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Topics of interests
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Homeostatic reguation of nutritional preference
We are interested in elucidating the mechanisms that regulate eating behavior at sub-conscious level. Specifically, we are interested in "what we eat (eating-related decision making)", rather than "how much we eat (regulating of caloric intake)."
We focus on the homeostatic regulation of nutritional preference. In other words, we are interested in eating-related decision making based on the nutritional needs.
We recently elucidated a part of the mechanisms that regulates simple sugar preference（Matsui, Sasaki* et al., Nature Communications, 2018）. We are currently working on identifying the mechnism that regulate preferences for fat and protein.
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Neurocircuits that regulates food preference
We established a pharmacological model, in which food preference is reversibly altered in a nutrition-independent manner（Sasaki* et al., American Journal of Physiology, 2015）. We are utilizing this unusual model for exploring the neurocircuits that regulate food preference at the whole brain scale.
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Elucidating the role of heat-generating adipocytes in the regulation of whole body metabolism
Thermogenic fat cells including brown fat cells and beige fat cells increase energy expenditure via heat generation. Hence, it has been considered that thermogenic fat cells are therefore a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, the physiological roles of beige fat cells remain unclear owing to adipose tissue heterogeneity. Recently, we identified a unique subset of adipose progenitor cells expressing CD81 give rise to beige fat cells (Oguri et al., Cell, 2020). We are currently further working to clarify the mechanism of thermogenic fat cells for the regulation of systemic energy metabolism.
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Studies on the mechanisms for perception and recognition of food aromas in mammals
Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a sensor for a variety of substances, including long-chain fatty acids and oxidized phospholipids. We have recently found that CD36 is present abundantly in the olfactory epithelium, the site for the sensing of odor-active volatile compounds. We have also provided evidence that CD36 can capture and recognize distinct odor components in foods (e.g., specific fatty aldehydes) by an in vitro experiment. We have been improving the experimental system and investigating whether CD36 can capture food odorants other than fatty aldehydes.
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| Techniques you can lab in the lab
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Neuroscience: stereotaxic surgery, virus vector production, histology
Endocrinology and Metabolism: concepts in hormone and multi-organ system
Molecular Biology; DNA, RNA, protein, cell cultue, signaling experiments
Genetics: how to use genetically modified mice
etc.
Tsutomu Sasaki, MD/PhD, Professor of Nutrition Chemistry
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