Interests: DNA damage response; Stem cells; Induced neural cells

Title: Assistant Professor

Schools\degrees: Science University of Tokyo\PhD Science

Training: Stanford University, Pathology Department\Postdoctoral scholar

Clinical interests: Brain tumor; Regenerative medicine

Research summary: My research objectives focus on the use of molecular and cellular biology and genetics to understand the mechanisms of DNA damage response pathways of cancer stem cells. My laboratory also developed methods to create human induced neurons from adult somatic cells.

Journal citations

Kai, M., Takahashi, T., Todo, T. and Sakaguchi, K.  Novel DNA binding proteins highly specific to UV-damaged DNA sequences from embryos of Drosophila melanogaster.  Nucleic Acids Research.  1995 Jul 25; 23(14):2600-2607.

Kimura, S., Kai, M., Kobayashi, H., Suzuki, A., Morioka, H., Otsuka, E. and Sakaguchi, K.  A structure-specific endonuclease from cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) inforescence.  Nucleic Acids Research. 1997 Dec 15; 25(24):4970-4976.

Kai, M., Todo, T., Wada, M., Ryo, H., Masutani, D., Kobayashi, H., Morioka, H., Ohtsuka, E., Hanaoka, F. and Sakaguchi, K.  A new Drosophila ultraviolet light-damaged DNA recognition endonuclease that selectively nicks a (6-4) photoproduct site.  Biochem Biophys. Acta. 1998 Apr 29; 1397(2):180-188.

Tanaka, K., Yonekawa, T., Kawasaki, Y., Kai, M., Furuya, K., Iwasaki, M., Murakami, H., Yanagida, M. and Okayama, H.  Fission yeast of Eso1p is required for establishing sister chromatid cohesion during S phase. Molecular and Cellular Biology. 2000 May; 20(10):3459-3469.

Kai, M., Tanaka, H. and Wang, T.S.  Fission Yeast Rad17 Associates with Chromatin in Response to Aberrant Genomic Structures.  Molecular and Cellular Biology. 2001 May 15; 21(10):3289-3301.

Tanaka, K., Hao, Z., Kai, M. and Okayama, H.  Establishment and maintenance of sister chromatid in fission yeast by a unique mechanism.  EMBO J. 2001; 20(20): 5779-5790.

Kai, M. and Wang, T. S.-F.  Checkpoint activation regulates mutagenesis translesion synthesis.  Genes & Development. 2003 17 (1): 64-76.

Kai, M. and Wang, T.S. Checkpoint response to replication stalling: inducing tolerance and preventing mutagenesis (review). Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. 2003 532: 59-73 (invited)

Kai, M., Boddy, M.N., Russell, P. and Wang, T.S. Replication checkpoint kinase Cds1 regulates Mus81 to preserve genome integrity during replication stress. Genes & Development. 2005; 19: 919-932

Kai, M., Taricani, L., and Wang, T.S. Methods for Studying Mutagenesis and Checkpoints in Schizosaccharomyces Pombe. Methods in Enzymology, 2005; 409:183-194. (invited)

Kai, M., Furuya, K., Paderi. F., Carr, A.M., and Wang, T.S. Rad3-dependent phosphorylation of the checkpoint clamp regulates repair-pathway choice. Nature Cell Biology, 2007; 9:691-697.

Shin, M., Yuan, M., Kai, M., ATM-dependent phosphorylation of the checkpoint clamp governs repair pathways to maintain genomic stability. Submitted

Yuan, M.*, Kano, S.*, Cardarelli, R., Chen, Y., Cascella, N., Lin, S., Valle, D., O’Donnell, P., Sawa, A.**, Kai, M.**, Direct conversion of human fibroblast cells to functional neurons by defined factors. In preparation

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

** These authors contributed equally to this work (co-last authors).