Laboratory of Single Molecule Biology
Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences
Professor

Masahiro UEDA

ueda.masahiro.fbs

Associate Professor

Takayuki ARIGA

ariga.fbs

Assistant Professor

Satomi MATSUOKA

matsuoka.satomi.fbs

URL: https://www.fbs.osaka-u.ac.jp/labs/ueda/
Cells are complex systems composedof various biomolecules. The system isself-organized spontaneously withmotility, information processing, andproliferation functions based onproteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and otherbiomolecules, and is able to flexibly
adapt to a changing environment.
Recent advances in advancedmicroscopy technology have made it
possible to observe individual
biomolecules working in living cells(single molecule imaging technology).
Our laboratory applies such advanced
imaging techniques, mathematicalmodeling to intracellular signaling
systems, and also applies synthetic
biology methods for in vitro
reconstitution of intracellular signaling
systems, aiming to elucidate how
biological functions are expressed at
the single-molecule granular resolution.
Development of AutomatedIntracellular Single Molecule
Imaging Methods
Although intracellular single molecule
imaging methods have been in developmentfor more than 20 years, the acquisition andanalysis of image data using single molecule
microscopy still requires a large amount ofmanpower and time. In addition, it requires
artisanal experimental techniques andhighly specialized statistical analysis
methods, which is a major barrier fornewcomers to single-molecule research.
Therefore, our group is developing a highthroughput automated analysis system for
intracellular single molecule imaging.
Through the development of thesetechnologies, we hope to make intracellular
single molecule imaging analysis a truly
practical measurement technique for lifesciences.

Single Molecule Biology ofChemotaxis Signaling Systems
Cells recognize a concentration gradient of achemical substance in the environment, andperform directional movement toward (oraway from) that substance. This property ofcells is generally called chemotaxis. Whenthey respond to light, temperature, or anelectric field, they are called phototaxis,
thermotaxis, and electrotaxis, respectively.
Such chemotaxis is not only important forunicellular organisms to explore theirenvironment, but is also known to play animportant role in various physiologicalphenomena in multicellular organisms, suchas neural circuit formation, morphogenesis,
and immune responses. The cellular slime
mold Dictyostelium discoideum, which we use
in our experiments, is a well-known modelorganism used by researchers worldwide toinvestigate the molecular mechanisms ofchemotaxis. We use intracellular single
molecule imaging techniques to investigate
chemotaxis signaling processes ranging fromrecognition of chemical concentration
gradients to regulation of cell motility.
Through these studies, we aim to elucidate
the mechanisms how information processingfunctions are self-organized from intracellularbiomolecules.

Amoeboid cells of the cellular slime mold Dicy
ostelium showing chemotaxis to a concentration
gradient of an attractant

Synthesis of chemotaxis signaling
systems Biology
We are trying to reconstitute theintracellular signaling function in vitro bypurifying and mixing molecules that constitutethe chemotaxis signaling system. Although
this research has just begun, the methodologyof "creating and understanding cells" isexpected to pave the way for new life
sciences in the future.

Let's study
it together!

Intracellular single molecule imaging ofmolecules that comprise the chemotaxis
signaling system. Each white dot is a moleculeof a molecule called PTEN.

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Osaka University , 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka
565-0871, Japan
TEL: +81-6-6879-4611
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