Publications

  2024

Chiang, H.-J., Nishiwaki, Y., Chiang, W.-C., and Masai, I. (2024) Male germ cell-associated kinase is required      for axoneme formation during ciliogenesis in zebrafish photoreceptors. Dis. Model Mech. dmm.050618. doi: 10.1242/dmm.050618.

Sugiyama, Y., Reed, D., Herrmann, D., Lovicu, F., Robinson, M.L., Timpson, P., and Masai, I. (2024) Fibroblast Growth Factor-induced lens fiber elongation is driven by Rho and Rac. Development 151, dev.202123. doi:10.1242/dev.202123.

    2022

Babu, S., Takeuchi, Y. and Masai, I. (2022) Banp regulates DNA damage response and chromosome segregation during the cell cycle in zebrafish retina. eLife. 11:e74611. doi: 10.7554/eLife.74611.

Ahmed, M, Kojima, Y., and Masai, I. (2022) Strip1 regulates retinal ganglion cell survival by suppressing Jun-mediated apoptosis to promote neural curcuit formation. eLife. 11:e74650. doi:10.7554/eLife.74650.

    2021

Ranawat, N., and Masai, I. (2021) Mechanism underlying microglial colonization of developing neural retina in zebrafish. eLife. 10:e70550. doi:10.7554/eLife.70550.

    2020

Nishiwaki, Y., and Masai, I. (2020) β-SNAP activity in the outer segment growth period is critical for preventing BNip1-dependent apoptosis in zebrafish photoreceptors. Sci. Rep. 10, 17379. 

    2019

Iribarne, M., Hyde, D. R. and Masai, I. (2019) TNFα induces Müller glia to transition from non-proliferative gliosis to a regenerative response in mutant zebrafish presenting chronic photoreceptor degeneration. Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 7, 296. DOI:10.3389/fcell.2019.00296

Kinoshita, N., Huang, A. J. Y., McHigh, T. J., Suzuki, S. C., Masai, I., Kim, I. H., Soderling, S. H., Miyawaki, A., Sgimogori, T. (2019) Genetical encoded fluorescent indicator GRAPHIC delineates intercellular connections. iScience 31, 28-31. 

Kinoshita-Kawada, M., Hasegawa, H., Hongu, T., Yanagi, S., Kanaho, Y., Masai, I., Mishima, T., Chen, X., Tsuboi, Y., Rao, Y., Yuasa-Kawada, J., and Wu, J. Y. (2019) A crucial role of Arf6 in the response of commissural axon to Slit. Development 146, dev172106. 

2018

Mochizuki, T., Kojima, Y., Nishiwaki, Y., Harakuni, T., and Masai, I. (2018) Endocytic trafficking factor VPS45 is essential for spatial regulation of lens fiber differentiation in zebrafish. Development, 145, pii dev170282.

Iribarne, M, and Masai, I. (2018) Do cGMP levels drive the speed of photoreceptor degeneraton? Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 1074, 327-333.

2017

Iribarne, M. and Masai, I. (2017) Neurotoxicity of cGMP in the vertebrate retina: from the initial research on rd mutant mice to zebrafish genetic approaches. J. Neurogenet. 31, 88-101.

Iribarne, M. Nishiwaki, Y., Nakamura, S., Araragi, M., Oguri, E. and Masai, I. (2017) Aipl1 is required for cone photoreceptor function and survival through the stability of Pde6c and Gc3 in zebrafish. Sci. Rep. 7:45962. 

Mochizuki, T., Luo, Y. J. Tsai, H. F. Hagiwara, A., and Masai, I. (2017) Cell division and cadherin-mediated adhesion regulates lens epithelial cell movement in zebrafish. Development 144, 708 – 719.

2014

Mochizuki, T., Suzuki, S., and Masai, I. (2014) Spatial pattern of cell geometry and cell division orientation in zebrafish lens epithelium. Biol. Open 3, 982 – 994. 

