1. We are investigating how central nervous system responses to various stresses and adapt itself to a new environment at the level of neuron to living animal. Particularly we focus on the mechanism how neurotransmitters such as serotonin and neuropeptides act via receptors in so called limbic system including nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus and hippocampus.
2. We also study the effect of sex hormones and neuropeptides on the structure and function of neural system to regulate the behavior. We use various methods for the neuroendocrinological approach such as molecular biology, cell biology, histochemical study, and behavioral assay.
3. The third research project is a basic study for neurodegenenration. It involves the investigation of the mechanism of abnormal protein aggregation called Lewy bodies in neurons of patients with synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. α-Synuclein is a major constituent of Lewy bodies and recently evidence is accumulating that abnormally polymerized α-synuclein spread in the brain like prion protein by cell to cell propagation along the progression of diseases. We would like to unveil the mechanism of pathological α-synuclein spreading.

1. Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Taguchi K, Tanaka M. HSF1 stress response pathway regulates autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62-associated proteostasis. Autophagy in press.

  3.Taguchi K, Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Tanaka M. Brain region-dependent differential expression of alpha-synuclein. J Comp Neurol 524:1236-1258, 2016.

  4.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.

  5.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 Dis73: 244-253, 2015.

6.Yamada S, Kawata M. Identification of neural cells activated by mating stimulus in the periaqueductal gray in female rats. Front Neurosci 8: 421, 2014.

7.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 Neuropsychopharmacol17: 739-751, 2014.

8.Matsuda K I. Epigenetic changes in the estrogen receptor α gene promoter: implications in sociosexual behaviors. Front Neurosci 8: 344, 2014.

9.Matsuda K I, Yanagisawa M, Sano K, Ochiai I, Musatov S, Okoshi K, Tsukahara S, Ogawa S, Kawata M. Visualisation and characterisation of oestrogen receptor α-positive neurons expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of the estrogen receptor α promoter. Eur J Neurosci 38: 2242-2249, 2013.

10.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 One7: e52868, 2012.

11.Watanabe Y, Tanaka M. p62/SQSTM1 in autophagic clearance of a non-ubiquitylated substrate. J Cell Sci124: 2692-2701, 2011.

12.Watanabe Y, Tsujimura A, Takao K, Nishi K, Ito Y, Yasuhara Y, Nakatomi Y, Yokoyama C, Fukui K, Miyakawa T, Tanaka M.Relaxin-3-deficient mice showed slight alteration in anxiety-related behavior. Front Behav Neurosci5: 50, 2011.

13.Tanaka M. Relaxin-3/insulin-like peptide 7, a neuropeptide involved in the stress response and food intake. FEBS J277: 4990-4997, 2010.

14.Tanaka M, Watanabe Y, Yoshimoto K. Regulation of relaxin 3 gene expression via cAMP-PKA in a neuroblastoma cell line. J Neurosci Res87: 820-829, 2009.