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Affiliation
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Graduate School of Media and Governance (Shonan Fujisawa)
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Position
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Professor
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Related Websites
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Kanai, Akio
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Dr. Akio Kanai was born in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Waseda University in 1985, and obtained his PhD in molecular biology at the University of Tokyo in 1990. He finished postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health, USA (1990-1992), and he was appointed a researcher in the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (1992-1996). He was a group leader for the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), ERATO Project Group (1996-2001). He was an Associate Professor at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University (2001-2006) and accepted a full professorship in April, 2006 (concurrently serves as a professor at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University). Since 2022, he is also a professor of Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University. His major research fields include molecular cellular biology and gene regulation in a variety of organisms. His work in life sciences has led him to his present research into RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNAs.
We have been carrying out research mainly related to the molecular biology and molecular evolution of RNAs in a manner that combines bioinformatics and experimental biology. One of our representative studies is the systematic discovery of functional RNAs. For example, through the analysis of experimentally collected mouse full-length cDNA clones, we showed for the first time that a large amount of long noncoding RNAs exist in mammals (Genome Res. 2003, in collaboration with RIKEN). Subsequently, we have discovered and reported new molecular species of small RNAs in E. coli (BMC Genomics 2011) and microRNAs in the "living fossil" Triops cancriformis (tadpole shrimp) (RNA 2015), at the genome level. We also reported that artificially synthesized small RNAs can inhibit the growth of E. coli (RNA Biol. 2017). Furthermore, we systematized the evolution of group II introns in prokaryotes, known as one of the genes that move across the genome (Front. Microbiol. 2022). In addition to these findings, we also contributed to the discovery of various disrupted transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and tRNA-like genes since 2006 (Mol. Biol. Evol. 2008; PNAS. 2009; Nucleic Acids Res. 2012; Mol. Biol. Evol. 2016). We have also reported on the characteristics of a group of enzymes involved in the regulation of RNA molecules and their molecular evolution (RNA 2009; Nucleic Acids Res. 2011; Genome Biol. Evol. 2019; J. Mol. Evol. 2023). Recently, we reported that the ribosomes of a tiny group of bacteria called CPR bacteria are small (RNA 2022) and analyzed the rRNA introns of this group of bacteria (J. Bact. 2024).
Due to my dual role as a professor at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, I have been particularly mindful of the concepts of "Environment" and "Information" in shaping the direction of my research over the past decade. When I speak of the "Environment," I specifically refer to habitats where life can barely survive, with a particular focus on extreme environments. On the other hand, "Information" is self-evident; it pertains to genetic information. In essence, by examining gene expression in situations critical to cells, we strive to gain a deeper understanding of the essence of "Life." (Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2024).
Education of undergraduate and graduate students:
The goal of our RNA research group is to create human resources who can think for themselves. This needs to be learned properly during the student years. In extreme terms, it does not matter who you learn the experimental techniques from, as long as you can learn them correctly. What is important is to be able to think properly about what to study, what to do when in trouble, and how to develop. In other words, it is important for you to be able to develop your research without being bound by the themes of your student days.
It has been 60 years since the flow of genetic information (central dogma) from DNA to RNA to protein was proposed. Although this concept remains unchanged as the basic axis, it has been required to be modified with the discovery of reverse transcriptases in the 1970s and RNA enzymes (ribozymes) in the 1980s. Furthermore, with the discovery of so many non-coding RNAs in the 21st century, the function of the RNA molecules themselves in central dogma has become impossible to ignore. This project focuses on functional RNAs, RNA-binding proteins, and RNA-related enzymes involved in gene regulations, and aims to elucidate new regulatory mechanisms mediated by RNAs. Furthermore, based on the findings obtained through these studies, we will discuss the origin of life, evolution, and the basic regulatory mechanisms of genes.
Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Systems Biology Program
Professor, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University
Associate Professor, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University
Group Leader, ERATO Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Researcher, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan
The University of Tokyo, Graduate School, Division of Pharmaceutical Scienc, Life Science
Graduate School, Completed, Doctoral course
Waseda University, Graduate School, Division of Science and Engineering, Physics and Applied Physics
Graduate School, Completed, Master's course
Waseda University, Faculty of Education, Biology
University, Graduated
Ph. D., The University of Tokyo, Coursework, 1990.03
Structural and expression analysis of gene clusters for Sarcotoxin I and II, antibacterial proteins of flesh fly, Sarcophaga peregrina
Life Science / Molecular biology (RNA molecular biology)
Life Science / Genome biology (Gene evolution)
Life Science / Evolutionary biology (Molecular evolution)
Archaea, Bacteria, RNA viruses
Systems biology, Synthetic biology, Genome biology
Non-codingRNA, transfer RNA, ribosomal RNA, RNA-related enzymes
RNA processing, pre-tRNA-splicing, RNA ligase, Ribonuclease
Genetic code, Molecular evolution
(1) RNA-Binding Proteins & RNA-Related Enzymes, (2) Non-coding RNAs, (3) Origin of Life, (4) Molecular Evolution, (5) Microbiomes of Extreme Environments, (6) Systems Biology of Gene Regulation, (7) Evolution of RNA viruses,
Molecular Biology 15 Lectures [Basic Edition] in Japanese
Akio Kanai (Higashinakagawa, T., Kuwayama, S., and Kawamura, A. Ed.), Ohmsha, 2024.10, Page: 394
Scope: Lecture 8: RNA functions I Regulation of translation/ Lecture 9: RNA functions II Importance of functional RNAs, Contact page: 169-210
Hadean Bioscience (in Japanese)
Maruyama, S., Ebisuzaki, T., Kanai, A., Kurokawa, K., Asakura Publishing Co., Ltd., 2022.10, Page: 483
Scope: Chapter 2: Introduction to biology for the study of the origin of life/ Chapter 10: History and cutting edge of artificial life , Contact page: 25-66/ 373-394
Kanai, A., Warashina, T., Koma, Y., Nishimura, A., Hinai, H., and Shagimardanova, E., Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2022.01, Page: 190
金井昭夫 (公益財団法人 遺伝学普及会 日本遺伝学会 編), 丸善出版, 2022.01, Page: 690
Scope: DNA・RNA, Contact page: 84-85
Tsurumaki, M., Sato, A., Saito, M., and Kanai, A.
