The 23rd Hot Spring Harbor International Symposium
held jointly with
The 3rd ‘Grants for Excellent Graduate Schools’ International Symposium

Recent Advances in Stem Cell Biology 2013
Program and Abstracts

Date: Monday November 04 – Wednesday November 06, 2013
Venue: Kyushu University Biomedical Research Station 2F,
Kyushu University Hospital Campus,
3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, Japan
Organized by:
Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University
Grants for Excellent Graduate Schools, Kyushu University
Co-organized by:
Cooperative Research Project Program of the Medical Institute of
Bioregulation, Kyushu University
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas: Cancer
Stem Cells

Contents
Welcome……………..…………..…………………………2
Access……………….……………..…………………………3
Program ……………….………...……………………………5Abstracts for Oral Presentation……………………………….7
Recent Advances in Stem Cell Biology 2013

Abstracts for Poster Presentation…………………………28
Recent Advanced Researches by Young Investigators at Kyushu University

Medical Institute of Bioregulation (MIB)…………………...56
Kyushu University…………………………..………………57
Fukuoka City…………………………...……………………58

Welcome
Dear International Symposium Attendee,
As the Chair of the Organizing Committee, I am pleased to welcome you to thisInternational Symposium entitled ‘Recent Advances in Stem Cell Biology 2013’.
We value your participation, and appreciate your taking the time out of your busy
schedule to join us in beautiful Fukuoka.
Face-to-face conferences provide enormous value for participants that ‘virtual’communications simply can’t replicate. The audience Q&A sessions following astimulating oral presentation, the lively debate at poster sessions, the informal
discussions enjoyed during free time periods, and the resulting collaborations –all of these cultivated my enthusiasm and development as a scientist, andhelped me to choose my research directions.
The first meeting of this series of International Symposia sponsored by Kyushu
University was held in Beppu, a harbor city famous for its hot springs. A cleversoul dubbed this conference the ‘Hot Spring Harbor Symposium’ in counterpoint
to the famous ‘Cold Spring Harbor Symposium’ in the USA. The Hot Spring
Harbor Symposium has now teamed up with the International Symposium
sponsored by the Grants for Excellent Graduate Schools in Kyushu University.
These joint meetings have earned a sterling reputation for their discussions of
top quality science in a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.
For 2013, we have invited the world’s premier researchers to give oralpresentations on their front-line work in Stem Cell Research. We have also
solicited posters from many other up-and-coming young investigators at Kyushu
University in life science field.
Our goal is to provide a valuable and memorable experience at this Symposium,
especially for young researchers. I hope you find that you have spent your time
wisely with us. Once again, welcome to Fukuoka !
Sincerely,

Akira Suzuki M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Cancer Genetics, MIB, Kyushu University
Chair of the Organizing Committee, International Symposium 2013

Access

From Fukuoka Airport

From Tenjin

From JR Hakata Station

From Hakata Port -20 min by Taxi

Program
Monday, November 4, 2013

1st floor Science Café Room, Biomedical Research Station

13:00-17:00 Poster Session– Recent Advanced Researchby Young Investigators at Kyushu University
Tuesday, November 5

2nd floor IT Room, Biomedical Research Station

08:50-9:00 Opening Remarks
Hiroyuki Sasaki(Director, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Japan)

09:00-11:45 Oral Session
Hematological Stem Cells

I:

RecentAdvancesin

Chairs: Kenzaburo Tani & Sho Yamasaki
09:00-09:30 S-01 Koichi Akashi (Kyushu Univ., Japan)
Epigenetic landscape of hematopoiesis as visualized
incorporation is deregulated in acute myeloid leukemia

byhistoneH3.3

09:30-10:00 S-02 Atsushi Hirao (Kanazawa Univ., Japan)
The nutrient sensing signaling pathways in the hematopoietic stem cells andleukemia

10:00-10:15 Tea Break
Chairs: Atsushi Hirao & Toru Nakano
10:15-10:45 S-03 Xi He (Stowers Institute for Medical Research, USA)N-cad-marked reserve HSCs support long-term hematopoiesis and longer
life-span of the host

10:45-11:45 S-04 Linheng Li (Stowers Institute for Medical Research, USA)
Niche and signaling regulation of the state and fate of stem cells

Entrance of Biomedical Research Station

11:45-12:00 Group Photos
1st floor Science Café Room, Biomedical Research Station

12:00–14:15 Lunch Break & Poster Session: Recent
Advanced Research by Young Investigators at Kyushu
University

2nd floor IT Room, Biomedical Research Station

14:15-15:15 Oral Session II: New Technology using Novel
Embryonic Stem Cells
Chairs: Xi He & Linheng Li
14:15-15:15 S-05 Josef Penninger (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology(IMBA), Director, Austria)
Yeast genetics in mammalian cells

15:15-17:15 Oral Session III: Recent Advances in Tissue
Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells
Chairs: Josef Penninger & Hiroyuki Sasaki
15:15-15:45 S-06 Toru Nakano (Osaka Univ., Japan)
Artificial induction of germ cell-specific gene silencing through piRNA pathway

15:45-16:15 S-07 Kinichi Nakashima (Kyushu Univ., Japan)
Effects of an HDAC inhibitor valproic acid on the development and regenerationin the central nervous system

16:15-16:30 Tea Break
Chairs: Kinichi Nakashima & Masaki Mori
16:30-17:00 S-08 Emi K. Nishimura (Tokyo Medical and Dental Univ.,
Japan)
Hair follicle aging and stem cell regulation

17:00-17:30 S-09 Hideshi Ishii (Osaka Univ., Japan)
Innovative cell-modifying technology in gastrointestinal cancer

17:30-18:00 S-10 Keiichi Nakayama (Kyushu Univ., Japan)
Fbw7 is essential for maintenance of quiescence and function of cancer stem
cells

18:00-18:10 Closing Remarks
Yukio Fujiki (Leader of ‘Grants for Excellent Graduate Schools, Kyushu Univ.’, andVice President of Kyushu Univ., Japan)

19:00 Dinner Party (By invitation only)
Wednesday, November 6

1st floor Science Café Room, Biomedical Research Station

09:00-13:00 Poster Session– Recent Advanced Researchby Young Investigators at Kyushu University

Abstracts for Oral Presentation
Recent Advances in Stem Cell Biology 2013

Speaker Abstract: S-01
Epigenetic landscape of hematopoiesis visualized by histone
H3.3 incorporation is deregulated in acute myeloid leukemia
Koichi Akashi
Dept. of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu
University
The histone H3 molecules are composed of H3.1, H3.2, and H3.3 variants.
Amongst them, H3.3 is localized in the euchromatin region, and is the target ofmethylation to activate or inactivate chromatin, thereby allowing or blocking
transcription factors and other functional proteins to access the DNA. To
visualize genome-wide endogenous H3.3 deposition, we generated monoclonal
antibodies against the H3.3 tail, and performed ChIPSeq assays for purified
hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. H3.3 exists not only in the gene bodyand proximal promoter regions, but in the inter-genic regions aroundhematopoietic genes. Interestingly, H3.3 marks the region including ~70kb of
upstream and downstream of hematopoietic lineage-related genes such astranscription factors, prior to differentiation, and therefore H3.3 incorporation
appeared to reflect future actively transcribed regions in subsequentdevelopmental stages. This hierarchical H3.3 deposition was inhibited in humanacute myelogenous leukemia cells. Thus, the incorporation of H3.3 is an early
epigenetic event involved in determining hematopoietic cell fate, which isnecessary for the maintenance of normal hematopoiesis.

Speaker Abstract: S-02
The nutrient sensing signaling pathways in the hematopoietic
stem cells and leukemia
Atsushi Hirao
Division of Molecular Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa
University.
Within their bone marrow (BM) niche, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) adopt aquiescent state and remain in the non-dividing G0 phase of the cell cycle until
the generation of additional HSCs/progenitors is required. This quiescence of
HSCs is also critical for the maintenance of their self-renewal capacity, which isessential for the maintenance of appropriate HSC numbers. AKT is highly
phosphorylated and activated in most hematopoietic progenitor cells but
suppressed in freshly isolated HSCs, indicating that the PI3K-AKT pathway is
downregulated in the BM niche. In the absence of growth factor stimulation,
forkhead transcriptional factor FoxO proteins are retained in an active state in
the nucleus and induce their transcriptional targets. We and others have shownthat FoxOs are essential for the maintenance of quiescence and self-renewal
capacity in HSCs in vivo. Consistent with the suppression of PI3K-AKT signaling
observed in HSCs, mechanistic/mammalian target protein of rapamycin (mTOR)
complex 1 (mTORC1) is downregulated in these cells and dysregulation ofmTORC1 causes abnormality in HSC behavior. Since mTOR plays a critical rolein sensing and responding to environmental determinants such as nutrient
availability, we have focused on nutrient sensing signals for control of HSC fate.
Furthermore, we have investigated roles of FOXO/mTORC1 in the proliferation,
survival and differentiation of leukemia cells, since it has been suggested thatthe molecular mechanisms known to govern the fate of normal HSCs may also
be involved in regulating leukemia stem cells. In this symposium, I will present
data of common and distinct functions of these molecules in regulation of
behavior of HSCs and leukemia.

