Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Hokkaido University

Laboratory of Biochemistry

Our laboratory is aiming to explore
new research areas of lipids.

Lipids are defined as water insoluble biomolecules,
and organisms have a huge number of lipid molecules.
Energy source, biological membrane formation,
and lipid mediator function are famous as three major functions of lipids.
However, our laboratory is aiming to explore new research areas of lipids,
not these well-known functions.

RESEARCH

News

Apr, 2024 The paper revealing deficiency in the intracellular magnesium concentration increase in differented keratinocytes causes enhanced production of 1-O-acylceramides and a change in the O-acyl chain composition of ω-O-acylceramides has been published in J Lipid Res.
Feb, 2024 The paper revealing catalytic mechanism of trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductases in the fatty acid elongation cycle and its cooperative action with fatty acid elongases has been published in J Biol Chem.
Dec, 2023 The paper revealing the ceramide profiles of three strains of ichthyosis model mice (deficient in acylceramide-sythesis) has beenn published in J Dermatol Sci.
Oct, 2023 The paper revealing the structure of protein-bound ceramides has been published in iSceince.
Jun, 2023 The paper revealing that α-oxidation of 2-hydroxyacyl fatty acids by the 2-hydroxyacyl CoA lyase HACL2 is involved in the production of odd-chain fatty acids in the brain and stomach has been published in Mol Biol Cell.
May, 2023 The paper on the metabolism of sphingadiene and the enzymatic characgterization of its producing enzyme FADS3 has been published in Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids.
Apr, 2023 The paper on oral permeability barrier formation by acylceramides and protein-bound ceramides has been published in Cell Rep.
(Press release)
Mar, 2023 The paper revealing that DEGS2, a bifunctional enzyme that exhibits hydroxylase and desaturase activities toward dihydroceramides, exhibits higher hydroxylase activity toward very long-chain substrates has been published in J Biol Chem.
Feb, 2023 The paper revealing the molecular mechanism of spinocerebellar ataxia type 34 caused by mutations in the fatty acid elongase ELOVL4 has been published in Mol Cell Biol.
Aug, 2022 The paper revealing the ceramide profile of the stratum corneum of patients with Sjögren-Larsson syndrome, a cutaneous neurological disease, has been published in J Dermatol Sci.
Aug, 2022 The paper revealing the effect of ichthyosis mutations in PNPLA1, which is involved in acylceramide production, on its activity and subcellular localization has been published in J Dermatol Sci.
May, 2022 The paper on whole picture of human stratum corneum ceramides, including the chain-length diversity of long-chain bases, has been published in J Lipid Res.
(Press release)
Apr, 2022 The paper on stratum corneum ceramide profiles in ichthyosis syndrome patients who have mutations in the fatty acid elongase ELOVL1 has been published in Brain Dev (in collaboration with Dr. Akcakata, Turkey).
Mar, 2022 The paper identifying an enzyme involved in the production of very long-chain alcohols in lipids in the tear film lipid layer and its role in the prevention of dry eye has been published in FASEB J.
Aug, 2021 The paper revealing that abnormal skin barrier function in a mouse model of Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (Aldh3a2 Aldh3b2 double KO mice) is caused by decreased acylceramide levels has been published in Mol Cell Biol.
Aug, 2021 The paper on the protein-bound ceramide levels in the transglutaminase Tgm1 KO mouse epidermis has been published in J Dermatol.
Apr, 2021 The paper on the importance of the diversity of the tear film lipid layer produced by acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferases, Awat1 and Awat2, in preventing dry eye has been published in iSience.
Apr, 2021 The paper on the improvement of the dry eye phnotypes of the fatty acid elongase Elovl1 mutant mice by ophthalmic solution containing mineral oil has been published in Transl Vis Sci Technol.
Apr, 2021 The paper on direct phospholipid phosphatase-independent uptake of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) through the S1P transporters SPNS2 and MFSD2B has been published in J Biol Chem.
Apr, 2021 The paper on the effcts of the mutations in the fatty acid ω-hydroxylase gene CYP4F22 on enzyme activity and acylceramide production has been published in J Dermatol Sci.
Jan, 2021 The paper on the stratum corneum ceramide profile in a congenital ichthyosis patient with mutations in the ceramide synthase gene CERS3 has been published in J Dermatol.
Jan, 2021 The paper on the production of branched-chain very-long-chain fatty acids by fatty acid elongases and their tissue distribution in mammals has been published in Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids.
Jul, 2020 The paper on catalytic residues, substrate specificity, and role in carbon starvation of the 2-hydroxy fatty acid dioxygenase Mpo1 in yeast has been published in J Lipid Res.
Apr, 2020 The paper on profiling ceramide molecular species in human and mouse stratum corneum by comprehensive analyses has been published in J Lipid Res.
Apr, 2020 The paper on dry eye prevention by omega-hydroxy lipids including OAHFA in tears has been published in eLife.
(Press release).
Feb, 2020 The paper on skin permeability barrier formation by the ichthyosis-causative gene FATP4 through formation of the barrier lipid acylceramide has been published in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.
(Press release)
Feb, 2020 The paper on the identification of FADS3, a ceramide desaturase gene that functions in the production of the long-chain base sphingadiene, has been published in FASEB J.
