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Protein Metabolism Regulation Lab
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The lab investigates how cells break down proteins they no longer need.
AboutAbout the lab
Protein degradation, which sustains cellular homeostasis.
The Protein Dynamics Lab studies the mechanisms by which proteins that are no longer needed are degraded inside cells.
The ubiquitin-proteasome system selectively degrades abnormal proteins and proteins that have finished their roles.
When this degradation machinery breaks down, it leads to diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, as well as aging of the organism.
Using mass spectrometry, quantitative imaging, and model mice, the lab aims to elucidate these molecular mechanisms and contribute to drug discovery research.
Key terms
- Ubiquitin
- A small protein attached as a tag to proteins that are to be degraded
- Proteasome
- A large enzyme complex in the cell that degrades proteins marked with a tag
- Proteostasis
- The state in which the amount and quality of proteins in a cell are properly maintained; also called protein homeostasis
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received the Young Investigator Award at the Workshop on Neurogenesis in the Adult Brain
A collaborative study with a lab in the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo was published in Communications Chemistry
A collaborative study with a lab in the Faculty of Engineering at Shizuoka University was published in ChemBioChem
A collaborative study with the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC)
ResearchResearch themes
The ubiquitin-proteasome system selectively degrades abnormal proteins and proteins that have finished their roles, and in doing so supports a wide range of cellular functions. Using mass spectrometry, quantitative imaging, and model mice, the lab investigates how this system operates and what physiological functions it serves, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms behind related diseases and contribute to drug discovery research.
*Illustrative imageMolecular Mechanisms of Protein Degradation
The lab investigates how ubiquitin-tagged proteins are selected, delivered to the proteasome, and degraded. By combining comprehensive analyses with chemical intervention experiments, it seeks to uncover the molecular network of this pathway.
*Illustrative imageLiquid-Liquid Phase Separation of the Proteasome
The lab has found that under stress such as hyperosmotic conditions, the proteasome forms droplets together with ubiquitinated proteins. It is now investigating the physiological significance of this phenomenon.
*Illustrative imageProteasome Disease Model Mice
Based on proteasome gene mutations found in patients with autism, the lab has generated mice with reduced proteasome function. It investigates, at the level of the whole organism, at which stages of life and in which tissues proteasome activity is important.
*Illustrative imageProteostasis in Adult Neural Stem Cells
Most neural stem cells in the adult brain are in a dormant state in which they neither proliferate nor differentiate. The lab has found that lysosomes, the cellular organelles responsible for degradation, regulate this dormancy, and is investigating the underlying mechanism.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Protein Dynamics Lab include faculty, technical specialists, administrative assistants, doctoral and master's students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYasushi SaekiPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorTaeko KobayashiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTakuya TomitaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “26S proteasome structure” FridoFoe / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Molecular Mechanisms of Protein Degradation: “Ubiquitin cartoon” en:User:Rogerdodd / Public domain (cropped)
- Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of the Proteasome: “Macro view of water droplets on transparent surface” Dreamora96x / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Proteasome Disease Model Mice: “Lightmatter lab mice” by Aaron Logan / CC BY 1.0 (cropped)
- Proteostasis in Adult Neural Stem Cells: “"Forest of memory"” RebecaCuesta / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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