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Cell Function Regulation Lab (Matsura-Itakura Lab)
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The lab uncovers, at the molecular level, the mechanisms that allow cells to proliferate and stay alive.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the mechanisms that keep cells alive.
The Cell Function Regulation Lab studies the mechanisms that allow cells to proliferate and survive over time.
Cell function declines with the number of cell divisions and the passage of time, a process called cellular senescence.
Its causes are varied, including genome damage, dysfunction of organelles, and protein denaturation.
Using budding yeast, pathogenic fungi, cultured mammalian cells, and mice, the lab investigates the molecular mechanisms from the perspectives of chromosome maintenance and protein quality control.
Key terms
- Telomere
- A structure at the ends of chromosomes. It shortens with each round of replication, and when it becomes too short, the cell undergoes senescence.
- Autophagy
- A mechanism by which a cell engulfs and degrades unneeded proteins and organelles within itself.
- Protein quality control
- A general term for the mechanisms that recognize and degrade damaged proteins to keep the inside of the cell normal.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Cell function declines with the number of divisions and the passage of time. The lab studies the mechanisms that suppress this cellular senescence and keep cells alive, from the perspectives of chromosome maintenance, protein quality control, and response to the environment.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms That Maintain Telomeres
Telomeres are essential for maintaining chromosomes, but they become shorter with ordinary replication. Using budding yeast and pathogenic fungi, the lab studies the evolution of telomere maintenance mechanisms and how cells respond when these mechanisms break down.
*Illustrative imageSignals Linking Division and Growth
When cells proliferate, division and growth proceed in step with each other. The lab studies how the TOR pathway, which governs cell growth, regulates this coordination when cells are exposed to stress.
*Illustrative imageCellular Waste Disposal
The accumulation of damaged proteins in the body causes neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Working mainly with cultured mammalian cells, the lab investigates how autophagy and ubiquitin recognize this waste and deliver it for degradation.
MembersFaculty
The Cell Function Regulation Lab consists of faculty members, PhD, master's, and undergraduate students, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorAkira Matsura
- ProfessorEisuke Itakura
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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: “Gram positive budding yeast cells” Microrao / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Mechanisms That Maintain Telomeres: “DNA-fragment-3D-vdW” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Signals Linking Division and Growth: “Budding yeasts and yeast cells in KOH mount of sputum” Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Cellular Waste Disposal: “26S proteasome structure” Oeckes / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Developmental Genetics Lab (Ishikawa Lab)): “Fruitfly cultures ( )” Brian Gratwicke from DC, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Neural Proteomics Lab (Terasaki Lab)): “Chk-UCH1-GFAP-20X-1” GerryShaw / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Muscle Developmental Biology Lab (Sato Lab)): “Muscle Tissue Capilary in Skeletal Muscle ( )” Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Evolutionary Diversity Lab): “Polished slice of petrified wood” Michael Gäbler / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
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