Selected Publications
(*corresponding author, #equal contribution）
Generation and characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells of small apes. Yusuke Hamazaki, Hiroto Akuta, Hikaru Suzuki, Hideyuki Tanabe, Kenji Ichiyanagi, Takuya Imamura, Masanori Imamura. Front Cell Dev Biol, 13: 1536947 (2025), https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1536947/full (open access)
The microcephaly-associated transcriptional regulator AUTS2 cooperates with Polycomb complex PRC2 to produce upper-layer neurons in mice. Kazumi Shimaoka, Kei Hori, Satoshi Miyashita, Yukiko U Inoue, Nao K N Tabe, Asami Sakamoto, Ikuko Hasegawa, Kayo Nishitani, Kunihiko Yamashiro, Saki F Egusa, Shoji Tatsumoto, Yasuhiro Go, Manabu Abe, Kenji Sakimura, Takayoshi Inoue, Takuya Imamura, Mikio Hoshino. EMBO J, 44: 1354 (2025), https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44318-024-00343-7 (open access)
Vanadium Accumulation and Reduction by Vanadium-Accumulating Bacteria Isolated from the Intestinal Contents of Ciona robusta. Dewi Yuliani, Fumihiro Morishita, Takuya Imamura, Tatsuya Ueki. Mar Biotechnol, 26: 338 (2024), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10126-024-10300-4 (open access)
Identification and characterization of dystrophin-locus-derived testis-specific protein: a testis-specific gene within the intronic region of the rat dystrophin gene. Keitaro Yamanouchi, Shizuka Kato, Yukie Tanaka, Masanari Ikeda, Yukina Oshimo, Takanori Shiga, Kei Hatamoto, James Chambers, Takuya Imamura, Ryuji Hiramatsu, Kazuyuki Uchida, Fuko Matsuda, Takashi Matsuwaki, Tetsuya Kohsaka. J Reprod Dev, 70: 55 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2023-073 (open access)
Amphibian newts as experimental models for studying weight gain after castration. Mai Takehara, Mitsuki Kyakuno, Kazuko Okamoto, Ichiro Tazawa, Nobuaki Furuno, Megumi Furumitsu, Kazuyoshi Ukena, Takuya Imamura, Takashi Takeuchi, Toshinori Hayashi. Endocr J, 71: 181 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1507/endocrj.EJ23-0207 (open access)
Human-biased TMEM25 expression promotes expansion of neural progenitor cells to alter cortical structure in the developing brain. Boyang An, Akari Ando, Hiroto Akuta, Fumihiro Morishita, Takuya Imamura*. FEBS Lett, 597: 2611 (2023), https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1873-3468.14756
Emerging concepts involving inhibitory and activating RNA functionalization towards the understanding of microcephaly phenotypes and brain diseases in humans. Mayuri Tokunaga, Takuya Imamura*. Front Cell Dev Biol, 11: 1168072 (2023) https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1168072 (open access)
Concomitant downregulation of neuropeptide genes in a marine snail with consecutive sexual maturation after a nuclear disaster in Japan. Fumihiro Morishita, Toshihiro Horiguchi, Hiroto Akuta, Tatsuya Ueki, Takuya Imamura*. Front Endocrinol, 14: 1129666 (2023) https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1129666 (open access)
SoxE group transcription factor Sox8 promotes astrocytic differentiation of neural stem/precursor cells downstream of Nfia. Jun Takouda, Sayako Katada, Takuya Imamura, Tsukasa Sanosaka, Kinichi Nakashima. Pharmacol Res Perspect, 9: e00749 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1002/prp2.749 (open access)
