School | Graduates School of Natural Science and Technology, Gifu University |
---|---|
Department/Division | Department of Life Science and Chemistry |
Specialty | Glycobiology |
Experience | Worked on the Gifu University iGEM (synthetic biology circle) team for 4 years |
My research area is N-glycosylation, which is a major posttranslational modification. N-glycosylation is highly conserved from yeast to mammals. It is catalyzed by glycosyltransferases in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. In addition, studies using glycosyltransferase knockout mice have shown that alterations and abnormal synthesis of N-glycans cause diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, regulation of glycan structures directly leads to disease treatments. Although the functional importance of N-glycans has been gradually revealed, the mechanisms regulating glycan synthesis remain largely unknown. The goal of my study is to understand the mechanisms regulating the activity and localization of glycosyltransferases. In the future, I would like to reveal the detailed molecular mechanisms of glycan biosynthesis and contribute to the elucidation of pathogenesis of diseases caused by abnormal glycan structures and drug development.