Laboratory of Physical Biology
Institute for Protein Research
Associate Professor

Madoka SUZUKIsuzu̲mado

URL: http://www.protein.osaka-u.ac.jp/physical̲biology/

ヒトが体温を保てるのは、熱を放出する（熱産生する）仕組みがあるからです。また熱産生は、動植物に広く見られます。私たちは、この熱産生にまつわる現象を細胞の空間スケールで理解したい！という動機から、局所的に熱刺激したり、温度を光学顕微鏡で測る技術を開発して、生体分子から生物個体へと空間スケールを縦断して応用しています。
興味に基づく真理探究のテーマと、疾患に関するテーマの両方を、国内外の共同研究者と進めています
Humans can maintain bodytemperature because of their heatreleasing mechanism(thermogenesis). Thermogenesis
has also been widely observed inplants and animals. We aim tounderstand the phenomena related
to thermogenesis at the cellularscale. We are developing techniques
for localized thermal stimulation andtemperature measurement using
optical microscopy and applying
them across spatial scales frombiomolecules to individual organisms.
We are pursuing curiosity-driven
and disease-related projects
through domestic and internationalcollaborators.
.
局所熱励起と温度イメージング技術の開発
動物の温度センサーとして発見されたイオンチャネル（2021年ノーベル生理学・医学賞）に限らず、例えば酵素反応のように、一般に細胞の生化学反応には温度依存性があります。そこで、あらゆる細胞が多種多様なやり方で温度応答する、と考えることもできるでしょう。この仮説を実験的に検証する単純な方法は、細胞を光学顕微鏡で観察しながら熱刺激を与えてみることです。そこで私たちは、光熱変換（光を吸収して熱を放出すること）や定量イメージング（あるパラメータの空間分布を得ること）といった物理化学的概念を組み合わせた技術を、光学顕微鏡と蛍光プローブを利用して開発しています。

生物学的課題への応用
私たちは開発した技術を利用することで、細胞の熱応答がどのタンパク質のどのような熱応答から生じるのかを明らかにし、また同じ仕組みは、細胞自身の熱産生に対しても働いているのだろうか？といった問いに答えようとしています。例えばこれまでに、細胞内で局所的に生じる熱の流れが、翻訳や発生、あるいは筋収縮のような生理機能に様々な影響を与えうることを発見しました。また熱と細胞応答のバランスが崩れると悪性高熱症といった重篤な疾患を引き起こす可能性も見出して来ました。

Figure 1. Methods based on optical microscopy that we have developed
for the local heating of cells, and for measuring the temperature
gradient and temperature change caused by such heating (modifiedfrom Biophys Rev 2021).

Development of local thermal
excitation and temperature imaging
methodNot only ion channels discovered as
temperature sensors in animals (Nobel Prize inPhysiology or Medicine 2021), but alsobiochemical reactions in cells in general, forexample enzymatic reactions, are temperaturedependent. Therefore, it can be assumed that
all the cells respond to temperature in a wide
variety of ways. A simple way toexperimentally examine this hypothesis is to
apply a thermal stimulus to cells whileobserving them under an optical microscope.
Therefore, we are developing methods that
Figure 2. By applying the new methods that we have developed tobiological experimental systems at various spatial scales, from proteinscombine physicochemical concepts, such as
to individual organisms, we are pursuing curiosity-driven and diseasephotothermal conversion (absorbing light and Looking
related projects
withdomestic
international
collaborators.
insidethecellsand
thatmake upourreleasing heat) and quantitative imaging
body, various protein molecules are working
there. In order to know about organisms, it(obtaining the spatial distribution of certain
is very important to investigate how protein
parameters), using optical microscopy and研究室選びは、後々まで効いてくる、とても
molecules
work. So far, we have developed
fluorescent probes.
a methodfor directly observing how protein
大事な分かれ道です。自分に合う、良い場所
Applications in life sciences
Using our developed methods, we aretrying to answer questions such as whatproteins are responsible for the thermal
response of a cell and whether the samemechanism works for the cell's ownthermogenesis. For example, we found that
localized heat flow within a cell can affecttranslation, development, and physiological
functions such as muscle contraction. We
also discovered that imbalances between
heat and cellular responses can lead toserious diseases, such as malignant
hyperthermia.

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Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University
3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
TEL: +81-6-6879-8628
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