Jan, 2020 The paper on severe skin permeability barrier defect in knockout mice deficient in a fatty acid ω-hydroxylase gene involved in acylceramide production has been published in J Invest Dermatol.
Dec, 2019 The paper on the knockout mice of the fatty acid elongase gene Elovl1 exhibiting motor dysfunction due to shortening of myelin sphingolipids has been published in FASEB BioAdv.
Apr, 2019 The paper by the collaborator Dr. Hiraoka that the fatty acid elongase Elo2 prevents the lethality caused by nuclear enveople dysfunction in fission yeast has been published in J Cell Sci.
Feb, 2019 The paper by the collaborator Dr. Schuelke on a mutation in fatty acid elongase ELOVL1 and ichthyosis syndrome has been published in J Med Genet.
Mar, 2019 The paper on the novel dioxygenase Mpo1 that functions in α-oxidation of 2-hydroxy fatty acids in yeast has been published in Mol Cell Biol.
Nov, 2018 The paper on cooperation of ABHD5, the gene product of Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome-causative gene, and the transacylase PNPLA1 in acylceramide production has been published in J Dermatol Sci.
Oct, 2018 The paper by the collaborator Dr. Monde on a sphingosine 1-phosphate agonist designed from a naturally occurring sphingomyelin synthase inhibitor has been published in ChemComm.
Oct, 2018 The review article on the transacylase PNPLA1 functioning in acylceramide production has been published in Biochim Biophys Acta.
Sep, 2018 The paper on tissue distribution and synthetic pathway of polyunsaturated C24:2 sphingolipids has been published in Biochim Biophys Acta.
Aug, 2018 The paper by the collaborator Dr. Ishi on improvement of emphysema by sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator ONO-4641 has been published in Mucosal Immunol.
Jan, 2019 The paper on the molecular mechanism of the neural symptoms of Sjögren-Larsson syndrome has been published in FASEB J.
May, 2018 Resistration of the 2nd Japan-Korea Lipid Joint Symposium is started.
Jan, 2018 The paper on dry eye and very long-chain fatty acids has been published in FASEB J.
(Press release)
Jan, 2018 The paper by the collaborator Dr. Niwa on phytosphingosine and ER stress surveillance pathway has been published in J Cell Biol.
Nov, 2017 The paper on the molecular mechanism of ichthyosis caused by NIPAL4 mutation been published in J Invest Dermatol.
Sep, 2017 The paper on the substrate specificity of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratases HACD1-4 involved in the very long-chain fatty acid production has been published in J Biol Chem.
Aug, 2017 The paper on ichthyosis cauesd by KDSR mutations by the collaborators Dr. McGrath and Dr. Akiyama has been published in J Invest Dermatol.
Jun, 2017 The paper on calcium homeostasis in yeast by the collaborator Dr. Ohya has been published in Mol Biol Cell.
Mar, 2017 The paper on phytosphingosine metabolism and fatty acid α-oxidation in the ER has been published in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.
Mar, 2017 The paper on the identification of the transacylase PNPLA1 catalyzing the produciton of the skin barrier lipid acylceramide has been published in Nat Commun.
(Press release)
Feb, 2017 The paper on the 15-lipoxygenase metabolites in Olmsted syndrome model rat has been published in J Dermatol Sci.
Dec, 2016 The paper on the suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal tubular epithelial cells by the synthetic lipid AM251 has been published in PLos One.
Dec, 2016 The paper on the involvement of Rim101 pathway in the ER stress adaption has been published in Biochem J.
Oct, 2016 The paper on the early steps in coenzyme Q biosynthesis by the collaborator Dr. Pierrel has been published in Cell Chem Biol.
Feb, 2017 The paper on the region required for the activity of the long-chain transporter Rsb1 in yeast has been published in J Biochem.
May, 2016 The paper on the transport of long-chain bases into cells by acyl-CoA synthetases has been published in Sci Rep.
May, 2016 The review article on ceramides and acylceramides has been published in Prog Lipid Res.
Apr, 2016 The paper on the skin phenotypes of the knockout mice of the Sjögren-Larsson syndrome gene Aldh3a2 has been published in J Biol Chem.
Apr, 2016 The paper on the regulation of the ceramide synthases CERS2-6 by phosphorylation has been published in J Biol Chem.
Jan, 2016 The paper on the role of the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 in epithelial defense against cancer by the collaborator Dr. Fujita has been published in Mol Biol Cell.
Dec, 2015 The paper on the molecular mechanism of the lipid asymmetry sensing by Rim21 has been published in J Biol Chem.
Oct, 2015 The paper on the differential localization of sphingomyelin species in brain by the collaborators Dr. Sugimoto and Dr. Kuge has been published in Biochim Biophys Acta.
Oct, 2015 The paper on the role of the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogease HACD1 in skeletal muscle development by the collaorators Dr. Tiret and Dr. Pilot-Storck has been published in J Mol Cell Biol.
Jun, 2015 The paper on the identification of the ω-hydroxyase CYP4F22 involved in the produciton of the skin barrier lipid acylceramide has been published in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.
Jan, 2015 The paper on the identification of the putative phospholipid flippase Opt2 in yeast has been published in J Cell Sci.
Jan, 2015 The paper on the localization of the aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH3B2 in lipid droplets via Trp residues and lipid modification has been published in Biochem J.
Oct, 2014 The paper on phytosphingosine metabolic pathway and identification of the novel gene MPO1 has been published in Nat Commun.

Members Introduction

Introducing the members of the Laboratory of Biochemistry.

MEMBERS