We are enjoying the research to explore the biological significance of sperm cells and eukaryotic cilia and flagella. The main experimental materials used in this
lab are tunicates (Ciona intestinalis), salmon, trout, flounder, sea urchin, snails, comb jelly, Japanese spiny lobster, etc, most of which can be collected near our lab.
MEMBERS (2025)
Kazuo Inaba: Professor
Kogiku Shiba: Assistant Professor
Yuma Tani: Postdoctoral Fellow
Ryo Yokoya: D1
Rintaro Mori: M2
Shinichi Asaga: M2
Shunsuke Goto: M1
Kaito Komoda: M1
Keita Fukuwatari: B4
Kiara Mashiba: B4
Masae Ohata: Technical Assistant
Hosumi Kano: Technical Assistant
CURRENT RESEARCH
Biology of Sperm: Molecular characterization of sperm flagella, Molecular mechanism of flagellar motility and its regulation, Sperm activation and chemotaxis by egg-derived substances, Ubiquitin/proteasome system in sperm function, EST/genome/poroteomic analyses of testis-expressed genes and proteins*, Molecular mechanism of spermatogenesis, Comparative biochemistry of sperm protein, Molecular diversity of sperm protein.
Biology of cilia and flagella: Structure and function of axonemal dyneins, Regulation of flagellar motility by protein kinase and phosphatase, Molecular architecture of axoneme, cDNA and proteomic analysis of axonemal protein, in vitro assembly of axoneme, Functions of cilia and flagella in development, CNS and immune system, Phylogenetic analysis of ciliary and flagellar proteins. Evolution and diversity of cilia and flagella.
Post-genomic analysis of marine invertebrates: Proteomic analysis of embryonic development and adult tissues of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, Ciona intestinalis protein database (CIPRO**), application of the system for proteomic analysis in Ciona to other marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins