Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology

How is the mind created, where and how does the mind exist?

It is now well accepted that the mind is created in the brain, not in the heart. Like any other organs, the brain is composed of cells and molecules. Genes, the blueprints of life, generate molecules that govern the synaptic connection among neurons and create complex neural networks. Thus, the synapses, as a place of information processing, are critical for creating the mind.

A large number of molecules accumulate at the synapse and support synaptic functions. However, the molecular mechanism underlying synaptic functions is not fully understood yet. Unlike electronic circuits, neural circuits can be added, lost or changed through various experiences. This unique feature of the brain, known as "plasticity," enables learning and memory. However, disturbance in the plasticity may cause various psychiatric disorders.

We aim to clarify the molecular mechanism of synaptic plasticity, which can be considered as a neural basis of the mind, by investigating the synaptic functions at a molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels.

For applicants

Different from electrical circuits, the synaptic connections in the brain are variable and are the fundamentals of the plastic structure of the brain. Although synaptic plasticity is a well-established phenomenon, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. However, there is considerable scope for further research. Hence, for those who wish to join us, we would like you to explore these mechanisms with a creative and challenging spirit that is not bound by existing concepts.

Original article

• 2021
  Mizuno Y, Konishi S, Imai H, Fujimori E, Kojima N, Kajiwara C, Yoshinaga J
  "Telomere length and urinary 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine and essential trace element concentrations in female Japanese university students."
  J Environmental Science and Health (Part A) 56:1328-1334.

• 2021
  Seidl MD, Fels B, Kranick D, Sternberg A, Grimm K, Stümpel FT, Pluteanu F, Schulte JS, Heinick A, Kojima N, Endo S, Huge A, Stoll M, Müller FU
  "Induction of ICER is superseded by smICER, challenging the impact of ICER under chronic beta-adrenergic stimulation."
  FASEB Journal doi: 10.1096/fj.201902301RR.

• 2019
  Mizuno Y, Konishi S, Imai H, Fujimori E, Kojima N, Yoshinaga J
  "Cadmium exposure and blood telomere length in female University students in Japan."
  Biol Trace Elem Res doi: 10.1007/s12011-019-1656-3.

• 2018
  Yasuda H, Kojima N, Hanamura K, Yamazaki H, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin isoforms critically regulate NMDAR- and mGluR-dependent LTD induction."
  Front Cell Neurosci 12: 330.

• 2018
  Bohn T, Rapp S, Luther N, Klein M, Bruehl T-J, Kojima N el al.
  "Tumor immunoevasion via acidosis dependent induction of regulatory tumor-associated macrophages."
  Nature Immunol 19: 1319–1329.

• 2018
  Hanamura K, Kamata Y, Yamazaki H, Kojima N, Shirao T.
  "Isoform-dependent regulation of drebrin dynamics in dendritic spines."
  Neuroscience 379: 67–76.

• 2017
  Kajita Y, Kojima N, Koganezawa N, Yamazaki H, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin E regulates neuroblast proliferation and chain migration in the adult brain."
  Eur J Neurosci 46: 2214–2228.

• 2016
  Kojima N, Yasuda H, Hanamura K, Ishizuka Y, Sekino Y, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin A regulates hippocampal LTP and hippocampus-dependent fear learning in adult mice."
  Neuroscience 324: 218–226.

• 2016
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Ishizuka Y, Kojima N, Tanaka N, Nakano T, Shirao T.
  "X-irradiation induces acute cognitive decline via transient synaptic dysfunction."
  Radiation Research 185: 423–430.

• 2015
  Maekawa M, Iwayama Y, Ohnishi T, Toyoshima M, Shimamoto C, Hisano Y, Toyota T, Balan S, Matsuzaki H, Iwata Y, Takagai S, Yamada K, Ota M, Fukuchi S, Okada Y, Akamatsu W, Tsujii M, Kojima N, Owada Y, Okano H, Mori N, Yoshikawa T.
  "Investigation of the fatty acid transporter-encoding genes SLC27A3 and SLC27A4 in autism."
  Scientific Reports 5: 16239.

• 2014
  Yamazaki H, Kojima N, Kato K, Hirose H, Iwasaki T, Mizui T, Takahashi H, Hanamura K, Roppongi RT, Koibuchi N, Sekino Y, Mori N, Shirao T.
  "Spikar, a novel drebrin-binding protein, regulates the formation and stabilization of dendritic spines."
  Journal of Neurochemistry 128: 507–522.

• 2014
  Mizui T, Sekino Y, Yamazaki H, Ishizuka Y, Takahashi H, Kojima N, Kojima M and Shirao T.
  "Myosin II ATPase activity mediates the long-term potentiation-induced exodus of stable F-actin bound by drebrin A from dendritic spines."
  PLoS ONE 9: e85367.

• 2013
  Roppongi RT, Kojima N, Hanamura K, Yamazaki H, Shirao T.
  "Selective reduction of drebrin and actin in dendritic spines of hippocampal neurons by activation of 5-HT(2A) receptors."
  Neuroscience Letters 547: 76–81.

