomohiro Hosoya, Masanobu Morita, Daisuke Shimosato, Kazuhiko Uchida, Norio Suzuki, Jun Yanagisawa, Kazuhiro Sogawa, Janet Rossant, Masayuki Yamamoto, Satoru Takahashi, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama

    CELL STEM CELL　3　(5)　555-567　2008/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.stem.2008.09.003 　

    ISSN： 1934-5909

  41. Inducibility of cytochrome P450 1A1 and chemical carcinogenesis by benzo[a]pyrene in AhR repressor-deficient mice Peer-reviewed

    Tomonori Hosoya, Nobuhiko Harada, Junsei Mimura, Hozumi Motohashi, Satoru Takahashi, Osamu Nakajima, Masanobu Morita, Shimako Kawauchi, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama

    BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS　365　(3)　562-567　2008/01

    DOI： 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.11.016 　

    ISSN： 0006-291X

  42. Nanog binds to Smad1 and blocks bone morphogenetic protein-induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells Peer-reviewed

    Atsushi Suzuki, Angel Raya, Yasuhiko Kawakami, Masanobu Morita, Takaaki Matsui, Kinichi Nakashima, Fred H. Gaget, Concepcion Rodriguez-Esteban, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte

    PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA　103　(27)　10294-10299　2006/07

    DOI： 10.1073/pnas.0506945103 　

    ISSN： 0027-8424

  43. Maintenance of embryonic stem cell pluripotency by Nanog-mediated reversal of mesoderm specification Peer-reviewed

    Atsushi Suzuki, Ángel Raya, Yasuhiko Kawakami, Masanobu Morita, Takaaki Matsui, Kinichi Nakashima, Fred H. Gage, Concepcín Rodríguez-Esteban, Juan Carlos Izpiśa Belmonte

    Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine　3　(1)　S114-S122　2006/03

    DOI： 10.1038/ncpcardio0442 　

    ISSN： 1743-4297

  44. Functional analysis of basic transcription element binding protein by gene targeting technology. Invited Peer-reviewed

    Morita Masanobu, Kobayashi Akira, Yamashita Toshiharu, Shimanuki Tomomasa, Nakajima Osamu, Takahashi Satoru, Ikegami Shiro, Inokuchi Kaoru, Yamashita Keisuke, Yamamoto Masayuki, Fujii-Kuriyama Yoshiaki

    Mol Cell Biol　23　(7)　2489-2500　2003/04

    DOI： 10.1128/MCB.23.7.2489-2500.2003 　

  45. Defective development of secretary neurons in the hypothalamus of Arnt2 knock-out mice

    Tomonori Hosoya, Tomonori Hosoya, Yoshihito Oda, Satoru Takahashi, Masanobu Morita, Shimako Kawauchi, Masatsugu Ema, Masayuki Yamamoto, Masayuki Yamamoto, Masayuki Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama

    Genes to Cells　6　361-374　2001/05/15

    DOI： 10.1046/j.1365-2443.2001.00421.x 　

    ISSN： 1356-9597

  46. A combinatorial code for gene expression generated by transcription factor Bach2 and MAZR (MAZ-related factor) through the BTB/POZ domain. International-journal

    A Kobayashi, H Yamagiwa, H Hoshino, A Muto, K Sato, M Morita, N Hayashi, M Yamamoto, K Igarashi

    Molecular and cellular biology　20　(5)　1733-46　2000/03

    ISSN： 0270-7306

    More details Close

    Bach2 is a B-cell- and neuron-specific transcription repressor that forms heterodimers with the Maf-related oncoproteins. We show here that Bach2 activates transcription by interacting with its novel partner MAZR. MAZR was isolated by the yeast two-hybrid screen using the BTB/POZ domain of Bach2 as bait. Besides the BTB/POZ domain, MAZR possesses Zn finger motifs that are closely related to those of the Myc-associated Zn finger (MAZ) protein. MAZR mRNA was coexpressed with Bach2 in B cells among hematopoietic cells and in developing mouse limb buds, suggesting a cooperative role for MAZR and Bach2 in these cells. MAZR forms homo- and hetero-oligomers with Bach2 through the BTB domain, which oligomers bind to guanine-rich sequences. Unlike MAZ, MAZR functioned as a strong activator of the c-myc promoter in transfection assays with B cells. However, it does not possess a typical activation domain, suggesting a role for it as an unusual type of transactivator. The fgf4 gene, which regulates morphogenesis of limb buds, contains both guanine-rich sequences and a Bach2 binding site in its regulatory region. In transfection assays using fibroblast cells, the fgf4 gene was upregulated in the presence of both MAZR and Bach2 in a BTB/POZ domain-dependent manner. The results provide a new perspective on the function of BTB/POZ domain factors and indicate that BTB/POZ domain-mediated oligomers of transcription factors may serve as combinatorial codes for gene expression.

