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Reproductive Genetics Lab
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The lab explores the mechanisms of the germline, the cell lineage that gives rise to eggs and sperm.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the continuity of germ cells with stem cells
The Reproductive Genetics Lab studies how the mammalian germline is formed and maintained in the body.
The germline is the only cell lineage among those making up the body that can give rise to the next generation of individuals.
Using techniques such as cell culture, genome editing, imaging, and omics analysis, the lab investigates mainly the oocyte lineage that leads to eggs.
Based on the findings, the lab is also developing reconstitution technologies to generate germ cells from pluripotent stem cells.
Key terms
- Germline
- The only cell lineage that can give rise to the next generation of individuals. It differentiates into eggs in the ovary and sperm in the testis.
- Oocyte
- A cell before it becomes an egg. In the ovary, most are in a dormant state, and some wake up periodically.
- Pluripotent stem cells
- Stem cells, such as ES cells and iPS cells, that have the ability to become every cell type in the body.
ResearchResearch themes
This lab investigates how the mammalian germline, especially the oocyte lineage that leads to eggs, is formed during development and how it is maintained in the body. Based on the findings, it is also developing reconstitution technologies to generate germ cells from pluripotent stem cells.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms that create the differences between eggs and sperm
Eggs and sperm differ greatly in form and function between females and males. Using culture systems that differentiate germ cells from ES/iPS cells, the lab has identified a set of transcription factors sufficient to establish the egg's form, and analyzes how they function through changes in gene expression networks and the epigenome.
*Illustrative imageHow oocytes enter dormancy
Most oocytes in the ovary are dormant, and a portion wake up periodically. Starting from the transcription factor FOXO3, which is required for dormancy, the lab analyzes the environmental factors and gene networks that keep oocytes dormant.
*Illustrative imageQuality control of mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child and remains stable across generations even in an environment prone to mutation. In collaboration with the University of Tsukuba, the lab investigates this mechanism by tracking mutations in the oocyte lineage, using mice and iPS cells carrying mutations.
*Illustrative imageTechnology to make eggs and sperm in culture
The lab works on in vitro gametogenesis, which reproduces the differentiation process of germ cells from ES/iPS cells. It studies how to improve gamete quality and how to apply the technique to animals other than mice, such as humans, monkeys, cattle, and white rhinoceroses.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Reproductive Genetics Lab consist of faculty members, project faculty and researchers, doctoral and master's students, research students, secretaries, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorKatsuhiko Hayashi
- Associate ProfessorKenjiro Shirane
- Associate ProfessorKoichiro Irie
- Project LecturerSayako Ogushi
- Assistant ProfessorTakayuki Hirota
- Project Assistant ProfessorChika Higuchi
- Project Assistant ProfessorMayumi Shono
- Project Assistant ProfessorShuhei Uemura
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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: “Pig oocyte dapi 3” Jakub Friedl / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Mechanisms that create the differences between eggs and sperm: “XBio illustration – Germ Cell” explorebiology / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How oocytes enter dormancy: “Graafian Follicle, Human Ovary ( )” Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Quality control of mitochondrial DNA: “Mitochondrial DNA ( )” National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) from Bethesda, MD, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Technology to make eggs and sperm in culture: “Sperm-egg” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Immune Cell Biology Lab): “2-Photon Excitation” ManuelSchottdorf / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cell Biology Lab): “Scientists use a low temperature scanning electron microscope (LT-SEM) to view anatomical structures needed to identify nematodes like the Parasitorhabditis - USDA-ARS” U.S. Department of Agriculture / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Systems Metabolism Lab): “Mass Spectrometry Laboratory ( )” IAEA Imagebank / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
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