Chieko Saito, Ph.D.

Research Overview

This unit houses a state-of-the-art electron microscope and associated equipment and tools to support research in RIKEN on neural microcircuits in the brain and organelle structure. The staff of our unit has specialized technical knowledge and expertise on electron microscopy and related techniques and, based on the information provided and through discussion, advises RIKEN research teams on experimental protocols and other technical aspects of respective research projects. We conduct maintenance of the shared research equipment in our unit, and provide training and educational seminars for the latest EM technologies.

Main Research Fields

Biology

Related Research Fields

Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy / Nerve anatomy / Neuropathology / Neurophysiology / General neuroscience

Keywords

• ultrastructure
• Neural micro circuit
• Neural connection
• connectome
• Electron microscope

Research Resources Division(RRD)

• Support Unit for Animal Resources Development (Kimie Niimi, D.V.M, Ph.D.)
• Support Unit for Bio-Material Analysis (Nobuhiko Miyasaka, Ph.D.)
• Support Unit for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Tomohisa Okada, M.D., Ph.D.)
• Support Unit for Electron Microscopy Techniques (Chieko Saito, Ph.D.)

Selected Publications

Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.

1. *Tomoya Eguchi, Maria Sakurai, Yingxue Wang, Chieko Saito, Gen Yoshii, Thomas Wileman, Noboru Mizushima, Tomoki Kuwahara, Takeshi Iwatsubo
   "The V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis recruits LRRK2 to facilitate lysosomal stress responses"
   Journal of Cell Biology, 223(3) e202302067.
   DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202302067
2. *Takahiro Shimizu, Norito Tamura, Taki Nishimura, Chieko Saito, Hayashi Yamamoto, Noboru Mizushima
   "Comprehensive analysis of autophagic functions of WIPI family proteins and their implications for the pathogenesis of β-propeller associated neurodegeneration"
   Human Molecular Genetics, June 26, 2023
   DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad096
3. *Zhang, W., Nishimura, T., Gahlot, D., Saito, C., Davis, C., Jefferies, H.B.J., Schreiber, A., Thukral, L., Tooze, S.A.
   "Autophagosome membrane expansion is mediated by the N-terminus and cis-membrane association of human ATG8s"
   eLife, 12: e89185, June 8, 2023
   DOI: 10.7554/eLife.89185
4. *Tomoko Ohshima, Hayashi Yamamoto, Yuriko Sakamaki, Chieko Saito, Noboru Mizushima
   "NCOA4 drives ferritin phase separation to facilitate macroferritinophagy and microferritinophagy"
   Journal of Cell Biology, 221(10): e202203102, October 3, 2022
   DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202203102
5. *Yuji Sakai, Satoru Takahashi, Ikuko Koyama-Honda, Chieko Saito, Noboru Mizushima
   "Experimental determination and mathematical modeling of standard shapes of forming autophagosomes."
   Nature Communications, volume 15, Article number: 91, January 2, 2024
   DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44442-1
6. *Satoru Takahashi, Chieko Saito, Ikuko Koyama-Honda, Noboru Mizushima
   "Quantitative 3D correlative light and electron microscopy of organelle association during autophagy"
   Cell Structure and Function, Volume 47, Issue 2, Pages 89-99, November 22, 2022
   DOI: 10.1247/csf.22071
7. *Hideaki Morishita, Tomoya Eguchi, Satoshi Tsukamoto, Yuriko Sakamaki, Satoru Takahashi, Chieko Saito, Ikuko Koyama-Honda, Noboru Mizushima
   "Organelle degradation in the lens by PLAAT phospholipases"
   Nature, 592: 634-638, April 14, 2021
   DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03439-w
8. *Jaime Agudo-Canalejo, Sebastian W Schultz, Haruka Chino, Simona M Migliano, Chieko Saito, Ikuko Koyama-Honda, Harald Stenmark, Andreas Brech, Alexander I May, Noboru Mizushima
   "Wetting regulates autophagy of phase-separated compartments and the cytosol."
   Nature, 591: 142-146, January 20, 2021
   DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2992-3
9. Yoshiyuki Kubota, Takaaki Miyazaki, Nilton L Kamiji, Tamami Honda, Motohide Murate, Mitsuo Suga
   "A wide variety of techniques for a volume electron microscopy"
   Microscopy, Volume 74, Issue 3, Pages 215–222, February 19, 2025
   DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfaf011