Madoka Kitakawa, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Division of Biosignal Transduction, Gene Expression

Research Interests

 Genome analysis revealed that even relatively simple organisms like bacteria and fungi possess many genes function of which are still unknown. We have investigated ribosomes in fungal mitochondria and found that they consist of many novel proteins together with conserved ribosomal proteins. The function of these proteins unique to mitoribosome remains to be uncovered. Furthermore, ribosome might play a role in sensing and adapting to the change of cellular environment, adding to its essential function as organelle of protein synthesis. We are also investigating function-unknown genes mutants of which show a defect in biofilm formation in E. coli. Most of them seem to be genes for membrane proteins. Membrane is the place where cells detect and transduce various signals, and membrane proteins are involved in important cellular processes, such as replication, cell division and protein synthesis as well.

Research Focus

1. Fungal mitochondrial ribosome: structure and function of ribosomal proteins, interaction of mitochondria and nucleus, evolution of mitoribosome

2. Biofilm of Escherichia coli: function of genes involved in biofilm formation

Recent Publication

  • Li G, Hamamoto K, Kitakawa M (2012)
    Inner membrane protein YhcB interacts with RodZ involved in cell shape maintenance in Escherichia coli.
    ISRN Molecular Biology 2012, 304021.
  • Pech M, Karim Z, Yamamoto H, Kitakawa M, Qin Y, Nierhaus KH (2011)
    Elongation factor 4 (EF4/LepA) accelerates protein synthesis at increased Mg2+ concentrations.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 108, 3199-3203.
  • Niba ET, Li G, Aoki K, Kitakawa M (2010)
    Characterization of rodZ mutants: RodZ is not absolutely required for the cell shape and motility.
    FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 309, 35-42.
  • Niba, E.T., Naka Y., Nagase M., Mori H. and Kitakawa M. (2007)
    A genome-wide approach to identify the genes involved in biofilm formation in E. coli.
    DNA Res., 14(6):237-246
  • Gan, X., Arita, K., Isono, S., Kitakawa, M., Yoshino, K., Yonezawa, K., Kato, A., Inoue, H. and Isono K (2006)
    Identification and comparative analysis of the large subunit mitochondrial ribosomal proteins of Neurospora crassa.
    FEMS Microbiology Letters, 254:157-164
  • Gan, X., Kitakawa, M., Yoshino, K., Oshiro, N., Yonezawa, K., Isono, K. (2002)
    Tag mediated isolation of yeast mitochondrial ribosome and mass spectrometric identification of its new components.
    Eur. J. Biochem, 269:5203-5214

Contact

Office: Bldg. C, Rm. C401

Tel: +81-78-803-5724

Fax: +81-78-803-5783

E-mail: madoka@kobe-u.ac.jp