Professor: SUGASAWA, Kaoru, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor: SAKAI, Wataru, Ph.D.
Assistant: KUSAKABE, Masayuki, Ph.D.

Division of Biosignal Transduction, Genetic Information

Research Interests

Our genomic DNA is constantly damaged by endogenously-produced metabolites and reactive oxygen species as well as various environmental agents, such as radiations and chemicals. DNA damage induces not only mutations and chromosomal aberrations, which can lead directly to carcinogenesis and genetic diseases, but also apoptosis of cells that has been recently implicated in ageing and neurological abnormalities. Our laboratory particularly focuses on molecular functions and pathology of responsible gene products for human autosomal recessive disorders that are associated with defective DNA repair and/or DNA damage responses, such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Fanconi anemia (FA).

Research Focus

1. Molecular mechanisms ensuring efficient detection and repair of DNA damage
2. Regulation of DNA repair processes in vivo (roles for post-translational modification of proteins)
3. Signal transduction pathways regulating fates of cells in response to DNA damage
4. Crosstalks between DNA damage responses and epigenetic regulation

Recent Publication

• Kusakabe, M., Kakumu, E., Kurihara, F., Tsuchida, K., Maeda, T., Tada, H., Kusao, K., Kato, A., Yasuda, T., Matsuda, T., Nakao, M., Yokoi, M., Sakai, W., Sugasawa, K. (2022)
  Histone deacetylation regulates nucleotide excision repair through an interaction with the XPC protein.
  iScience 25, 104040.
  
• Sakai, W., Yuasa-Sunagawa, M., Kusakabe, M., Kishimoto, A., Matsui, T., Kaneko, Y., Akagi, J., Huyghe, N., Ikura, M., Ikura, T., Hanaoka, F., Yokoi, M., Sugasawa, K. (2020)
  Functional impacts of the ubiquitin-proteasome system on DNA damage recognition in global genome nucleotide excision repair.
  Sci. Rep. 10, 19704.
  
• Matsumoto, S., Cavadini, S., Bunker, R. D., Grand, R. S., Potenza, A., Rabl, J., Yamamoto, J., Schenk, A. D., Schübeler, D., Iwai, S., Sugasawa, K., Kurumizaka, H., and Thomä, N. H. (2019)
  DNA damage detection in nucleosomes involves DNA register shifting.
  Nature 571, 79-84. （LINK）
  
• Nakamura, T., Murakami, K., Tada, H., Uehara, Y., Nogami, J., Maehara, K., Ohkawa, Y., Saitoh, H., Nishitani, H., Ono, T., Nishi, R., Yokoi, M., Sakai, W., and Sugasawa, K. (2017)
  Thymine DNA glycosylase modulates DNA damage response and gene expression by base excision repair-dependent and independent mechanisms.
  Genes Cells 22, 392-405
  
• Kakumu, E., Nakanishi, S., Shiratori, H. M., Kato, A., Kobayashi, W., Machida, S., Yasuda, T., Adachi, N., Saito, N., Ikura, T., Kurumizaka, H., Kimura, H., Yokoi, M., Sakai, W., and Sugasawa, K. (2017)
  Xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein interacts with histones: regulation by acetylated states of histone H3.
  Genes Cells 22, 310-327
  
• Cavadini, S., Fischer, E. S., Bunker, R. D., Potenza, A., Lingaraju, G. M., Goldie, K. N., Mohamed, W. I., Faty, M., Petzold, G., Beckwith, R. E., Tichkule, R. B., Hassiepen, U., Abdulrahman, W., Pantelic, R. S., Matsumoto, S., Sugasawa, K., Stahlberg, H., and Thomä, N. H. (2016)
  Cullin-RING ubiquitin E3 ligase regulation by the COP9 signalosome.
  Nature 531, 598-603 （LINK）
  
• Akita, M., Tak, Y.-S., Shimura, T., Matsumoto, S., Okuda-Shimizu, Y., Shimizu, Y., Nishi, R., Saitoh, H., Iwai, S., Mori, T., Ikura, T., Sakai, W., Hanaoka, F., and Sugasawa, K. (2015)
  SUMOylation of xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein regulates DNA damage recognition during nucleotide excision repair.
  Sci. Rep. 5, 10984
• Matsumoto, S., Fischer, E. S., Yasuda, T., Dohmae, N., Iwai, S., Mori, T., Nishi, R., Yoshino, K., Sakai, W., Hanaoka, F., Thomä, N. H., and Sugasawa, K.
  Functional regulation of the DNA damage-recognition factor DDB2 by ubiquitination and interaction with xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein.
  Nucleic Acids Res. 43, 1700-1713

Contact (K. Sugasawa)

Office: Biosignal Research Center 5F 507

Tel: +81-78-803-5960

Fax: +81-78-803-5970

E-mail: ksugasawa@garnet.kobe-u.ac.jp

Website: http://www.research.kobe-u.ac.jp/brce-sugasawa/

Contact (W. Sakai)

Office: Biosignal Research Center 5F 532

Tel: +81-78-803-6522

Fax: +81-78-803-5970

E-mail: sakai@phoenix.kobe-u.ac.jp

Website: http://www.research.kobe-u.ac.jp/brce-sugasawa/

Contact (M. Kusakabe)

Office: Biosignal Research Center 5F 532

Tel: +81-78-803-6522

Fax: +81-78-803-5970

E-mail: mkusakabe@people.kobe-u.ac.jp

Website: http://www.research.kobe-u.ac.jp/brce-sugasawa/