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School Of Medicine
Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Department of Molecular Genetics
Introduction
Staff:  
Kazuto Kobayashi (Professor)
Natsuki Matsushita (Instructor)
Yasunobu Yasoshma (Instructor)
Kenta Kobayashi (Assistant)
Yukiko Takano (Technical staff)
Tomoko Kobayashi (Researcher)
Hiromi Sano (Researcher)
Tetsuya Myoujin (Researcher)
Hideki Okada (Graduate student)
Kazuaki Takahashi (Technical staff)
Minako Kikuchi (Technical staff)
Research
1) Study on Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Brain Functions:
Control of Motor, Reward, and Memory Consolidation by Neurotransmission
2) Development of Animal Models for Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Our purpose is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying mammalian brain functions, focusing on the control of motor and reward based on the basal ganglia, and memory consolidation dependent on the corticolimbic neuronal circuitry. For this purpose, we use mouse molecular genetic approaches, which are useful and powerful for studying the behavioral and physiological role of gene or neuron of interest. Moreover, advanced techniques of mouse molecular genetics include the immunotoxin-mediated cell targeting and region-specific gene targeting. In addition, these physiological studies, we aim to develop animal models for neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson disease, Hungtington disease, and schizophrenia. These animal models are useful for elucidating the etiology of the pathogenesis and for developing a novel therapeutic technique and drug for the diseases.
Education
Our laboratory is responsible for three education programs for the undergraduate course as follows.
1) Special lecture of basic medical science (3rd grade): In this program, basic knowledge and information about development, physiology, and behavior of mammals are lectured. Also structure and function of the gene and molecular mechanisms for gene expression are lectured, which provide a basis for understanding the progress of medical science and technology.
2) Elementary training course of basic medical science (3rd grade): Based upon the special lecture of basic medical science, we instruct elementary experimental trainings for molecular biology and genetics.
3) Upgrade training course of basic medical science (4th grade): Following the elementary training course, more detailed experimental trainings are performed for analysis of nucleic acid/protein, manipulation of mouse embryos, and behavioral analysis of the animals.
Publications
1. Kobayashi, K., and Sano, H. (2000) Dopamine deficiency in mice. Brain Dev.,
22, S54-S60.
2. Kobayashi, K., Noda, Y., Matsushita, N., Nishii, K., Sawada, H., Nagatsu, T., Nakahara, D., Fukabori, R., Yasoshima, Y., Yamamoto, T., Miura, M., Kano, M., Mamiya, T., Miyamoto, Y., and Nabeshima, T. (2000) Modest neuropsychological deficits caused by reduced noradrenaline metabolism in mice heterozygous for a mutated tyrosine hydroxylase gene. J. Neurosci., 20, 2418-2426.
3. Iwawaki, T., Kohno, K., and Kobayashi, K. (2000) Identification of a potential Nurr1 response element that activates the tyrosine hydroxylase gene promoter in cultured cells. Biochem. Biophy. Res. Commun., 274 (3), 590-595.
4 Usukura, J., Nishizawa, Y., Shimomura, A., Kobayashi, K., Nagatsu, T., and Hagiwara, M. (2000) Direct imaging of phosphorylation-dependent conformational change and DNA biding of CREB by electron microscopy. Genes to Cells, 5, 515-522.
5. Kobayashi, K. and Nagatsu, T. (2000) Transgenic rescue of tyrosine hydroxylase-deficient mice: application for generating animal models with catecholamine dysfunction. In Progress in Gene Therapy -Basic and Clinical Frontiers- (ed., Bertolotti, R.) VSP, Utrecht, pp. 267-288.
6. Sawamoto, K., Nakao, N., Kobayashi, K., Matsushita, N., Takahashi, H., Kakishita, K., Yamamoto, A., Yoshizaki, T., Terashima, T., Murakami, F., Itakura, T., Okano, H. (2001) Visualization, direct isolation, and transplantation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 98 (11) 6423-6428.
7. Kobayashi, K. and Yasoshima, Y. (2001) The central noradrenaline system and
memory consolidation. Neuroscientist, 7, 371-375.
8. Kobayashi, T., Kida, Y., Kaneko, T., Pastan, I., and Kobayashi, K. (2001) Efficient ablation by immunotoxin-mediated cell targeting of the cell types that express human interleukin-2 receptor depending on the internal ribosome entry site. J. Gene Med. 3, in press.
9. Kobayashi, K. (2001) Role of catecholamine signaling in brain and nervous system functions: new insights from mouse molecular genetic study. J. Invest. Dermatol. in press.
Detailed Information
Under construction
To Contact Us
kazuto@fmu.ac.jp
 
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