Imamura Minako

写真a

Title

Associate Professor

Researcher Number(JSPS Kakenhi)

00596124

Current Affiliation Organization 【 display / non-display

  • Duty   University of the Ryukyus   Graduate School of Medicine   Associate Professor  

University 【 display / non-display

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    1995.03

    Kyushu University   Faculty of Medicine   Graduated

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    2002.09

    Kyushu University     Graduated

Graduate School 【 display / non-display

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    2002.09

    Kyushu University    Doctor's Course  Completed

External Career 【 display / non-display

  • 2002.10
     
     

     

  • 2003.09
     
     

     

  • 2010.09
     
     

     

  • 2014.08
     
     

     

  • 2015.11
     
     

    University of the Ryukyus  

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Affiliated academic organizations 【 display / non-display

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    JAPANESE SOCIETY OF LABORATORY MEDICINE 

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    The Japan Endocrine Society 

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    THE JAPANESE SOCIETY OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 

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    THE JAPAN DIABETES SOCIETY 

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    THE JAPAN SOCIETY OF HUMAN GENETICS 

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Research Areas 【 display / non-display

  • Life Science / Metabolism and endocrinology

  • Life Science / Metabolism and endocrinology

  • Life Science / Medical biochemistry

  • Laboratory medicine

Published Papers 【 display / non-display

  • Profile of gut microbiota and serum metabolites associated with metabolic syndrome in a remote island most afflicted by obesity in Japan.

    Uema T, Millman JF, Okamoto S, Nakamura T, Yamashiro K, Uehara M, Honma KI, Miyazato M, Ashikari A, Saito S, Maeda S, Imamura M, Ishida H, Matsushita M, Nakamura K, Masuzaki H

    Scientific reports ( Scientific Reports )  12 ( 1 ) 17292   2022.10 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

     View Summary

    Abstract Numerous studies have revealed distinct differences in the profiles of gut microbiota between non-obese and obese individuals. To date, however, little is known if any disparities in the community of gut microbiota exist between metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) subjects. We therefore aimed to comprehensively characterize the gut microbiota and circulating metabolites in serum from both MHO and MUO residing in the remote island, Kumejima, where the prevalence of obesity is one of the highest in Japan, and explored possible correlations between the gut microbiota profile and markers of metabolic syndrome. Results revealed that MUO showed significantly higher levels of genera such as g_Succinivibrio, g_Granulicatella, g_Brachyspira, g_Oribacterium and g_Atopobium in comparison to MHO. Moreover, abundance of g_Succinivibrio, g_Brachyspira and g_Atopobium were positively correlated with value of fasting insulin, HOMA-R, circulating triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, BMI, body weight, waist circumference and HbA1c. In addition, MUO compared to MHO showed an imbalance of serum metabolites, with a significant elevation in 2-oxoisovaleric acid, pyruvic acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, and creatine. Our data highlight unmet needs in precision approaches for the treatment of obesity, targeting the gut microbiota profile and serum metabolites in a distinct population affected by obesity.

  • Impact of anti-diabetic sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on tumor growth of intractable hematological malignancy in humans.

    Nakachi S, Okamoto S, Tamaki K, Nomura I, Tomihama M, Nishi Y, Fukushima T, Tanaka Y, Morishima S, Imamura M, Maeda S, Tsutsui M, Matsushita M, Masuzaki H

    Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie ( Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy )  149   112864 - 112864   2022.05 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

  • Genome-wide association studies identify two novel loci conferring susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Imamura M, Takahashi A, Matsunami M, Horikoshi M, Iwata M, Araki SI, Toyoda M, Susarla G, Ahn J, Park KH, Kong J, Moon S, Sobrin L, International Diabetic Retinopathy and Genetics CONsortium (iDRAGON)., Yamauchi T, Tobe K, Maegawa H, Kadowaki T, Maeda S

    Human molecular genetics ( Human Molecular Genetics )  30 ( 8 ) 716 - 726   2021.05 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

     View Summary

    Several reports have suggested that genetic susceptibility contributes to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. We aimed to identify genetic loci that confer susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. We analysed 5 790 508 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 8880 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, 4839 retinopathy cases and 4041 controls, as well as 2217 independent Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, 693 retinopathy cases and 1524 controls. The results of these two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were combined with an inverse variance meta-analysis (Stage-1), followed by de novo genotyping for the candidate SNP loci (P < 1.0 × 10-4) in an independent case-control study (Stage-2, 2260 cases and 723 controls). After combining the association data (Stages 1 and 2) using meta-analysis, the associations of two loci reached a genome-wide significance level: rs12630354 near STT3B on chromosome 3, P = 1.62 × 10-9, odds ratio (OR) = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.23, and rs140508424 within PALM2 on chromosome 9, P = 4.19 × 10-8, OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.36-1.91. However, the association of these two loci was not replicated in Korean, European or African American populations. Gene-based analysis using Stage-1 GWAS data identified a gene-level association of EHD3 with susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy (P = 2.17 × 10-6). In conclusion, we identified two novel SNP loci, STT3B and PALM2, and a novel gene, EHD3, that confers susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy; however, further replication studies are required to validate these associations.

  • Fine-Scale Genetic Structure and Demographic History in the Miyako Islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago.

    Matsunami M, Koganebuchi K, Imamura M, Ishida H, Kimura R, Maeda S

    Molecular biology and evolution ( Molecular Biology and Evolution )  38 ( 5 ) 2045 - 2056   2021.05 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

     View Summary

    <title>Abstract</title> The Ryukyu Archipelago is located in the southwest of the Japanese islands and is composed of dozens of islands, grouped into the Miyako Islands, Yaeyama Islands, and Okinawa Islands. Based on the results of principal component analysis on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms, genetic differentiation was observed among the island groups of the Ryukyu Archipelago. However, a detailed population structure analysis of the Ryukyu Archipelago has not yet been completed. We obtained genomic DNA samples from 1,240 individuals living in the Miyako Islands, and we genotyped 665,326 single-nucleotide polymorphisms to infer population history within the Miyako Islands, including Miyakojima, Irabu, and Ikema islands. The haplotype-based analysis showed that populations in the Miyako Islands were divided into three subpopulations located on Miyakojima northeast, Miyakojima southwest, and Irabu/Ikema. The results of haplotype sharing and the D statistics analyses showed that the Irabu/Ikema subpopulation received gene flows different from those of the Miyakojima subpopulations, which may be related with the historically attested immigration during the Gusuku period (900 − 500 BP). A coalescent-based demographic inference suggests that the Irabu/Ikema population firstly split away from the ancestral Ryukyu population about 41 generations ago, followed by a split of the Miyako southwest population from the ancestral Ryukyu population (about 16 generations ago), and the differentiation of the ancestral Ryukyu population into two populations (Miyako northeast and Okinawajima populations) about seven generations ago. Such genetic information is useful for explaining the population history of modern Miyako people and must be taken into account when performing disease association studies.

  • <i>CACNB2</i> Is a Novel Susceptibility Gene for Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 1 Diabetes.

    Vuori N, Sandholm N, Kumar A, Hietala K, Syreeni A, Forsblom C, Juuti-Uusitalo K, Skottman H, Imamura M, Maeda S, Summanen PA, Lehto M, Groop PH, FinnDiane Study.

    Diabetes ( Diabetes )  68 ( 11 ) 2165 - 2174   2019.11 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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Books 【 display / non-display

Other Papers 【 display / non-display

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

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

    Project Year: 2020.04  -  2023.03 

    Direct: 3,300,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,290,000 (YEN)  Total: 990,000 (YEN)

  • Identification of novel therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes through genome-based drug discovery

    Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

    Project Year: 2017.04  -  2020.03 

    Investigator(s): Imamura Minako 

    Direct: 3,500,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,550,000 (YEN)  Total: 1,050,000 (YEN)

     View Summary

    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 genetic loci associated with susceptibility for type 2 diabetes (T2D). We have previously proposed several new potential pharmacological targets for T2D treatments using systematic bioinformatics approach integrating the findings of GWAS for T2D, and biological or pharmacological information from various databases. KIF11 is one of the potential therapeutic targets identified by the in silico pipeline. We have demonstrated that administration of KIF11 inhibitor ameliorated impaired glucose tolerance on db/db mice through increasing the insulin sensitivity and suppressing hepatic glucose production. The results suggest that our GWAS-based drug discovery platform is useful to identify novel drug targets for the treatment of common diseases, such as T2D.

  • Functional analysis of GWAS-derived type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes

    Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

    Project Year: 2014.04  -  2017.03 

    Investigator(s): IMAMURA Minako 

    Direct: 3,800,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,940,000 (YEN)  Total: 1,140,000 (YEN)

     View Summary

    We have performed a fine-mapping within the C2CD4A-C2CD4B locus to identify causal variants for type 2 diabetes susceptibility. The most significant association was observed in intergenic region which indicates the causal variant may affect the expression of either C2CD4A or C2CD4B. We also found that these genes dominantly expressed in human pancreas and mouse pancreatic beta cell line. Motivated by the results of fine mapping and expression analysis, we have generated beta-cell specific transgenic mice for C2cd4a and C2cd4b respectively to evaluate the role of these genes in vivo.