Name: Dr. Asako Shindo

Position: Associate Professor

Research Description:

Morphogenesis, Organogenesis, Cell polarity, Cytoskeleton and Cell adhesion research in Xenopus laevis

My research has focused on the mechanisms of morphogenesis, particularly the molecular mechanisms controlling the collective cell movement to form tissue and organ. Using amphibian (Xenopus laevis) embryos and tadpoles as models, I have performed imaging of cell behaviors and the processes of tissue formation to identify fundamental mechanisms of tissue morphogenesis. More recently, I have focused on environmental factors, such as nutrition and fluctuating temperature and pH, as regulators of morphogenesis. In this Transformative A research group, I aim to identify the involvement of the mechanochemical feedback during thyroid morphogenesis, which is a nutrient-dependent process. The thyroid is composed of multiple follicles, each having a spherical lumen surrounded by a single epithelial cell layer. In tissue with such a luminal structure, the interaction of the cells with the mechanical forces generated in the lumen may contribute to organizing the correct shape as an organ. I will investigate the role of local forces in thyroid cell behaviors, and how environmental factors, such as nutrition, act on the collective cells to transform them into functional organs and bodies.

Contact Information

Address:
Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics
Kumamoto University
Kumamoto
Japan

Email: shindo.asako.sci@osaka-u.ac.jp
Web Page: http://multicellular-mechanics.org/member/236