Imai, F., Yoshiwaza, A., Matsuzaki, A., Oguri, E., Araragi, M., Nishiwaki, Y., and Masai, I. (2014) Stem-loop binding protein is reqired for retinal cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and intraretinal axon pathfinding in zebrafish. Dev. Biol. 394, 94 – 109.

Mochizuki, T., and Masai, I. (2014) The lens equator: a platform for molecualr machinery that regulates the switch from cell proliferation to differentiation in the vertebrate lens. Dev. Gowth Differ. 56, 387 – 401.

2013

Nishiwaki, Y., Yoshizawa, A., Kojima, Y., Oguri, E., Nakamura, S., Suzuki, S., Yuasa-Kawada, J., Kinoshita-Kawada, M., Mochizuki, T., and Masai, I. (2013) The BH3-only SNARE BNip1 mediates photoreceptor apoptosis in response to vesicular fusion defects. Dev. Cell 25, 374 – 387.

2012

Suzuki, E. Masai, I., Inoue, H. (2012) Phosphoinositide metabolism in Drosophila phototransduction: a coffee break discussion leads to 30 years of history. J Neurogenet. 26, 34-42.

2011

Vogalis, F., Shiraki, T., Kojima, D., Wada, Y., Nishiwaki, Y., Jarvinen, J. L. P., Sugiyama, J., Kawakami, K., Masai, I., Kawamura, S., Fukada, Y., Lamb, T. D. (2011) Ectopic expression of cone-specific G-protein-coupled receptor kinase GRK7 in zebrafish rods leads to lower photosensitivity and altered response. J. Physiol. 589, 2321-2348.

Ohata, S., Aoki, R., Kinoshita, S., Yamaguchi, M., Tsuruoka-Kinoshita, S., Tanaka, H., Wada, H., Watabe, S., Tsuboi, T., Masai, I., Okamoto, H., (2011) Dual roles of Notch in regulation of apically restricted mitosis and apicobasal polarity of neuroepithelial cells. Neuron 69, 215-230.

2010

Imai, F., Yoshizama, A., Fujimori-Tonou, N., Masai, I. (2010) The ubiquitin proteasome system is required for cell-cycle progression of the lens epithelium and differentiation of lens fiber cells in zebrafish. Development 137, 3257-3268.

Yamaguchi M, Imai F, Tonou-Fujimori N, Masai I. (2010) Mutations in N-cadherin and a Stardust homolog, Nagie oko, affect cell-cycle exit in zebrafish retina. Mech. Dev. 127, 247-264.

2008

Yamaguchi M, Fujimori-Tonou N, Yoshimura Y, Kishi T, Okamoto H, Masai I. (2008) Mutation of DNA primase causes extensive apoptosis of retinal neurons through the activation of DNA damage checkpoint and tumor suppressor p53. Development 135, 1247-1257.

Nishiwaki Y, Komori A, Sagara H, Suzuki E, Manabe T, Hosoya T, Nojima Y, Wada H, Tanaka H, Okamoto H, Masai I. (2008) Mutation of cGMP phosphodiesterase 6alpha'-subunit gene causes progressive degeneration of cone photoreceptors in zebrafish. Mech. Dev. 125, 932-946.

2007

Tanaka H, Maeda R, Shoji W, Wada H, Masai I, Shiraki T, Kobayashi M, Nakayama R, Okamoto H. (2007) Novel mutations affecting axon guidance in zebrafish and a role for plexin signalling in the guidance of trigeminal and facial nerve axons. Development 134, 3259-3269.

2005

Poggi L, Vitorino M, Masai I, Harris WA. (2005) Influences on neural lineage and mode of division in the zebrafish retina in vivo. J. Cell Biol. 171, 991-999.

Yamaguchi M, Tonou-Fujimori N, Komori A, Maeda R, Nojima Y, Li H, Okamoto H, Masai I. (2005). Histone deacetylase 1 regulates retinal neurogenesis in zebrafish by suppressing Wnt and Notch signaling pathways. Development 132, 3027-3043.

