Research Interests 【 display / non-display 】

Research Interests 【 display / non-display 】

Graduating School 【 display / non-display 】

Graduating School 【 display / non-display 】

• 1999.04

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  2003.03

  Tohoku University   Faculty of Science   Biology   Graduated

Graduate School 【 display / non-display 】

Graduate School 【 display / non-display 】

• 2005.04

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  2008.09

  Tohoku University  Graduate School, Division of Life Science  Doctor's Degree Program  Completed

• 2003.04

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  2005.03

  Tohoku University  Graduate School, Division of Life Science  Master's Degree Program  Completed

Studying abroad experiences 【 display / non-display 】

Studying abroad experiences 【 display / non-display 】

• 2021.05

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  2022.05

  The university of Iowa   Visiting Associate Professor

• 2013.03

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  2013.09

  Max-Planck-Institute of Neurobiology   JSPS Postdoctral Fellowship for Research Abroad

• 2010.08

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  2013.02

  Max-Planck-Institute of Neurobiology   Humboldt Postdoctral Fellow

• 2009.01

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  2010.07

  Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier   Fyssen Postdoctral Fellow

• 2005.07

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  2008.07

  Freie Universität Berlin   DAAD Exchange Scholar

Degree 【 display / non-display 】

Degree 【 display / non-display 】

• Tohoku University -  Doctor (Life Sciences)

• Tohoku University -  Master (Life Sciences)

• Tohoku University -  Bachelor (Science)

Campus Career 【 display / non-display 】

Campus Career 【 display / non-display 】

• 2023.04

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  Now

  Akita University   Graduate School of Engineering Science   Department of Life Science   Life Science Course   Associate Professor  

External Career 【 display / non-display 】

External Career 【 display / non-display 】

• 2018.04

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  2023.03

  Tohoku University   Graduate School of Life Sciences   Associate Professor  

• 2013.10

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  2018.03

  Tohoku University   Graduate School of Life Sciences   Assistant Professor  

Research Areas 【 display / non-display 】

Research Areas 【 display / non-display 】

• Life Science / Neuroscience-general

• Life Science / Cognitive and brain science

• Life Science / Animal physiological chemistry, physiology and behavioral biology

• Life Science / Neuroscience-general  / 学習、記憶、報酬、ドーパミン

Research Achievements 【 display / non-display 】

Research Achievements 【 display / non-display 】

◆Original paper【 display / non-display 】

To the head of this page.▲

◆Original paper【 display / non-display 】

Octopamine signaling regulates the intracellular pattern of the presynaptic active zone scaffold within Drosophila mushroom body neurons

Hongyang Wu ,Sayaka Eno ,Kyoko Jinnai,Ayako Abe,Kokoro Saito,Yoh Maekawa,Darren W. Williams,Nobuhiro Yamagata,Shu Kondo,Hiromu Tanimoto

PLOS Biology   23 ( 10 ) e3003449   2025.08  [Refereed]

Research paper (journal)   International Co-author

DOI

Synaptic enrichment and dynamic regulation of the two opposing dopamine receptors within the same neurons

Shun Hiramatsu, Kokoro Saito, Shu Kondo, Hidetaka Katow, Nobuhiro Yamagata, Chun-Fang Wu, Hiromu Tanimoto

eLife ( eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd )    2025.01  [Refereed]

Research paper (journal)   Domestic Co-author

DOI

Aroma nudges in bugs: Sensory perception and memory in insects

Mizunami M, Yamagata N

Current Opinion in Insect Science ( Elsevier )  61 ( 101165 )   2024.01  [Refereed]

Research paper (journal)   Domestic Co-author

Insects are truly remarkable creatures that have evolved highly advanced sensory systems to thrive in diverse environments. From their keen sense of vision to their sophisticated olfactory, gustatory, and auditory abilities, insects possess an exceptional range of sensory skills that allow them to detect, locate, and respond to the world around them. Recent research has uncovered fascinating examples of these abilities, such as the newly discovered capability of cockroaches [1] and flies [2] to detect the spatial distribution of odors. Moreover, insects like fruit flies, honeybees, and crickets exhibit extraordinary learning and memory capabilities that enable them to adapt to ever-changing environments. By studying the neural network mechanisms of learning and memory in fruit flies, we can gain invaluable insights into how these systems work at the single-neuron level 3, 4. Additionally, insect studies can provide crucial information on the adaptive significance of learning and memory [5], which is a vital area of research in ecology and evolutionary biology. In this section, we will delve into the latest breakthroughs in studying olfactory perceptions, learning, and memory in insects.

DOI PubMed

Nutrient responding peptide hormone CCHamide-2 consolidates appetitive memory

Yamagata N, Imanishi Y, Wu H, Kondo S, Sano H, Tanimoto H.

