Hiroshi Watanabe

Photo of Hiroshi Watanabe
Hiroshi Watanabe
Associate Professor, Principle Investigator
Ph.D. (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
M.S. (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
B.S. (Tokai University)
hiroshi.watanabe
Japan

Professional Experience

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2002-2005
  • Heidelberg Institute of Zoology, 2005-2009
  • Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, 2009-2015

Awards

  • Tokai University, Makino Fujio Award, 1997
  • TOYOBO Biotechnology Foundation, Post-doctoral Fellowship, 2005-2006
  • Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Post-doctoral Fellowship, 2006-2008
  • Top Cited Article Award 2009-2011, Developmental Biology, 2011

Publications

Sheloukhova, L., Watanabe, H. Evolution of glial cells: a non-bilaterian perspective, Neural Development, 19, doi: 10.1186/s13064-024-00184-4 (2024)

Guzman, C., Mohri, K., Nakamura, R., Miyake, M., Tsuchiya, Y., Tomii, K., Watanabe, H. Neuronal and non-neuronal functions of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule neurexin in Nematostella vectensis. Nature Communications, 15, 6495., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50818-8 (2024)

Mbogo, I., Kawano, C., Nakamura, R., Tsuchiya, Y., Villar-Briones, A., Hirao, Y., Hayakawa, E., Tomii, K., Watanabe, H. A transphyletic study of metazoan β-catenin protein complexes. BioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.01.600363 (2024)

Sheloukhova, L., Watanabe, H. Analysis of cnidarian Gcm suggests a neuronal origin of glial EAAT1 function. Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-42046-9 (2023)

Nakamura, R., Nakamura, R., Watanabe, H. Cnidarian pharyngeal nervous system illustrates prebilaterian neurosecretory regulation of feeding. BioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.05.535675 (2023)

Mohri, K., Watanabe, H. Neuromuscular organization of the benthic ctenophore, Vallicula multiformis. Zoological Lett., doi: 10.1186/s40851-024-00225-0 (2023)

Hayakawa, E., Guzman, C., Horiguchi, O., Kawano, C., Shiraishi, A., Mohri, K., Lin, M. H., Nakamura, R., Nakamura, R., Kawai, E., Komoto, S., Jokura, K., Shiba, K., Shigenobu, S., Satake, H., Inaba, K., & Watanabe, H. Mass spectrometry of short peptides reveals common features of metazoan peptidergic neurons. Nature Ecology & Evolution, doi: 10.1038/s41559-022-01835-7 (2022)

Masuda-Ozawa, T., Fujita, S., Nakamura, R., Watanabe, H., Kuranaga, E., & Nakajima, Y. siRNA-mediated gene knockdown via electroporation in hydrozoan jellyfish embryos. Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-20476-1 (2022)

Watanabe H. "Back through time: how cnidarians and basal metazoans shed light on ancient nervous systems." Brain Evolution by Design, (Eds.: Shigeo S, Murakami Y, Nomura T) Springer, Review, in press

Watanabe H**, Kuhn A, Fushiki M, Agata K, Özbek S, Fujisawa T, Holstein TW** “Sequential actions of β-Catenin and Bmp pattern the oral nerve net in Nematostella vectensis.” Nat. Commun. 5, 5536, 2014. **Co-corresponding authors.

Watanabe H**, Schmidt HA, Kuhn A, Höger SK,  Kocagöz Y, Laumann-Lipp N, Özbek S, Holstein TW** “Nodal signalling determines biradial asymmetry in Hydra.” Nature 112-115, 515, 2014. **Co-corresponding authors.

Holstein TW, Watanabe H, Özbek S "Signaling pathways and axis formation in the lower metazoa." Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 137-177, 97, 2011. Review

Watanabe H*, Hongu T*, Yamazaki M, Kanaho Y "Phospholipase D2 activation by p38 MAP kinase is involved in neurite outgrowth." Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 288-293, 413, 2011.  *equal authorship.

Suzuki A, Arikawa C, Kuwahara Y, Itoh K, Watanabe M, Watanabe H, Suzuki T,  Funakoshi Y, Hasegawa H, Kanaho Y "The scaffold protein JIP3 functions as a downstream effector of the small GTPase ARF6 to regulate neurite morphogenesis of cortical neurons." FEBS Lett. 2801-2806, 584, 2010.

Chapman JA, Kirkness EF, Simakov O, Hampson SE, Mitros T, Weinmaier T, Rattei T, Balasubramanian PG, Borman J, Busam JD, Disbennett K, Pfannkoch C, Sumin N, Sutton GG, Viswanathan LD, Walenz B, Goodstein DM, Hellsten U, Kawashima T, Prochnik SE, Putnam NH, Shu S, Blumberg B, Dana CE, Gee L, Kibler DF, Law L, Lindgens D, Martinez DE, Peng J, Wigge PA, Bertulat B, Guder C, Nakamura Y, Özbek S, Watanabe H, Khalturin K, Hemmrich G, Franke A, Augustin R, Fraune S, Hayakawa E, Hayakawa S, Hirose M, Hwang JS, Ikeo K, Nishimiya-Fujisawa C, Ogura A, Takahashi T, Steinmetz PR, Zhang X, Aufschnaiter R, Eder MK, Gorny AK, Salvenmoser W, Heimberg AM, Wheeler BM, Peterson KJ, Böttger A, Tischler P, Wolf A, Gojobori T, Remington KA, Strausberg RL, Venter JC, Technau U, Hobmayer B, Bosch TC, Holstein TW, Fujisawa T, Bode HR, David CN, Rokhsar DS, Steele RE “The dynamic genome of Hydra.” Nature 592-596, 464, 2010.

Watanabe H, Hoang VT, Mättner R, Holstein TW “Immortality and the base of multicellular life: Lessons from cnidarian stem cells.” Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 1114-1125, 20, 2009. Review

Watanabe H, Fujisawa T, Holstein TW “Cnidarians and the evolutionary origin of the nervous system.” Dev. Growth Differ. 167-183, 51, 2009.

Philipp I, Aufschnaiter R, Özbek S, Pontasch S, Jenewein M, Watanabe H, Rentzsch F, Holstein TW, Hobmayer B “Wnt/beta-catenin and noncanonical Wnt signaling interact in tissue evagination in the simple eumetazoan Hydra.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 4290-4295, 106, 2009.

Lengfeld T*, Watanabe H*, Simakov O, Lindgens D, Gee L, Law L, Schmidt HA, Özbek S, Bode H, Holstein TW “Multiple Wnts are involved in Hydra organizer formation and regeneration.“ Dev. Biol. 186-199, 330, 2009. *equal authorship.

Nishio M, Watanabe K, Sasaki J, Taya C, Takasuga S, Iizuka R, Balla T, Yamazaki M, Watanabe H, Itoh R, Kuroda S, Horie Y, Forster I, Mak TW, Yonekawa H, Penninger JM, Kanaho Y, Suzuki A, Sasaki T "Control of cell polarity and motility by the PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) phosphatase SHIP1." Nat. Cell Biol. 36-44, 9, 2007.

Guder C, Philipp I, Lengfeld T, Watanabe H, Hobmayer B, Holstein TW "The Wnt code: cnidarians signal the way." Oncogene 7450-7460, 25, 2006  Review

Miyazaki H, Yamazaki M, Watanabe H, Maehama T, Yokozeki T, Kanaho Y "The small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 6 negatively regulates dendritic spine formation." FEBS Lett. 6834-6838, 579, 2005.

Sasaki J, Sasaki T, Yamazaki M, Matsuoka K, Taya C, Shitara H, Takasuga S, Nishio M, Mizuno K, Wada T, Miyazaki H, Watanabe H, Iizuka R, Kubo S, Murata S, Chiba T, Maehama T, Hamada K, Kishimoto H, Frohman MA, Tanaka K, Penninger JM, Yonekawa H, Suzuki A, Kanaho Y "Regulation of anaphylactic responses by phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase type I {alpha}." J. Exp. Med. 859-870, 201, 2005.

Kanaho Y and Watanabe H. "Measurement of Phospholipase D Activity." Methods for Intracellular Signal Transduction Studies (Ed.: Y. Fukui) Center for Academic Publications Japan, 115-122, Review, Japanese

Watanabe H, Yokozeki T, Yamazaki M, Miyazaki H, Sasaki T, Maehama T, Itoh K, Frohman MA, Kanaho Y “Essential role for phospholipase D2 activation downstream of ERK MAP kinase in NGF-stimulated neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells.” J. Biol. Chem. 37870-37877, 279, 2004.