  47. Regulation of lens fiber cell differentiation by transcription factor c- Maf

    Shimako Kawauchi, Satoru Takahashi, Osamu Nakajima, Hajime Ogino, Masanobu Morita, Makoto Nishizawa, Kunio Yasuda, Masayuki Yamamoto

    Journal of Biological Chemistry　274　(27)　19254-19260　1999/07/02

    DOI： 10.1074/jbc.274.27.19254 　

    ISSN： 0021-9258

  48. cDNA Cloning of a Murine Homologue ofDrosophilaSingle-Minded, Its mRNA Expression in Mouse Development, and Chromosome Localization

    Masatsugu Ema, Michiko Suzuki, Masanobu Morita, Ken Hirose, Kazuhiro Sogawa, Youich Matsuda, Osamu Gotoh, Yukio Saijoh, Hideta Fujii, Hiroshi Hamada, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama

    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications　218　(2)　588-594　1996/01

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1006/bbrc.1996.0104 　

    ISSN： 0006-291X

  49. Two new members of the murine Sim gene family are transcriptional repressors and show different expression patterns during mouse embryogenesis

    Masatsugu Ema, Masanobu Morita, Shuntaro Ikawa, Masahiro Tanaka, Youichi Matsuda, Osamu Gotoh, Yukio Saijoh, Hideta Fujii, Hiroshi Hamada, Yasuo Kikuchi, Yoshiaki Fujii-Kuriyama

    Molecular and Cellular Biology　16　(10)　5865-5875　1996

    Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

    DOI： 10.1128/MCB.16.10.5865 　

    ISSN： 0270-7306

Show all ︎Show first 5

Misc. 14

  1. T細胞受容体(TCR)/CD3複合体を標的とした超硫黄分子による免疫応答制御

    守田 匡伸, 山田 充啓, 佐々木 優作, 井田 智章, 松永 哲郎, 高田 剛, 渡部 聡, 稲葉 謙次, 石井 直人, 杉浦 久敏, 本橋 ほづみ, 赤池 孝章

    日本生化学会大会プログラム・講演要旨集　94回　[P-890]　2021/11

    Publisher: (公社)日本生化学会

  2. Chapter 16: Supersulfide-Mediated Signaling during Differentiation and De-Differentiation Invited

    Tsuyoshi Takata, Masanobu Morita, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    Redox Regulation of Differentiation and De-Differentiation　271-281　2021/08/26

    Publisher: CRC Press

    DOI： 10.1201/9781003204091 　

  3. 新興感染症菌Helicobacter cinaediの骨髄内の潜伏感染と細胞内寄生性の分子機構の解明

    松永 哲郎, 西村 明, 守田 匡伸, 井田 智章, 津々木 博康, 澤 智裕, 河村 好章, 赤池 孝章

    日本細菌学雑誌　74　(1)　104-104　2019/03

    Publisher: 日本細菌学会

    ISSN： 0021-4930

  4. Mitochondria-specific SQR deficiency in mice causes lethal impairment of sulfur respiration

    Masanobu Morita, Tomoaki Ida, Tomohiro Tanaka, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Akira Nishimura, Shigemoto Fujii, Motohiro Nishida, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE　128　S90-S90　2018/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.10.209 　

    ISSN： 0891-5849

    eISSN： 1873-4596

  5. 活性イオウ分子種によるミトコンドリア膜電位形成機構の解明

    松永哲郎, 守田匡伸, 西村明, 井田智章, 藤井重元, 本橋ほづみ, 赤池孝章

    日本生化学会大会(Web)　91st　ROMBUNNO.1P‐160 (WEB ONLY)-160]　2018/09

    Publisher: (公社)日本生化学会

  6. 【レドックス疾患学 酸素・窒素・硫黄活性種はどう作用するのか、どこまで健康・疾患と関わるのか?】 (第3章)レドックスの検出手法、応用など 活性イオウメタボローム イオウ代謝物とレドックスバイオマーカー

