[The Svedberg seminar] – Unraveling the mechanisms of seasonal and lunar rhythms in vertebrates
May 29, 2026 @ 15:15 – 16:15 CEST
Takashi Yoshimura
Professor Nagoya University, Japan
Bio
Takashi Yoshimura received his PhD from Nagoya University in 1999. He is currently a Professor at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) and the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences at Nagoya University.
Research in the Yoshimura laboratory focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of biological clocks in vertebrates. The uniqueness of his research lies in the use of wide range of vertebrate species, including Japanese quail, chicken, hamster, mouse, macaque, medaka, and grass puffer. Through functional genomics approaches, his group has uncovered key signal transduction pathways that regulate seasonal reproduction in vertebrates.
He serves as Vice President of the Japanese Society of Chronobiology and as a board member of the European Biological Rhythms Society. He is also currently Director of WPI-ITbM.
Unraveling the mechanisms of seasonal and lunar rhythms in vertebrates
The celestial movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon generate cyclical environmental changes that shape biological rhythms across species. For instance, the spawning of grass puffers is tightly synchronized with the lunar cycle, while many animals reproduce during specific seasons. Humans are no exception; the menstrual cycle is synchronized with new and full moons, and cardiovascular disease, influenza, and depression become more severe in winter. However, the mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain largely unknown. Although Drosophila and mice have provided profound insights into physiology and behavior, they do not exhibit clear lunar or seasonal phenotypes. To overcome this limitation, we have studied non-model organisms, including quail and medaka, and uncovered key signaling pathways that regulates seasonal rhythms. To further elucidate the molecular basis of seasonally regulated physiology and disease, we analyzed seasonal transcriptome profiles of 80 tissues from macaques. This analysis revealed seasonal oscillations in genes associated with disease risk and drug efficacy. In addition, we have identified a pheromone that triggers puffer to spawn on beaches during the spring tides. In this talk, I will present our challenges to unravel the mechanisms underlying these enigmatic biological rhythms.
Host: Leif Andersson leif.andersson@imbim.uu.se, UU
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