Watanabe H, Yamazaki M, Miyazaki H, Arikawa C, Itoh K, Sasaki T, Maehama T, Frohman MA, Kanaho Y “Phospholipase D2 functions as a downstream signaling molecule of MAP kinase pathway in L1-stimulated neurite outgrowth of cerebellar granule neurons.” J. Neurochem. 142-151, 89, 2004.

Nogami M, Yamazaki M, Watanabe H, Okabayashi Y, Kido Y, Kasuga M, Sasaki T, Maehama T, Kanaho Y "Requirement of autophosphorylated tyrosine 992 of EGF receptor and its docking protein phospholipase C gamma 1 for membrane ruffle formation." FEBS Lett. 71-76, 536, 2003.

Yamazaki M, Miyazaki H, Watanabe H, Sasaki T, Maehama T, Frohman MA, Kanaho Y "Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase is essential for ROCK-mediated neurite remodeling." J. Biol. Chem. 17226-17230, 277, 2002.

Watanabe H, Kanaho Y “Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate-Stimulated Phospholipase D2 Activity by Ser/Thr Phosphorylation.” Biochim. Biophys. ActaMol. Cell Res. 121-124, 1495, 2000. 

Honda A, Nogami M, Yokozeki T, Yamazaki M, Nakamura H, Watanabe H, Kawamoto K, Nakayama K, Morris AJ, Frohman MA, Kanaho Y "Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase a is a Downstream Effector of the Small G Protein ARF6 in Membrane Ruffle Formation." Cell  521-532, 99, 1999.

Yamazaki M, Zhang Y, Watanabe H, Yokozeki T, Ohno S, Kaibuchi K, Shibata H, Mukai H, Ono Y, Frohman MA, Kanaho Y "Interaction of the Small G Protein RhoA with the C Terminus of Human Phospholipase D1"  J. Biol. Chem. 6035-6038, 274, 1999.

Matsuhashi M, Pankrushina AN, Takeuchi S, Ohshima H, Miyoi H, Endoh K, Murayama K, Watanabe H, Endo S, Tobi M, Mano Y, Hyodo M, Kobayashi T, Kaneko T, Otani S, Yoshimura S, Harata A, Sawada T "Production of sound waves by bacterial cells and the response of bacterial cells to sound." J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 49-55, 44, 1998.

Matsuhashi M, Takeuchi S, Pankrushina AN, Endoh K, Watanabe H, Endo S, Hiraoka N, Tobi M, Ohshima H, Miyoi H, Murayama K, Yamamura H, Kanoke T, Otani S "From Carbon to Biosonics." Supercarbon (Eds.: Yoshimura S, Chang RPH) 227-233, 33, 1998. Review

Matsuhashi M, Pankrushina AN, Endoh K, Watanabe H "Cellular sonic signals BIOSONICS inducing propagation of neighboring cells." Bioscience and Industry 9-10, 29-31, 55, 1997. Review, Japanese

Matsuhashi M, Shindo A, Endoh K, Watanabe H, Tobi M, Endo S, Ohshima H, Otani S "b-Lactams and other innovative new approaches for controlling bacterial populations." Antibiotic Therapy – Achievements, Problems and Future Perspectives. (Eds.: Busse DW, Zeiler HJ, Labischinski H) Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 17-26, 1997, Review

Matsuhashi M, Endoh K, Pankrushina AN, Watanabe H, Yamamura H, Komiyama M, Endo S, Tobi M, Ohshima H, Mano Y, Hyodo M, Kaneko T, Otani S "Growth-promoting effect of carbon material upon bacterial cells propagating through a distance." J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 225-230, 43, 1997.

Matsuhashi M, Pankrushina AN, Endoh K, Watanabe H, Ohshima H, Tobi M, Endo S, Mano Y, Hyodo M, Kaneko T, Otani S, Yoshimura S "Bacillus Carboniphilus cells respond to growth-promoting physical signals from cells of homologous and heterologous bacteria." J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 315-323, 42, 1996.

Matsuhashi M, Shindo S, Ohshima H, Tobi M, Endo S, Watanabe H, Endoh K,  Pankrushina AN "Cellular signals regulating antibiotic sensitivities of bacteria." Microb. Drug Resist. 91-93, 2, 1996. 

Matsuhashi M, Pankrushina AN, Endoh K, Watanabe H, Mano Y, Hyodo M, Fujita T, Kunugita K, Kaneko T, Otani S "Studies on carbon material requirements for bacterial proliferation and spore germination under stress conditions: a new mechanism involving transmission of physical signals." J. Bacteriol. 688-693, 177, 1995.