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience ( Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience )  16   986064 - 986064   2022.10  [Refereed]

Research paper (journal)   Domestic Co-author

CCHamide-2 (CCHa2) is a protostome excitatory peptide ortholog known for various arthropod species. In fruit flies, CCHa2 plays a crucial role in the endocrine system, allowing peripheral tissue to communicate with the central nervous system to ensure proper development and the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Since the formation of odor-sugar associative long-term memory (LTM) depends on the nutrient status in an animal, CCHa2 may play an essential role in linking memory and metabolic systems. Here we show that CCHa2 signals are important for consolidating appetitive memory by acting on the rewarding dopamine neurons. Genetic disruption of CCHa2 using mutant strains abolished appetitive LTM but not short-term memory (STM). A post-learning thermal suppression of CCHa2 expressing cells impaired LTM. In contrast, a post-learning thermal activation of CCHa2 cells stabilized STM induced by non-nutritious sugar into LTM. The receptor of CCHa2, CCHa2-R, was expressed in a subset of dopamine neurons that mediate reward for LTM. In accordance, the receptor expression in these dopamine neurons was required for LTM specifically. We thus concluded that CCHa2 conveys a sugar nutrient signal to the dopamine neurons for memory consolidation. Our finding establishes a direct interplay between brain reward and the putative endocrine system for long-term energy homeostasis.

DOI PubMed

Presynaptic inhibition of dopamine neurons controls optimistic bias

Yamagata N, Ezaki T, Takahashi T, Wu H, Tanimoto H.

eLife ( eLife )  10   2021.06  [Refereed]

Research paper (journal)   Domestic Co-author

Regulation of reward signaling in the brain is critical for appropriate judgement of the environment and self. In <italic>Drosophila</italic>, the protocerebral anterior medial (PAM) cluster dopamine neurons mediate reward signals. Here, we show that localized inhibitory input to the presynaptic terminals of the PAM neurons titrates olfactory reward memory and controls memory specificity. The inhibitory regulation was mediated by metabotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors clustered in presynaptic microdomain of the PAM boutons. Cell type-specific silencing the GABA receptors enhanced memory by augmenting internal reward signals. Strikingly, the disruption of GABA signaling reduced memory specificity to the rewarded odor by changing local odor representations in the presynaptic terminals of the PAM neurons. The inhibitory microcircuit of the dopamine neurons is thus crucial for both reward values and memory specificity. Maladaptive presynaptic regulation causes optimistic cognitive bias.

DOI PubMed

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Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

• Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering)/(Exploratory)

  Project Year： 2025.06  -  2027.03 

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

  Project Year： 2024.04  -  2027.03 

• Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (A))

  Project Year： 2020  -  2024 

• Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists(A)

  Project Year： 2017.04  -  2020.03 

• Neural circuits that distinguish memory processes in the fly brain

  Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research

  Project Year： 2015.04  -  2017.03  Investigator(s): Tanimoto Hiromu, YAMAGATA Nobuhiro, ICHINOSE Toshiharu

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Other external funds procured 【 display / non-display 】

Other external funds procured 【 display / non-display 】

• Visualizing receptor activation by endo-Tango method during memory consolidation

  Project Year： 2019.04  -  2020.04  Investigator(s): YAMAGATA Nobuhiro

  Funding organization classification：Other

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

• Satiety-gated aversive ingestion memory mediated by Piezo in Drosophila

  Nobuhiro Takahashi, Hiromu Tanimoto, Nobuhiro Yamagata

  日本比較生理生化学会 第47回早稲田大会  2025.12  -  2025.12 

• Imbalance between dopamine subsystems underlies optimism bias

  Nobuhiro Yamagata, Nobuhiro Takahashi, Norihiro Katayama, Hiromu Tanimoto

  The 16th Japanese Drosophila Research Conference (JDRC16)   2024.09  -  2024.09 

• Activity imbalance between rewarding and punishment dopamine subsystems underlies the optimism bias

  Nobuhiro Yamagata, Nobuhiro Takahashi, Norihiro Katayama, Hiromu Tanimoto

  第67回 日本神経化学会大会  2024.07  -  2024.07 

• Presynaptic nicotinic receptor in dopamine terminals mediates learned odor choice

  Yamagata N, Ichikawa R, Takahashi N, Abe A, Katayama N, Tanimoto H

  Asia Pacific Drosophila Neurobiology Conference 3 (APDNC3)   2024.02  -  2024.02 

• Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in dopamine neurons regulates learned odor choice

  Yamagata N, Ichikawa R, Takahashi N, Abe A, Katayama N, Tanimoto H

  日本比較生理生化学会 第45回大阪大会  2023.12  -  2023.12 

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Academic Activity 【 display / non-display 】

Academic Activity 【 display / non-display 】

• 2025.04

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  Now

• 2025

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  Now

• 2025

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  Now

• 2025

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  Now