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.

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

Press

• ITbM's research highlighted in Asia Research News 2015 magazine

News

• Prof. Takashi Yoshimura's monthly series starts in Japanese Chunichi Newspaper
• Prof. Takashi Yoshimura wins the 2015 Van Meter Award

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