Neural stem/precursor cells dynamically change their epigenetic landscape to differentially respond to BMP signaling for fate switching during brain development. Sayako Katada, Jun Takouda, Takumi Nakagawa, Mizuki Honda, Katsuhide Igarashi, Takuya Imamura, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Shoko Sato, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, Kinichi Nakashima. Genes Dev, 35: 1431 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1101/gad.348797.121 (open access)
Neuronal activation modulates enhancer activity of genes for excitatory synaptogenesis through de novo DNA methylation. Tomonori Kameda, Hideyuki Nakashima, Takumi Takizawa, Fumihito Miura, Takashi Ito, Kinichi Nakashima, Takuya Imamura*. J Reprod Dev, 67: 369 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2021-106 (open access)
Roles of epigenetics in the neural stem cell and neuron. Naoki Yamamoto, Masahiro Uesaka, Takuya Imamura, Kinichi Nakashima. Epigenetics in Psychiatry, 53-84 (2021)
The evolutionary acquisition and mode of functions of promoter-associated non-coding RNAs (pancRNAs) for mammalian development. Boyang An, Tomonori Kameda, Takuya Imamura*. Essays Biochem, 65: 697 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1042/EBC20200143
Generation of ovarian follicles from mouse pluripotent stem cells. Takashi Yoshino, Takahiro Suzuki, Go Nagamatsu, Haruka Yabukami, Mika Ikegaya, Mami Kishima, Haruka Kita, Takuya Imamura, Kinichi Nakashima, Ryuichi Nishinakamura, Makoto Tachibana, Miki Inoue, Yuichi Shima, Ken-ichirou Morohashi, Katsuhiko Hayashi. Science, 373: eabe0237 (2021)
MeCP2 controls neural stem cell fate specification through miR-199a-mediated inhibition of BMP-Smad signaling. Hideyuki Nakashima, Keita Tsujimura, Koichiro Irie, Takuya Imamura, Cleber A. Trujillo, Masataka Ishizu, Masahiro Uesaka, Miao Pan, Hirofumi Noguchi, Kanako Okada, Kei Aoyagi, Tomoko Andoh-Noda, Hideyuki Okano, Alysson R. Muotri, Kinichi Nakashima. Cell Rep, 35: 109124 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109124 (open access)
Inducible Kiss1 knockdown in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus suppressed pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone in male mice. Shiori Minabe, Sho Nakamura, Eri Fukushima, Marimo Sato, Kana Ikegami, Teppei Goto, Makoto Sanbo, Masumi Hirabayashi, Junko Tomikawa, Takuya Imamura, Naoko Inoue, Yoshihisa Uenoyama, Hiroko Tsukamura, Kei-Ichiro Maeda, Fuko Matsuda. J Reprod Dev, 66: 369 (2020)
Conditional kisspeptin neuron-specific Kiss1 knockout with newly generated Kiss1-floxed and Kiss1-Cre mice replicates a hypogonadal phenotype of global Kiss1 knockout mice. Kana Ikegami, Teppei Goto, Sho Nakamura, Youki Watanabe, Arisa Sugimoto, Sutisa Majarune, Kei Horihata, Mayuko Nagae, Junko Tomikawa, Takuya Imamura, Makoto Sanbo, Masumi Hirabayashi, Naoko Inoue, Kei-ichiro Maeda, Hiroko Tsukamura, Yoshihisa Uenoyama. J Reprod Dev, 66: 359 (2020)
Modeling of early neural development in vitro by direct neurosphere formation culture of chimpanzee induced pluripotent stem cells. Ryunosuke Kitajima, Risako Nakai, Takuya Imamura, Tomonori Kameda, Daiki Kozuka, Hirohisa Hirai, Haruka Ito, Hiroo Imai, Masanori Imamura. Stem Cell Res, 44: 101749 (2020)
