Tohoku university school of medicine

Human genome can potentially define more than 2^25,000 gene expression spaces. While this astronomical potential is fundamental to biological phenomena such as cell differentiation and development, it can also be causative to many diseases such as cancer. The key regulatory factor that defines gene expression spaces is “transcription factor”. We focus on transcription factors such as Bach1, Bach2, and p53 which play critical roles in hematopoietic cell differentiation, immune response, oxidative stress response, and tumor suppression. We are trying to understand how these transcription factors define gene expression spaces together with their interacting proteins including chromatin modifying enzymes. We also identify their target gene sets. Collectively, we hope to generate DECODEing networks for gene expression spaces in biological responses and diseases including cancer.

1) The transcriptional programme of antibody class switching involves the repressor Bach2. Nature 429, 566-571 2004
Bach2 is essential for class switch and somatic hypermutation of antibody genes during immune response.
2) Plasmacytic transcription factor Blimp-1 is repressed by Bach2 in B cells. J. Biol. Chem. 281, 38226-38234 2006
Bach2 represses the master regulator gene of plasma cell differentiation, Blimp-1, in B cells.
3) Heme induces ubiquitination and degradation of the transcription factor Bach1. Mol. Cell. Biol. 27, 6962-6971 2007
Heme binds to Bach1 to induce its poly-ubiquitination and degradation, which is a novel mechanism for coupling metabolic activity and gene expression.
4) DNA damage-dependent acetylation and ubiquitination of H2AX enhances chromatin dynamics. Mol. Cell. Biol. 27, 7028-7040 2007
Acetylation and poly-ubiquitination of histone H2AX is critical for DNA damage response.
5) JSPS PRIZE Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 2006 he studies on the transcription factors Bach1 and Bach2 are regarded as excellent and outstanding.
This prize recognizes and supports young researchers with rich creativity and superlative research ability at an early stage in their careers.

transcription factor, chromatin, cancer, cellular senescence, humoral immunity, immunity, oxidative stress response, heme