    井田 智章, 西村 明, 守田 匡伸

    実験医学　36　(5)　865-873　2018/03

    Publisher: (株)羊土社

    ISSN： 0288-5514

  7. 新興感染症菌Helicobacter cinaediの骨髄内における潜伏感染と細胞内寄生性の解析

    松永哲郎, 西村明, 守田匡伸, 藤井重元, 井田智章, 澤智裕, 河村好章, 赤池孝章

    日本細菌学雑誌(Web)　73　(1)　117(J‐STAGE)-117　2018/02

    Publisher: 日本細菌学会

    ISSN： 1882-4110

  8. 新興感染症菌Helicobacter cinaediの骨髄内における潜伏感染と細胞内寄生性の解析

    松永 哲郎, 西村 明, 守田 匡伸, 藤井 重元, 井田 智章, 澤 智裕, 河村 好章, 赤池 孝章

    日本細菌学雑誌　73　(1)　117-117　2018/02

    Publisher: 日本細菌学会

    ISSN： 0021-4930

  9. ニトロソグルタチオン還元酵素(GSNOR)選択的欠損マウスの開発

    松永 哲郎, 西村 明, 笠松 真吾, Alam Morshedul, 井田 智章, 守田 匡伸, 居原 秀, 藤井 重元, 下田 翔, 西田 基宏, 本橋 ほづみ, 赤池 孝章

    生命科学系学会合同年次大会　2017年度　[3P-0480]　2017/12

    Publisher: 生命科学系学会合同年次大会運営事務局

  10. Protein polysulfidation-dependent persulfide dioxygenase activity of ethylmalonic encephalopathy protein 1 International-journal

    Minkyung Jung, Shingo Kasamatsu, Tetsuro Matsunaga, Soichiro Akashi, Katsuhiko Ono, Akira Nishimura, Masanobu Morita, Hisyam Abdul Hamid, Shigemoto Fujii, Hiroshi Kitamura, Tomohiro Sawa, Tomoaki Ida, Hozumi Motohashi, Takaaki Akaike

    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications　480　(2)　180-186　2016/11/11

    DOI： 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.10.022 　

    ISSN： 0006-291X

  11. タンパク質ポリサルファ化の分子メカニズムの解明

    井田 智章, 魏 研范, 笠松 真吾, 守田 匡伸, 松永 哲郎, 居原 秀, 富澤 一仁, 熊谷 嘉人, 澤 智裕, 本橋 ほづみ, 赤池 孝章

    日本生化学会大会プログラム・講演要旨集　89回　[1T14-06(1P　2016/09

    Publisher: (公社)日本生化学会

  12. Generation of Nrf2 point mutant mice by CRISPR/Cas9 system

    Masanobu Morita, Takafumi Suzuki, Hiromi Suda, Akihito Otsuki, Mikiko Suzuki, Ritsuko Shimizu, Masayuki Yamamoto

    TRANSGENIC RESEARCH　23　(5)　874-874　2014/10

    ISSN： 0962-8819

    eISSN： 1573-9368

  13. HLF/HIF-2alpha is a key factor in retinopathy of prematurity in association with erythropoietin.

    Morita Masanobu, Ohneda Osamu, Yamashita Toshiharu, Takahashi Satoru, Suzuki Norio, Nakajima Osamu, Kawauchi Shimako, Ema Masatsugu, Shibahara Shigeki, Udono Tetsuo, Tomita Koji, Tamai Makoto, Sogawa Kazuhiro, Yamamoto Masayuki, Fujii-Kuriyama Yoshiaki

