Takashi Yoshimura
Director of ITbM, Principal Investigator, Professor
Website:https://www.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~aphysiol/en_index/
E-mail:takashiy[at]agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with @ when sending an email.)
Biological clock, systems biology, animal production, pharmaceuticals
Yoshimura's research focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of biological clock and signal transduction pathway regulating seasonal reproduction in vertebrates. The uniqueness of his research lies in the use of non-model animals and the systems biology approach. Most importantly, he has identified a "springtime hormone" that triggers seasonal reproduction and clarified the signal transduction cascade for animal seasonal reproduction. Yoshimura also identified a key gene regulating seasonal reproduction in birds, and later demonstrated that the discovered reproduction mechanism is conserved in seasonal mammalian species. These breakthrough findings became the basis of one of the core projects in ITbM. He will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that improve animal reproduction, collaborating with the groups of Ooi, Bode, Irle, and Itami.
Profile
1993 | B.S.; Nagoya University (Animal Physiology) |
1995 | M.S.; Nagoya University (Animal Physiology) |
1996 | Dr. Agr.; Nagoya University (Animal Physiology) |
1995-1996 | JSPS Research Fellow (DC) |
1996-1999 | Assistant Professor; School of Agricultural Science, Nagoya University |
1999-2005 | Assistant Professor; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Science, Nagoya University |
2005-2008 | Associate Professor; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Science, Nagoya University |
2008-present | Professor; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Science, Nagoya University |
2013-present | Professor; WPI-ITbM, Nagoya University |
2013-present | National Institute for Basic Biology, Visiting Professor |
Research Highlights
- How a Rooster Knows to Crow at Dawn ?
- A Sensor to Detect Seasonal Changes in Day Length
- Shining light on the 100-year mystery of birds sensing spring for offspring
- One hormone, two roles: Sugars differentiate seasonality and metabolism
- Small molecules change biological clock rhythm
- Bossy cock takes the lead vocal of cock-a-doodle-do
- Discovery of dynamic seasonal changes in color perception
- Revisiting existing drugs finds molecules that control body clocks
Selected Awards and Honors
2015 | Incentive Award, The Japan Society for Comparative Endocrinology |
2015 | Van Meter Award, ATA |
2010 | Fellow of the Society for Biology, UK |
2010 | Hoffenberg International Medal from the Society for Endocrinology, UK |
2009 | JSPS Prize |
2009 | Japanese Society of Animal Science Prize |
Selected Publications
- Nakane, Y.; Ikegami, K.; Iigo, M.; Ono, H.; Takeda, K.; Takahashi, D.; Uesaka, M.; Kimijima, M.; Hashimoto, R.; Arai, N.; Suga, T.; Kosuge, K.; Abe, T.; Maeda, R.; Senga, T.; Amiya, N.; Azuma, T.; Amano, M.; Abe, H.; Yamamoto, N.; Yoshimura, T. Nat. Commun. 2013, 4, 2108. The saccus vasculosus of fish is a sensor of seasonal changes in day length. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms31081
- Nakane, Y.; Ikegami, K.; Ono, H.; Yamamoto, N.; Yoshida, S.; Hirunagi, K.; Ebihara, S.; Kubo, Y.; Yoshimura, T. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2010, 107, 15264. A mammalian neural tissue opsin (Opsin 5) is a deep brain photoreceptor in birds. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1006393107
- Ono, H.; Hoshino, Y.; Yasuo, S.; Watanabe, M.; Nakane, Y.; Murai, A.; Ebihara, S.; Korf, H. W.; Yoshimura, T. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 18238. Involvement of thyrotropin in photoperiodic signal transduction in mice. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0808952105
- Nakao, N.; Ono, H.; Yamamura, T.; Anraku, T.; Takagi, T.; Higashi, K.; Yasuo, S.; Katou, Y.; Kageyama, S.; Uno, Y.; Kasukawa, T.; Iigo, M.; Sharp, P. J.; Iwasawa, A.; Suzuki, Y.; Sugano, S.; Niimi, T.; Mizutani, M.; Namikawa, T.; Ebihara, S.; Ueda, H. R.; Yoshimura, T. Nature 2008, 452, 317. Thyrotrophin in the pars tuberalis triggers photoperiodic response. DOI: 10.1038/nature06738
- Yoshimura, T.; Yasuo, S.; Watanabe, M.; Iigo, M.; Yamamura, T.; Hirunagi, K.; Ebihara, S. Nature 2003, 426, 178. Lightinduced hormone conversion of T4 to T3 regulates photoperiodic response of gonads in birds. DOI: 10.1038/nature02117
- Members
- Yoshimura Group
- Yamaguchi Group
- Bode Group
- Crudden Group
- Frommer Group
- Itami Group
- Kamikouchi Group
- Hirota Group (collaborating with Kay)
- Kinoshita Group
- Ooi Group
- Tama Group
- Shimotohno Group (collaborating with Torii)
- Tsuchiya Group
- Yanai Group
- Laohavisit Group
- Mizuta Group
- Phung Group
- Kurihara Group
- Molecular Structure Center
- Live Imaging Center
- Chemical Library Center
- Peptide Protein Center
- Administrative Department
- Affiliated Researchers