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Neuroscience Laboratories

Laboratory for Single-cell Neurobiology

Prof. HORIE Takeo Prof. HORIE Takeo

Keywords:

Single-cell Transcriptomics, Optogenetics, Ascidian, Neural circuit, Neuron

Elucidate the development and function of the brain and nervous system through new analytical approaches at the single-cell and genetic levels.

The central nervous system (CNS) contains a wide variety of neurons. Individual neuron has their characteristic properties and plays a role in the higher functions of the brain. Therefore, elucidating the differentiation mechanisms and function of each neuron is an important research topic. We study the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis, simple CNS as a model system to understand the chordate brain development and function at the single-cell resolution by combining the single-cell genomics and neurophysiological techniques.

Ascidians belong to the phylum Chordata and are the closest invertebrate relatives to vertebrates. Ascidian larvae have a tadpole-like shape and the basic design of vertebrates, including dorsal morphology. The ascidian larvae’s central nervous system is the least complex among chordates, consisting of only 177 neurons.

Members

HORIE Takeo (Professor)  
HASHIMOTO Hidehiko (Assistant Professor)  
HORIE Ryoko (JSPS Research Fellow/Specially Appointed Researcher)  
KOBAYASHI Kenji (Specially Appointed Assistant Professor)  
MIYAOKU Kaori (Specially Appointed Researcher)  
YOSHIDA Reiko (Specially Appointed Researcher)  
 

You could probably reach more information of individual researchers by Research Map and researcher's search of Osaka-U.

 
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Q&A

What is your hot research topic?
We are conducting research to elucidate the development and physiological functions of the brain and central nervous system through single-cell genomics and optogenetics, among other various techniques. In particular, we focus on neural circuits related to external environmental stimuli such as light, gravity, and contact stimuli, as well as research related to swimming motor neural circuits.
Have you had any breakthroughs or significant research progress in the last 5 years?
We have elucidated various neuronal differentiation mechanisms in ascidians using single-cell genomics technology. Currently, we are considering applying this technology to research on the function of individual neurons in neural circuits.
What kind of background do your lab members have?
Many of our lab members have backgrounds in developmental biology because ascidians have long been used as models for that field; however, we have other members from neuroscience, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and various other backgrounds.
Do you collaborate with other institutions and universities?
We are working through the JSPS Grant-in-aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) with people taking part in the Adaptive Circuit Census (ACC). Outside Japan, we collaborate with Princeton University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Royal Institute of France, and Beijing Normal University.
What kind of careers do your Lab's alumni go on to?
As this is a newly established laboratory, we hope many students will become leaders in the fields they go into in the future.
How do you develop your research?
From gene expressions to behavior, we would like to elucidate the entire brain and central nervous system.

Research Highlights

Publications (Research Articles, Reviews, Books)

2022

Prakriti Paul Chacha, Ryoko Horie, Takehiro G Kusakabe, Yasunori Sasakura, Mona Singh, Takeo Horie, Michael Levine

Neuronal identities derived by misexpression of the POU IV sensory determinant in a protovertebrate

PNAS 119(4):e2118817119  2022 PMID:35042818 DOI:10.1073/pnas.2118817119

2021

Taichi Akahoshi, Madoka K Utsumi, Kouhei Oonuma, Makoto Murakami, Takeo Horie, Takehiro G Kusakabe, Kotaro Oka, Kohji Hotta

A single motor neuron determines the rhythm of early motor behavior in Ciona

Science Advance 7(50):eabl6053  2021 PMID:34890229 DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abl6053

2018

Ryoko Horie, Alex Hazbun, Kai Chen, Chen Cao, Michael Levine & Takeo Horie

Shared evolutionary origin of vertebrate neural crest and cranial placodes

Nature 560(7717):228-232  2018 PMID:30069052 DOI:10.1038/s41586-018-0385-7

Takeo Horie, Ryoko Horie, Kai Chen, Chen Cao, Masashi Nakagawa, Takehiro G Kusakabe, Noriyuki Satoh, Yasunori Sasakura, Michael Levine

Regulatory cocktail for dopaminergic neurons in a protovertebrate identified by whole-embryo single-cell transcriptomics

Genes & Development 32(19-20):1297-1302  2018 PMID:30228204 DOI:10.1101/gad.317669.118

2017

Yongbin Li, Di Zhao, Takeo Horie, Geng Chen, Hongcun Bao, Siyu Chen, Weihong Liu, Ryoko Horie, Tao Liang, Biyu Dong, Qianqian Feng, Qinghua Tao, Xiao Liu

Conserved gene regulatory module specifies lateral neural borders across bilaterians

PNAS 114(31):E6352-E6360  2017 PMID:28716930 DOI:10.1073/pnas.1704194114

Our ideal candidate (as a graduate student)

We are looking for highly motivated people to work on our research topics. Our lab welcomes people who love living things, enjoy delicate work with their hands, and creating things.
We welcome everyone with any background, expertise, or majors. Our research motto is “enjoy research.”
We are looking for people who wish to take advantage of the research environment offered by the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences and who want to enjoy science to its fullest.

Contact

Laboratory for single-cell Neurobiology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University,
1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan.

TEL: +81-6-6105-5247 (Prof. HORIE Takeo)

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