1. 神経系がストレスなどの刺激に反応し、順応する過程を解明するために、細胞レベルから動物モデルを用いた個体レベルまでの研究も行っています。特に脳内の特定の領域で神経伝達物質が受容体を介して作用する情報伝達機構を構造と機能の両面から探求しています。現在情動・依存に関わるセロトニンや脳ペプチドの研究を行っています。
2. 老化に伴って起こる神経変性疾患である、パーキンソン病（PD）や認知症を引き起こすレビー小体型認知症(DLB)の病態を解明するための基礎研究も行っています。PDやDLBはシヌクレイノパチーとも呼ばれ、α-シヌクレインというタンパク質が病的に凝集した細胞内封入体、レビー小体の存在が病理学的な特徴で、近年レビー小体が病気の進行とともに脳内に広がることが指摘されています。私たちはα-シヌクレインの凝集や分解機構、そして神経細胞間を伝播する機構について精力的に研究を進めています。

1. Yoshii T, Oishi N, Sotozono Y, Watanabe A, Sakai Y, Yamada S, Matsuda KI, Kido M, Ikoma K, Tanaka M, and Narumoto J. Validation of　Wistar-Kyoto rats kept in solitary housing as an animal model for depression using voxel-based morphometry. Sci Rep 14: 3601, 2024.
2. Matsuda KI, Takahashi T, Morishita S, Tanaka M. Histological analysis of neuronal changes in the olfactory cortex during pregnancy. Heliyon 10: e26780, 2024.
3. Watanabe Y, Taguchi K, and Tanaka M. Roles of Stress Response in Autophagy Processes and Aging-Related Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 24: 13804, 2023.
4. Yamada S, van Kooten N, Mori T, Taguchi K, Tsujimura A, and Tanaka M. Efferent and Afferent Connections of Neuropeptide Y Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens of Mice. Front Neuroanat 15:741868, 2021.
5.  Tanaka M, Yamada S, and Watanabe Y. The Role of Neuropeptide Y in the Nucleus Accumbens. Int J Mol Sci 22: 7287, 2021.
6.  Taguchi K, Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, and Tanaka M. α-Synuclein Promotes Maturation of Immature Juxtaglomerular Neurons in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb. Mol Neurobiol 57: 1291-1304, 2020.
7.  Yamada S, Islam MS, van Kooten N, Bovee S, Oh YM, Tsujimura A, Watanabe Y, Tanaka M. Neuropeptide Y neurons in the nucleus accumbens modulate anxiety-like behavior. Experimental Neurology 327: 113216, 2020.
8.  Tanaka M and Watanabe Y. RNA Editing of Serotonin 2C Receptor and Alcohol Intake. Front Neurosci 13:1390, 2020.
9. Shirahase T, Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Kwak S, Yamamoto T, Kanamura N, and Tanaka M. Ethanol Preference and Drinking Behavior Are Controlled by RNA Editing in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Behav Neurosci 12: 331, 2019.
10.  Taguchi K, Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, and Tanaka M. Expression of α-synuclein is regulated in a neuronal cell type-dependent manner. Anat Sci Int 94: 11-22, 2019.
11.  Watanabe Y and Tanaka M. Regulation of autophagy by heat shock factor 1-mediated stress response pathway. Asea AAA, Kaur P (editors) Heat Shock Protein and Stress (Springer International Publishing AG) 167-178, 2018.
12. Balabanov IE, Matsuda KI, Mori H, Yamada S, Kitagawa K, Yamamoto Y, Tsukahara S, Tanaka M. Neuronal activity in the sagittalis nucleus of the hypothalamus after ovarian steroid hormone manipulation and sexual behavior in female rat. Neurosci Let 671: 25-28, 2018.
13. Tanida T, Matsuda KI, Yamada S, Kawata M Tanaka M. Immunohistochemical profiling of estrogen-related receptor gamma in rat brain and colocalization with estrogen receptor alpha in the preoptic area. Brain Res 1659: 71-80, 2017.
14. Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Taguchi K, Tanaka M. HSF1 stress response pathway regulates autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62-associated proteostasis. Autophagy 13: 133-148, 2017.
15. Aoki M, Watanabe Y, Yoshimoto K, Tsujimura A, Yamamoto T, Kanamura N, Tanaka M. Involvement of 5-HT2CR RNA editing in accumbal NPY expression and behavioral despair.Eur J Neurosci 43: 1219-1228, 2016.
16. Taguchi K, Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Tanaka M. Brain region-dependent differential expression of alpha-synuclein. J Comp Neurol 524:1236-1258, 2016.
17. Tanida T, Matsuda K I, Yamada S, Hashimoto T, Kawata M. Estrogen-related receptor β reduces the subnuclear mobility of estrogen receptor α and suppresses estrogen-dependent cellular function. J Biol Chem 290: 12332-12345, 2015.
18. Tsujimura A, Taguchi K, Watanabe Y, Tatebe H, Tokuda T, Mizuno T, Tanaka M. Lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B enhances the aggregate forming activity of exogenous α-synuclein fibrils. Neurobiol Dis 73: 244-253, 2015.
19. Yamada S, Kawata M. Identification of neural cells activated by mating stimulus in the periaqueductal gray in female rats. Front Neurosci 8: 421, 2014.
20. Watanabe Y, Yoshimoto K, Tatebe H, Kita M, Nishikura K, Kimura M, Tanaka M. Enhancement of alcohol drinking in mice depends on alterations in RNA editing of serotonin 2C receptors. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 17: 739-751, 2014.
21. Matsuda K I. Epigenetic changes in the estrogen receptor α gene promoter: implications in sociosexual behaviors. Front Neurosci 8: 344, 2014.
22. Watanabe Y, Tatebe H, Taguchi K, Endo Y, Tokuda T, Mizuno T, Nakagawa M, Tanaka M. p62/SQSTM1-dependent autophagy of Lewy body-like α-synuclein inclusions. PLoS One 7: e52868, 2012.
23. Watanabe Y, Tanaka M. p62/SQSTM1 in autophagic clearance of a non-ubiquitylated substrate. J Cell Sci 124: 2692-2701, 2011.

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