Updated on 2025/05/14

Information

 

写真a

 
YAMAMOTO NAOKI
 
Organization
Faculty of Science Department of Biology Assistant Professor
School of Sciences Department of Biology（Concurrent）
Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences Department of Systems Life Sciences（Concurrent）
Title
Assistant Professor
Profile
Since April 2024, I have been appointed as an assistant professor at the Institute of Science’s Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory. I am researching how memories are formed at the neural circuit and cellular group levels, using mice as a model. In particular, I am interested in elucidating how ‘body memory’ affects higher brain functions and manifests as behavior.
Homepage
External link

Research Areas

  • Life Science / Neuroscience-general

Degree

  • Doctor of Science （ 2016.5 Kyoto University ）

Research History

  • Kyushu University Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Assistant Professor 

    2024.4 - Present

  • 2015-2018年 星薬科大学 先端生命科学研究センター 特任助教   

Research Interests・Research Keywords

  • Research theme： Mechanistic understanding of memory induced medicinal effect

    Keyword： Mind-body interaction, Engarm, cFos, Placebo

    Research period： 2024.4 - Present

  • Research theme： Anatomical Structure for modular spatial information processing in the medical entorhinal cortex

    Keyword： Entorhinal cortex, ephrinB2, Grid cell

    Research period： 2018.4 - 2024.3

  • Research theme： Development of AAV-mediated epigenome editing with modified CRISPR/Cas9

    Keyword： Epigenome editing, AAV, CRISPR

    Research period： 2016.4 - 2018.3

  • Research theme： Functional long non-coding RNA for neural differentiation

    Keyword： long non-coding RNA, epigenetic

    Research period： 2009.4 - 2015.3

Awards

  • 田邊賞

    2021.4   日本毒性学会  

    　More details

    環境因子はDNAメチル化を変化させるが、DNAメチル化検出手法が煩雑であるため、DNAメチル化により大きな影響をたらえる環境因子についての研究は進んでいなかった。本研究では簡便なDNAメチル化レポーターを開発を行った。

  • Award for Excellence to Authors Publishing in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry

    2025.5   Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry   Inhibitory effects of extracts from Eucalyptus gunnii on α-synuclein amyloid fibrils

    Masatomo So, Misaki Ono, Shigeki Oogai, Minako Kondo, Kaede Yamazaki, Charlotte Nachtegael, Hiroshi Hamajima, Risa Mutoh, Masaki Kato, Hisaya Kawate, Tomoyuki Oki, Yasushi Kawata, Shiho Kumamoto, Noritaka Tokui, Toshiki Takei, Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Akio Inoue, Naoki Yamamoto, Motoko Unoki, Kenichi Tanabe, Kinichi Nakashima, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Hironobu Hojo, Yasuo Nagata, Isao Suetake

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    Award type：Honored in official journal of a scientific society, scientific journal  Country：Japan

    筆者を含む研究チームがパーキンソン病に関与するαシヌクレインアミロイド線維に対するユーカリ抽出物の阻害効果についてBBBに2024年に投稿した論文が年間優秀論文として選出された。

  • 日本学術振興会海外特別研究員

    2018.8   日本学術振興会  

  • 「特別奨励学生」「海外渡航奨励賞」卓越した大学院拠点形成支援

    2013.6   文部科学省  

  • 日本学術振興会特別研究員（DC1）

    2013.4   日本学術振興会  

Papers

  • Bidirectional promoters link cAMP signaling with irreversible differentiation through promoter-associated non-coding RNA (pancRNA) expression in PC12 cells Reviewed International journal

    @Naoki Yamamoto, Kiyokazu Agata, @Kinichi Nakashima, Takuya Imamura.

    Nucleic Acids Res   2016.6

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

  • Roles of mediodorsal thalamus in observational fear-related neural activity in mouse anterior cingulate cortex

    Ramesh, K; Nair, IR; Yamamoto, N; Ogawa, SK; Terranova, JI; Kitamura, T

    MOLECULAR BRAIN   18 ( 1 )   14   2025.2   （ eISSN:1756-6606 ）

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    Language：English   Publisher：Molecular Brain  

    Observational fear (OF) is the ability to vicariously experience and learn from another’s fearful situation, enabling adaptive responses crucial for survival. It has been shown that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) are crucial for OF. A subset of neurons in the ACC is activated when observing aversive events in the demonstrator, which elicits OF. However, the neural circuit mechanisms underlying the expression of OF-related activity in the ACC remain unexplored. Previous studies have shown that the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) is crucial for OF, and MD neurons project to the ACC. Therefore, we hypothesize that the projection from MD to ACC may facilitate the OF-related activity in the ACC. By utilizing in vivo calcium imaging combined with the optogenetic terminal inhibition of MD-ACC pathway, we found that a subset of ACC neurons was activated when observing demonstrator’s fearful situation in male mice. Furthermore, the optogenetic inhibition of the MD-ACC projection during the demonstrator’s aversive moments significantly suppressed the OF-related activity in the ACC. Our data suggests that the MD-ACC projection plays a role in OF-related activity in ACC neurons.

