JAPANESE 
Hisao Tsukamoto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Biomolecular Organization, Bioinformation
Research Interests
Animals use light as information for biological functions such as vision and circadian clock regulation. In these photoreceptions, light-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) called opsins play important roles in catching external light and transmitting it into the cell. There are many types of opsins that have different molecular properties such as the wavelength of light they receive and the signaling pathways they drive. My research focuses on opsins in two areas: first, to clarify how the molecular properties of opsins characterize photoreceptive functions in animals, and second, to develop experimental tools to manipulate GPCR-related cellular responses by light.
Research Focus
1. elucidation of relationship between molecular characteristics of opsins and photoreceptive functions in animals
2. development of opsin-based optical control tools to manipulate GPCR-related cellular responses
Recent Publications
- Obayashi K, Zou R, Kawaguchi T, Mori T, Tsukamoto H. (2025)
Molecular basis underlying the specificity of an antagonist AA92593 for mammalian melanopsins.
J. Biol. Chem., 301:108461.
- Fukuzawa S, Kawaguchi T, Shimomura T, Kubo Y, Tsukamoto H. (2025)
Characterization and Engineering of a Blue-Sensitive, Gi/o-Biased, and Bistable Ciliary Opsin from a Fan Worm.
Biochemistry, 64:1020-1031.
- Tsukamoto H, Kubo Y. (2023)
A self-inactivating invertebrate opsin optically drives biased signaling toward Gβγ-dependent ion channel modulation.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,120:e2301269120.
- Tsukamoto H, Furutani Y. (2021)
Optogenetic Modulation of Ion Channels by Photoreceptive Proteins.
Adv. Exp. Med. Biol.,1293:73-88.
- Ayers T, Tsukamoto H, Gühmann M, Veedin Rajan VB, Tessmar-Raible K. (2018)
A Go-type opsin mediates the shadow reflex in the annelid Platynereis dumerilii.
BMC Biol., 16, 41.
- Tsukamoto H, Higashi M, Motoki H, Watanabe H, Ganser C, Nakajo K, Kubo Y, Uchihashi T, Furutani Y. (2018)
Structural properties determining low K+ affinity of the selectivity filter in the TWIK1 K+ channel.
J. Biol. Chem., 293, 6969-6984.
- Tsukamoto H, Chen IS, Kubo Y, Furutani Y. (2017)
A ciliary opsin in the brain of a marine annelid zooplankton is ultraviolet-sensitive, and the sensitivity is tuned by a single amino acid residue.
J. Biol. Chem., 292, 12971-12980.
Contact
Office: Building C, room 108, (lab: room 101)
Tel: +81-78-803-6507
E-mail: tsukamoh@people.kobe-u.ac.jp