Ohtsuka Lab: Home | Research | People | Publications | Japanese

Welcome to Ohtsuka lab at Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi. We are very much interested in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the structure and function of presynaptic active zones (AZs). AZ is a slightly-electron dense region beneath the presynaptic plasma membrane, where synaptic vesicles specifically dock and fuse with AZ.  Thus, AZ is thought to regulate release of neurotransmitters in a temporally and spatially coordinated manner. In order to elucidate the physiological role of AZ, we have employed interdisciplinary technologies including solid biochemistry, molecular biology, electron microscopy, and genetics.

Selected publications.

SAD: a presynaptic kinase associated with synaptic vesicles and the active zone cytomatrix that regulates neurotransmitter release.   Neuron 2006 50: 261-275.

Physical and functional interaction of the active zone proteins, CAST, RIM1, and Bassoon, in neurotransmitter release.  J. Cell Biol. 2004 164: 301-311.

CAST: a novel protein of the cytomatrix at the active zone of synapses that forms a ternary complex with RIM1 and Munc13-1.   J. Cell Biol. 2002 158: 577-590.

Contact us

Toshihisa Ohtsuka, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine/Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimo-Kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409–3898, Japan

Tel.:+81-55-273-6740; Fax: +81-55-273-6740;E-mail:tohtsuka@yamanashi.ac.jp