Speaker Abstract: S-03
N-cad-marked reserve HSCs support long-term hematopoiesis
and longer life-span of the host
Xi C. He1, Ryohichi Sugimura1, Fumio Arai2, Toshio Suda2, and Linheng Li1,3
1

Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, 64110, USA
Department of Cell Differentiation, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35
Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan3
Department of Pathology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City,
Kansas 66160 USA
2

N-cadherin (N-cad) was initially reported to be expressed in the endosteal niche
and also in its adjacent quiescent (or reserve) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
revealed as BrdU-label retaining cells. However, N-cad expression and its
functionality in HSCs were controversial with both supportive and conflicting
reports, and the biological significance of reserve HSCs was proposed but has
not been demonstrated. Here we show that N-cad was indeed expressed in a
fraction of HSCs as analyzed in the N-cad-mCherry knockin mouse model withimmunostaining and Western blot assays. We further show that N-cad was
expressed predominantly in reserve HSCs revealed as Scl-H2B-GFP LRCs.
N-cad+ reserve HSCs were detected in the endosteal niche and functionally had
2-fold higher engraftment rate than N-cad- HSCs in the repopulation assay. In
contrast, loss of N-cad resulted in more than 2-fold reduction in functional HSCs
in competitive repopulation unit (CRU) assay. In serial transplantation
experiments, we found that loss of N-cad reduced survival ability of the hostmice, and that enforced expression of N-cad in DBA bone marrow, which has ashort life-span and naturally lacks N-cad expression in HSCs, increased thesurvivability of host mice. Thus, our results indicate that N-cad-marked reserve
HSCs support long-term hematopoiesis, which is required for supporting longer
life-span of the host.

Speaker Abstract: S-04
Niche and signaling regulation of the state and fate of stem cells
Linheng Li
Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
Department of Pathology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
66160 USA
Bone marrow niches and the signals emanating from these niches are critical forhematopoietic stem cell (HSC) maintenance and regulation. In recent years,
remarkable progress has been made in identification of multiple HSC nichecomponents. However, a consensus has not been formed regarding whether
and how different niche components maintain different states of HSCs. By
combining high throughput RNA sequencing and verification with protein
expression analysis, we provide a comprehensive view of several nichecomponents unique and combinatorial ability to maintain different state of HSCs.
Our data reveal niche components formed at least three anatomical zones tosupport HSC function.
1) The endosteal zone composed of mainly N-Cadherin+(N-Cad+) stromalcells with predominant BMP, Non-canonical Wnt, Jagged1, Angiopoietin 1,
and Osteopontin signals, suggesting a key role in maintaining HSC in the
deep-quiescent state. Cspg4+ (largely overlapped with Osterix+ immature
osteoblast) and Col2.3+ (mature osteoblasts) support this zone bygenerating paracrine signals.
2) The (arteriolar-) perivascular zone composed of mainly Nestin+ cells thatmaintain active Hh signaling, concurrent canonical and non-canonical
Wnt signaling, and suppressed BMP signaling, suggesting a role insupporting a primed (poised for action) state of HSCs. The
perivascular-located CAR (CXCL12 abundant reticular) cells also play a
supportive role by providing membrane-bound SDF1 that facilitates HSC
retention.
3) The sinusoidal zone composed of Pecam+ endothelial cells that maintaindominant Jagged-Dll, canonical Wnt, and SCF signals, suggesting a rolein supporting active self-renewal and proliferating state of HSCs.
Megakaryocytes that normally locate at the sinusoidal zone also provide
supportive signals, particularly under stressed conditions.
Thus, these different niche components form a niche-network and play uniqueas well as co-operative roles for maintenance and regulation of different states of
HSCs.

Speaker Abstract: S-05
Yeast genetics in mammalian cells
Josef Penninger
IMBA, Vienna
All somatic mammalian cells carry two copies of chromosomes (diploidy) which
obscure mutational screens, whereas organism with a single copy of theirgenome such as yeast provide a basis for genetic analyses where any recessive
mutation of essential genes will show a clear phenotype due to the absence of asecond gene copy. Haploidy has been achieved in fish embryonic stem cells,
human KBM-7 leukemia cells, or by electrofusion to generate hybrid cells. We
originally report the first generation of haploid mouse ES cell lines fromparthenogenetic embryos. These cells carry 20 chromosomes, express bonafide stem cell markers, and can develop into multiple cell types of all germ-layers
in vitro and in vivo. Such cells show stable growth over multiple passages, canbe efficiently subcloned, differentiate at similar kinetics as diploid ES cells andcan maintain haploidy even upon initiation of differentiation. We now developed
a mutagenesis protocol that allows saturated genetic recessive screens andresults in homozygous alleles that can be reverted for immediate functional
analysis of target genes. I will discuss the use of this system to screen for drug
pathways or toxin-induced cell death. Moreover, we have started to develop a
fully mutant ES cell library based on our repairable knock-out systems, a librarythat will be made available to all researchers. These new technologies open thepossibility to combine the power of a haploid genome with pluripotency ofembryonic stem cells to uncover fundamental developmental and biologicalprocesses in defined cell types at the genomic level.

Speaker Abstract: S-06
Artificial Induction of Germ Cell Specific Gene Silencing
through piRNA pathway
Toru Nakano
Department of Pathology, Medical School and Faculty of Frontier Biosciences,
Graduate School of Osaka University.
Male germ cells, one of the typical stem cell systems, employ piRNA（PIWI
interacting RNA ） gene silencing pathway to inactivate the transcription ofretrotransposons. piRNAs, a class of germ cell specific subset of small RNAs,
plays critical roles for the silencing of retrotransposons by de novo DNA
methylation in embryonic male germ cells. We attempted and succeeded toestablish an artificial gene silencing method by utilizing the piRNA pathway.
piRNAs are synthesized by so-called ping-pong amplification cycle, in which
sense and anti-sense RNAs are utilized as the materials. We simply
hypothesized that piRNA gene silencing system would work when sense andanti-sense were present, even if they are artificial ones. Based on thishypothesis, sense and anti-sense EGFP mRNAs were expressed in embryonicmale germ cells. Simultaneous expression of sense and anti-sense RNAs
produced piRNAs against EGFP genes and subsequent piRNA dependent genesilencing was introduced. This artificial male germ cell specific gene silencing
system can be applied not only to transgenes but also to endogenous genes.
This experimental system would provide new insights into the biogenesis ofpiRNAs and a novel effective method for sperm specific gene silencing throughDNA methylation.

Speaker Abstract: S-07
Effects of an HDAC inhibitor valproic acid on the development
and regeneration in the central nervous system
Kinichi Nakashima
Department of Stem Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu
University
The mammalian brain contains multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) that canself-renew and give rise to all three major cell types in the nervous system, i.e.,
neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. It has become apparent that
epigenetic modifications including histone acetylation play critical roles in fatespecification of NSCs. We have previously reported that an antiepileptic andhistone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) promotes neuronaldifferentiation of NSCs. Taking advantage of this function, we have developed anovel method to treat spinal cord injury referred to as HINT (Hdac Inhibitor and
NSC Transplantation) method. We could supply newly generated neurons fromtransplanted NSCs in the injured spinal cord with VPA administration. The
transplant-derived neurons reconstructed broken neuronal circuits, thereby
allowing them to transmit signals in a relay manner. However, VPA does notalways elicit favorable effects. Prenatal exposure to VPA has been reported to
impair postnatal cognitive function of children from epileptic mother.
Nevertheless, its pathology and proper treatment to minimize the effects remain
unknown. We here report that the postnatal cognitive function impairment islargely attributable to a reduction of adult neurogenesis and neuronalabnormalities in the hippocampus, of which could be ameliorated by voluntaryrunning.

Speaker Abstract: S-08
Hair follicle aging and stem cell regulation
Emi K. NishimuraDept. of Stem Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and
Dental University
Multicellular organisms senesce with the expression of various aging
phenotypes characterized by functional tissue decline and organismal changes
with decreased regenerating capabilities. Hair loss and hair graying are typicalaging phenotypes in mammals, but the underlying mechanisms of aging are stilllargely elusive in most tissues. In recent decades, some signaling pathways
which determine organismal lifespan and molecules responsible for progeroid
syndromes have been identified in some organisms, but the underlying cellularmechanisms of aging-associated tissue decline and diseases are still largely
unknown. We have studied the mechanisms of aging-associated hair graying
and hair loss by focusing on adult stem cells. We previously identified
melanocyte stem cells (McSC) within the bulge-subbulge area of mouse hairfollicles. The population is cyclically activated to self-renew and to provide
mature melanocytes for hair pigmentation (Nishimura EK et al. 2002). Ourchronological analysis of McSCs and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), the nichefor McSCs, demonstrated that mouse hair follicles age through defective
renewal of McSCs and HFSCs. McSCs differentiate into pigment-producing
melanocytes in the niche without renewing themselves under excessive
genomic stress or with aging (Inomata K et al. 2009). Strikingly, HFSCs with asustained DNA damage response also showed characteristic fate changes
which are clearly distinguished from cellular senescence. The stem cell fatechanges with aging and the underlying mechanisms of tissue aging will beillustrated and discussed.

