Associate Professor: YOKOI, Masayuki, Ph.D.

Division of Biosignal Transduction, Genetic Information

Research Interests

DNA replication is one of the most fundamental biological process to maintain genomic information. Surprisingly, mammals have at least fifteen different DNA-dependent DNA polymerases. Among them, Y-family DNA polymerases have distinguishing characteristics from others because they are responsible for the efficient translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) which is important for the resumption of stalled DNA replication reaction at the site of DNA damage. So far, it has been demonstrated that TLS polymerases are involved not only in the faithful duplication of genome but also in the diversification of immune system. Our group focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of TLS reactions on chromatin.

Research Focus

1. Molecular mechanisms involved in efficient translesion synthesis to ensure the resumption of replication reaction on damaged DNA
2. Physiological roles for post-translational modifications of TLS factors in vivo
3. Regulations of TLS reaction on chromatin
4. Screening and development of specific inhibitors for TLS polymerases to develop therapeutic drugs against cancer

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 systems on DNA damage recognition in global genome nucleotide excision repair
    Sci. Rep.
    10, 19704
  • Akagi, J., Hasimoto, K., Suzuki, K., Yokoi, M., de Wind, N., Iwai, S., Ohmori, H., Moriya, M., and Hanaoka, F. (2020)
    Effect of sequence context on Polζ-dependent error-prone extension past (6-4) photoproducts
    DNA Repair 87, 102771
  • Kusakabe, M., Onishi, Y., Tada, H., Kurihara, F., Kusao, K., Furukawa, M., Iwai, S., Yokoi, M., Sakai, W., and Sugasawa, K. (2019)
    Mechanism and regulation of DNA damage recognition in nucleotide excision repair
    Genes Environment 41, 2
  • Akagi, J., Yokoi, M., Cho, Y.-M., Toyoda, T., Ohmori, H., Hanaoka, F., and Ogawa, K. (2018)
    Hypersensitivity of mouse embryonic fibroblast cells defective for DNA polymerases η, ι and κ to various genotoxic compounds: Its potential for application in chemical genotoxic screening
    DNA Repair 61, 76-85
  • Nakamura, T., Murakami, K., Rada, 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 the 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
  • Yokoi, M. and Hanaoka, F. (2017)
    Two mammalian homologs of yeast RAD23, HR23A and HR23B, as multifunctional proteins
    Gene 597, 1-9
  • Kanao, R., Yokoi, M., Ohkumo, T., Sakurai, Y., Dotsu, K., Kura, S., Nakatsu, Y., Tsuzuki, T.,Masutani, C., and Hanaoka, F. (2015)
    UV-induced mutagenesis in epidermal cells of mice defective in DNA polymerase η and/or ι
    DNA Repair 29, 139-146

Contact

Office: Biosignal Research Center 5F 532

Tel: +81-78-803-6522

Fax: +81-78-803-5970

E-mail: myokoi@diamond.kobe-u.ac.jp

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