Shigeo Okabe, M.D., Ph.D.

PositionDirector, Brain Medical Science Collaboration Division, RIKEN Center for Brain Science
Institution and Department: Cellular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The
University of Tokyo
E-mail: okabe@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Educational Background:•M.D., School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (1986)•Ph.D., Division of Medical Science, The Graduate School, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo(1993)

Major Fields of Interest:
Neuron and glia biology, synapse development and remodeling, postsynaptic density,
synapse plasticity, neuronal cytoskeleton, neurodevelopmental disorders

Employment History:•1988-1993 Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Universityof Tokyo•1993-1996 Visiting Associate, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda•1996-1999 Principal Investigator, National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology,Tsukuba•1999-2007 Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University,Tokyo•2007- Professor, Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The
University of Tokyo•2018- Director, Brain Medical Science Collaboration Division, RIKEN Center for Brain
Science

Government related titles
Program Director of Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (2016-present)
Program Supervisor of Brain/MIMDS in Japan Agency for Medical Research andDevelopment (2015-present)Membership of organizations/associations
Society for Neuroscience: 1994 – present
Japanese Association of Anatomists: 1988 – present: Councilor (1999 – 2012): Executivedirector (2007 – 2012, 2015 – 2017); President (2017- present)
Japanese Society for Neuroscience: 1990 – present: Councilor (2008–present); Vice
President (2017- present)
Japanese Society for Cell Biology: 1988 – present
Japanese Society for Microscopy: 2007 – present: Councilor (2017-present)
Union of Brain Science Associations in Japan; President (2016- present)
List of Awards, Honors & Positions:1996 Young Investigator Award (Japanese Association of Anatomists)2004 Tsukahara Nakaakira Award (Japan Neuroscience Society)2010 Seto Award (Japanese Society of Microscopy)

Selected publications

1. Higashi T, Tanaka S, Iida T, and S. Okabe Synapse Elimination Triggered by BMP4
Exocytosis and Presynaptic BMP Receptor Activation. Cell Reports 23;22(4):919-929,
2018.

2. Isshiki, M., Tanaka, S., Kuriu, T., Tabuchi, K., Takumi, T. and S. Okabe. Enhanced
synapse remodelling as a common phenotype in mouse models of autism. Nature
Communications 5, 4742, 2014.

3. Shin, E., Kashiwagi, Y., Kuriu, T., Iwasaki, H., Tanaka, T., Koizumi, H., Gleeson, J. G.
and S. Okabe Doublecortin-like kinase enhances dendritic remodeling and negativelyregulates synapse maturation. Nature Communications 4, 1440, 2013.

4. Ito-Ishida, A., Miyazaki, T., Miura, E., Matsuda, K., Watanabe, M., Yuzaki, M and S.
Okabe Presynaptically released Cbln1 induces dynamic axonal structural changes byinteracting with GluD2 during cerebellar synapse formation. Neuron 76, 549-564, 2012.

5. Kawabata, I., Kashiwagi, Y., Obashi, K., Ohkura, M., Nakai, J., Wynshaw-Boris, A.,Yanagawa, Y., and S. Okabe LIS1-dependent retrograde translocation of excitatory
synapses in developing interneuron dendrites. Nature Communications 3, 722, 2012.

6. Yamagata, Y., Kobayashi, S., Umeda, T., Inoue, A., Sakagami, H., Fukaya, M.,Watanabe, M., Hatanaka, N., Totsuka, M., Yagi, T., Obata, K., Imoto, K., Yanagawa,Y., Manabe, T. and S. Okabe Kinase-dead knock-in mouse reveals an essential role of
CaMKIIα kinase activity in dendritic spine enlargement, LTP and learning Journal of
Neuroscience, 29, 7607-7618, 2009.

7. Nishida, H. and S. Okabe Direct astrocytic contacts regulate local maturation ofdendritic spines. Journal of Neuroscience 27, 331-340, 2007.

8. Kuriu, T., Inoue, A., Bito, H., Sobue, K., and S. Okabe Differential control ofpostsynaptic density scaffolds via actin-dependent and independent mechanisms.
Journal of Neuroscience 26, 7693-7706, 2006.

9. Sugiyama, Y., Kawabata, I., Sobue, K., and S. Okabe Determination of absolute protein
numbers in single synapses by a GFP-based calibration technique. Nature Methods 2,677-684, 2005.

10. Ebihara, T., Kawabata, I., Usui, S., Sobue, K., and S. Okabe. Synchronized formation
and remodeling of postsynaptic densities: long-term visualization of hippocampal
neurons expressing postsynaptic density proteins tagged with GFP. Journal ofNeuroscience, 23, 2170-2181, 2003.

11. Nakatomi, H., Kuriu, T., Okabe, S., Yamamoto, S., Hatano, O., Kawahara, N., Tamura,A., Kirino, T. and M. Nakafuku. Regeneration of hippocampal pyramidal neurons byrecruitment of endogenous neural progenitors: An animal model for a neuronal
replacement therapy for ischemic brain injury. Cell, 110, 429-441, 2002.

12. Okabe, S., Miwa, A., and H. Okado. Spine formation and correlated assembly ofpresynaptic and postsynaptic molecules. Journal of Neuroscience, 21, 6105-6114,2001.

13. Okabe, S., Kim, H., Miwa, A., Kuriu, T., and H. Okado. Continual remodeling ofpostsynaptic density and its regulation by synaptic activity. Nature Neuroscience, 2,804-811, 1999.

14. Okabe, S., Collin, C., Auerbach, J. M., Meiri, N., Bengzon, J., Kennedy, M. B., Segal,M., and R. D. G. McKay. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity in mice overexpressing anembryonic subunit of the NMDA receptor. Journal of Neuroscience, 18, 4177-4188,
1998.

15. Brüstle, O., Spiro, A.C., Karram, K., Choudhary, K., Okabe, S., and R. D. G. McKay. In
vitro-generated neural precursors participate in mammalian brain development. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 94, 14809-14814, 1997.

16. Okabe, S., Forsberg-Nilsson, K., Spiro, A. C., Segal, M. and R. D. G. McKay.
Development of neuronal precursor cells and functional postmitotic neurons fromembryonic stem cells in vitro. Mechanisms of Development, 59, 89-102, 1996.

17. Harada, A., Oguchi, K., Okabe, S., Kuno, J., Terada, T., Oshima, T., Sato-Yoshitake,R., Takei, Y., Noda, T. and N. Hirokawa. Altered microtubule organization in smallcalibre axons of mice lacking tau protein. Nature, 369, 488-491, 1994.

18. Okabe, S. and N. Hirokawa. Differential behavior of photoactivated microtubules ingrowing axon of mouse and frog neurons. Journal of Cell Biology, 117, 105-120,1992.

19. Okabe, S. and N. Hirokawa. Turnover of fluorescently labelled tubulin and actin in theaxon. Nature, 343, 479-482, 1990.

20. Okabe, S. and N. Hirokawa. Rapid turnover of microtubule-associated protein MAP2 inthe axon revealed by microinjection of biotinylated MAP2 into cultured neurons. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86, 4127-4131, 1989.