Speaker Abstract: S-09
Innovative
CancerCell-Modifying

Technology

inGastrointestinal

Hideshi Ishii
Department of Frontier Science for Cancer and Chemotherapy, Osaka University
Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
Given that cancer is a disease with genetic and epigenetic disorders, we
examined the possible effects of cellular reprogramming by induction or
inhibition of cancer-related genes and immature status-related genes includingthat of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell genes, whose alterations have beenreported in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Viral-mediated introduction of iPS cell
genes was necessary for inducing the expression of immature status-related
proteins and the possible expression of morphological patterns of ectoderm,
mesoderm, and endoderm in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Induced
gastrointestinal cancer cells showed slow proliferation and were sensitized todifferentiation-inducing treatment, and in vivo tumorigenesis was reduced innonobese diabetic mice with severe combined immunodeficiency. Consideringthat microRNAs (miRNAs), noncoding RNAs with functions for modulation oftarget gene expression, are involved in the reprogramming process, we
examined an efficient method involving them. Our data indicated that it ispossible to reprogram mouse and human cells to pluripotency by directtransfection of mature double-stranded miRNAs as a combination. Because thisreprogramming method does not require vector-based gene transfer, it holds
significant potential for biomedical research and regenerative medicine, although
the efficiency needs to be improved. Here we discuss the underlying mechanismof miRNA-based reprogramming and the possible application for cancer cell
reprogramming as a novel therapeutic approach. It is naturally expected thatpharmacogenomics of targeting iPS cell genes may sensitize cancer cell
populations that were largely refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Our study
suggests that these novel approaches are beneficial for cancer research andmay open an avenue to treat gastrointestinal cancers that are difficult to cure.

Speaker Abstract: S-10
Fbw7 is essential for maintenance of quiescence and functionof cancer stem cells
Keiichi Nakayama
Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.
Cancer-initiating cells (CICs) are thought to constitute a minor subpopulation ofcancer cells that is required for the initiation and maintenance of cancer. This
notion is based largely on the characterization of leukemia-initiating cells (LICs).
A fundamental problem in treating leukemia is that the quiescent LIC
subpopulation is particularly resistant to conventional chemotherapy. We andothers have shown that the F-box protein Fbw7, the substrate-recognition
subunit of an SCF-type ubiquitin ligase complex, interacts with and mediates theubiquitylation of c-Myc. The ubiquitin-dependent degradation of c-Myc mediatedby Fbw7 has been found to be essential for maintenance of the quiescence andreconstitution capacity of normal HSCs. We hypothesized that Fbw7 might also
be required for the maintenance of LICs and that the Fbw7-c-Myc axis might be
a promising target for leukemia therapy. To test this hypothesis, we used amouse model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Imatinib eradicates dividing
progenitor cells of CML but does not effectively target nondividing LICs, thus thedisease often relapse after its discontinuation. We now show that Fbw7 plays apivotal role in maintenance of quiescence in LICs of CML by reducing the level ofc-Myc. Abrogation of quiescence in LICs by Fbw7 ablation increased their
sensitivity to anticancer drugs, and the combination of Fbxw7 ablation with suchdrugs resulted in a greater depletion of LICs than of normal hematopoietic stem
cells in mice and in human CML specimens. Purging of LICs by targeting Fbw7
to interrupt their quiescence and subsequent treatment with imatinib may thus
provide the basis for a promising therapeutic approach to CML.

Abstracts for Poster Presentation
Recent Advanced Researches by Young Investigators at Kyushu University

Poster Abstract: P-01
Intentional crystal-contact-free space to observe the large
amplitude motions of ligands by X-ray crystallography
Rei Matsuoka, Daisuke Kohda
Division of Structural Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation , Kyushu
University
To understand the function of proteins, it is essential to perfume the structural
analysis of the protein complexes with ligands, such as substrates or partner
molecules. The motions of ligands are restricted by the contacts with neighborprotein molecules in the crystal lattice. In the other words, X-ray crystallography
provides snapshot structures by the crystal-contact effects. If ligands have large
motions in the bound states, a single snapshot does not represent the true
dynamic states of the ligands. Here, we propose a new technique to analyze
dynamics of a ligand in the bound state preserved in the crystal-contact-freespace, which is intentionally created in protein crystals. We used Tom20 as atarget protein. Tom20 is a subunit of the Tom complex, which resides in the
mitochondrial outermembrane. Tom20 functions as a general protein import
receptor, by recognizing N-terminal signal sequences (presequences) of
mitochondrial matrix proteins. Our working hypothesis is that the promiscuous
specificity of Tom20 is attributed to the large mobility of the presequneces in thebinding groove of Tom20. Our aim is to obtain electron density that reflects thelarge mobility of a presequence in the crystal-contact-free space.
In order to create the crystal-contact-free space, we took advantage of protein
fusion with maltose binding protein (MBP). The key of the design is theconnection of the two proteins firmly. We fused the C-terminal α-helix of MBP
and the N-terminalα-helix of Tom20 seamlessly. Insertion of amino acid residues
in the linker region between MBP and Tom20 make it possible to change therelative orientation of MBP and Tom20 in the fusion protein. After a systematic
model building study, we decided to use a design with four residues inserted in
the linker region. To ensure the full occupancy of the presequene peptide in thebinding site of Tom20, we introduced a cysteine residue at the C-terminus of thepreseqrunce and tethered the peptide onto Tom20 by a disulfide bond. We
determined the crystal structure of the fusion protein, andfound smeared
electron density in the binding site of presequences in the difference Fourier
map. The truncation of the high angle diffraction data was effective for the noise
reduction in the map. We attached an iodine atom at the N-terminus of thepresequence and confirmed the N-terminal position in the smeared electron
density. We concluded that the smeared electron density was derived from thepresequence in the binding site of Tom20. We considered that smeared electron
density corresponds the partially overlapping region of the multiple states of thebound presequnece.

Poster Abstract: P-02
Crystal structures of an archaeal oligosaccharyltransferase
provide insights into the catalytic cycle of N-linked protein
glycosylation
Shunsuke Matsumoto, Atsushi Shimada, James Nyirenda, Mayumi Igura,
Daisuke Kohda
Division of Structural Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University.
Oligosaccharyltransferase transfers an oligosaccharide chain to the asparagine
residues in proteins. The archaeal and eubacterial oligosaccharyltransferases
are single subunit membrane enzymes, referred to as AglB and PglB,
respectively. Only one crystal structure of a full-length PglB has been solved.
Here we report the crystal structures of the full-length AglB from a
hyperthermophilic archaeon. The AglB and PglB proteins share the common
overall topology of the 13 transmembrane helices, and a characteristic longplastic loop in the transmembrane region. This is the structural basis for theformation of the catalytic center, consisting of conserved acidic residues
coordinating a divalent metal ion. In one crystal form, a sulfate ion was boundnext to the metal ion. This structure appears to represent a dolichol-phosphatebinding state, and suggests the release mechanism for the glycosylated product.
The structure in the other crystal form corresponds to the resting state
conformation with the well-ordered plastic loop in the transmembrane region.
The overall structural similarity between the distantly related AglB and PglB
proteins strongly indicates the conserved catalytic mechanism in the eukaryotic
counterpart, the STT3 protein, and the detailed structural comparison provided
the dynamic view of the N-glycosylation reaction, involving the conversion
between structured and unstructured states of the plastic loop in thetransmembrane region and the formation and collapse of the Ser/Thr-binding
pocket in the C-terminal globular domain.

Poster Abstract: P-03
Development of a GUI software to visualize high through-put
sequence read archives
Shinya Oki1, Kazumitsu Maehara2, Yasuyuki Ohkawa2, Chikara Meno1
1

Department of Developmental Biology and 2Department of Epigenetics,
Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University
Deposited raw ChIP-seq data are publically available as SRAs (Sequence Read
Archives). However, to graphically visualize the data, SRAs must be converted
into BigWig format thorough complicated CLI (Command-Line Interface)processing.
Here, we developed a GUI (Graphical User Interface) software, SraTailor, which
automatically converts an accession number for SRAs into BigWig-formatted file,
thereby enabling to simply and routinely visualize protein occupancy on any
genomic regions.

