Ph.D. Professor Masahide Asano
Animal experiments are essential methods for biomedical research. We are engaged in understanding in vivo function of various genes and developing animal disease models using gene-engineered mice and rats. Our research focuses on glycobiology, epigenetics and neuronal diseases. We are trying to develop a novel cancer therapy using the degron system and studying epigenetic reprogramming during embryogenesis. Since we have developed novel gene-engineered mice and rats and manage one of the largest rat resource center (NBRP-Rat) in the world, we keep many interest mouse and rat strains to be analyzed.
Research and Education
The laboratory mouse is the most used experimental animal because of early development of gene targeting technology as well as its small body size and short life cycle. The laboratory rat is also very useful because of its suitable size for manipulation and its similar physiology to that of human. We perform reverse genetic approach using gene-engineered mice and rats. Cellular regulatory mechanisms beyond genetic code are important for complicated central nervous system (CNS) and developmental process. We are studying how carbohydrate chains and how epigenetic factors regulate the CNS and development. Moreover, we are trying to develop a novel cancer therapy using the degron system which can regulate protein degradation artificially and studying epigenetic reprogramming during rat preimplantation development. We furthermore develop novel disease model mice and rats using genome editing technology of CRISPR/Cas9 system. We manage The National Bio Resource Project-Rat (NBRP-Rat), one of the largest rat resource center in the world (http://www.anim.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp/NBR/default_jp.aspx). Welcome students to join our laboratory.
Laboratory members
Recent Publications
- Naruse C, Sugihara K, Miyazaki T, Xuchi P, Sugiyama F, Asano, M. A degron system targeting endogenous PD-1 inhibits the growth of tumor cells in mice. NAR Cancer 4: zcac019, 2022.
- Naruse C, Abe K, Yoshihara T, Kato T, Nishiuchi T, Asano M. Heterochromatin protein 1γ deficiency decreases histone H3K27 methylation in mouse neurosphere neuronal genes. FASEB Journal 34: 2956-3968, 2020.
- Honda A, Tachibana R, Hamada K, Morita K, Mizuno N, Morita K, Asano M. Efficient derivation of knock-out and knock-in rats using embryos obtained by in vitro fertilization. Scientific Reports 9: 11571, 2019.
- Takagaki S, Yamashita R, Hashimoto N, Sugihara K, Kanari K, Tabata K, Nishie T, Oka S, Miyanishi M, Naruse C, Asano M. Galactosyl carbohydrate residues on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells are essential for homing and engraftment to the bone marrow. Scientific Reports 9: 7133, 2019.
- Yoshihara T, Satake H, Nishie T, Okino N, Hatta T, Otani H, Naruse C, Suzuki H, Sugihara K, Kamimura E, Tokuda N, Furukawa K, Furukawa K, Ito M, Asano M. Lactosylceramide synthases encoded by B4galt5 and 6 genes are pivotal for neuronal generation and myelin formation in mice. PLOS Genetics 14: e1007545, 2018.
Laboratory
Professor: Masahide Asano
Associate Professor: Chie Naruse
Assistant Professor: Tomoko Matsuzaki
Assistant Professor: Kotaro Morita
e-mail: asano.masahide.5u@kyoto-u.ac.jp
URL: http://www.anim.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp/research/index.html