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Biochemistry Lab
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The lab uses zebrafish and fruit flies to decipher how cells communicate with one another.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading how cells talk to one another.
The Biochemistry Lab studies how cells exchange information with one another (cell-cell signaling).
It focuses in particular on Notch signaling, which transmits information between neighboring cells and changes the properties of those cells.
The lab uses zebrafish, cultured human and mouse cells, and Drosophila as model systems.
In Drosophila, it also aims to elucidate how memory declines with aging.
Key terms
- Notch signaling
- A mechanism in which proteins on the membranes of neighboring cells bind to each other to transmit information. It controls cell differentiation.
- Ubiquitination
- A modification in which another protein, called ubiquitin, is attached to a protein.
- Calcium imaging
- A method for studying neural activity by visualizing, with light, the changes in calcium that occur when neurons are active.
NewsLab news
A paper on a zebrafish model that reproduces CADASIL was published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications
A student received the Oral Presentation Award at the Small Fish Research Meeting
A student received the Young Investigator Excellent Presentation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Biochemical Society
A student received the Excellent Presentation Award at the Zebrafish/Medaka Drug Discovery Research Meeting
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to study cell-cell communication, especially Notch signaling, in an integrated way, from physiological function to molecular mechanisms to artificial manipulation. It uses three models, zebrafish, cultured cells, and Drosophila, each for different purposes.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms of Notch signaling
Using cultured cells and zebrafish, the lab seeks to clarify how the multiple Notch receptors and the signal-sending proteins (Delta and Jagged) are used differently, what changes with ubiquitination by Mib, and how signaling is switched on and off in vivo.
*Illustrative imageDevelopment and behavior in zebrafish
The lab investigates the role of Notch signaling when neuronal fate is determined, and how groups of cells migrate within the embryo. Combined with behavioral analysis, it also examines how gene mutations and drugs affect behavior.
*Illustrative imageNotch activation in cultured cells
Using cultured cells, the lab analyzes the molecular mechanism by which Mib1 activates Notch signaling. It also uses a system in which cells are stimulated with purified ligand proteins and signal strength is measured over time.
*Illustrative imageHow memory declines with aging
Using Drosophila, the lab searches for the neural circuits responsible for age-related memory decline, with methods such as calcium imaging. It also aims to identify risk factors that cause memory decline, such as declining metabolic function.
MembersFaculty
The Biochemistry Lab consists of faculty members, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, research students, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorMotoyuki Itoh
- Associate ProfessorAyako Tonoki
- Assistant ProfessorTakamasa Mizoguchi
- Project Assistant ProfessorSho Inami
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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: “Laser TIRF )” ZEISS Microscopy from Germany / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Mechanisms of Notch signaling: “Notch” Am.ramirez948 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Development and behavior in zebrafish: “Zebrafish in aquarium lab” CSAR ACE / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Notch activation in cultured cells: “Scientist checks cell culture flask on microscope” Peter Saxon / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How memory declines with aging: “Drosophila melanogaster 53362116” Alexis / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (薬効薬理学): “Fluorescence.microscope2” Bioguy10 / CC0 (cropped)
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