Poster Abstract: P-04
Whole genome sequencing of Asian pit viper, Habu snake,
Protobothrops flavoviridis and its repetitive landscape.
Hiroki Shibata
Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Snake venoms are the promising resource for the pharmaceutical discovery.
Towards the complete understanding of the snake proteins including all venomic
proteins and the venom inhibitors, we conducted the whole genome sequencingof Japanese endemic pit viper, Habu snake, Protobothrops flavoviridis which isalso a medically important species due to their severe bites. By flow cytometry
analysis of peripheral blood, we estimated the genome size of Habu to be 1.8 Gb.
We obtained total of 18 Gb of whole genome shotgun sequence reads using
Roche 454 and Illumina MiSeq. We assembled the shotgun reads into 467,763
contigs with the N50 length of 7.2 kb. By adding Illumina GA mate-pair reads
with four different insert sizes, we finally obtained 134,441 scaffolds with the N50
length of 271 kb. By ab initio gene prediction using 2,338 transcripts expressedin Habu venom glands as RNA hints, we identified 20,532 protein sequencesfrom the scaffolds including 3591 novel genes and 348 venom-related genes.
We also compared the repetitive sequence landscape detected from the Habu
genome with partial genome sequences of Burmese python (Python molurus
bivittatus) and Cottonmouth, (Agkistrodon contortrix) previously published(Castoe et al 2011). We observed the abundance of retroelements shared by
Habu and Cottonmouth comparing to Python. However, DNA transposons are
more abundantly detected in the Habu genome than Cottonmouth, suggesting
the divergent mechanisms in genomic evolution even within the Viperidae

Poster Abstract: P-05
VCIP135 phosphorylation on Threonine-760 and Serine-767 isimportant for Golgi disassembly at mitosis
Yuya Taguchi, Ayano Kubota, Go Totsukawa, Hisao Kondo
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences,
Kyushu University
In mammals, the Golgi apparatus is disassembled early mitosis andreassembled at the end of mitosis. For Golgi disassembly, membrane fusionneeds to be blocked. Golgi biogenesis requires two distinct
p97ATPase-mediated membrane fusion, the p97/p47 and p97/p37 pathways.
We previously reported that p47 phosphorylation on Serine-140 and p37
phosphorylation on Serine-56 and Threonine-59 result in mitotic inhibition of the
p97/p47 and the p97/p37 pathways, respectively (Uchiyama et al., 2003; Kaneko
et al., 2010). In this study, we show another mechanism of mitotic inhibition of
p97-mediated Golgi membrane fusion. We clarified that VCIP135, an essential
factor in both p97 membrane fusion pathways, is phosphorylated on
Threonine-760 and Serine-767 by Cdc2 at mitosis and that this phosphorylated
VCIP135 does not bind to p97. An in vitro Golgi reassembly assay revealed that
VCIP135(T760E,S767E), which mimics mitotic phosphorylation, caused nocisternal regrowth｡Our results indicate that the phosphorylation of VCIP135 on
Threonine-760 and Serine-767 inhibits p97-mediated Golgi membrane fusion at
mitosis.

Poster Abstract: P-06
Regulation of plasmalogen synthesis is linked to cholesterol
biosynthesis
Masanori Honsho, Yukio Fujiki
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University
Plasmalogens are a major subclass of ethanolamine and choline
glycerophospholipids in which a long chain fatty alcohol is attached at the sn-1
position through a vinyl ether bond. This ether-linked alkyl bond is formed inperoxisomes by replacement of a fatty acyl chain in the intermediate
1-acyl-dihydroxyacetone phosphate with a fatty alcohol in a reaction catalyzed
by alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase. We previously showed thatperoxisomal fatty acyl-CoA reducatase 1 (Far1) is essential for supplying fatty
alcohols in the ether bond formation of ether glycerophospholipid synthesis. In
the present study, we addressed the molecular mechanism underlying theregulation of plasmalogen synthesis and physiological consequence of theregulation of plasmalogen synthesis.
We found that the activity and expression level of Far1 were elevated inplasmalogen-deficient cells, whereas supplementation of plasmalogens to themutant cells caused degradation of Far1, thereby reducing Far1 activity to thesame level as that in wild-type cells. In addition, expression of Far1 in wild-type
cells increased cellular plasmalogens. Together, these results suggest thatplasmalogen synthesis is regulated by modulating Far1 stability in a mannerdependent on the cellular level of plasmalogens. Next, we assessed thesynthesis of various lipids by elevating the cellular plasmalogen level and foundthat cholesterol synthesis was specifically reduced. Isoprenylation of several
proteins including Pex19p, a cytosolic receptor for peroxisome membraneproteins, and Rab proteins involved in vesicular trafficking were not affected
upon increasing the cellular plasmalogen level, suggesting that the activity of
HMG-CoA reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, was not
reduced. Analysis of several intermediates of cholesterol biosynthesis
suggested that the elevation of cellular plasmalogens affects sterol synthesis in
the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway.

Poster Abstract: P-07
Ubiquitination of the heterotrimeric G protein α subunits Gαi2and Gαq is prevented by the guanine nucleotide exchange
factor Ric-8A
Kanako Chishiki, Sachiko Kamakura, Satoru Yuzawa, Junya Hayase, Hideki
Sumimoto
Depertment of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical
Sciences
The cytosolic protein Ric-8A acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor forGα subunits of the Gi, Gq, and G12/13 classes of heterotrimeric G protein in vitro,and also increases the amounts of these Gα proteins in vivo. The mechanism
whereby Ric-8 regulates Gα content has not been fully understood. Here weshow that Ric-8A appears to stabilize Gαi2 and Gαq by inhibiting theirubiquitination. Ric-8A interacts with and stabilizes Gαi2, Gαq, Gα12, but not Gαs,
when expressed in COS-7 cells. The protein levels of Gαi2 and Gαq appear to
be controlled via the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway, because theseGα subunits undergo polyubiquitination and are stabilized with the proteasome
inhibitor MG132. The ubiquitination of Gαi2 and Gαq is suppressed byexpression of Ric-8A. The suppression appears to require Ric-8A interaction
with these Gα proteins, because the C-terminal truncation of Gαq and Gαi2
completely abrogates their interaction with Ric-8A, their stabilization by Ric-8A,
and Ric-8A-mediated inhibition of Gα ubiquitination.

Poster Abstract: P-08
The WD40 protein Morg1 facilitates Cdc42-mediated interactionof the Par6–aPKC complex with Crumbs3 for apical identity in
mammalian epithelial cells
Junya Hayase1, Sachiko Kamakura1, Yuko Iwakiri1, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi2,
Tomoko Izaki1, Takashi Ito2, and Hideki Sumimoto1
1

Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical
Sciences,2
Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science,
University of Tokyo
Epithelial cells in the extracellular matrix (ECM) build up the three dimensionalarchitecture (e.g. cysts) with the apical surface facing a central lumen. Formationof apico-basal polarity is crucial for the epithelial morphogenesis. Atypical
protein kinase C (aPKC) forms a stable dimer with Par6, an evolutionarily
conserved adptor protein, and translocates to the apical membrane, where
functions in epithelial cell polarization. However the mechanism for translocationof the Par6–aPKC complex has remained to be elucidated. Here wedemonstrate that Morg1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase organizer 1), a
protein comprising WD40 repeats, directly binds to Par6 and thus facilitates
apical targeting of the Par6–aPKC complex in Madin-Darby canine kidney
epithelial cells. Morg1 also interacts with the apical transmembrane protein
Crumbs3 (Crb3) to promote association of the Par6–aPKC complex to Crb3.
Par6–aPKC binding to Crb3 is reinforced with the apically localized small
GTPase Cdc42. Depletion of Morg1 disrupted cyst formation in ECM;
apico-basal polarity was notably restored by forced targeting of the Par6–aPKC
complex to the apical surface. Thus recruitment of the Par6–aPKC complex tothe premature apical membrane appears to be required for definition of apical
identity of mammalian epithelial cells.

Poster Abstract: P-09
Hipk2 and PP1c-mediated dephosphorylation of Dishevelledsustains Wnt signal transduction
Nobuyuki Shimizu and Tohru Ishitani
Division of Cell Regulation Systems, Department of Immunobiology and
Neuroscience, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.
The Wnt family of secreted glycolipid proteins plays a crucial role inembryogenesis, organogenesis, and adult tissue homeostasis. Wnt proteinstransduce their signals via multiple pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin and
Wnt/PCP pathways. Dishevelled (Dvl) is a common essential component of Wnt
signaling pathways. Phosphorylation of Dvl plays both positive and negativeroles in Wnt signal transduction; however, the regulation and significance of Dvl
phosphorylation are not fully understood. Here, we show that
homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2 (Hipk2) facilitates protein
phosphatase-1 catalytic subunit (PP1c)-mediated dephosphorylation of Dvl in a
kinase activity-independent manner, and that this dephosphorylation blocks
ubiquitination and consequent degradation mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase
Itch, which targets the phosphorylated form of Dvl proteins. Inhibition of Hipk2 or
PP1c function reduces Dvl protein levels and suppresses Wnt/β-catenin and
Wnt/PCP pathway-dependent events in mammalian cells and zebrafish embryos,
suggesting that Hipk2 and PP1c are essential for maintaining Dvl protein levels
that are sufficient to sustain Wnt signal transduction. We also show that Wnt-3a,a Wnt/β-catenin ligand, induces dissociation of the Dvl-Hipk2-PP1c complex and
Dvl degradation under high cell density conditions. This regulation may be anegative-feedback mechanism for preventing cell overgrowth.

