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Iwasaki Lab
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A lab studying homologous recombination, which repairs DNA damage and protects the genome.
AboutAbout the lab
The molecular mechanisms of homologous recombination, which protects genetic information.
The Iwasaki Lab studies how homologous recombination, a reaction carried out by cells, works.
Homologous recombination not only gives genomes diversity but also plays important roles in DNA repair and in keeping the genome stable.
It is also the central mechanism that restarts replication when replication stops because of DNA damage or other causes.
The lab uses a wide range of methods, such as molecular genetics, biochemistry, and structural biology, depending on the level at which the target molecules are analyzed.
Key terms
- Homologous recombination
- A reaction in which two DNA molecules with very similar sequences exchange parts of themselves with each other.
- Holliday junction
- A DNA structure that appears midway through recombination, formed when two double helices exchange complementary strands with each other.
- Post-translational modification
- The attachment of another small molecule to a finished protein, which changes its function or properties.
ResearchResearch themes
Homologous recombination not only gives genomes diversity but also plays important roles in DNA repair and in keeping the genome stable. The lab aims to clarify these various functions, as well as the molecular control mechanisms of the recombination reaction itself.
*Illustrative imageThe cross-shaped DNA structure formed by Rad51
Rad51 is an important protein that catalyzes the reaction exchanging strands between DNA molecules. The lab showed for the first time in the world that this activity forms Holliday junctions, and it is now investigating the reaction mechanism using structural biology methods and single-molecule observation.
*Illustrative imageControl of recombination by modification
Many proteins involved in recombination undergo post-translational modifications, such as ubiquitination and SUMOylation, in response to the cell cycle and to stress such as DNA damage. The lab analyzes the physiological significance of these modifications and how the reactions work.
*Illustrative imageHow recombination begins
The lab focuses on the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex, which controls the initiation of recombination at a stage before the recombinase acts. It discovered the Ctp1 protein, which works together with this complex in fission yeast, and is investigating the mechanism that controls initiation.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorHiroshi IwasakiPublications ↗
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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 Repair” Tom Ellenberger, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. / Public domain (cropped)
- The cross-shaped DNA structure formed by Rad51: “Holliday junction coloured” Zephyris / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Control of recombination by modification: “HSUMO1 1A5R nmr ribbons” Jakob Suckale / Public domain (cropped)
- How recombination begins: “Synapsis and Crossing Over with Labels” Christinelmiller / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Osakabe Lab): “Arabidopsis thaliana kz07” Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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- Related lab (Hongoh Lab): “Termite mounds at Kadavoor” Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Itoh Lab): “CSIRO ScienceImage 11313 The CSIRO GPU cluster at the data centre” division, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
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