    EMBO J　22　(5)　1134-1146　2003

    DOI： 10.1093/emboj/cdg117 　

  14. Transcription regulation by Ah receptor, Arnt and their related transcription factors

    Y Fujii-Kuriyama, A Kobayashi, M Ema, J Mimura, M Morita, K Sogawa

    FASEB JOURNAL　11　(9)　A780-A780　1997/07

    ISSN： 0892-6638

Show all ︎Show first 5

Books and Other Publications 1

  1. Oxidative Stress in Vertebrates and Invertebrates: Molecular Aspects of Cell Signaling

    Tahira Farooqui Akhlaq, A. Farooqui, ed, Masanobu Morita Hozumi Motohashi

    Wiley-Blackwell　2011/10/24

Presentations 2

  1. 前肢・後肢特異的な転写制御の機構

    守田匡伸, Juan Calros, Izpisua Belmonte, 山本雅之

    日本生化学会東北支部第75回例会　2009/05/09

  2. Fore/hindlimb specific enhancer analysis in diferent tetrapods International-presentation

    守田匡伸

    The 16th CDB meeting cis-sequence redulationn and its evolution　2008/09/29

Research Projects 11

  1. Regulation of T cell immune responses by supersulfide

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2023/04/01 - 2026/03/31

  2. 超硫黄分子の代謝制御メカニズムの解明

    守田 匡伸, 松永 哲郎, 井田 智章

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 基盤研究(C)

    Institution: 東北大学

    2023/04/01 - 2026/03/31

  3. 環境性肺疾患における炭素微粒子受容体の病理的役割

    中山 勝文, 守田 匡伸

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 基盤研究(B)

    Institution: 立命館大学

    2022/04/01 - 2025/03/31

  4. イオウ代謝・呼吸システムの機能解明：ゲノム編集とエネルギー代謝解析

    守田 匡伸

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 基盤研究(C)

    Institution: 東北大学

    2019/04/01 - 2023/03/31

    More details Close

    ミトコンドリアにおいてシステインから合成される硫黄代謝物（パースルフィドなど）が、アミノアシルtRNA酵素の一つであるCARS2や硫化水素キノン還元酵素（sulfide-quinone reductase, SQR）によって産生・代謝され、エネルギー代謝に関与することが示唆されている(Akaike et al., Nature Commun. 2017)。これは、生物が酸素のみならず硫黄代謝物を利用してエネルギー代謝を営むことを意味している（イオウ代謝・呼吸）。この硫黄代謝の生体内における機能を分子レベルでのメカニズムを明らかにするため、CARS２、SQRの遺伝子改変マウスの作製および解析を行った。CRISPR/Casシステムを用いた精緻なゲノム編集により、パースルフィド活性のみを欠損したパースルフィド不活性化（CARS2点変異）マウス、さらにミトコンドリア移行シグナルを欠損したミトコンドリア選択的SQR欠損マウス（SQR欠損マウス）の作製に成功した。CARS2点変異マウスは胎生致死を示し、SQR欠損マウスは生後3週間以降より成長遅延を示し生後3ヶ月以内に死亡した。解析を進めたところ、これらの遺伝子改変マウスはミトコンドリアにおける硫黄代謝異常を認め、硫黄代謝・呼吸が選択的に抑制された極めてユニークな硫黄代謝不全（エネルギー代謝異常）マウスの開発に成功した。CARS2点変異マウスは胎生致死を示すので、成体での解析が困難であるが、トランスジェニックマウスによるレスキュー法を現在進めており、さらに他の硫黄代謝酵素群であるETHE1、3MST、TSTの遺伝子改変マウスの作製も完了している。これらの遺伝子改変マウスを詳細に解析することで硫黄代謝・呼吸の生体内における機能を明らかにする。

  5. Pathological role of scavenger receptor family molecules in lung diseases associated with environmental particles

    Masafumi Nakayama

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

    Institution: Ritsumeikan University

    2019/04/01 - 2022/03/31

    More details Close

    The inhalation of environmental particles is associated with pulmonary diseases, which are triggered by various immune cells; however, the detail mechanisms still remain largely unknown. We have previously reported that the class B scavenger receptor SR-B1 recognizes silica, one of major components of environmental particles. In this study, we have reveals that SR-A1, SR-A6, and SR-B2 also recognize silica and are all expressed on inflammatory macrophages infiltrating into alveolar spaces. These results suggest that the class A and class B SRs are involved in lung diseases associated with environmental pollutants.

  6. Mechanism analysis of fatty infiltration and ectopic ossification in muscles

    Taniguchi Noboru

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Kagoshima University

    2018/04/01 - 2021/03/31

    More details Close

    To elucidate the molecular mechanism on fatty infiltration and ectopic ossification in muscles that causes joint contracture and dysfunction, we focused on a chromatin protein HMGB2. We found that adipogenesis was suppressed in Hmgb2-/- MSC, although osteogenesis is accelerated. HMGB2 may regulate adipogenesis via Pparg and Cebpa pathways. Knock down of Hmgb2 induced adipogenesis in bone marrow-derived ST2 cells following osteogenesis induction. These findings suggested that HMGB2 may be deeply involved in adipogenesis in both muscles and bones.

