Prof. Makoto Sato M.D., Ph.D.

Name:

Makoto SATO

Title:

Professor

Date of birth:

January 10, 1960

Field:

Cell Biology for migration, Developmental Neuroscience, Neocortex formation and psychiatric diseases

Membership:

Society for Neurosicence (USA), IBRO (International Brain Organization), ISN (International Society for Neurochemistry), Japanese Association of Anatomists, Japanese Society for Neurochemistry, Japan Neuroscience Society, The Molecular Biology Society of Japan, The Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists

Interests:

Table Tennis, Drive

Research Outline:

How does the neocortex develop? To address this question (and look for the ways to repair the damaged brain), we have been studying about the development of the brain, focusing on the phenomenon happening in the ventricular zone (germinal zone, neuroepithelium) of the neocortex. Most cortical neurons are born in the ventricular zone, differentiate, migrate out of the ventricular zone, then form the neocortex. We have cloned several novel molecules expressed in the ventricular zone and tried to elucidate functions of these molecules in order to reveal the mechanisms serving for differentiation of neurons, layer fate decisions and regulation of the migration start. Recently we cloned novel molecules (that we call 'FILIP') of which mRNAs are located in the ventricular zone. FILIP regulates cortical neurons out of the ventricular zone by inducing the degradation of actin-binding protein, Filamin A (Nagano, T. et al., Nature Cell Biology, 4: 495-501, 2002). When to start migration is essential to form 6 layers, typical feature of neocortex, and FILIP is a key molecule controlling this process. Outline of our work is introduced in highlight section of 'Nature Reviews, Molecular Cell Biology, 3:472-473. 2002'. We are now studying on the regulatory mechanisms of FILIP and Filamin A.

Message:

Let's enjoy exciting neuroscience, the area of science in the 21 century. Students/researches who have passion for sicence and doctors who are serious to cure people and want to work on the etiology of diseases are welcome. We are studying on cellular and molecular aspects of the neocortical formation and its related diseases. Hence the neocortex is formed of migrating neurons, we are also interested in cellular and molecular aspects of cell migration.