Poster Abstract: P-10
Silent chromatin domain formed by Xist RNA defective insilencing in the mouse embryo
Yuka Sakata, Yuko Hoki, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Takashi Sado
Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University.
In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is inactivated to equalize
dosage differences of X-linked genes between males and females. This iscontrolled by non-coding Xist RNA, which is transcribed from the future inactive
X chromosome and coats it in cis to induce chromosome-wide silencing. Basedon the study in ES cells, it has been suggested that a conserved repeat
sequence present in the 5' region of Xist RNA is essential for its silencing
function. We reasoned that the study of Xist RNA defective in silencing would
give some insights into our understanding of how Xist RNA induces
chromosome-wide heterochromatinization. Accordingly, we introduced a new
Xist allele into the mouse, which conditionally expresses Xist RNA deleted forthe 5' conserved repeats, and studied its effect on X-inactivation in the mouseembryo. Upon paternal transmission, the X chromosome, although coated withthe mutant Xist RNA, failed to undergo proper inactivation, resulting in embryoniclethality. The mutated X chromosome, however, manifested histone
modifications typical for the inactive X such as H3K27me3. Interestingly,
maternal transmission of the mutated X invariably resulted in embryonic lethality
in both sexes, suggesting that the mutant RNA might retain some silencing
function. This may be consistent with the finding that the mutant Xist RNA could
form the apparent silencing compartment at the site of its accumulation. Further
analyses of the defects in this mutant RNA would allow us to elucidate themolecular basis of Xist RNA-mediated silencing.

Poster Abstract: P-11
Methylome and transcriptome interactions in mouse oocytes
lacking either of the four DNA methyltransferase family proteins
Hidehiro Toh1, Kenjiro Shirane1, Hisato Kobayashi2, Fumihito Miura3, Takashi
Ito3, Tomohiro Kono2, Hiroyuki Sasaki1
1

Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University; 2Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture;3
Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The
University of Tokyo
Methylation of cytosine bases in DNA is an epigenetic modification crucial fornormal development, transposon silencing, and cellular reprogramming. In
mammals, the vast majority of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) occurs at CG
dinucleotides, but we previously identified 5mC at non-CG (CA, CT, and CC)
sites in several genomic regions in mouse germinal vesicle oocytes (GVOs). In
this study, we constructed the base-resolution methylome maps of GVOs,
non-growing oocytes, and mutant GVOs lacking either of the four DNA
methyltransferase family proteins Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b and Dnmt3L using
amplification-free whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Furthermore, we
generated the transcriptional profiles of wildtype and mutant GVOs using RNA
sequencing. We found that nearly two-thirds of all 5mCs occur in non-CG
contexts in GVOs, and that non-CG methylation accumulates during oocyte
growth. Lack of either Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L resulted in a global reduction in both
CG and non-CG methylation in GVOs. Of note, lack of Dnmt1 resulted in a slightdecrease in CG methylation, suggesting that this enzyme plays a role in creating
fully methylated CG sites during de novo DNA methylation. Combinatorial
analyses of the methylomes and transcriptomes suggested specific interactions
between the two in mouse oocyte.

Poster Abstract: P-12Store-operated calcium entry is crucial for the development ofagonist-selected T cells
Masatsugu Oh-hora1,2,3,
Takayanagi2,5NorikoKomatsu2,

AnjanaRao4,

andHiroshi

1

Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University, 2Department of Cell Signaling, Graduate School of Medical and
Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 3Japan Science andTechnology Agency (JST), Precursory Research for Embryonic Science andTechnology (PRESTO) program, 4Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, La
Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, 5Japan Science and Technology Agency(JST), Explorative Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO) program,
Takayanagi Osteonetwork ProjectT-cell receptor (TCR) signaling determines T cell fate in thymic development.
Calcium signaling downstream of TCR plays a crucial role in the development ofT cells. Store-operated calcium entry is the primary mechanism for calcium influx
in T cells. Although it has been widely assumed that store-operated calcium
entry is essential for T cell development in the thymus, there is no direct
evidence for this assumption. To address this question, we have analyzed micelacking STIM1 and STIM2, the two key mediators of store-operated calcium
entry.
We show here that unexpectedly, lack of store-operated Ca2+ entry results in no
effect on positive selection of conventional TCR T cell development and amild impairment of negative selection. In contrast, store-operated Ca2+ entry
specifically controls the development of self-reactive agonist-selected T cells, i.e.,
regulatory T cells, invariant natural killer T cells and TCR+ CD8+ intestinal
intraepithelial lymphocytes. Agonist selection itself was achieved in the absenceof STIM1 and STIM2, but there was a severe impairment of the post-selection
proliferation and functional maturation of agonist-selected T cells. We havetraced this to reduced expression of cytokine receptors and effector molecules
due to inefficient expression of NFAT target genes. Consistent with thesefindings, double deletion of Nfat1 and Nfat2 in T cells with Lck-Cre transgenic
mice led to a partial but specific reduction in the population of agonist-selected T
cells. These findings indicate that STIM-mediated store-operated Ca2+ entry,
leading to efficient NFAT activation, is critical for the postselection maturation ofagonist-selected T cells.

Poster Abstract: P-13
Identification of a molecule critical for degranulation of mast
cells and anaphylactic reaction
Kana Ogawa1,2, Yoshihiko Tanaka1,2,3, and Yoshinori Fukui1,2,3
1Division of Immunogenetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University, Fukuoka, Japan, 2Japan Science and Technology agency, CREST,Tokyo, Japan, 3Research Center for Advanced Immunology, Kyushu University,
Fukuoka, Japan

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allegic reaction. IgE-associated anaphylaxis ismainly mediated by mast cells that express FcεRI, the high-affinity receptor for
IgE, on their surface. Crosslinking of FcεRI-bound IgE with multivalent antigens
induces degranulation of mast cells, with concomitant secretion of chemical
mediators. This process involves dynamic rearrangement of microtubules, yet
the signaling cascade linking FcεRI to microtubule dynamics is not fully
understood. In this study, we show that a member of DOCK family proteins plays
a key role in degranulation of mast cells and anaphylactic reaction. By
generating knockout (KO) mice, we found that FcεRI-mediated degranulation ofmast cells was severely impaired in the absence of this molecule. While the KO
mice exhibited a resistance to systemic and cutaneous anaphylaxis, transfer ofwild-type mast cells restored the susceptibility, indicating that mast cells areprimarily involved in these anaphylactic reactions. Imaging analysis using
GFP-tagged C-terminal fragment of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) also
revealed that microtubule dynamic are impaired in the KO mouse-derived mast
cells. Since DOCK family proteins act as guanine nucleotide exchange factors(GEFs) through the DHR-2 domain, we expected that the GEF activity would be
important for this regulation. Interestingly, however, the expression of the mutant
lacking DHR-2 domain completely restored degranulation response in the KO
mouse-derived mast cells. Thus, we have identified a novel signaling moleculethat links FcεRI to microtubule dynamics during mast cell activation.

Poster Abstract: P-14
Notch-RBP-Jk-IL-7Rα pathway plays a crucial role in themaintenance of IL-17-producing γδ T cells
Masataka Nakamura, Kensuke Shibata, Hisakata, Yamada and Yasunobu
Yoshikai
Division of Host Defense, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University【Background】Unlike conventional αβ T cells, γδ T cells are functionallydifferentiated into IL-17-producers within fetal thymus and maintained as
memory-like cells in the periphery. However, the mechanism for theirmaintenance was unclear. We have previously reported that Notch signaling was
required for their development via induction of HES1, a repressor of transcription
factors. Recently, it was also shown that Notch signaling regulated theexpression of IL-7Rα in human T-lineage cells. We speculated that Notch
signaling had an effect on the maintenance of murine IL-17-producing γδ T cells
via induction of IL-7Rα. We here examined the role of Notch-RBP-Jk-IL-7Rα axis
in the maintenance of IL-17-producing γδ T cells in mice.
【Materials and Methods】Rag-1-Cre, Mx-1-Cre, Lox-stop-lox-RosaNICD-ires-GFP,
RBP-Jkflox/flox and IL-7Rα-/- mice were used. Mice transgenic for γ chain weregenerated by injection of functionally rearranged Vγ6Jγ1Cγ1. DNA binding sites
for Notch1/RBP-Jk complex around IL-7Rα gene in γδ T cells were analyzed bychromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing(ChIP-seq).
【 Results 】 In neonatal and adult mice, a higher IL-7Rα expression in
IL-17-producing γδ T cells was detected than that in IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells.
IL-7 elicited selective expansion of neonatal IL-17-producing γδ T cells. Notch
signaling induced IL-7Rα expression on γδ T cells in vivo as well as in vitro. As a
direct target of Notch signaling, we identified a novel promoter in -5.5kb
upstream of transcription start site of IL-7Rα gene in mice. Deletion of RBP-Jk
abrogated high IL-7Rα expression in neonatal γδ T cells. The deficiency of either
IL-7Rα or RBP-Jk reduced the pool size of IL-17-producing γδ T cells more
severely than IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells.
【 Conclusion 】 We revealed a novel mechanism for the maintenance of
IL-17-producing γδ T cells regulated by Notch-RBP-Jk-IL-7Rα axis.