  7. Mecahistic analysis of a protective response of skin tissue to UV genotoxicity

    IKEHATA Hironobu, MORITA Masanobu, YAMAMOTO Masayuki

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2015/04/01 - 2018/03/31

    More details Close

    We studied the mechanism of the response of mutation induction suppression (MIS), a protective response of skin tissue to UV genotoxicity, using a mechanistic model based on the Keap1-Nrf2 system, which controls antioxidative responses in mammalian cells. We performed an analysis of global gene expression changes in the MIS response and detected the induction of genes related to apoptosis and cell proliferation, which suggests that MIS is based on a tissue turnover mechanism with apoptosis and hyperplasia. The analysis has also suggested that the Keap1-Nrf2 system functions in the tissue recovery process from the skin damage produced after UV exposures. We also estimated the amounts of UV-induced DNA damage necessary for the MIS induction.

  8. Methods rewriting epigenome as the target of methyonine adenosyltransferase II

    KATOH Yasutake, MORITA Masanobu, NAGASHIMA Takeshi, SAIGUSA Daisuke, MATSUMOTO Mitsuyo, IGARASHI Kazuhiko

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2013/04/01 - 2016/03/31

    More details Close

    Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) catalyzes S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthesis, which is utilized as a methyl donor in transmethylation reactions. MATII, a MAT isozyme, is composed of the catalytic α and regulatory β subunits. Both of the subunits are recruited to a subset of target genes of Bach1 and MafK to facilitate their repression. However, it has been unclear how the nuclear accumulation of MATII subunits is regulated. Using overexpression and bimolecular fluorescence complementation, we found that MATIIβ promoted the nuclear localization of the α subunit and that resulting heterooligomer was present predominantly in nuclear compartment. A single serine residue of α subunit was required for its interaction with β subunit and efficient nuclear accumulation.These results suggest that β subunit defines nulcear-specific MAT isozyme by facilitating nuclear import of its catalytic subunit.

  9. Lung regeneration from iPS by using Nrf2 activator

    SATOH Hironori, MORITA Masanobu, MORIGUCHI Takashi

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

    2013/04/01 - 2015/03/31

    More details Close

    The field of lung development lags behind other tissues because of the complex tissue structure. The fact that Nrf2 could contribute to activation of lung developmental genes made us to analyze the relationship between Nrf2 (anti-oxidative stress gene) and lung development. In vivo lung regeneration experiment revealed that Nrf2 plays important roles in lung development. Given this, we next conducted in vitro studies using mouse pluripotent stem cells. Our results indicate that Nrf2 participates in lung development. Further studies are needed to apply this result to clinical use.

  10. differentiation and reprogramming regulated by oxidative stress

    MORITA Masanobu

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2012/04/01 - 2015/03/31

    More details Close

    Keap1-Nrf2 system plays pivotal roles in response to oxidative stress. Nrf2 induces anti-oxidant enzymes then reduces oxidative stress in cells, tissues and body.In this study we examined Nrf2 functions in reprogramming process of differentiated cells, in other words, iPS formation. We transfected reprogramming factors Oct3, Sox2, KLF4 and c-Myc into Nrf2 KO MEF and Keap1 KO MEF then counted iPS colonies to judge reprogramming efficiency. Keap1 KO MEF induced less iPS colonies than wild and Nrf2 KO MEF. Gene expression analysis revealed that Nrf2 activated cell cycle arrest factors then induced repression of iPS formation.

  11. Oxidative stress signal function in stem cells via keap1-Nrf2 system

    MORITA Masanobu

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2010 - 2011

    More details Close

    New ES cells lines are generated from Nrf2, Keap1 null blastocytes. These Nrf2 KO and Keap1 KO ES cells are expected to have phenotypes in oxidative stress responses. Nrf2 and Keap1 null blastocytes are obtained from cross mating heterozygous mutant mice. Genomic PCR are used to determine the genotypes of established ES cells. Nrf2 and Keap1 null ES cells show typical ES-like morphologies. The ES cell lines also show expression pattern of ES cell markers. Embryoid body formation are used as ES differentiation system.

Show all Show first 5

Other 1

  1. 肺癌に見られる活性化型Nrf2変異の腫瘍形成における役割

    More details Close

    肺癌に見られる活性化型Nrf2変異の腫瘍形成における役割