Member

ENDO, Kazuyoshi Professor Geosphere and Biosphere Science Group Office: -531 TEL: +81-3-5841-2534 FAX: +81-3-5841-4555 E-mail: HP:
Research Field molecular palaeontology, skeletogenesis Current Research My research interest revolves around origins and evolution of animal skeletons. Recent specific focus is on structure, function, and evolution of skeletal matrix proteins, which play pivotal roles in biomineralization. By revealing the molecular and genetic basis of skeletal formation, which has been a "black box" in the evolutionary studies of skeletons, I would like to better understand what the skeletal fossil record tells us about evolution, how the skeletons originated, and how the skeletal properties are related to environmental factors, such as ocean chemistry and temperature. Being entombed in hard parts, the skeletal matrix proteins also constitute important starting material of fossil proteins. In order to extract useful biological information from fossil proteins, I use immunological techniques to detect them, and apply mass spectrometry to determine their amino acid sequences. I am also interested in evolutionary genomics of animals, especially lophotrochozoans, such as brachiopods and mollusks. Representative Publications 1. M. Iijima, I. Sarashina, T. Takeuchi and K. Endo, “Expression patterns of engrailed and dpp in the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis”, Dev. Genes Evol., 218 (2008) 237-251. 2. K. Endo, Y. Noguchi, R. Ueshima and H. T. Jacobs, “Novel repetitive structures, deviant protein-encoding sequences and unidentified ORFs in the mitochondrial genome of the brachiopod Lingula anatina”, J. Mol. Evol., 61 (2005) 36-53. 3. D. Tsukamoto, I. Sarashina and K. Endo: “Structure and expression of an unusually acidic matrix protein of pearl oyster shells”, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 320 (2004) 1175-1180.

ENDO, Kazuyoshi

Professor
Geosphere and Biosphere Science Group

Office: -531
TEL: +81-3-5841-2534
FAX: +81-3-5841-4555
E-mail:
HP:

Research Field

molecular palaeontology, skeletogenesis

Current Research

My research interest revolves around origins and evolution of animal skeletons. Recent specific focus is on structure, function, and evolution of skeletal matrix proteins, which play pivotal roles in biomineralization. By revealing the molecular and genetic basis of skeletal formation, which has been a "black box" in the evolutionary studies of skeletons, I would like to better understand what the skeletal fossil record tells us about evolution, how the skeletons originated, and how the skeletal properties are related to environmental factors, such as ocean chemistry and temperature. Being entombed in hard parts, the skeletal matrix proteins also constitute important starting material of fossil proteins. In order to extract useful biological information from fossil proteins, I use immunological techniques to detect them, and apply mass spectrometry to determine their amino acid sequences. I am also interested in evolutionary genomics of animals, especially lophotrochozoans, such as brachiopods and mollusks.

Representative Publications

1. M. Iijima, I. Sarashina, T. Takeuchi and K. Endo, “Expression patterns of engrailed and dpp in the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis”, Dev. Genes Evol., 218 (2008) 237-251.
2. K. Endo, Y. Noguchi, R. Ueshima and H. T. Jacobs, “Novel repetitive structures, deviant protein-encoding sequences and unidentified ORFs in the mitochondrial genome of the brachiopod Lingula anatina”, J. Mol. Evol., 61 (2005) 36-53.
3. D. Tsukamoto, I. Sarashina and K. Endo: “Structure and expression of an unusually acidic matrix protein of pearl oyster shells”, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 320 (2004) 1175-1180.