Pioneer factor NeuroD1 rearranges transcriptional and epigenetic profiles to execute microglia-neuron conversion. Taito Matsuda, Takashi Irie, Shutaro Katsurabayashi, Yoshinori Hayashi, Tatsuya Nagai, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Aliya Mari D. Adefuin, Fumihito Miura, Takashi Ito, Hiroshi Kimura, Katsuhiko Shirahige, Tadayuki Takeda, Katsunori Iwasaki, Takuya Imamura, Kinichi Nakashima. Neuron, 101: 472 (2019)
Epigenetic regulation of neural stem cell differentiation towards spinal cord regeneration. Tomonori Kameda, Takuya Imamura, Kinichi Nakashima. Cell and Tissue Res, 371: 189 (2018)
DNA methylome analysis identifies transcription factor-based epigenomic signatures of multilineage competence in neural stem/progenitor cells. Tsukasa Sanosaka#, Takuya Imamura#*, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, MuhChyi Chai, Katsuhide Igarashi, Maky Ideta-Otsuka, Fumihito Miura, Takashi Ito, Nobuyuki Fujii, Kazuho Ikeo, Kinichi Nakashima. Cell Rep, 20: 2992 (2017) https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(17)31228-7 (open access)
Evolutionary acquisition of promoter-associated non-coding RNA (pancRNA) repertoires diversifies species-dependent gene activation mechanisms in mammals. Masahiro Uesaka, Kiyokazu Agata, Takao Oishi, Kinichi Nakashima, Takuya Imamura*. BMC Genomics, 18:285 (2017) https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-017-3662-1 (open access)
Detection of bidirectional promoter-derived lncRNAs from small-scale samples using pre-amplification-free directional RNA-seq method. Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Kinichi Nakashima, Katsuhiko Hayashi, Takuya Imamura*. Methods Mol Biol, 1605: 83 (2017)
Highlighted in: Directional RNA-seq libraries from small samples without pre-amplification for the quantification of lncRNAs. RNA-seq blog (2017) https://www.rna-seqblog.com/rna-seq-libraries-from-small-samples-without-pre-amplification-for-the-quantification-of-lncrnas
Manipulation of promoter-associated noncoding RNAs in mouse early embryos for controlling sequence-specific epigenetic status. Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Kinichi Nakashima, Takuya Imamura*. Methods Mol Biol, 1543: 271 (2017)
Bidirectional promoters link cAMP signaling with irreversible differentiation through promoter-associated non-coding RNA (pancRNA) expression in PC12 cells. Naoki Yamamoto, Kiyokazu Agata, Kinichi Nakashima, Takuya Imamura*. Nucleic Acids Res, 44: 5105 (2016) https://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/44/11/5105 (open access)
Reconstitution in vitro of the entire cycle of the mouse female germ line. Orie Hikabe, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Go Nagamatsu, Yayoi Obata, Yuji Hirao, Norio Hamada, So Shimamoto, Takuya Imamura, Kinichi Nakashima, Mitinori Saitou, Katsuhiko Hayashi. Nature, 539: 299 (2016)
Gene activation-associated long noncoding RNAs function in mouse preimplantation development. Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Masahiro Uesaka, Kinichi Nakashima, Kiyokazu Agata, Takuya Imamura*. Development, 142: 910 (2015) https://dev.biologists.org/content/142/5/910.abstract (open access)
Highlighted in: pancRNAs in early development. Development, 142: e0501 (2015) https://dev.biologists.org/content/142/5/e0501.full
