About

Welecome to my website! This is a research blog hosted by Akira Muto, Ph.D. (Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Publons, Research Map, Youtube, Loop). The contents include published results, technical details and record of trials and errors that could not be included in the publication. I  don’t guarantee that the method described here is the best way to achieve it. It is just a record of what I have done.

Professional Appointments

2022 March 1 – Present University Research Administrator (URA)/Lecturer, Office of Research Development, Toho University School of Medicine

2021 April 1 – 2022 February University Research Administrator (URA)/Assistant Professor, Office of Research Development, Toho University School of Medicine

2019 May 1-2021 March  University Research Administrator (URA), Office of Research Support, Toho University School of Medicine Office of Research Development

2011-2019 April Assistant Professor, Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics. Laboratory of Prof. Koichi Kawakami

2010-2011 Research Fellow, Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center/National Institute of Genetics (NIG). Laboratory of Prof. Koichi Kawakami

2007-2010 Research Fellow, Department of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics (NIG) Laboratory of Prof. Koichi Kawakami

2000-2007        Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Laboratory of Dr. Herwig Baier

1996-2000        Research Fellow, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Tokyo, Japan Laboratory of Dr. Katsuhiko Mikoshiba

1995                Research Fellow, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan. Laboratory of Dr. Katsuhiko Mikoshiba

Education

1990     B.S.    Biology, University of Tokyo (Japan). Advisor: Dr. Kazuo Sutoh

1992    M.S.     Biology, Osaka University (Japan). Advisor: Dr. Katsuhiko Mikoshiba

1995     Ph.D.   Biology, Osaka University (Japan). Advisor: Dr. Katsuhiko Mikoshiba

Selected Publication

1. Muto A, Lal P, Ailani D, Abe G, Itoh M and Kawakami K. Activation of the hypothalamic feeding centre upon visual prey detection. Nat Commun 8, Article number: 15029 (2017). doi:10.1038/ncomms15029
2. Muto A, Taylor MR, Suzawa M, Korenbrot JI, Baier H. (2013). Glucocorticoid receptor activity regulates light adaptation in the zebrafish retina. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 7:145 doi: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00145
3. Muto A, Ohkura M, Abe G, Nakai J, Kawakami K. (2013). Real-Time Visualization of Neuronal Activity during Perception. Current Biology 23(4):307-11 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.12.040
4. Ziv L, Muto A, Schoonheim P, Meijsing S, Strasser D, Ingraham H, Schaaf M, Yamamoto K, Baier H. (2012). An affective disorder in zebrafish with mutation of the glucocorticoid receptor. Molecular Psychiatry 2012 May 29. doi:10.1038/mp.2012.64
5. Muto A, Ohkura M, Kotani T, Higashijima S, Nakai J, Kawakami K. (2011). Genetic visualization with an improved GCaMP calcium indicator reveals spatiotemporal activation of the spinal motor neurons in zebrafish. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA). 108:54259.　doi:10.1073/pnas.1000887108
6. Sumbre G, Muto A, Baier H, Poo M. (2008). Entrained rhythmic activities of neuronal ensembles as perceptual memory of time interval. Nature 456:102-106. doi:10.1038/nature07351
7. Muto A, Orger MB, Wehman AM, Smear MC, Kay JN, Page-McCaw PS, Gahtan E, Xiao T, Nevin LM, Gosse NJ and Baier H. (2005). Forward genetic analysis of visual behavior in zebrafish. PLoS Genetics 1:e66. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0010066
8. Page-McCaw PS, Chung SC, Muto A, Roeser T, Staub W, Finger-Baier KC, Korenbrot JI, Baier H. (2004). Retinal network adaptation to bright light requires tyrosinase. Nat Neurosci 7:1329-1336. doi:10.1038/nn1344
9. Muto A, Mikoshiba K. (1998). Activation of inositol 1, 4, 5‐trisphosphate receptors induces transient changes in cell shape of fertilized Xenopus eggs. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 39:201-208. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0169(1998)39:3<201::AID-CM3>3.0.CO;2-7
10. Kume S, Muto A, Inoue T, Suga K, Okano H, Mikoshiba K. (1997). Role of inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor in ventral signaling in Xenopus embryos. Science 278:1940-1943. doi: 10.1126/science.278.5345.1940
11. Muto A, Kume S, Inoue T, Okano H, Mikoshiba K (1996). Calcium waves along the cleavage furrows in cleavage-stage Xenopus embryos and its inhibition by heparin. J Cell Biol 135:181-190. doi: 10.1083/jcb.135.1.181
12. Kume S, Muto A, Aruga J, Nakagawa T, Michikawa T, Furuichi T, Nakade S, Okano H, Mikoshiba K (1993). The Xenopus IP3 receptor: Structure, function, and localization in oocytes and eggs. Cell 73:555-570. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(93)90142-D