From People - School of Science, The University of Tokyo
真行寺 千佳子 (しんぎょうじ ちかこ)
SHINGYOJI, Chikako
| Title | Associate Professor |
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| Affiliation | Department of Biological Sciences (Zoological Science), Graduate School of Science |
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| Room | 318, Faculty of Science Bldg.2, 3F |
| TEL | +81-3-5841-4065 24065 (ext.) |
Research Field
Cell Biology, Comparative Physiology
Research Subject
Regulation of motile activity of the motor protein dynein; Mechanism of flagellar movement; Regulatory mechanisms of motor proteins in fish melanophores
Current Research
Almost all movements of animals and plants are driven by “motor proteins” of the cell. Among these molecular motors, dynein is responsible not only for the bending movement of cilia and flagella, including the motile machinery of sperm cells, but for many motile activities that play pivotal roles in the life of animal and plant cells. We study the motile mechanism of dynein molecules in beating sea urchin sperm flagella, focusing in particular on the regulatory role of the mechanical signal associated with the flagellar bending itself. We are also interested in the regulatory mechanism of vesicular transport in cells by multiple motor proteins. Using fish melanophores as model cells, the regulation of the movement of melanosomes (melanin-containing granules) which are driven by dynein, kinesin and myosin V, is studied.
Keywords
dynein, flagella, sea urchin, sperm, microtubule, sliding, 9+2 structure, calcium, cAMP, mechanical force, signal transduction, single molecule analysis, image analysis, chromatophore, melanophore, pigment granule, melansome, body color change, zebrafish, kinesin, myosin V,