Wada H, Iwasaki M, Sato T, Masai I, Nishiwaki Y, Tanaka H, Sato A, Nojima Y, Okamoto H. (2005) Dual roles of zygotic and maternal Scribble1 in neural migration and convergent extension movements in zebrafish embryos. Development 132, 2273-2285.

Kawakami A, Nojima Y, Toyoda A, Takahoko M, Satoh M, Tanaka H, Wada H, Masai I, Terasaki H, Sakaki Y, Takeda H, Okamoto H. (2005) The zebrafish-secreted matrix protein you/scube2 is implicated in long-range regulation of hedgehog signaling. Curr. Biol. 15, 480-488.

Masai I, Yamaguchi M, Tonou-Fujimori N, Komori A, Okamoto H. (2005) The hedgehog-PKA pathway regulates two distinct steps of the differentiation of retinal ganglion cells: the cell-cycle exit of retinoblasts and their neuronal maturation. Development 132, 1539-1553.

Li Q, Shirabe K, Thisse C, Thisse B, Okamoto H, Masai I, Kuwada JY. (2005) Chemokine signaling guides axons within the retina in zebrafish. J. Neurosci. 25, 1711-1717.

2003

Masai I, Lele Z, Yamaguchi M, Komori A, Nakata A, Nishiwaki Y, Wada H, Tanaka H, Nojima Y, Hammerschmidt M, Wilson SW, Okamoto H. (2003) N-cadherin mediates retinal lamination, maintenance of forebrain compartments and patterning of retinal neurites. Development 130, 2479-2494.

2001

Heisenberg CP, Houart C, Take-Uchi M, Rauch GJ, Young N, Coutinho P, Masai I, Caneparo L, Concha ML, Geisler R, Dale TC, Wilson SW, Stemple DL. (2001) A mutation in the Gsk3-binding domain of zebrafish Masterblind/Axin1 leads to a fate transformation of telencephalon and eyes to diencephalon. Genes Dev. 15, 1427-1434.

2000

Masai I, Stemple DL, Okamoto H, Wilson SW. (2000) Midline signals regulate retinal neurogenesis in zebrafish. Neuron 27, 251-263.

1997

Masai I, Suzuki E, Yoon CS, Kohyama A, Hotta Y. (1997) Immunolocalization of Drosophila eye-specific diacylgylcerol kinase, rdgA, which is essential for the maintenance of the photoreceptor. J. Neurobiol. 32, 695-706.

Sasamura T, Kobayashi T, Kojima S, Qadota H, Ohya Y, Masai I, Hotta Y. (1997) Molecular cloning and characterization of Drosophila genes encoding small GTPases of the rab and rho families. Mol. Gen. Genet. 254, 486-494.

Masai I, Heisenberg CP, Barth KA, Macdonald R, Adamek S, Wilson SW. (1997) floating head and masterblind regulate neuronal patterning in the roof of the forebrain. Neuron 18, 43-57.

1994

Takeshima H, Nishi M, Iwabe N, Miyata T, Hosoya T, Masai I, Hotta Y. (1994) Isolation and characterization of a gene for a ryanodine receptor/calcium release channel in Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS Lett. 337, 81-87.

1993

Masai I, Okazaki A, Hosoya T, Hotta Y. (1993) Drosophila retinal degeneration A gene encodes an eye-specific diacylglycerol kinase with cysteine-rich zinc-finger motifs and ankyrin repeats. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 90, 11157-11161.

1992

Masai I, Hosoya T, Kojima S, Hotta Y. (1992) Molecular cloning of a Drosophila diacylglycerol kinase gene that is expressed in the nervous system and muscle. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 89, 6030-6034.

1991

Masai I, Hotta Y. (1991) Genomic organization of a Drosophila phospholipase C, norpA, and molecular lesions in two temperature-sensitive mutants. J. Biochem. 109, 867-871.