Highlighted in: Long Non-Coding RNAs take aim at methyl marks in early embryo. Biol Reprod, 92 (5): 112, 1-1 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.115.129080
Identification of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus-specific enhancer region of kiss1 gene in mice. Teppei Goto, Junko Tomikawa, Kana Ikegami, Shiori Minabe, Hitomi Abe, Tatsuya Fukanuma, Takuya Imamura, Kenji Takase, Makoto Sanbo, Koichi Tomita, Masumi Hirabayashi, Kei-ichiro Maeda, Hiroko Tsukamura, Yoshihisa Uenoyama. Mol Endocrinol, 29: 121 (2015)
miR-199a Links MeCP2 with mTOR Signaling and Its Dysregulation Leads to Rett Syndrome Phenotypes. Keita Tsujimura, Koichiro Irie, Hideyuki Nakashima, Yoshihiro Egashira, Yoichiro Fukao, Masayuki Fujiwara, Masayuki Itoh, Masahiro Uesaka, Takuya Imamura, Yasukazu Nakahata, Yui Yamashita, Takaya Abe, Shigeo Takamori, Kinichi Nakashima. Cell Rep, 12: 1887 (2015)
Epigenetic setting and reprogramming for neural cell fate determination and differentiation. Takuya Imamura, Masahiro Uesaka, Kinichi Nakashima. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 369: 1652 (2014)
Bidirectional promoters are the major source of gene activation-associated non-coding RNAs in mammals. Masahiro Uesaka, Osamu Nishimura, Yasuhiro Go, Kinichi Nakashima, Kiyokazu Agata, Takuya Imamura*. BMC Genomics, 15: 35 (2014) https://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/15/35 (open access)
Epigenetic regulation of Kiss1 gene expression mediating estrogen-positive feedback action in the mouse brain. Junko Tomikawa, Yoshihisa Uenoyama, Makiko Ozawa, Tatsuya Fukanuma, Kenji Takase, Teppei Goto, Hitomi Abe, Nahoko Ieda, Shiori Minabe, Chikaya Deura, Naoko Inoue, Makoto Sanbo, Koichi Tomita, Masumi Hirabayashi, Satoshi Tanaka, Takuya Imamura, Hiroaki Okamura, Kei-ichiro Maeda, Hiroko Tsukamura. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109: E1294 (2012)
Single-stranded noncoding RNAs mediate local epigenetic alterations at gene promoters in rat cell lines. Junko Tomikawa, Hiroko Shimokawa, Masahiro Uesaka, Naoki Yamamoto, Yuji Mori, Hiroko Tsukamura, Kei-ichiro Maeda, Takuya Imamura*. J Biol Chem 286: 34788 (2011) https://www.jbc.org/content/286/40/34788.full (open access)
Epigenetic setting for long-term expression of estrogen receptor α and androgen receptor in cells. Takuya Imamura*. Hormones and Behavior 59: 345 (2011)
Cell- to species-level diversity of epigenetic setting for androgen receptor expression in mammals. Masahiro Uesaka, Takuya Imamura*. Journal of Steroids and Hormonal Science S2: 004 (2011)
Involvement of brain ketone bodies and the noradrenergic pathway in diabetic hyperphagia in rats. Kinuyo Iwata, Mika Kinoshita, Shunji Yamada, Takuya Imamura, Yoshihisa Uenoyama, Hiroko Tsukamura, Kei-ichiro Maeda. J Physiol Sci 61: 103 (2011)
Epigenetic processes in a tetraploid mammal. Caroline Bacquet, Takuya Imamura, Claudio A. Gonzalez, Ivan Conejeros, Gudrun Kausel, Thi My Anh Neildez-Nguyen, Andras Paldi, Milton H. Gallardo. Mammalian Genome 19: 439 (2008)
Genomic Imprinting. Takuya Imamura, Andras Paldi. In: D. Ganten, K. Ruckpaul (eds), ISBN 978-3540309543 Encyclopedic Reference of Genomics and Proteomics, Springer, Heidelberg, (2006)