    DOI： 10.1186/s13041-025-01188-9

    Web of Science

    Scopus

    PubMed

  • Inhibitory effects of extracts from Eucalyptus gunnii on α-synuclein amyloid fibrils(タイトル和訳中)

    So Masatomo, Ono Misaki, Oogai Shigeki, Kondo Minako, Yamazaki Kaede, Nachtegael Charlotte, Hamajima Hiroshi, Mutoh Risa, Kato Masaki, Kawate Hisaya, Oki Tomoyuki, Kawata Yasushi, Kumamoto Shiho, Tokui Noritaka, Takei Toshiki, Shimizu Kuniyoshi, Inoue Akio, Yamamoto Naoki, Unoki Motoko, Tanabe Kenichi, Nakashima Kinichi, Sasaki Hiroyuki, Hojo Hironobu, Nagata Yasuo, Suetake Isao

    Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry   88 ( 11 )   1289 - 1298   2024.11   （ ISSN:0916-8451 ）

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    Language：English   Publisher：(公社)日本農芸化学会  

  • Inhibitory effects of extracts from Eucalyptus gunnii on α-synuclein amyloid fibrils

    So, M; Ono, M; Oogai, S; Kondo, M; Yamazaki, K; Nachtegael, C; Hamajima, H; Mutoh, R; Kato, M; Kawate, H; Oki, T; Kawata, Y; Kumamoto, S; Tokui, N; Takei, T; Shimizu, K; Inoue, A; Yamamoto, N; Unoki, M; Tanabe, K; Nakashima, K; Sasaki, H; Hojo, H; Nagata, Y; Suetake, I

    BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY   88 ( 11 )   1289 - 1298   2024.9   （ ISSN:0916-8451 eISSN:1347-6947 ）

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    Language：English   Publisher：Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry  

    Amyloid fibril formation is associated with various amyloidoses, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Despite the numerous studies on the inhibition of amyloid formation, the prevention and treatment of a majority of amyloid-related disorders are still challenging. In this study, we investigated the effects of various plant extracts on amyloid formation of α-synuclein. We found that the extracts from Eucalyptus gunnii are able to inhibit amyloid formation, and to disaggregate preformed fibrils, in vitro. The extract itself did not lead to cell damage. In the extract, miquelianin, which is a glycosylated form of quercetin and has been detected in the plasma and the brain, was identified and assessed to have a moderate inhibitory activity, compared to the effects of ellagic acid and quercetin, which are strong inhibitors for amyloid formation. The properties of miquelianin provide insights into the mechanisms controlling the assembly of α-synuclein in the brain.

    DOI： 10.1093/bbb/zbae114

    Web of Science

    Scopus

    PubMed

  • Chronic ingestion of soy peptide supplementation reduces aggressive behavior and abnormal fear memory caused by juvenile social isolation

    Tamura, H; Miyazaki, A; Kawamura, T; Gotoh, H; Yamamoto, N; Narita, M

    SCIENTIFIC REPORTS   14 ( 1 )   11557   2024.5   （ ISSN:2045-2322 ）

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    Language：English   Publisher：Scientific Reports  

    Juvenile loneliness is a risk factor for psychopathology in later life. Deprivation of early social experience due to peer rejection has a detrimental impact on emotional and cognitive brain function in adulthood. Accumulating evidence indicates that soy peptides have many positive effects on higher brain function in rodents and humans. However, the effects of soy peptide use on juvenile social isolation are unknown. Here, we demonstrated that soy peptides reduced the deterioration of behavioral and cellular functions resulting from juvenile socially-isolated rearing. We found that prolonged social isolation post-weaning in male C57BL/6J mice resulted in higher aggression and impulsivity and fear memory deficits at 7 weeks of age, and that these behavioral abnormalities, except impulsivity, were mitigated by ingestion of soy peptides. Furthermore, we found that daily intake of soy peptides caused upregulation of postsynaptic density 95 in the medial prefrontal cortex and phosphorylation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein in the hippocampus of socially isolated mice, increased phosphorylation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in the hippocampus, and altered the microbiota composition. These results suggest that soy peptides have protective effects against juvenile social isolation-induced behavioral deficits via synaptic maturation and cellular functionalization.

