AIKAWA Chihiro Associate Professor
My DreamAiming to control bacterial infections
ThemeElucidation of host-specific pathogenic mechanisms of bacteria
Field
Keyword
Instructable research topic for doctoral thesis
- 宿主細胞内でのサルモネラ属細菌の生存戦略機構の解明
- 鶏、あるいはマウスへのサルモネラ属細菌の感染による病原性評価
Message
私が研究者を目指すきっかけとなったのは，学部生時代に家禽疾病学実習を受けたことでした。この実習を受けて，初めて講義で学んだことが自分の中でスッと具現化していくのを感じましたし，何より実験が楽しかったという記憶があります。実習がこんなに面白いなら研究室に配属したらもっと楽しいだろうと，家禽疾病学研究室の門を叩き，そして案の定，微生物学研究の魅力に取り憑かれたわけです。今に至るまでに，20年近くウイルスや細菌の研究に携わってきましたが，今でもやはり研究は楽しいものです。講義が楽しかった，微生物学実習や伝染病学実習が楽しかったという学生の皆さん，是非一緒に研究をしませんか。獣医微生物学研究室では知的好奇心に溢れた学生を歓迎します。
| Academic degree | Doctor of Life Science |
| Self introduction |
I am from Tokyo, Japan. I have been mainly involved in the elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms of Streptococcus pyogenes and the development of therapeutic agents (compounds and antibodies). My hobby is camping. |
| Room address | General Research Building I |
| Room number | S2102-3 |
| Mail address | caikawa 
obihiro.ac.jp |
Belongs
Research Department/Department of Veterinary Medicine/Division of Veterinary Sciences/Section of Applied Veterinary SciencesDiagnostic Center for Animal Health and Food Safety/Bacteriology LaboratoryIntroduction
Salmonella spp. have been extensively studied using Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST). When ST invades intestinal epithelial cells, small vacuoles called Salmonella-containing vacuoles (SCV) are quickly formed. Most Salmonella proliferate within the SCV, but a small proportion translocate into the cytoplasm by rupture of the SCV. Half of those are digested and eliminated by xenophagy (autophagy), but the other half proliferate locally and explosively. This localized hyper replication induces pyroptosis. On the other hand, Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinurum (SG), which is also classified as a systemic Salmonella, is known to cause acute fatal septicemia in its avian host. SG, as well as ST, possesses virulence factors involved in cell invasion, and thus appears to invade host cells; however, many of the intracellular events, including SCV formation, remain unknown. Therefore, I would like to conduct research with the goal of visualizing the intracellular dynamics of SG.
List of current research topics
Survival strategies of Salmonella enterica serotype Gallinarium in host cells.
| Related industries | Poultry Industry, Animal Health and Public Health |
| Affiliated academic society | Japanese Society for Bacteriology |