Dynamic CpG and non-CpG methylation of the Peg1/Mest gene in the mouse oocyte and preimplantation embryo. Takuya Imamura, Antoine Kerjean, Thomas Heams, Jean-Jacques Kupiec, Catherine Thenevin, Andras Paldi. J Biol Chem 280: 20171 (2005) https://www.jbc.org/content/280/20/20171.full (open access)
Identification of genetic and epigenetic similarities of SPHK1/Sphk1 in mammals. Takuya Imamura, Nanami Miyauchi-Senda, Satoshi Tanaka, Kunio Shiota. J Vet Med Sci 66: 1387 (2004) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jvms/66/11/66_11_1387/_article (open access)
Non-coding RNA directed DNA demethylation of Sphk1 CpG island. Takuya Imamura, Soshi Yamamoto, Jun Ohgane, Naka Hattori, Satoshi Tanaka, Kunio Shiota. Biochem Biophys Res Comm 322: 593 (2004)
Essential Role for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in mouse preimplantation development. Takuya Imamura, Thy Mi Anh Neildez, Catherine Thenevin, Andras Paldi. BMC Mol Biol 5: 4 (2004) https://bmcmolbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2199-5-4 (open access)
Epigenetic marks by DNA methylation specific to stem, germ and somatic cells in mice. Kunio Shiota, Yasushi Kogo, Jun Ohgane, Takuya Imamura, Atsushi Urano, Koichiro Nishino, Satoshi Tanaka, Naka Hattori. Genes Cells 7: 961 (2002)
CpG island of rat sphingosine kinase-1 gene: Tissue dependent DNA methylation status and multiple alternative first exons. Takuya Imamura, Jun Ohgane, Seiichiro Ito, Tomoya Ogawa, Naka Hattori, Satoshi Tanaka, Kunio Shiota. Genomics 76: 117 (2001)
Generation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody recognizing a fetal brain enriched O-linked sialoglycoprotein, FOG100. Takuya Imamura, Naka Hattori, Kunio Shiota, Tamoya Ogawa. J Biochem 124: 534 (1998) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/biochemistry1922/124/3/124_3_534/_article (open access)
Molecular cloning of rat leukemia inhibitory factor receptor alpha-chain and its expression during pregnancy. Jun-ichi Aikawa, Sakae Ikeda, Kwan-Sik Min, Jun Ohgane, Takuya Imamura, Ken Sasai, Kunio Shiota, Tomoya Ogawa. Biochim Biophys Acta 1353: 266 (1997)
(和文抜粋）
種差と"個性" 飽田寛人・今村拓也（分担） 「脳と個性」大隅典子（企画） 生体の科学 75: 40, ISSN 0370-9531 公益財団法人金原一郎記念医学医療振興財団/医学書院 (2024)
遺伝子近傍の DNA メチル化レベルを可視化する 佐野坂司・今村拓也（分担） 「次世代シークエンサー DRY 解析教本」清水厚志・坊農秀雅（編集）ISBN978-4-7809-0983-8 pp.364-365, 学研メディカル秀潤社 (2019)
lncRNAの進化と種特異性 亀田朋典・中島欽一・今村拓也（分担） 「ノンコーディングRNA -RNA分子の全体像を俯瞰する-」廣瀬哲郎・泊 幸秀（編集）ISBN978-4-7598-1725-6 pp.328-338, 化学同人 (2016)
R+rGADEM 今村拓也（分担） 「細胞工学別冊 次世代シークエンサー DRY 解析教本」清水厚志・坊農秀雅（編集）ISBN978-4-7809-0920-3 pp.322-325, 秀潤社 (2015)
脳の性差から生物多様性へ 今村拓也（分担） 「生き物たちのつづれ織り」阿形清和・森哲（監修）ISBN978-4-87698-243-1 下巻pp.90-100, 京都大学学術出版会 (2012)
Noncoding RNAによるエピジェネティック制御 今村拓也 化学と生物 45: 211 (2007) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kagakutoseibutsu1962/45/3/45_3_211/_pdf
Inverse PCR／ゲノムライブラリークローンの利用／データベースの利用／バイサルファイト反応とシークエンス解析によるDNAメチル化解析／５—アザシチジンとＴＳＡ処理／アンチセンスＲＮＡ発現の解析 今村拓也（分担） 「DNAメチル化研究法」 塩田邦郎・服部中（編） ISBN 4-7622-3052-9 pp. 49-54, 55-62,62-70,85-93, 105-107,138-148, 学会出版センター (2006)
バイサルファイトシークエンス法によるDNAメチル化解析 今村拓也 日本比較内分泌学会ニュース = Newsletter of Japan Society for Comparative Endocrinology 113: 25 (2004) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/nl2001jsce/2004/113/2004_113_113_25/_pdf
DNAメチル化による発生プログラム 今村拓也・塩田邦郎 Molecular Medicine 39(7): 809 (2002)
受賞
日本獣医学会生理学・生化学分科会奨励賞 2011年9月
「マカクサルにおける偽遺伝子由来promoter-associated noncoding RNA(pancRNA)による種特異的転写活性化」