Staff

TAKEMI ShotaSpecially Appointed Assistant Professor

Laboratory
Laboratory of Innate Immunity
Research Theme
Understanding the mechanisms of gut-other organs communication with a focus on α-defensin
Research Keywords

Mucosal immunology, Gut microbiota, Paneth cell, Antimicrobial peptide, α-defensin, Gut-brain axis, Food is medicine

Overview of Research

Emotion and consciousness are thought to be formed by the activity of neurons in the brain. Various factors such as hormones and inflammatory signaling molecules secreted from the periphery affect neural activity, and recently it has been reported that gut microbiota is involved in regulating neural activity and controlling emotion and consciousness. However, the details of the mechanisms by which gut microbiota regulate emotion and consciousness are unknown. I aim to understand how the gut communicate with the brain and what is caused by gut-brain axis dysregulation and manipulate the brain from the gut. To this end, we will elucidate the mechanism of secretory regulation of α-defensin, which controls the composition of the gut microbiota, followed by clarifying the molecular mechanism of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Furthermore, since the gut contributes to maintain homeostasis not only with the brain but also with all organs in the body, I will clarify the communication between the gut and other organs and its underlying mechanism and contribute to the improvement of human health from the approaches of gut microbial manipulation.

Charge

Message

As inferred from such phrases as “stomach tied up in knots”, “gut-wrenching experience”, and “butterflies in your stomach”, the gut has long been thought to be closely related to feelings. Recently, it has been discovered that the gut communicates not only with the brain but also with various organs throughout the body, issuing commands for the normal operation of our bodies. The driving principles of life, including the gut, are complex and very fascinating to study.

Representative Publications

Matsuzaki T, Terutsuki D, Sato S, Ikarashi K, Sato K, Mitsuno H, Okumura R, Yoshimura Y, Usami S, Mori Y, Fujii M, Takemi S, Nakabayashi S, Yoshikawa HY, Kanzaki R. Low Surface Potential with Glycoconjugates Determines Insect Cell Adhesion at Room Temperature. J Phys Chem Lett 2022 doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01673.

Lu Z, Cui D, Liu JYH, Jiang B, Ngan MP, Sakata I, Takemi S, Sakai T, Lin G, Chan SW, Rudd JA. The Actions of Centrally Administered Nesfatin-1 on Emesis, Feeding, and Locomotor Activity in Suncus murinus (House Musk Shrew). Front Pharmacol 2022 doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.858522.

Shankar K, Metzger NP, Singh O, Mani BK, Osborne-Lawrence S, Varshney S, Gupta D, Ogden SB, Takemi S, Richard CP, Nandy K, Liu C, Zigman JM. Mol Metab 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101327.

Shankar K, Takemi S, Gupta D, Varshney S, Mani BK, Osborne-Lawrence S, Metzger NP, Richrd CP Berglund ED, Zigman JM. JCI insight 2021 doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.146983.

Takemi S, Nishio R, Taguchi H, Ojima S, Matsumoto M, Sakai T, Sakata I. Molecular cloning and analysis of Suncus murinus group IIA secretary phospholipase A2 expression. Dev Comp Immunol 2019 doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103427.

Takemi S, Ojima S, Tanaka T, Sakai T, Sakata I. Identification and characterization of an antimicrobial peptide, lysozyme, from Suncus murinus. Cell Tissue Res 2019 doi: 10.1007/s00441-019-02991-2.

Refer to HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS DIRECTORY

Note

<Office Hour>
– Time: Anytime during the lecture period
– Place: Frontier-AMLS, 4F
Please contact in advance by E-mail.
E-mail: stakemi[at]sci.hokudai.ac.jp

Affiliation