KEIO RESEARCHERS INFORMATION SYSTEM

Career 【 Display / hide 】

Career 【 Display / hide 】

• 2014.04

  -

  2014.09

  Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Project Researcher

• 2014.10

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  2015.08

  Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, 助教

• 2015.09

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  2015.12

  Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Post doctoral fellow

• 2016.01

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  2025.03

  Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Institute of Epigenetics and Stem cells, Post doctoral fellow

• 2025.04

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  Present

  慶応義塾大学 医学部 坂口光洋記念, エピジェネティクス・幹細胞生物学講座, 准教授

Academic Background 【 Display / hide 】

Academic Background 【 Display / hide 】

• 2010.04

  -

  2014.03

  Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine

Research Areas 【 Display / hide 】

Research Areas 【 Display / hide 】

• Life Science / Molecular biology (Epigenetics, Embryogenesis, Chromatin)

• Life Science / Evolutionary biology

Research Keywords 【 Display / hide 】

Research Keywords 【 Display / hide 】

• DNA replication

• Epigenetics

• Chromatin

• ゲノムインプリンティング

• Histone modification

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Books 【 Display / hide 】

Books 【 Display / hide 】

• DNA複製フォークの速度は細胞の運命決定に寄与し，その低下によりリプログラミングを促進する

  羊土社, 実験医学, vol 40, 2022

Papers 【 Display / hide 】

Papers 【 Display / hide 】

• TBP regulates transposable element expression in early mouse embryos

  Clara Hermant, Carlos Michel Mourra-Díaz, Marlies E Oomen, Natasha Jansz, Camille Noll, Antoine Canat, Mrinmoy Pal, Tsunetoshi Nakatani, Tamas Schauer, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla

  The EMBO Journal (Springer Science and Business Media LLC)   2026.03

  　View Summary

  Abstract
  
  The activation of the embryonic genome is a crucial step in development. In addition to thousands of genes, many transposable elements (TEs) are robustly transcribed during early mammalian development. However, their transcriptional regulators remain largely unexplored. Here, we set out to identify transcription factors regulating the expression of TEs from the LINE, SINE and ERVL families during mouse preimplantation development. In particular, the MaLR family are the most abundant ERVL in the mouse genome and are also the most abundant constituent of the transcriptome in early mouse embryos. We find that the general transcription factor TBP binds and activates MaLRs in mouse embryos. Loss-of-function of TBP leads to downregulation of MaLRs, specifically the ORR1A family, which is the youngest ORR subclass and contributes a significant portion of major zygotic genome activation transcripts. Our work identifies regulators of TE expression in vivo and highlights a previously unrecognised role for the general transcription factor TBP in regulating a highly specific TE transcriptional programme.

  • Access to Document (DOI)

• The establishment of nuclear organization in mouse embryos is orchestrated by multiple epigenetic pathways

  Mrinmoy Pal, Tamas Schauer, Adam Burton, Tsunetoshi Nakatani, Federico Pecori, Alicia Hernández-Giménez, Iliya Nadelson, Marc A. Marti-Renom, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla

  Cell (Elsevier BV)   2025.04

  ISSN  0092-8674

  • Access to Document (DOI)

• RIF1 controls replication timing in early mouse embryos independently of lamina-associated nuclear organization

  Tsunetoshi Nakatani, Tamas Schauer, Mrinmoy Pal, Andreas Ettinger, Luis Altamirano-Pacheco, Julia Zorn, David M. Gilbert, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla

  Developmental Cell (Elsevier BV)   2025.04

  Lead author,  ISSN  1534-5807

  • Access to Document (DOI)

• Dynamics of replication timing during mammalian development

  Tsunetoshi Nakatani

  Trends in Genetics (Elsevier BV)   2025.03

  Lead author, Corresponding author,  ISSN  0168-9525

  • Access to Document (DOI)

• The transcription factor SRF regulates MERVL retrotransposons and gene expression during zygotic genome activation

  Clara Hermant, Carlos Michel Mourra-Díaz, Marlies E. Oomen, Luis Altamirano-Pacheco, Mrinmoy Pal, Tsunetoshi Nakatani, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla

  Genes & Development (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)  39 ( 7-8 ) 490 - 509 2025.02

  ISSN  0890-9369

  　View Summary

  The regulatory circuitry of cell-specific transcriptional programs is thought to be influenced by transposable elements (TEs), whereby TEs serve as raw material for the diversification and genome-wide distribution of genetic elements that containcis-regulatory activity. However, the transcriptional activators of TEs in relevant physiological contexts are largely unknown. Here, we undertook an evolutionary approach to identify regulators of two main families of MERVL, a major regulator of transcription during early mouse development. Using a combination of phyloregulatory, transcriptomic, and loss-of-function approaches, we demonstrate that SRF is a novel regulator of MERVL and embryonic transcription during zygotic genome activation. By resolving the phylogenetic history of two major MERVL families, we delineate the evolutionary acquisition of SRF and DUX binding sites and show that the acquisition of the SRF site precedes that of DUX. SRF contributes to embryonic transcription through the regulation of MERVLs, which in turn serve as promoters for host genes. Our work identifies new transcriptional regulators and TEs that shape the gene expression programs in early embryos and highlights the process of TE domestication via the sequential acquisition of transcription factor binding sites and coevolution with the host.

  • Access to Document (DOI)

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Reviews, Commentaries, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

Reviews, Commentaries, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

• Nakatani T and Torres-Padilla ME: Totipotent durch Schneckentempo. LABORJOURNAL. 2022.

  Nakatani T., Torres-Padilla ME

  LABORJOURNAL  2022

Research Projects of Competitive Funds, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

Research Projects of Competitive Funds, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

• 胎生ヘビにおけるインプリント遺伝子の探索

  2026.06

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  2029.03

  挑戦的研究（萌芽）, Principal investigator

• 卵子形成過程における減数分裂前複製タイミング解析

  2026.04

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  2030.03

  基盤研究(B), Principal investigator

• 単一生細胞レベルでの複製タイミング解析による細胞運命の早期予測

  2026.04

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  2028.03

  学術変革領域研究(A), Principal investigator

• 複製タイミングから解明するマウス核移植胚のリプログラミング機構

  2025.07

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  2027.03

  研究活動スタート支援, Principal investigator

Awards 【 Display / hide 】

Awards 【 Display / hide 】

• Best presentation award of Basic Biology Forum of Young Scientists, Osaka University.

  2014.02

Courses Taught 【 Display / hide 】

Courses Taught 【 Display / hide 】

• EPIGENETICS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY: SEMINAR

  2026

• EPIGENETICS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY: PRACTICE

  2026

• EPIGENETICS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY

  2026

• ADVANCED EPIGENETICS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY

  2026

• ADVANCED EPIGENETICS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY

  2025

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Committee Experiences 【 Display / hide 】

Committee Experiences 【 Display / hide 】

• 2025.10

  -

  Present

  慶應義塾大学医学部 ヒト胚性幹細胞・ヒトiPS細胞・ヒト組織幹細胞に関する生命倫理委員会

• 2025.10

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  Present

  慶應義塾大学医学部国際交流委員会