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教員紹介
YAMAGUCHI Akihiko
Research Interests
“The molecular study of gonadal sexual differentiation, development, maturation and environmental responsibility of Torafugu (Takifugu rubripes)”
“Molecular analysis of nuclear (germinal vesicle) structure and function in fish oocytes”
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Outline Activities
Fishes are interesting group of organisms in which to analyze sex determination and gonad development because they have various type of sexuality. Recently, the medaka Y-specific sex determination gene, DMY which is a duplicated copy of autosomal DMRT1 was identified. In other fishes, however, no information exists about the mode of sex determination, sex chromosomes or the process of gonad differentiation. We study molecular mechanism of these process using kinds of fishes(goldfish, pufferfish, zebrafish, so on). Recently, we try to analyze the germ cell differntiation during early larvae of Japanese pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes which has the most compact genomes of all vertebrates and used as a good model for comparative genome analysis. At present, we have been investigating the transcription factors that are necesary for differentiation of germ cells. Aromatase is an important steroidogenic enzyme converts androgen to estroge.Brain type aromatase (CYP19B) has a unique characteristics because fish brain 100-1000 fold more proteins and activity than mammals. We have been studying the role of estrogen in fish brain as well as gonads and other somatic organs.
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Educational Activities
Undergraduate School
Physiology and Ecology of Fishes II