Poster Abstract: P-15
Microglial activation by Fosb Gene
Hiroko Nomaru1, Kunihiko Sakumi1,2, Atsuhisa Katogi1, Yoshinori N Ohnishi1,
Daisuke Tsuchimoto1,2, and Yusaku Nakabeppu1,2
1
2

Division of Neurofunctional Genomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation
Research Center for Nucleotide Pool, Kyushu University

The Fosb gene encodes subunits of the activator protein-1 transcription factor
complex. Two types of mature mRNA, Fosb and ∆Fosb encoding full-length
FOSB and ∆FOSB proteins, respectively, are formed by alternative splicing of
the Fosb gene. Fosb products are expressed in several brain regions. Moreover,Fosb-null mice exhibit depressive-like behaviors and altered seizure activity,
demonstrating their important roles in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Study of Fosb products has focused almost on neurons; their function in glial
cells remains to be explored. In this study, we found that microglia express
equivalent levels of Fosb and ∆Fosb mRNAs as hippocampal neurons, andidentified six microglial genes whose expression is dependent on Fosb products
using microarray analysis. Of these genes, we focused on C5ar1 and C5ar2,
which encode receptors for complement C5a. In isolated Fosb-null microglia,
chemotactic responsiveness toward the truncated form of C5a and levels ofC5ar1 and C5ar2 mRNAs were significantly lower than those in wild-type.
Fosb-null mice were significantly resistant to kainate-induced seizures comparedwith wild-type. Twenty-four hours after kainate administration, C5ar1 mRNAlevels were increased more than eightfold, with increased C5aR1
immunoreactivity, in wild-type hippocampus; however, such induction was
significantly diminished in Fosb-null hippocampus. Furthermore, microglial
activation after kainate administration was significantly diminished in Fosb-nullhippocampus. These findings demonstrate that Fosb products are required for
inducing a neuroinflammatory response in hippocampus through the regulationof C5ar1 and C5ar2 expression in microglia.

Poster Abstract: P-16
Expression of OGG1 and MUTYH proteins in cancer stem cells
Sugako Oka, Yusaku Nakabeppu
Division of Neurofunctional Genomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, andResearch Center for Nucleotide Pool, Kyushu University
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) show resistance to radiation or anti-cancer drugs
which are known to produce ROS resulting in increased oxidative DNA damage,
however, protective mechanisms against the damage are still unclear.
8-Oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is one of the major oxidative base lesions in DNA or
nucleotides, and is highly mutagenic because it can pair with adenine as well as
cytosine. In mammals, 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1) excises 8-oxoG
paired with cytosine in DNA whereas MutY homolog (MUTYH) removes adenine
misincorporated opposite 8-oxoG in template DNA. These DNA repair enzymes
can suppress spontaneous mutagenesis initiated by 8-oxoG. Moreover, wedemonstrated that MUTYH suppresses carcinogenesis not only by avoiding
mutagenesis, but also by inducing cell death. In this study, we examined
expression levels of OGG1 and MUTYH in p53-proficient HCT116 colorectal
cancer cell lines. Western blot analysis revealed that HCT116 cells express both
nuclear and mitochondrial form of OGG1. The band corresponding to only
nuclear form but not mitochondrial form of MUTYH was detected. Next, we
compared expression levels of the enzymes in HCT116 cells negative or positive
for CD133, one of the colon CSCs markers, using immunofluorescencemicroscopy. MUTYH immunoreactivity was observed only in nuclei ofCD133-positive cells, while immunoreactivity for the mitochondrial form of OGG1
was much higher in CD133-positive cells than in CD-133 negative cells. Finally,
the basal level of 8-oxoG in mitochondrial DNA was lower in CD133–positive
cells compared to CD133-negative cells These results suggest that the higher
expression of mitochondrial form OGG1 can avoid accumulation of 8-oxoG in
mitochondrial DNA, and the loss of MUTYH expression in mitochondria results inacquiring resistance to 8-oxoG induced cell death, thus conferring the resistanceto oxidative stress of CSCs.

Poster Abstract: P-17
Analysis of intrahepatic bile ducts using a high-resolution 3D
imaging system
Yasuo Takashima, Masuyo Kawabata, Atsushi Suzuki
Division of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University.
The liver is consisted of hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells, both of which are
differentiated from bi-potential hepatic progenitor cells (hepatoblasts). In the liver
development, biliary epithelial cells form a single cell layer (ductal plate) and
induce morphogenesis and remodeling of intrahepatic bile ducts. In addition to
the analysis of transcription factors (e.g. Hnf6 and Hnf1β) and signaling
pathways (e.g. Notch and TGF-β), the in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cultures
have also been performed to examine the morphogenesis of intrahepatic bileducts. However, the 3D analysis for in vivo microenvironments using livers ofdeveloping embryos and young animals is hardly known. Thus, in this study, we
have developed a high-resolution 3D imaging system for analysis of themorphology of intrahepatic bile ducts and performed quantitative analyses of bile
duct structures in the liver. Our new system could be useful to examine thedevelopment and the regeneration of intrahepatic bile ducts as 3D structures.

Poster Abstract: P-18
Analysis of hepatic lipid metabolism using iHep cells
Shizuka Miura, Atsushi Suzuki
Division of Organogenesis & Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University.
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are expected to be used in the developing
regenerative therapies and in the examination of pharmacological effects ofdrugs. However, iPS cells have some problems, including the risk of tumor
formation upon transplantation and the difference among iPS cell clones. On theother hand, recent progresses regarding directed cell lineage conversion offibroblasts to other kinds of cells have a possibility to resolve those problems.
Thus, we have attempted to induce functionally mature hepatocytes fromfibroblasts by introducing essential factors for hepatocyte differentiation into
fibroblasts and providing a suitable culture condition for hepatocytes.
Consequently, we identified specific combinations of transcription factors thatcan convert mouse fibroblasts into cells that closely resemble hepatocytes. The
induced hepatocyte-like (iHep) cells have multiple hepatocyte-specific features,
including the expression of albumin and E-cadherin, and reconstitute damaged
hepatic tissues after transplantation. These iHep cells are expected to be usefulin the treatment and the analysis of liver diseases. Recently, the number ofpatients with a failure of lipid metabolic system in the liver is increasing
worldwide. The lipid metabolism disorders have a risk for proceeding to fatty liverdiseases and hepatic cirrhosis. Thus, it is required to develop an appropriate
screening system for examination of new drugs for such diseases. Here, we
showed that iHep cells could be useful in the screening for pharmacologicaleffects of drugs towards lipid metabolism disorders. Our data suggest that, byusing iHep cell technology, the screening of drugs suitable for the patients withlifestyle related fatty liver diseases or hereditary abnormalities in hepatic lipid
metabolism become easier and more accurate, rather than the conventional
screening system.

Poster Abstract: P-19
Functions of MOB 1A/1B in murine uterus and mammary gland
Yoko To, Miki Nishio and Akira Suzuki
Division of Cancer Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University
Drosophila studies suggest that Hippo signaling plays an important role in organ
size control. Central to the Drosophila Hippo pathway is a kinase cascadeconsisting of MST kinase plus its regulatory subunit SAV1, and LATS kinase plus
its regulatory subunit MOB. The Hippo pathway is evolutionarily conserved, andthe vertebrate Hippo pathway has been implicated in regulating cell contact
inhibition, organ size, and tumorigenesis. Thus, the Hippo pathway represents
an attractive target for cancer treatment. Among the 7 human homologs ofDrosophila MOB, only MOB1A and 1B can interact with mammalian LATS kinase.
The physiological functions of mammalian MOBs have yet to be reported.
To define the functions of mammalian MOBs, we generated MOB1A and 1B
single null mutant mice. Because the MOB1A and 1B proteins share 95%
sequence identity, neither strain had an abnormal phenotype. We therefore
generated MOB1A and 1B double null mutants but found that the double
homozygotes were embryonic lethal. Mice with only one functional allele of
Mob1A or 1B? developed a variety of tumors. We then carried out conditional
ablation of MOB1A and 1B in the uterus and mammary glands using miceexpressing Cre under the control of the progesterone receptor promoter(umMOB1 DKO mice). These mutants showed profound female infertility. Aftermating, sperm could not be observed in the oviduct due to either thickening of
the myometrium or luminal stenosis in oviducts. Although ova from umMOB1
DKO mice could be fertilized in vitro, the formation of decidua, which is importantfor maintenance of early pregnancy after uterine implantation, was impaired. In
addition to their fertility defect, all umMOB1 DKO mice later developed uterine
myoma or sarcoma, or dysplasia (carcinoma in situ) of the uterine cervix. In
mammary glands, thickening and expansion of the mammary ducts occurred,with an increased number of branches and epithelial cells per duct. Mammary
cancers appeared by 6 weeks of age. In addition the mice phenotype, activation
of YAP was observed in all human cervical dysplasia examined. Thus, the Hippo
pathway, and especially MOB1, is essential for normal fertility and tumor
suppression in the uterus and mammary gland.

