Associate Professor Naoki Nakagawa
Our group aims to understand the cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying the neural circuit formation in the mammalian cerebral cortex, with particular interest in the cortical layer formation during embryonic periods and circuit refinement during neonatal periods. We focus on the developmental dynamics and physiological roles of intracellular machineries, such as microtubules and organelles. Through in vivo visualization and manipulation of such machineries in cortical neural progenitors and neurons in mice, we try to untangle the complex yet sophisticated mechanisms of neocortical wiring.
Research and Education
The formation of precise neural circuits in the mammalian cerebral cortex requires coordinated, multistep cellular events including proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitors, production, migration, and maturation of neurons, and formation and remodeling of neural circuits. Our group aims to understand the cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying the neural circuit formation in the cerebral cortex. We are particularly interested in the developmental dynamics and physiological roles of intracellular machineries, such as adhesion complex, signaling pathway, microtubules and organelles. Through in vivo visualization and manipulation of such machineries in cortical neural progenitors and neurons in mice, we try to untangle the complex yet sophisticated mechanisms of neocortical wiring. We also ask how the dysfunction of such intracellular machineries leads to cellular pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. These research activities will help students to understand how the cellular/molecular events within a cell in vivo contribute to the animal’s cognitive or behavioral outputs, and to accumulate basic biological findings that can advance the field of medical science.
In vivo visualization of neural progenitor cells and neurons in the mouse cerebral cortex.
Recent finding: In neurons in the mouse barrel cortex, the Golgi apparatus is transiently polarized toward the target axons during neonatal periods. This Golgi polarization instructs dendrite patterning of the neurons and formation of the specific whisker-barrel circuit.
Publications
- Nakagawa N^, Iwasato T^. (2023) Golgi polarity shift instructs dendritic refinement in the neonatal cortex by mediating NMDA receptor signaling. Cell Rep. 42, 112843（co-corresponding author^）
- Nakagawa N^, Plestant C, Yabuno-Nakagawa K, Li J, Lee J, Huang CW, Lee A, Krupa O, Adhikari A, Thompson S, Rhynes T, Arevalo V, Stein JL, Molnár Z, Badache A, Anton ES^. (2019) Memo1 mediated tiling of radial glial cells facilitates cerebral cortical development. Neuron 103, 836–852（co-corresponding author^）
- Nakagawa N*, Li J*, Yabuno-Nakagawa K, Eom TY, Cowles M, Mapp T, Taylor R, Anton ES. (2017) APC sets the Wnt tone necessary for cerebral cortical progenitor development. Genes Dev. 31, 1679–1692（co-first author*）
- Nakagawa N, Yagi H, Kato K, Takematsu H, Oka S. (2015) Ectopic clustering of Cajal-Retzius and subplate cells is an initial pathological feature in Pomgnt2-knockout mice, a model of dystroglycanopathy. Sci. Rep. 5, 11163
- Nakagawa N, Manya H, Toda T, Endo T, Oka S. (2012) Human natural killer-1 sulfotransferase (HNK-1ST)-induced sulfate transfer regulates laminin-binding glycans on α-dystroglycan. J. Biol. Chem. 287, 30823–30832
Laboratory
Associate Professor： Naoki Nakagawa