A5046949842- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Fossil Insects in Amber
Hokkaido University
2013-2025
Environmental Earth Sciences
2020-2022
Kyoto University
2015-2021
University of Wisconsin–Madison
2008-2020
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
2010-2020
The University of Tokyo
2002-2006
Tokyo University of the Arts
2005-2006
Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are small aquatic animals. Some tardigrade species tolerate almost complete dehydration and exhibit extraordinary tolerance to various physical extremes in the dehydrated state. Here we determine a high-quality genome sequence of Ramazzottius varieornatus, one most stress-tolerant species. Precise gene repertoire analyses reveal presence proportion (1.2% or less) putative foreign genes, loss pathways that promote stress damage, expansion families...
Significance The origins of novelties pose some the most difficult experimental challenges in evolutionary biology. Morphological animals are generally thought to arise through new domains expression so-called “toolkit” regulatory genes, but how such changes has not been explored depth. Here, we show that three novel features wingless gene associated with pattern elements result enhancer activities. One these enhancers is clearly modified from an evolutionarily conserved, pre-existing...
Abstract The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is a pivotal model for invertebrate development, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, and disease. whole family Drosophilidae, which contains over 4,400 species, offers plethora of cases comparative evolutionary studies. Despite long history phylogenetic inference, many relationships remain unresolved among the genera, subgenera, species groups in Drosophilidae. To clarify these relationships, we first developed set new genomic markers...
Abstract Background Numerous cases of predator-induced polyphenisms, in which alternate phenotypes are produced response to extrinsic stimuli, have been reported aquatic taxa date. The genus Daphnia (Branchiopoda, Cladocera) provides a model experimental system for the study developmental mechanisms and evolutionary processes associated with polyphenisms. In D. pulex , juveniles form neckteeth predatory kairomones released by Chaoborus larvae (Insecta, Diptera). Results Previous studies...
The morphological diversity of insects is one the most striking phenomena in biology. Evolutionary modifications to relative sizes body parts, including evolution traits with exaggerated proportions, are responsible for a vast range forms. Remarkable examples an insect trait proportions mandibular weapons stag beetles. Male beetles possess extremely enlarged mandibles which they use combat rival males over females. As other sexually selected traits, beetle vary widely size among males, and...
Abstract Eusocial insects exhibit various morphological castes associated with the division of labor within a colony. Termite soldiers possess defensive traits including mandibles that are greatly exaggerated and enlarged, as compared to termite reproductives workers. The enlarged known result from dynamic morphogenesis during soldier differentiation can be induced by juvenile hormone its analogs. However, detailed developmental mechanisms still remain unresolved. Because...
The current subgenus Drosophila (the traditional immigrans-tripunctata radiation) includes major elements of temperate drosophilid faunas in the northern hemisphere. Despite previous molecular phylogenetic analyses, phylogeny has not fully been resolved: resulting trees have more or less varied topology. One possible factor for such ambiguous results is taxon-sampling that biased towards New World species studies. In this study, taxon sampling was balanced between Old and species,...
We investigated the morphological changes accompanying soldier differentiation in damp‐wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti . Genes expressed developing mandibles, which undergo most remarkable during differentiation, were screened using fluorescent differential display. Database searches for sequence similarities conducted and relative expression levels then quantified by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Among identified candidate genes, 12 genes upregulated differentiation. These...
Termites are eusocial insects with a well-defined caste system, which is an example of polyphenism. This polyphenism based on hormonally controlled differential gene expression. In the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti, we induced differentiation into soldier by using juvenile hormone analogue treatment. We then investigated specific expression, appeared during hormonal response and triggered differentiation, fluorescent display. A candidate cDNA sequence similarity to cytochromes...
Most hymenopteran species exhibit conspicuous sexual dimorphism due to ecological differences between the sexes. As genomes, under haplodiploid genetic system, quantitative sexes while remaining qualitatively identical, phenotypes are assumed be expressed through sex-specific gene usage. In present study, molecular basis for expression of in a queenless ant, Diacamma sp., which exhibits distinct color dimorphism, was examined. Worker females appear bluish-black, winged males yellowish-brown...
Organisms have evolved endless morphological, physiological, and behavioral novel traits during the course of evolution. Novel were proposed to evolve mainly by orchestration preexisting genes. Over past two decades, biologists shown that cooption gene regulatory networks (GRNs) indeed underlies numerous evolutionary novelties. However, very little is known about actual GRN properties allow such redeployment. Here we investigated generation evolution complex wing pattern fly Samoaia...
Abstract Whether evolution is predictable has been tested in evolutionary biology by comparing lineages that experienced parallel evolution. For example, the repeatability of gene expression between strains was examined experimental bacteria. However, whether it possible to predict fate a (i.e., loss or retention) after an organism colonizes new habitat and experiences long period not sufficiently clear. Here, we investigate visual set two species eyeless trechine beetles (Coleoptera:...
Abstract Psyllids harbor the primary symbiont, Carsonella ruddii (γ-Proteobacteria), within cytoplasm of specialized cells called bacteriocytes. has smallest known cellular genome (160 kb), lacking numerous genes that appear to be essential for bacterial life. This raises question regarding genetic mechanisms host which supports survival . Our preceding analyses have indicated some are encoded in psyllid and highly expressed bacteriocyte origin. implies psyllids acquired from bacteria by...
In social insects, interactions among colony members trigger caste differentiation with morphological modifications. termite soldier differentiation, the mandible size considerably increases through two moltings (via presoldier stage) under control of juvenile hormone (JH). Regulatory genes are predicted to provide patterning information that induces mandible-specific cell proliferation. To identify factors responsible for mandibular enlargement, expression analyses 18 candidate were carried...
Abstract To elucidate the switching mechanism of caste differentiation in termites and to examine possible induction soldier‐reproductive intercastes experimentally, we investigated effects juvenile hormone on morphologies soldier by applying a analog (JHA) nymphs damp‐wood termite Zootermopsis nevadensis (Isoptera : Termopsidae). JHA treatment for about 2 weeks induced variety intermediate castes, showing both alate morphological features. The principal component analysis (PCA) those...
We morphologically examined postembryonic compound eye development in Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) to understand developmental regulation during caste differentiation. The primordia were shown exist from the larval stage. number of ommatidia and size greatly increased over course imaginal development. Nymphoids (second-form reproductives) possessed a developed structure on surface cuticle thick optic nerves, but individual not clearly discriminated. However, line apterous workers...
Animals have modular cis-regulatory regions in their genomes, and expression of a single gene is often regulated by multiple enhancers residing such region. In the laboratory, also natural populations, loss an enhancer can result expression. Although only few examples been well characterized to date, some studies suggested that evolutionary gain new function establish domain. Our recent study showed Drosophila guttifera has more additional domains wingless during pupal stage, compared D....