Shigemoto Group

Molecular Neuroscience

Information transmission, the formation of memory, and plasticity are all controlled by various molecules at work in the brain. Focusing on the localization and distribution of molecules in brain cells, the Shigemoto group investigates their functional roles in higher brain functions.

The release of neurotransmitters from a nerve cell into the synapse, where they act on receptors on the connecting nerve cell, is the primary process of information transmission and computation in the brain. The Shigemoto group studies the localization of single neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and other functional molecules to understand the molecular basis of neuronal information processing. The group has pioneered several methods for studying the localization of functional molecules at an unprecedented sensitivity, detecting and visualizing even single membrane proteins in nerve cells using SDS-digested freeze-fracture replica labeling. They apply these methods to investigate the mechanisms of signaling and plasticity in the brain, with questions ranging from neurotransmission to learning.