Conference

• 2021 Jul
  Yoshida A, Kojima N.
  "Impaired olfactory-dependent neural activity in drebrin knockout mice."
  The 44th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society/The 1st CJK International Meeting (Online meeting)

• 2020 Mar
  Kato R, Kojima N.
  "Heat stress-induced cognitive dysfunction is caused by changes in the gut microbiota. "
  The 98th Annunal Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan（Web meeting）

• 2020 Mar
  Sawabe M, Kojima N.
  "Changes in spine morphology and learning behavior in drebrin knockout mice."
  The 98th Annunal Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan（Web meeting）

• 2019 Mar
  Kojima N, Sawabe M, Shu Kaiin, Hanamura K, Shirao T.
  "The activity of metabotropic glutamate receptor affects drebrin localization in dendritic spines."
  9th FAOPS congress Kobe

• 2018 Sep
  Shiraishi K, Kojima N.
  "Prenatal exposure to sodium valproate causes synaptic abnormality and gene expression changes in the brain."
  WFSBP 2018 Kobe

• 2017 Jul
  Shiraishi K, Urushiyama R, Yamazaki R, Kaneko S, Oka Y, Kojima N.
  "Prenatal exposure of mice to sodium valproate causes synaptic abnormality and change in gene expression in the brain."
  The 40th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Makuhari Messe

• 2017 Jul
  Kojima N, Yasuda H, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Impact of drebrin-knockout on mGluR5- and NMDAR-dependent LTD induction in the hippocampus."
  The 40th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Makuhari Messe

• 2016 Jul
  Kakegawa R, Shiraishi K, Kojima N.
  "Impact of molecular interactions of metabotropic glutamate receptor and drebrin on synaptic structural plasticity in hippocampal neurons."
  The 39th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, PACIFICO Yokohama

• 2015 Sep
  Kakegawa R, Kamasaki S, Todoriki T, Kojima N.
  "The role of metabotropic glutamate receptor on structural plasticity of dendritic spines in cultured hippocampal neurons."
  Domestic conference

• 2015 Sep
  Kajita Y, Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Sakurai T, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin knockout mice show olfactory dysfunction by impairment of adult neurogenesis and cell survival."
  Domestic conference

• 2015 Sep
  Yasuda H, Kojima N, Hanamura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin knockout mice show olfactory dysfunction by impairment of adult neurogenesis and cell survival."
  Domestic conference

• 2015 Jul
  Kajita Y. Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin knockout mice show the impairment of olfaction and adult neurogenesis."
  The 38th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Kobe convention center

• 2014 Nov
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Isono M, Yoshida Y, Shirao T.
  "Acute effect of X-irradiation and carbon ion-irradiation on fear memory formation and its underlying mechanism."
  The 41st Annual meeting of Society for Neuroscience, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC.

• 2014 Sep
  Kojima N.
  "Maturation of cytoskeletal molecules in neurons: Drebrin is a key molecule for synaptic plasticity."
  ISN satellite symposium on "Key molecules for neuronal maturation", The University of Tokyo

• 2014 Sep
  Koganezawa N, Puspitasari A, Kojima N, Isono M, Yoshida Y, Shirao T.
  "The time-dependent effects of radiation on fear memory and synaptic proteins."
  Domestic conference

• 2014 Sep
  Kajita Y, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin knockout mice show the olfaction impairment caused by delayed neural exchange in olfactory bulb."
  The 37th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, PACIFICO Yokohama

• 2014 Sep
  Koganezawa N, Kajita Y, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Primary cultured hippocampal neurons prepared from drebrin knockout mouse shows the decrease of MAP2 positive dendrites at late developmental stage."
  The 37th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, PACIFICO Yokohama

• 2014 Sep
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Isono M, Yoshida Y, Shirao T.
  "Acute effect of carbon ion irradiation on hippocampal neuronal cell death and fear memory formation."
  The 37th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, PACIFICO Yokohama

• 2014 Sep
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Shuchuan M, Kojima N, Isono M, Yoshida Y, Kanai T, Shirao T.
  "Acute effect of Carbon Ion Irradiation on hippocampal neuron and fear memory formation."
  The 6th ISN 2014 Special Neurochemistry Conference, The University of Tokyo

• 2014 Sep
  Shirao T, Koganezawa N, Kajita Y, Kojima N, Sakimura K.
  "Primary cultured neurons prepared from drebrin knockout mice have a few MAP2 positive dendrites."
  Domestic conference

• 2013 Nov
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Shirao T.
  "Acute effects of X-irradiation on learning, adult neurogenesis and the accumulation of drebrin."
  The 40th Annual meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego Convention Center, California

• 2013 Oct
  Kajita Y, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Impairment of Adult Neurogenesis by Drebrin Knockout Results in the Olfactory Dysfunction."
  Brain and Health Informatics 2013, Maebashi TERRSA

• 2013 Jun
  Puspitasari A, Koganezawa N, Kojima N, Shirao T.
  "Effect of X-irradiation on learning, cell death and synaptic proteins."
  Domestic conference

• 2013 Jun
  Kajita Y, Kojima N, Sakimura K, Shirao T.
  "Drebrin knockout mice show the impairment of olfactory acuity via affecting adult neurogenesis."
  Domestic conference

• 2013 Apr
  Kojima N.
  "Molecular and neuronal regulation of emotional memory: Age-related vulnerability to synaptic dysfunction in drebrin A-knockout mice."
  24th Biennial Meeting symposium, International Society for Neurochemistry, Cancun, Mexico