Laboratory of Public Health
Laboratory of Public Health
Japanese
Lab alumni reunion (Feb., 2024)
Protecting Our Health from Toxic Substances in Daily Life
The Department of Public Health investigates the molecular mechanisms of metal toxicity, particularly methylmercury, aiming to protect our health from toxic metal toxicity and achieve better health.
We examine the biological responses to the metal toxicants using various biological materials as models, including mice, mammalian cells, Arabidopsis thaliana (model plant), and E. coli. We apply the approaches of molecular and cellular biology as well as analytical chemistry to track and regulate the behaviors of toxic metals in organisms.
Research Achievements
Phenylmercury stress induces root tip swelling through auxin homeostasis disruption
Shimpei Uraguchi, Masakazu Sato, Chihiro Hagai, Momoko Hirakawa, Kotomi Ogawa, Miyu Odagiri, Haruka Sato, Ayaka Ohmori, Yuka Ohshiro, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yasukazu Takanezawa, Masako Kiyono.
Plant Molecular Biology, 115 :8 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-024-01538-6
A resilient mutualistic interaction between cucumber mosaic virus and its natural host to adapt to an excess zinc environment and drought stress.
Midori Tabara, Shimpei Uraguchi, Masako Kiyono, Izumi Watanabe, Atsushi Takeda, Hideki Takahashi, Toshiyuki Fukuhara.
Journal of Plant Research, 137 :1151-1164 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-024-01573-w
東京農工大学，東北大学，立命館大学との共同研究で，植物の亜鉛栄養状態とウィルスの共生が環境ストレス応答に及ぼす相互作用を明らかとしました。北里大では亜鉛の定量分析で貢献しました。
Oleanolic acid-3-glucoside, a synthetic oleanane-type saponin, ameliorates methylmercury-induced dysfunction of synaptic transmission in mice
Ryosuke?Nakamura,?Takashi?Iwai,?Yasukazu?Takanezawa,?Tatsuya?Shirahata,?Naruki?Konishi,?Yuka?Ohshiro,?Shimpei?Uraguchi,?Mitsuo?Tanabe,?Yoshinori?Kobayashi,?Kenji?Sakamoto,?Tsutomu?Nakahara,?Megumi?Yamamoto,?Masako?Kiyono.
Toxicology, 506 :153867 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2024.153867
Conversion of methylmercury into inorganic mercury via organomercurial lyase (MerB) activates autophagy and aggresome formation
Yasukazu Takanezawa, Kouhei Ishikawa, Shunsuke Nakayama, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yuka Ohshiro, Shimpei Uraguchi, Masako Kiyono.
Scientific reports, 13 :19958 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47110-y
Molecular Toxicology of Methylmercury and Phytoremediation of Toxic Metals for Human Health
Masako Kiyono, Yuka Ohshiro, Ryosuke Nakamura, Shimpei Uraguchi, Yasukazu Takanezawa.
BPB Reports, 6 :126-132 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1248/bpbreports.6.4_126
Inhibition of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Attenuates Methylmercury Toxicity in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
Yasukazu Takanezawa, Kazuma Sakai, Shunsuke Nakayama, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yuka Ohshiro, Shimpei Uraguchi, Masako Kiyono.
Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 46 :1203-1210 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b23-00014
Gadolinium-based contrast agents suppress adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells
Yasukazu Takanezawa, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yuka Ohshiro, Shimpei Uraguchi, Masako Kiyono.
Toxicology Letters, 383 :196-203 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.07.003
Root cell-type specific expressions of bacterial mercury transporter MerC and plant SNARE SYP121 fusion protein differentially affect cadmium accumulation patterns of Arabidopsis
Shimpei Uraguchi, Yuka Ohshiro, Kaede Abe, Yuta Tsuchiya, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yasukazu Takanezawa, Masako Kiyono.
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 69 :294-302 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2023.2234396
Proteasome and p62/SQSTM1 are involved in methylmercury toxicity mitigation in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells
Yasukazu Takanezawa, Ryosuke Nakamura, Yuka Ohshiro, Shimpei Uraguchi, Masako Kiyono.
Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 48 :355-361 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.2131/jts.48.355