Our laboratory aims to understand higher brain functions and pathophysiology of human psychiatric and neurological diseases, by mapping the marmoset brain precisely

Hideyuki Okano

Hideyuki Okano, M.D., Ph.D.

Team Leader, Marmoset Neural Architecture
hideyuki.okano [at] riken.jp

Research Overview

Our lab was the first in the world to successfully generate transgenic marmosets with germline transmission. Our gene modification techniques can be used in a variety of non-human primates. Through our study of genetically modified marmosets (including disease models), we aim to understand the higher cognitive functions that are unique to primates. Ultimately, we hope to apply our work in treating human neurologic diseases. Little is known about the axonal connectivity and functional distribution in the marmoset brain. Thus, we also aim to create a structural and functional marmoset brain atlas by combining 9.4T MRI, tracer injection and Ca2+ imaging techniques.

Selected Publications

  1. Okano H, Sasaki E, Yamamori T, Iriki A, Shimogori T, Yamaguchi Y, Kasai K, Miyawaki A.
    "Brain/MINDS: A Japanese National Brain Project for Marmoset Neuroscience"
    Neuron. 2016, 92, 582-590.
    10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.018
  2. *Sato K, Oiwa R, Kumita W, Henry R, Sakuma T, Ito R, Nozu R, Inoue T, Katano I, Sato K, Okahara N, Okahara J, Shimizu Y, Yamamoto M, Hanazawa K, Kawakami T, Kametani Y, Suzuki R, Takahashi T, Weinstein EJ, Yamamoto T, Sakakibara Y, Habu S, Hata J, Okano H, Sasaki E.
    "Generation of a Nonhuman Primate Model of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Using Highly Efficient Genome Editing"
    Cell Stem Cell. 7;19:127-38
    10.1016/j.stem.2016.06.003
  3. Okano H, Miyawaki A, Kasai K.: Brain/MINDS:
    "Brain/MINDS: brain-Mapping project in Japan"
    Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 May 19;370(1668). pii: 20140310.
    10.1098/rstb.2014.0310
  4. Izpisua Belmonte JC, Callaway EM, Churchland P, Caddick SJ, Feng G, Homanics GE, Lee K-F, Leopold DA, Miller CT, Mitchell JF, Mitalipov F, Moutri AR, Movshon JA, Okano H, Reynolds JH, Ringach D, Sejnowski TJ, Silva AC, Strick PL, Wu J, Zhang F. (in alphabetical order):
    "Brains, genes and Primates"
    Neuron. 2015 May 6;86(3):617-31.
    10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.021
  5. *Hikishima K, Ando K, Yano R, Kawai K, Komaki Y, Inoue T, Itoh T, Yamada M, Momoshima S, Okano HJ, Okano H.
    "Parkinson Disease: Diffusion MR Imaging to Detect Nigrostriatal Pathway Loss in a Marmoset Model Treated with 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine"
    Radiology. 2015 May;275(2):430-7. Epub 2015 Jan 15.
    10.1148/radiol.14140601
  6. *Kuwako K, Kawase S, Nishimoto Y, Okano H.:
    "Cadherin-7 regulates mossy fiber connectivity in the cerebellum"
    Cell Reports, 9(1):311-323, 2014.
    10.1016/j.celrep.2014.08.063
  7. *Bae B-I, Tietjen I, Atabay KD, Evrony GD, Johnson MB, Asare E, Murayama A, Im K, Crosier M, Lisgo SN, Lindsay S, Šestan N, Bernard S. Chang BS, Barkovich J, Grant E, Topçu M, Politsky J, Okano H, Piao X, and Walsh CA:
    "Evolutionarily Dynamic Alternative Splicing of GPR56 Regulates Regional Cerebral Cortical Patterning"
    Science 343 (6172): 764-768, 2014.
    10.1126/science.1244392
  8. *Naka-Kaneda H, Nakamura S, Igarashi M, Aoi H, Kanki H, Tsutsumi S, Aburatani H, Shimazaki T and Okano H:
    "The miR-17/106-p38 axis is a key regulator of the neurogenic-to-gliogenic competence transition in developing neural stem/progenitor cells"
    Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA 111(4):1604-1609, 2014
    10.1073/pnas.1315567111
  9. *Bundo M, Toyoshima M, Okada Y, Akamatsu W, Ueda J, Nemoto-Miyauchi T, Sunaga F, Toritsuka M, Ikawa D, Kakita A, Kato M, Kasai K, Kishimoto T, Nawa H, Okano H, Yoshikawa T, Kato T, and Iwamoto K:
    "Increased L1 Retrotransposition in the neuronal genome in Schizophrenia"
    Neuron 81(2):306-313, 2014.
    10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.053
  10. *Sasaki E, Suemizu H, Shimada A, Hanazawa K, Oiwa R, Kamioka M, Sotomaru Y, Hirakawa R, Eto T, Shiozawa S, Maeda T, Ito R, Kito C, Yagihashi C, Kawai K, Miyoshi H, Tanioka Y, Tamaoki N, Habu S, Okano H, Nomura T.:
    "Generation of transgenic non-human primates with germ line transmission"
    Nature, 459(7246): 523-527, 2009. (*H. Okano is the corresponding author in this paper)
    10.1038/nature08090

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Hideyuki Okano
Laboratory Head

Core members

Noriyuki Kishi
Research Scientist
Junko Okahara
Research Scientist
Reona Kobayashi
Research Scientist
Ryusuke Nakajima
Research Scientist
Taeko Ito
Technical Staff I
Ayaka Oguchi
Technical Staff I
Junko Yoshie
Technical Staff I
Kei Hagiya
Technical Staff I
Jaimi Nagashima
Technical Staff I
Yumi Ogawa
Technical Staff II
Hiromi Mizumura
Assistant
Junichi Hata
Visiting Scientist
Daisuke Yoshimaru
Visiting Scientist
Takahiro Kondo
Visiting Scientist
Sho Yoshimatsu
Visiting Scientist