    DOI： 10.1038/s41598-024-62534-w

    Web of Science

    Scopus

    PubMed

  • Outer layer of Vb neurons in medial entorhinal cortex project to hippocampal dentate gyrus in mice Invited Reviewed International journal

    Naoki Yamamoto, Jun Yokose, Kritika Ramesh, Takashi Kitamura, Sachie K Ogawa

    Molecular Brain   2024.2

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

  • Optogenetic activation of dopamine D1 receptors in island cells of medial entorhinal cortex inhibits temporal association learning Invited Reviewed International journal

    Jun Yokose, @Naoki Yamamoto, Sachie K Ogawa, Takashi Kitamura

    Molecular brain   2023.9

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

  • Entorhinal cortical Island cells regulate temporal association learning with long trace period Reviewed International journal

    Jun Yokose, William D Marks, @Naoki Yamamoto, Sachie K Ogawa, Takashi Kitamura

    Learning and Memory   2021.9

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

  • Development of a new in vitro assay system for evaluating the effects of chemicals on DNA methylation Reviewed International journal

    Maky Ideta-Otsuka, Misato Miyai, @Naoki Yamamoto, Ayaka Tsuchimoto, Hideki Tamura, Kentaro Tanemura, Makoto Shibutani, Katsuhide Igarashi

    The Journal of Toxicological Sciences   2021.1

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

  • Single-stranded noncoding RNAs mediate local epigenetic alterations at gene promoters in rat cell lines Reviewed International journal

    Junko Tomikawa, Hiroko Shimokawa, Masahiro Uesaka, @Naoki Yamamoto, Yuji Mori, Hiroko Tsukamura, Kei-ichiro Maeda, Takuya Imamura

    Journal of Biological Chemistry   2011.10

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

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Presentations

MISC

  • Complementary roles of differential medial entorhinal cortex inputs to the hippocampus for the formation and integration of temporal and contextual memory (Systems Neuroscience) Reviewed

    William D Marks, @Naoki Yamamoto, Takashi Kitamura

    European Journal of Neuroscience   2021.10

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

  • Cell-type-specific optogenetic techniques reveal neural circuits crucial for episodic memories Reviewed

    @Naoki Yamamoto, William D Marks, Takashi Kitamura

    Springer Singapore   2021.8

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

  • Roles of epigenetics in the neural stem cell and neuron Reviewed

    @Naoki Yamamoto, Masahiro Uesaka, Takuya Imamura, @Kinichi Nakashima

    Academic Press   2021.1

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

  • Extra neural ensemble disrupts memory recall Reviewed

    Ryang Kim, Naoki Yamamoto, Takashi Kitamura

    Nature neuroscience   2020.8

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal)  

Professional Memberships

  • Japan Neuroscience Society

  • THE JAPANESE SOCIETY OF TOXICOLOGY

  • The Molecular Biology Society of Japan

Committee Memberships

  • 九州大学 理学研究院 生物科学部門   計画委員   Domestic

    2025.4 - Present   

Academic Activities

  • 科学的に頭を良くする方法

    2023.1

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    Type：Academic society, research group, etc. 

  • チューター

    日本神経化学学会 若手キャリアセミナー  （ Japan ） 2022.7

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    Type：Competition, symposium, etc. 

  • カンデル神経科学 日本語訳 第2版

    2021.10 - 2022.9

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    Type：Academic society, research group, etc. 

Research Projects

  • 過去の出来事と現在の状況を統合し意思決定に導く神経回路基盤の解明

    2018 - 2019

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad

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    Authorship：Principal investigator  Grant type：Joint research

  • 新規開発レポーターマウスを用いた実践的エピジェネティック毒性評価システムの確立

    2017 - 2020

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

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    Authorship：Coinvestigator(s)  Grant type：Scientific research funding

  • 臨床応用を見据えた幼少期ストレス由来脳機能異常に対するエピゲノム治療研究

    2017 - 2018

    Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research  Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

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    Authorship：Principal investigator  Grant type：Scientific research funding

  • 非コードゲノム領域の強制転写技術を利用した革新的DNAメチル化制御技術の開発研究代表者

    2015 - 2016

    Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research  Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (Start-up)

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    Authorship：Principal investigator  Grant type：Scientific research funding

  • エピジェネティック毒性の通常毒性試験での検出を可能とするレポーターマウスの開発

    2013 - 2017

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

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    Authorship：Coinvestigator(s)  Grant type：Scientific research funding

  • 配列特異的DNA 脱メチル化を促す非コードRNA による哺乳類神経分化制御機構の解明

    2012 - 2015

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Research Fellowships for Young Scientists

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    Authorship：Principal investigator  Grant type：Joint research

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Educational Activities

  • 行動神経科学研究室の研究指導として学部生、大学院生の研究指導に当たるほか、基礎科学実習、自然科学総合実験、応用生物化学実験を担当している。また、本年度から生物化学部門の計画委員を担当している。

Class subject

  • 応用生物化学実験

    2025.4 - 2025.8   First semester

  • 基礎科学実習

    2024.12 - 2025.2   Winter quarter

  • 自然科学総合実験

    2024.10 - 2024.12   Fall quarter

  • 基礎科学実習

    2024.12 - 2025.2   Winter quarter

  • 自然科学総合実験

    2024.10 - 2024.12   Fall quarter

Travel Abroad

  • 2018.4 - 2024.3

    Staying countory name 1：United States   Staying institution name 1：The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center