Professor

Harukazu NAKAMURA

Assistant Professor

Jun-ichi FUNAHASHI

Assistant Professor

Yuji WATANABE

GCOE postdoctoral fellow

Minoru OMI

JSPS fellow

Hidekiyo HARADA

We have been interested in the regionalization of the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, we have developed a very effective gene transfer system in chick embryos, in ovo electroporation. This system is so effective for misexpression of the gene of interest that the chick embryo is revived as a model animal for developmental biology. siRNA system has enabled us to silence the expression of target gene. We have studied the mechanisms of regionalization of the optic tectum and cerebellum. For the tectum development, Otx2, Enl and Pax2 should be expressed. Repressive interaction between Pax6 and En1/Pax2, and between Otx2 and Gbx2 determines the di-mesencephalic and mes/metencephalic boundary, respectively.

Mid-hindbrain boundary (isthmus) functions as an organizer for the tectum and the cerebellum. We have shown that strong Fgf8 signal represses Otx2 expression and induces Gbx2 and Irx2 expression in the midbrain. Consequently, the cerebellum could be induced in the midbrain by strong Fgf8 signal. We are now interested in downstream signal transduction of Fgf8 in the midbrain and hindbrain.