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Molecular Metabolism and Physiology Lab
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A lab that investigates lifestyle-related diseases through the epigenome.
AboutAbout the lab
Tackling lifestyle-related diseases through the epigenome, which remembers lifestyle.
The Molecular Metabolism and Physiology Division (Sakai Lab) studies how lifestyle-related diseases arise, from the perspective of the epigenome, which regulates gene function.
The epigenome refers to genetic information that is maintained by DNA methylation and histone modification, separately from the DNA base sequence.
It has been suggested that lifestyle is remembered in the epigenome and is a key factor in the onset of lifestyle-related diseases and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.
Through epigenome analysis, the lab clarifies sleep, energy metabolism, and their regulatory mechanisms, and takes on the challenge of developing treatments for lifestyle-related diseases.
Key terms
- Epigenome
- Genetic information maintained by DNA methylation and histone modification, separately from the DNA base sequence.
- Histone
- A protein around which DNA is wound. Modifications such as methylation influence how genes function.
- Docking simulation
- A computation that examines on a computer how a compound binds to a target enzyme.
NewsLab news
Prof. Sakai received the Jokichi Takamine Award at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Cardiovascular Endocrinology and Metabolism
A paper co-authored with a professor at Korea's Keimyung University was accepted by EMM
A paper from a collaboration with Harvard University was published in Cell Metabolism
Prof. Sakai received the 2026 Academic Award of the Japan Endocrine Society
ResearchResearch themes
Lifestyle-related diseases are conditions in which environmental factors, including nutrition, play an important role in onset alongside genetic predisposition. The lab investigates how histone methyltransferases and demethylases regulate metabolism, aiming to establish new treatments for lifestyle-related diseases.
*Illustrative imageSearching for epigenomic targets in lifestyle-related diseases
The lab predicts histone methyltransferases and demethylases from genome sequences and compiles their expression characteristics into a database. By systematically examining changes in their expression and function, it identifies therapeutic targets.
*Illustrative imageElucidating epigenomic mechanisms
The lab investigates how histone methyltransferases and demethylases regulate metabolism in human cells, including adipocytes. It develops methods to measure enzyme activity using ChIP-seq and proteomics, and validates them in disease models and patient samples.
*Illustrative imageEpigenome-based drug discovery
The lab expresses the identified target enzymes to determine their crystal structures, then screens for small-molecule lead compounds based on docking simulations. By applying this technology, it aims to establish new treatments for lifestyle-related diseases.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Molecular Metabolism and Physiology Division include faculty, part-time lecturers, academic researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorJuro Sakai
- Associate ProfessorTakeshi Yoneshiro
- LecturerMakoto Arai
- Assistant ProfessorHiroki Takahashi
- Assistant (Joshu)Hyunmi Choi
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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: “DNA Double Helix Model - Biotechnology Gallery - BITM - Kolkata” Biswarup Ganguly / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Searching for epigenomic targets in lifestyle-related diseases: “Integrated Genome Browser version 9.1.0 home screen” Aloraine / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Elucidating epigenomic mechanisms: “Sterile 24-Well Cell Culture Plate Used in Laboratory Research” Gannu03 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Epigenome-based drug discovery: “Docking representation 2” Scigenis / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Medical Zoology Lab): “Lab mice 436262” Understanding Animal Research / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Medical Biochemistry Lab): “Biochemistry laboratory MPI-CBG-panorama” Masur / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genome Preventive Medicine Lab (Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization)): “Laboratory microcentrifuge tubes and pipette tips 02” Gannu03 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biochemistry Lab): “Rotor for microtubes of an Eppendorf Centrifuge 5430” Karbohut / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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