Poster Abstract: P-20
Function of MOB1 in murine lung
Kohei Otsubo1,2, Miki Nishio1, Nakanishi Yoichi2 and Akira Suzuki1
1
Division of Cancer Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University
2
Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical
Sciences, Kyushu University
The Hippo pathway controls cell proliferation, apoptosis, contact inhibition, cell
migration, cell differentiation, stem cell self-renewal, genetic stability, and EMT.
Thus, impaired Hippo signaling leads to altered organ size and the onset,
development, and metastasis of cancers. MOB1, a key component of the Hippo
pathway, binds to LATS kinase and regulates its activity. We previously showedthat MOB1 null mice are early embryonic lethal (~E6.5) due to defective primitive
endoderm formation. We also found that mice with a partial loss of MOB1
developed a variety of tumors, but lacked an obvious phenotype in the lung. To
investigate the roles of MOB1 in lung development and tumorigenesis, we
generated mice in which MOB1 deficiency could be induced specifically inbronchioalveolar epithelial cells via doxycycline treatment (luMOB1 DKO mice).
Lungs of E6.5-19.5 mutant embryos that received doxycycline in utero showed athickening of alveolar walls due to hyperplasia of immature alveolar epithelial
cells and myofibroblasts, a phenotype similar to that of human IRDS. Accordingly,
most luMOB1 DKO mice died of hypoxia soon after birth. Mutants that received
doxycycline postnatally (P21-41) showed increased detachment of bronchiolar
cells but did not develop spontaneous lung carcinomas. To examine
chemically-induced lung carcinogenesis in the absence of MOB1, we
administered urethane to mice by intraperitoneal injection. Contrary to
expectations, numbers of urethane-induced lung tumors were significantly lower
in luMOB1 DKO mice than in controls at 25 weeks post-injection. Importantly,
numbers of bronchioalveolar stem cells (BASCs), which are known to becancer-initiating cells, were reduced in luMOB1 DKO mice. In addition, theexpression of type XVII collagen, which is a component of the hemidesmosome,was decreased in mutant bronchiolar epithelial cells. We therefore speculate that
MOB1-deficient mice develop fewer chemically-induced lung tumors due to a
defect in BASC maintenance and an increase in BASC detachment from thebasement membrane caused by a deficit in type XVII collagen. These results
indicate that MOB1 is essential for normal lung morphogenesis, and suppresses
tumorigenesis by controlling BASC maintenance.

Poster Abstract: P-21
FOXK1 mediates mTORC1-dependent chemokine production
and promotes cancer progression
Hirokazu Nakatsumi1, Masaki Matsumoto2, Keiichi Nakayama1
1
2

Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.
Division of Proteomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.

Hyperactivation of mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) has
been observed in various tumours, whereas Rapamycin, the mTORC1 inhibitor,
is an anti-tumour drug with anti-angiogenic activity. mTORC1 is a kinase
complex and the drug effect of Rapamycin is caused by inhibiting thedownstream molecules of mTORC1. However, any effector target for tumour
angiogenesis has not been identified. Here we report that FOXK1
phosphorylation is regulated by mTORC1 and involved in tumour angiogenesis.
We found 20 effectors of the mTORC1 containing FOXK1 using
phosphoproteomic approach. FOXK1 was activated through mTORC1 signaling
andinduces
expressionofCCL2,
inflammatory
chemokine.
mTORC1-FOXK1-CCL2 axis contributed tumour vascular formation andinfiltration of inflammatory monocyte subsets (CD11b+ Gr1+ F4/80-) into tumour
tissue. Our results demonstrated the mechanism that hyperactivated mTORC1
induces tumour angiogenesis through its kinase activity.

Poster Abstract: P-22
FBXL12 targets ALDH3A1 for degradation to regulate the fate oftrophoblast stem cells
Masaaki Nishiyama, Keiichi I. Nakayama
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University.
Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) oxidize aldehydes to the corresponding
carboxylic acids with either NAD or NADP being as a coenzyme. Elevatedactivity of various ALDHs is associated with the maintenance of normal andcancer stem cells. However, the mechanisms by which the ALDHs activity isregulated in stem cells have been poorly understood. We now show that theubiquitin-dependent degradation of ALDH3A1 is mediated by FBXL12 (F box
and leucine-rich repeat protein 12) and it is essential for the differentiation oftrophoblast stem cells (TSCs). FBXL12 is present only in eutherian mammals
through evolution and its expression is largely restricted to the placenta,
suggesting the role of FBXL12 in trophoblast development. Most of mice
deficient in FBXL12 are embryonic lethal or die shortly after birth as a result ofplacental insufficiency with a defect in spongiotrophoblast formation.
Furthermore, in vitro differentiation of TSCs revealed that FBXL12 depletion, as
well as forced expression of ALDH3A1, phenocopied the FBXL12-null placenta.
Our results suggest that FBXL12-mediated degradation of ALDH3A1 is essential
for the differentiation from trophoblast stem cells, and its deregulation mightunderlie many aspects of early pregnancy loss and pregnancy complications inhumans.

Poster Abstract: P-23
MicroRNA-regulated
coxsackievirus
B3
pathogenicity retaining oncolytic activity.

abrogates

its

Shohei Miyamoto1, Hiroyuki Inoue1,2, Miyako Sagara1, Beibei Wang1, Tomotoshi
Marumoto1,Koichi Takayama2, Hiroyuki Shimizu3, Yoichi Nakanishi2, Kenzaburo
Tani1
1

Division of Molecular and Clinical Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University,
2
Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Kyushu University,
3
Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
We previously demonstrated that coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) had potent
oncolytic activity with immunostimulatory properties against non-small cell lungcancer (NSCLC) in mouse models. However, CVB3 infection causes myocarditis
and pancreatitis in mice.
In current study, to improve the safety profile of CVB3, we successfully
constructed the novel recombinant CVB3 (CVB3-miRT) by incorporating two
normal tissue-specific target sequences complementary to miR-1 and miR-217
into the CVB3 genome. CVB3-miRT showed abundant viral replication as well as
parental CVB3 in NSCLC cells with low expression levels of miR-1 and miR-217.
On the other hand, miRNA-transduced NSCLC cells had dramatically resistantto the oncolysis by CVB3-miRT infection compared with parental CVB3.
Furthermore, the administrations of CVB3-miRT, but not parental CVB3, into
human NSCLC xenograft tumor preestablished in athymic nude mice, markedly
prevented serve weight loss and decreased serum amylase and creatine kinase
levels retaining its significant tumor regression ability.
Collectively, our results strongly suggested that our novel geneticallyattenuated strain of CVB3 could be a promising oncolytic modality for thetreatment of NSCLC patients and such miRNA-based genetic modulation would
provide us a versatile platform to safely enhance the potentials of CVB3 incancer therapy.

Poster Abstract: P-24
Therapeutic vaccine with GM-CSF gene-transduced cancer
stem cells inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of breast
cancerChika Sakamoto,1 Hiroyuki Inoue,1,3 Megumi Narusawa,1 Shohei Miyamoto,1Tomotoshi Marumoto1, Atsushi Takahashi1, Makoto Inoue,2 Koichi Takayama,3Mamoru Hasegawa,2 Yoichi Nakanishi,3 and Kenzaburo Tani 1
1

Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu
University, Fukuoka, Japan
2
DNAVEC Corporation, Tsukuba, Japan
3
Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical
Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have gained significant recognition as a novel
target for cancer therapies. Here, we investigated whether CSCs as tumor
antigens were susceptible to GM-CSF-induced antitumor immunity by using theside population (SP) of 4T1 murine breast cancer cells. Expression levels of
pSTAT3, VEGF and PD-L1/B7-H1 were higher in SP cells than those in non-SP
cells, suggesting that SP cells exhibit increased chemo-resistance andimmunosuppressive phenotype. Subcutaneous (s.c.) challenge with GM-CSF
gene-transduced SP (SP/GM) cells in syngeneic BALB/c mice significantly lostits tumorigenicity than controls. Of note, therapeutic vaccination using irradiated
SP/GM (ir.SP/GM) cells significantly suppressed the s.c. tumor growth of SPcells than controls with remarkable accumulation of mature DCs in vaccinatedsite. Notably, mice treated with ir.SP/GM cells manifested a decreased numberof lung metastasis. Our data demonstrated the ir.SP/GM cells could induce
effective antitumor immunity regardless of their higher immunosuppressive
properties, providing a promising prospect to improve the efficacy of standard
GVAX therapy.

Poster Abstract: P-25
The impact of smoking on DNA methylation in humans
Akiko Isomoto and Ken Yamamoto
Division of Genomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation,
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanThe dysregulation of epigenetic modifications is related to several complex
diseases. Therefore, the study of the possible impacts of hazardous
environmental stress on epigenetic modifications has attracted interest because
it allows a better understanding of disease pathogenesis. To identify epigenetic
alterations induced by smoking, which are among the most common risk factors
for human disease, we conducted an epigenome-wide association analysis
between smokers and non-smokers using a 450K methylation chip on a total of
480 population-based Japanese cohort DNA samples that were extracted fromperipheral blood cells. We identified 25 novel loci and 7 reported loci that areassociated with smoking status (P < 1.05 × 10-7), using a generalized linear
model with adjustments for age and sex. The loci include genes related tocarcinogenesis, cardiovascular disease, the dioxin signaling pathway and theimmune system. We also found that smoking-induced methylation changes were
restorable by smoking cessation, which suggests that the epigenome adapts
dynamically to smoking stress. Furthermore, we identified DNA variants which
affect DNA methylation level of the smoking-susceptible CpG site. The result
suggests that these DNA variants may contribute to the susceptibility to various
diseases affected by smoking. Our study provides a framework for future studies
to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the risk of smoking for human health.

