農学部研究紹介英語版2018-2019

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Laboratory of Animal Physiology Shinichi YONEKURA Associate Professor /Skeletal muscle /Mammary gland /Neurodegenerative disease /Cell biology /Molecular Biology Current research in our lab focuses on understanding growth and development at the cellular level to identify methods to improve efficiency of animal production. Regarding the animal production, currently there are two major focuses in the laboratory. The first is to understand the molecular mechanism of skeletal muscle development. The second focus in the laboratory is to determine the molecular mechanism of mammary gland development. In addition, we are investigating the molecular mechanism of neurodegenerative disease and trying to find out the prevention factors for these diseases. Molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle development A B C D A B C Mice and Drosophila as a model for studying about the molecular mechanism of mammary gland development and neurodegeneration. Tissue culture experiments are necessary for understanding at molecular basis. Right picture indicates myotube formation after myogenic stimuli. Biotechnology Division Molecular mechanisms of mammary gland development Molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease and explore the prevention factors Mammary gland Neuron （写真一枚or複数枚組み合わせ） 活性あり Day 0 Day 4 Tissue culture experiment in vivo experiment (Mice, Drosophila) Molecular simulation Database analysis New knowledge of structure-activity relationship Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry Koji UMEZAWA Assistant Professor Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Molecular Modeling, Computational Structural Biology Molecule has a lot of possible conformations at room temperature. There should be a biologically active conformation. The active conformation is interesting and provides a key to interpret the biological function. However, it is difficult to characterize that conformation. Then, we have used molecular dynamics simulation and database analysis to figure out the relationship of molecular conformation and dynamics with the biological activity such as protein folding, ligand recognition, post-translational modification effects, and ligand-association/dissociation control. Our current topics described below have been studied. • Free energy calculation and sampling conformational ensemble for protein folding and protein-ligand binding C D Relationship between structural information and function has been explored computationally. We have developed molecular modeling and programing to study ligand-binding mechanism. Biotechnology Division • Searching new ligand-binding site from database based on similarity of local 3D structure • Developing coarse-grained model of biomolecule to study effects of post-translational modification (e.g. phosphorylation) on intermolecular interaction Molecule Activity B Computational Biology Structural ・theoretical models ・dynamics, flexibility ・solvation ・binding partner ・active conformation ・affinity, kinetics … ー Function ー ー Structure ー Understanding ligand-binding mechanism Binding process ・Molecular modeling ・Programing in silico study modification? signaling? 33