Neuro-network Evolution Project, Advanced ICT Research Institute,
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
Kobe, Japan
We aim to study the basis of animal behavior on the level of molecular, cell and individual.
Our research
This laboratory is devoted to the study of molecular and cellular bases of innate behavior, with special reference to the genetic mechanism whereby the behavior has diversified in evolution. Our favorite organism is the fruit fly Drosophila, which is highly amenable to genetic analysis. We succeeded in isolating a mutant strain, satori, the males of which engage in homosexual courtship. satori mutants harbor a mutation in the gene fruitless (fru), which encodes a set of transcription factors Fru proteins that are translated only in the male but not female neurons. We discovered that the presence or absence of Fru determine the sex difference in the structure and survival of expressing neurons. A specific set of male-specific neurons thus produced respond to the key stimuli and initiate male courtship. We are in the process to unveil the entire circuitry for courtship.
(A) Homosexual courtship by satori mutant males.
(B) mAL, a sexually dimorphic fru-expressing neuron cluster (left-side, male; right-side, female).
NEWS
Dr. Yamamoto was nominated as a "Distinguished
Professor 2011."
17 professors in Tohoku Univ. were named Distinguished Professors for producing great achievements with their superlative expertise.
Dr. Yamamoto is globally recognized as a pioneer in the study of the molecular genetics of behavior. He is internationally active as a world authority in the field, serving on the editorial board of a prominent overseas scientific journal and the review board for a scientific research fund.
Dr. Yamamoto has been reviewed in Wikipedia.
Dr. Yamamoto has been reviewed as a leading biologist in Japan (Japanese only, sorry).
Recent activities of Yamamoto lab.
- 2019.1.15
- Achievement We published an article on the role of Lola in a dimorphic courtship circuit
in Nature Communications. - 2018.12.27
- Public relations A book review written by Dr. Yamamoto was appeared in the newspaper.
- 2018.11.21
- Achievement We published an article on a novel sex difference in chemosensory neurons
in Journal of Neurogenetics. - 2018.11.14
- Public relations Dr. Yamamoto appeared on the TV program.
- 2018.9.21
- Achievement We published an article on the role of Gr28b.d in female receptivity in
Journal of Neurogenetics. - 2018.9.20
- Public relations Our member won Daigoro Moriwaki Award.
- 2018.8.14
- Public relations Dr. Yamamoto gave a comment in newspaper.
- 2018.6.14
- Achievement We published an article on reproductive arrest in PLoS Genetics.
- 2018.6.14
- Achievement We published an article on polarization defects of oocytes
in Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. - 2018.6.14
- Achievement We published an article on the diversity of TomO protein in Arch. Insect
Biochem. Physiol.
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