Poster Abstract: P-26
Predicting drug-disease association network toward drug
repositioning
Hiroaki Iwata1, Minako Yoshihara2, and Yoshihiro Yamanishi1,31Division of System Cohort, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.
Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University.
3
Institute for Advanced Study, Kyushu University
2

Drug repositioning, or detection of new drug indications of known drugs, is achallenging issue in recent pharmaceutical science. Since pharmacokinetics andsafety profiles of known drugs are already confirmed, drug repositioning is
expected to considerably reduce the time and expense for drug development.
In this study, we develop a new computational method to infer potential
drug-disease association network toward drug repositioning. We define thedescriptor of each drug-disease pair based on various data sets of drugs (e.g.,
drug side effects and target proteins) and those of diseases (e.g., diagnostic
markers, disease-causing genes, and environmental factors) from public
databases, and construct a predictive model based on the descriptors in asupervised machine learning framework. In this result, we show the usefulnessof the proposed method by performing cross-validation experiments. Finally, we
make a comprehensive prediction of drug-disease association network
consisting of about 2,500 drugs and 1,000 diseases, which enables us tosuggest many potential new drug indications. We also examine potential target
proteins and target pathways which are induced by the drugs for diseases ofinterest, and discuss biological validity of those examples from medical andclinical viewpoints.

The Medical Institute of Bioregulation
The Medical Institute of Bioregulation (MIB) of Kyushu University has the aim of increasing ourunderstanding of the essential regulatory mechanisms involved in human biology. The long-termgoal of our work at the cellular and molecular levels is to cure disease. Specifically, MIB
researchers are interested in learning how individual cells regulate each other in the complex
multicellular environment of the human body. The body is constantly exposed to a variety of
threats such as infection, apoptosis, malfunctioning of organelles, and tumorigenesis; yet, mostof the time, homeostasis is maintained and the body survives. How do our bodies, organs andcells thwart threats and prevent disasters? We believe that answers to this question can lead tocures for medical conditions such as infection, cancer, allergies, autoimmune diseases,
multi-factorial genetic disorders, and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system.
The Medical Institute of Bioregulation was founded in April, 1982. It underwent a major
restructuring in April, 2001 to better serve the above aims in this rapidly changing era. Three new
Departments and two Research Centers were established to replace the original 11
Departments. These new Departments are the Department of Molecular Genetics, theDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and the Department of Immunology and
Neuroscience. Each Department has four Divisions. Four of the divisions also have clinicalportions which contribute energetically to translational research using products derived frominside or outside of the Institute.The two new Research Centers of MIB are the Research Center
for Genetic Information (two Divisions) and the Research Center for the Prevention of Infectious
Diseases (four Divisions).
MIB, along with the Faculty of Medicine, constitute the Division of Medical Sciences at theGraduate School of Kyushu University. In addition, an affiliation with theDivisions of Structural Biology and Bio-informatics has been established.
Since April 2010, MIB has been functioning as a Joint Usage/ResearchCenter for the Multi-stratified Host Defense System authorized by the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.
Our institutional facilities can provide our collaborators with various services,
including DNA sequencing, epigenetic analysis, microarray data collection,
preparation of tissue sections, electron microscopy analysis, NMR analysis,
proteomic analysis, generation of gene-manipulated animals, and more.
Dr. Hiroyuki Sasaki
Director
Recent Major Research Papers from MIB(1) Immunity 2013: C-type lectin MCL mediates adjuvanticity of mycobacterial cord factor(2) Cell Host & Microbe 2013: Identification of distinct ligands for C-type lectin Mincle andDectin-2 in the pathogenic fungus Malassezia(3) Cancer Cell 2013: Ablation of Fbxw7 eliminates leukemia-initiating cells by preventing
quiescence(4) Cell 2013: FBXL21 regulates oscillation of the circadian clock through ubiquitination andstabilization of cryptochromes(5) Journal of Clinical Investigation 2012: 8-Oxoguanine causes neurodegeneration during
MUTYH-mediated DNA base excision repair(6) Genome Research 2012: Targeted gene silencing in mouse germ cells by insertion of ahomologous DNA into a piRNA generating locus(7) Journal of Clinical Investigation 2012: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma can arise from
Notch-mediated conversion of hepatocytes

Kyushu University
The history of Kyushu University dates back to 1903 when Fukuoka Medical College wasestablished as the foundation of Kyushu Imperial University. (The college was legally attached to
Kyoto Imperial University at that time). In 1911, Kyushu Imperial University, along with theColleges of Medicine and Engineering, were established.
Since then various reforms have been made to the higher education system in Japan, such as
the introduction of a new educational format after World War II and the reorganization of national
universities to University Corporations in 2004.
The total number of students currently amounts to 18,765, while the faculty members number
2,186. International exchange programs are also greatly encouraged at Kyushu University. With
this in mind, the university accepts many overseas students each year. At present there are
more than 1,700 international students from about eighty countries studying here.
As a world-class Center of Excellence open to Asia, Kyushu University is expected anddestined to develop primary education, research, and medical activities attracting many
international students. Also, as a core university representing western Japan, Kyushu University
is expected to work closely with surrounding cities, bringing prosperity and development, andacting as a responsible and reliable university of the citizenry. In 1995, Kyushu University settled
on a substantial agreement for university reform, and has carried out far-reaching structuralreforms starting with the Graduate School/Graduate Faculty system. Since its incorporation in
2004, Kyushu University has engaged in major projects and reforms with distinctive goals andapproaches under the leadership of the former President. By repeatedly applying both top-down
and bottom-up approaches, it is vital from now on to energize the University, pursue this directionof reforms, and further embody a system in which local input and knowledge from faculty
members can be fully reflected.
Kyushu University is determined to establish an environment where all students and faculty
members can feel encouraged in their work, showing confidence and pride. By doing so, apositive chain reaction will be brought about. Students and faculty members can fully dedicate
themselves to their tasks to reach higher goals, specialized graduates will draw more attention
from an increasingly high caliber of students, and successful faculty members with notableachievements in their fields will attract a greater number and variety of competent researchers.
All of this will support the active, sustainable development of our University.
In 2011, Kyushu University celebrates its first centennial anniversary, marking its founding as
a National Imperial University. To open up a new century of intellectual achievement, Kyushu
University is expected to use its centennial tradition as a launching pad for its leap into the future.
It is our mission to successfully complete the ongoing centennial projects, set a precise direction
for the next century, determine the paths tofollow, and carry out the projects needed toachieve our goals. To facilitate this, ourrelocation to the Ito New Campus is a toppriority. With the kind understanding andcooperation received from various circles, weare committed to making every possible effort
to promptly complete this relocation.

Vice President
Yukio Fujiki

President
Setsuo Arikawa

Fukuoka City
Natural Environment, Population and Area
Fukuoka City is located at longitude 130° 24’ 06” East and latitude 33° 35’ 24” North. Because
major cities of East Asia such as Busan, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei are about the same
distance from Fukuoka as Osaka, Tokyo and Sapporo, there are many regular international
flights. Fukuoka City thus represents an ideal point of interaction with the Republic of Korea, thePeople’s Republic of China, and other Asian lands.
Standing in the heart of the crescent-shaped Fukuoka Plain, the city faces the Genkai Sea
to the north, and Hakata Bay, defined by Uminonakamichi and the Itoshima peninsula. To thesouth is the Sefuri mountain range, and to the east the Sangun range. There are a number ofrivers, such as the Tatara, Naka and Muromi rivers, that flow into Hakata Bay, but most otherrivers in the area are medium or small in size. The climate is warm, with an average annual
temperature of 17.3°C (as of 2009). The population of the city continues to grow, surpassing theestimated 1,450,838 people and 696,011 households recorded in October 1, 2009. The 2005
national census showed that youth (below 14 years of age) accounted for 13.4% of the total
population, working-age individuals (15 to 64) for 70.2%, and the elderly (over 64) for 15.2%.
Fukuoka City has the lowest average resident age of any Japanese administrative ordinancecity: 40.3 years.
Sightseeing in and around Fukuoka City
Dazaifu Tenmangu is the head shrine of the many Tenmangu shrines that exist all over Japan.
Dedicated to the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane, Dazaifu is well known as a god of academic
achievements. The grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangu have been beautified with many flowers,
including the legendary “flying plum tree” (tobiume),” plum trees (ume), azaleas and irises. ＜Dazaifu City＞
Ruins of Dazaifu Government Office. From the Nara period through the Heian period, theDazaifu Government Office governed the Kyushu region and served as a negotiating forum
between Japan and foreign countries. Some foundation stones still remain at the site, which has
been turned into a historic park.＜Dazaifu City＞
Canal City Hakata is a commercial complex with a total site area of 34,700 square meters.
Along a 180-meter long artificial canal are a wide range of facilities, including a theater, cinemas,
hotels, shops, restaurants, a gallery and offices. Live performances in an event area are among
the most popular attractions here. ＜Fukuoka City＞
Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome. Japan's first retractable-roof stadium is used not only forbaseball but also for American football, concerts, exhibitions and other events. ＜Fukuoka City＞
Hakata's famous “Yatai” (food stalls). Here you can taste local specialties such as “Hakata
ramen noodles” at low
prices. ＜ Fukuoka City＞
Seaside Momochi is aclusterof beautiful
buildingsofsophisticateddesign.
Trendy shops as wellasculturalandcommercial
facilities
are located in this
district. ＜Fukuoka City＞

Secretariat:
International Stem Cell Symposium Organizing Committee Office,
MIB, Kyushu University, Fukuoka-City, Fukuoka, Japan
Tel:+81-92-642-6838
E-mail: mikis@bioreg.kyushu-u.ac.jp