Research

We are focusing on large-scale intracellular degradation phenomena occurring in vivo to elucidate their fundamental and universal mechanisms and related diseases.

Large-scale intracellular degradation occurs in various organs in our body, but the molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of many of these phenomena are still unknown. Even in organ-specific physiological phenomena, there is always some mechanism behind the dramatic phenomena. If the mechanism is fundamental, universal, and novel, it will lead to the creation of new research areas, elucidation of the pathogenesis of related diseases, and development of new therapeutics.

Although autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system are known as typical intracellular degradation systems, we have recently discovered a novel organelle degradation mechanism, in which PLAAT, a lipid-metabolizing enzyme in the cytosol, selectively degrades damaged organelles (Morishita* [*co-senior author] et al., Nature 2021).

Currently, we are broadening our vision further, and focusing on large-scale intracellular degradation phenomena occurring in several organs and diseases to elucidate their fundamental and universal mechanisms. To this end, we use our originally constructed in vivo 4D (spatial 3D + temporal) screening system, high depth omics technology, genome editing technology, model organisms (zebrafish, mice), in vitro reconstruction technology, and theoretical biology. Our goal is to contribute to understanding the pathogenesis of related diseases and developing new preventive and therapeutic methods.