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Ohsugi Lab
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A lab that uses mice to explore the mechanisms of cell division unique to mammals, from fertilization through cleavage.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering the mechanisms of fertilization and development unique to mammals
The Ohsugi Lab studies the mechanisms of cell division that occur from fertilization through early development in mammals.
The fertilized egg formed by the fusion of an egg and a sperm begins development by repeating a special type of division called cleavage.
During this period, chromosome segregation and nuclear formation show features unique to mammals that differ from those of other animals.
Using mice, the lab examines the mechanisms that underlie totipotency while observing live embryos under a microscope.
Key terms
- Cleavage
- The first stage of development, in which a fertilized egg divides repeatedly with almost no change in its overall size, increasing the number of cells
- Totipotency
- The ability of a single cell to become any cell type in the body and build up an entire individual
- Spindle
- A bundle of fibers that appears when a cell divides; the apparatus that grips the chromosomes and pulls them apart toward opposite sides
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Fertilization and development involve both mechanisms shared across living organisms and mechanisms that differ greatly from one animal to another. Focusing on phenomena unique to mammals, in which fertilization and development take place inside the mother's body, the lab aims to understand them at the molecular level using the methods of cell biology.
*Illustrative imageKid, a motor protein that moves chromosomes
Kid, discovered in this lab, is a motor protein that binds to chromosomes and moves along microtubules. In anaphase, it gathers the chromosomes being segregated into a single mass, ensuring that a normal nucleus is formed.
*Illustrative imageThe time it takes for a fertilized egg to form
In mammals, it takes 2 to 3 hours from the fusion of sperm and egg until the nuclei form. The lab has shown that this slow pace is necessary for completing the remodeling of the sperm chromosomes.
*Illustrative imageGenome number and embryonic development
Mammalian embryos do not develop properly when the number of genomes changes. The lab is investigating why ploidy and cell size are important for development.
*Illustrative imageCytoplasmic flow in the egg and spindle positioning
Inside egg cells, the cytoplasm flows. The lab is tracing how this flow arises and how the positions of organelles such as the spindle are determined.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Ohsugi Lab consist of faculty, PhD and master's students, collaborating researchers, and secretaries and research assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorMiho OhsugiPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorMasatoshi HaraPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTomo KondoPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorRyohei NakamuraPublications ↗
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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: “Mouse blastocyst-microscopy” The original uploader was Enzo at Polish Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Kid, a motor protein that moves chromosomes: “Anaphase IF” Roy van Heesbeen / Public domain (cropped)
- The time it takes for a fertilized egg to form: “Zygote1” Niña Sesina / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Genome number and embryonic development: “Microdrop embryo culture dish” S.Y.M.B.I.O.N.T. / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Cytoplasmic flow in the egg and spindle positioning: “Mitotic LLC-PK1 cells, fluorescence microscopy ( )” ZEISS Microscopy from Germany / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Physiology Lab): “Marchantia polymorpha - Common Liverwort 03” Jasper Shide / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Higashiyama Lab (Developmental Cell Biology)): “Torenia fournieri2” KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Miura Lab): “FMIB 51570 Tide-pools of Misaki The Misaki Biological Station, from the north side” David Starr Jordan / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Developmental Evolution Lab): “Leaf venation of Dorstenia” SebastianBlumeArt / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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