Journal of Bacteriology (American Society for Microbiology) 206 ( 7 ) e0007424 2024.07
Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted
Warashina T, Sato A, Hinai H, Shaikhutdinov N, Shagimardanova E, Mori H, Tamaki S, Saito M, Sanada Y, Sasaki Y, Shimada K, Dotsuta Y, Kitagaki T, Maruyama S, Gusev O, Narumi I, Kurokawa K, Morita T, Ebisuzaki T, Nishimura A, Koma Y, Kanai A.
Applied Enviromental Microbiology (American Society for Microbiology) 90 ( 4 ) e0211323 2024.04
Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted, ISSN 00992240
Hasegawa, S., Inose, R., Igarashi, M., Tsurumaki, M., Saito, M., Yanagisawa, T., Kanai, A., and Morita, T.
RNA (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) in press 2024.10
Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted
Motofumi Saito, Rerina Inose, Asako Sato, Masaru Tomita, Haruo Suzuki & Akio Kanai
Journal of Molecular Evolution (Springer Nature) 91 ( 5 ) 669 - 686 2023.10
Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted, ISSN 00222844
Megumi Tsurumaki, Motofumi Saito, Masaru Tomita, and Akio Kanai
RNA (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) 28 ( 8 ) 1041 - 1057 2022.06
Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted, ISSN 13558382
Kanai, Akio
学事振興資金研究成果実績報告書 (慶應義塾大学) 2022
Kanai, Akio
Keio SFC journal (慶應SFC学会) 22 ( 2 ) 304 - 319 2022
ISSN 13472828
Kanai, Akio
学事振興資金研究成果実績報告書 (慶應義塾大学) 2019
Kanai, Akio
科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書 2019
tRNA/rRNA modification enzymes are important for the recovery from heat shock in Escherichia coli
Kanai, Akio
学事振興資金研究成果実績報告書 (慶應義塾大学) 2018
Importance of Prokaryotes for the Origin of Eukaryotes and the Global Environment at 2.4-2.0 Ga
Takeyama, N., Takahashi, Y., Nagata, S., Sawaki, Y., Sato, T., Maruyama, S., and Kanai, A.
Journal of Geography (公益社団法人 東京地学協会) 129 ( 6 ) 899 - 912 2020
Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal), Last author, Corresponding author, ISSN 1884-0884
Importance of Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) Bacteria for the Origin of Life
Tsurumaki, M., Saito, M., Maruyama, S., and Kanai, A.
Journal of Geography (129(6), 881-898, 2020) 129 ( 6 ) 881 - 898 2020
Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal), Last author, Corresponding author, ISSN 1884-0884
Editorial: Current Advances in the Research of RNA Regulatory Enzymes
Kanai A., Yoshihisa T.
Frontiers in Genetics (Frontiers in Genetics) 10 2019.10
Unexpected tRNAs that do not consistantly obey the universal genetic code
Kiyofumi Hamashima and Akio Kanai
Seikagaku (in Japanese) (日本生化学会) 86 ( 4 ) 483 - 488 2014.08
Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author
Disrupted tRNAs in Archaea and evolution of the genetic code
Akio Kanai
IFO Research Communications (公益財団法人発酵研究所) 26 137 - 147 2012.12
Article, review, commentary, editorial, etc. (scientific journal), Lead author, Corresponding author
微生物生態系による原子炉内物体の腐食・変質に関する評価研究
文部科学省, 英知を結集した原子力科学技術・人材育成事業 国際協力型廃炉研究プログラム(廃炉加速化研究プログラム), Elena Shagimardanova, Research grant, Principal investigator
多様性を有するRNAキナーゼの進化情報解析とその情報に基づいた酵素機能の改変
MEXT,JSPS, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Principal investigator
Identification and biochemical characterization of RNA ligases in archaea
日本学術振興会, 科研費 , Akio Kanai, 基盤研究(B), Principal investigator
SPECIAL RESEARCH PROJECT B
2024
SEMINAR B
2024
MASTER SEMINAR
2024
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
2024
GRADUATION PROJECT 2
2024
GENOMIC MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1
Keio University
Spring Semester, Lecture
ADVANCED MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
Keio University
Autumn Semester
ADVANCED RESEARCH (SYSTEMS BIOLOGY)
Keio University
Autumn Semester
GENOMIC MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2
Keio University
Autumn Semester
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (SYSTEMS BIOLOGY)
Keio University
Spring Semester
RNA Society,
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
RNA Society of Japan (2021 Annual Meeting Organizer) ,
Molecular Biology Society of Japan (MBSJ) ,
Visiting professor, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine
Frontiers in Genetics (RNA), Editorial Board – Associate Editor
PLOS ONE, Editorial Board - Academic Editor
Frontiers in Microbiology (Virology), Editorial Board - Review Editor