Researcher's Profile

March 1992	Medical School, The University of Tokyo(UTokyo)
December 1992	Assistant professor, ICU, Ichihara Hospital, Teikyo University
January 1994	MD, Yokohama Rosai Hospital
April 1995	MD, Internal Medicine, UTokyo Hospital
March 1999	Research Associate, Komaba Open Laboratory, UTokyo
April 2003	Visiting Researcher, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University
December 2007	Research Associate, RCAST, UTokyo
April 2010	Project Associate Professor, RCAST, UTokyo
April 2013	Professor, Radioscope Center, UTokyo

　 　

In vascular system, endothelial cell has an important role in responding and adapting to various environmental stimulation including hypoxia, modif ied lipid, and inf lammation. Atherosclerosis is considered as a result of bankrupt of this adaptation system. Formerly these findings were observed by comprehensive gene expression analysis using microarray. In these days, combination of chromatin immuno-precipitation and de ep s equencing enable s us to obs er ve dynamic movement of chromatin by identifying localization of histone modification, polymerase binding, and special proximity in whole genome manner. Based on the finding obtained by gene expression analysis, we are trying to clarify the mode of action of RNA polymerase II, which transcribe genomic DNA and generate RNA. Unexpectedly, our findings did not fit to the linear sliding model, which was established from bacteria research. Our data suggested not free single polymerase but organized multiple polymerases pull DNA of necessity into hot spot and perform transcription, as was proposed as "factory hypothesis" by Cook in 1981. Currently, we are focusing to clarify the identity of this transcription factory complex, and elucidate the mechanism of dynamic movement of chromatin in response to inflammatory stimulation. Transcription is one of the most fundamental phenomena, which is beyond the power of microscopy, and we are trying to dissect this by virtue of latest experimental technology, informatics method, and international collaboration.