Molecular mechanisms that regulates the localization of organelles

• Project/Area Number: 15H06033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Cell biology
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Niwa Shinsuke 東北大学, 学際科学フロンティア研究所, 助教 (30714985)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-08-28 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: 細胞生物学 / 神経科学 / 軸索輸送 / キネシン / IFT / 細胞・組織 / 細胞骨格

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I have started to analyze molecular mechanisms that regulate the localization of organelles in neurons. I have obtained following results: (1) I have cloned a new gene called ift-139 that is required for the intraflagellar transport (IFT) (Niwa et al. Scientific reports, 2016) (2) I hace clarified a molecular mechanism of the autoinhibition of the axonal transport motor, UNC-104/KIF1A (Niwa et al., Cell Reports, 2016)

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] スタンフォード大学/ジョージア工科大学(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ブリティッシュコロンビア大学(カナダ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Stanford University(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] The University of British Columbia(Canada)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Instutite of Medical Biology(Singapore)
• [Journal Article] Autoinhibition of a neuronal kinesin UNC-104/KIF1A regulates the size and density of synapses. (2016)
  • Author(s): Niwa S., Lipton DM., Morikawa M., Zhao C., Hirokawa N., Lu H., and Shen K.
  • Journal Title: Cell Reports Volume: 16 Issue: 8 Pages: 2129-2141
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.043
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Nephronophthisis-related gene ift-139 is required for the ciliogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. (2016)
  • Author(s): Niwa Shinsuke
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Pages: 31544-31544
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep31544
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] The molecular motor KIF1A transports the TrkA neurotrophin receptor and is essential for sensory neuron survival and function. (2016)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, Y., S. Niwa, M. Dong, A. Farkhondeh, L. Wang, R. Zhou, and N. Hirokawa.
  • Journal Title: Neuron Volume: 90 Issue: 6 Pages: 1215-1229
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.05.002
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] 線虫遺伝学を用いた軸索輸送の解析 (2017)
  • Author(s): 丹羽伸介
  • Organizer: 日本解剖学会
  • Place of Presentation: 長崎大学医学部（長崎県長崎市）
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-28
  • Invited
• [Presentation] A small GTPase ARL-8 regulates synapse formation by unlocking the autoinhibition of the axonal transport kinesin unc-104 (2015)
  • Author(s): Kang Shen and Shinsuke Niwa
  • Organizer: ASCB2015
  • Place of Presentation: San Diego
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-14
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited