Shihoko Kojima

• B.Pharm., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1998
• Ph.D., Human Genetics, University of Tokyo, 2003
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Mitsubishi Kagaku, Institute of Life Science, 2003-2005
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Virginia, 2005-2009
• Instructor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2009-2014

Current Research

Circadian rhythmicity is a fundamental aspect of temporal organization in essentially every cell in the body, and modulates much of physiology, biochemistry, and behavior.  In order to maintain daily cycles, cell-autonomous circadian oscillators drive rhythmic expression of approximately 5-10% of mRNAs to ultimately drive a wide range of rhythmic biological processes.

We are interested in understanding 1) how the circadian clock regulates the rhythms of thousands of mRNAs and proteins with the correct period, phase, and amplitude; and 2) how circadian clock utilizes rhythmically expressed proteins to regulate rhythmic physiology and behavior.  We use the mouse as an animal model system and integrate diverse approaches - genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, neuroscience, and molecular/cellular biology - to answer these questions.

Selected Publications

Kojima S, Green CB. Circadian genomics reveal a role for post-transcriptional regulation in mammals. Biochemistry. 2015;54(2):124–133.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1021%2Fbi500707c
Kojima S, Sher-Chen EL, Green CB. Circadian control of mRNA polyadenylation dynamics regulates rhythmic protein expression. Genes Dev. 2012;26(24):2724–2736.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1101%2Fgad.208306.112
Kojima S, Matsumoto K, Hirose M, et al. LARK activates posttranscriptional expression of an essential mammalian clock protein, PERIOD1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104(6):1859–1864.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.0607567104

2015

Kojima S, Green CB. Circadian genomics reveal a role for post-transcriptional regulation in mammals. Biochemistry. 2015;54(2):124–133.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1021%2Fbi500707c
Kojima S, Green CB. Analysis of circadian regulation of poly(A)-tail length. Methods Enzymol. 2015;551:387–403.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fbs.mie.2014.10.021

2013

Godwin AR, Kojima S, Green CB, Wilusz J. Kiss your tail goodbye: the role of PARN, Nocturnin, and Angel deadenylases in mRNA biology. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013;1829(6-7):571–579.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.bbagrm.2012.12.00

2012

Kojima S, Sher-Chen EL, Green CB. Circadian control of mRNA polyadenylation dynamics regulates rhythmic protein expression. Genes Dev. 2012;26(24):2724–2736.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1101%2Fgad.208306.112

2011

Douris N, Kojima S, Pan X, et al. Nocturnin regulates circadian trafficking of dietary lipid in intestinal enterocytes. Curr Biol. 2011;21(16):1347–1355.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cub.2011.07.018
Kojima S, Shingle DL, Green CB. Post-transcriptional control of circadian rhythms. J Cell Sci. 2011;124(Pt 3):311–320.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1242%2Fjcs.065771
Niu S, Shingle DL, Garbarino-Pico E, Kojima S, Gilbert M, Green CB. The circadian deadenylase Nocturnin is necessary for stabilization of the iNOS mRNA in mice. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e26954.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0026954

2010

Kawai M, Green CB, Lecka-Czernik B, et al. A circadian-regulated gene, Nocturnin, promotes adipogenesis by stimulating PPAR-gamma nuclear translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010;107(23):10508–10513.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1000788107
Kojima S, Gatfield D, Esau CC, Green CB. MicroRNA-122 modulates the rhythmic expression profile of the circadian deadenylase Nocturnin in mouse liver. PLoS One. 2010;5(6):e11264.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011264

2007

Green CB, Douris N, Kojima S, et al. Loss of Nocturnin, a circadian deadenylase, confers resistance to hepatic steatosis and diet-induced obesity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104(23):9888–9893.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.0702448104

Kojima S, Matsumoto K, Hirose M, et al. LARK activates posttranscriptional expression of an essential mammalian clock protein, PERIOD1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104(6):1859–1864.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.0607567104

2003

Kojima S, Hirose M, Tokunaga K, Sakaki Y, Tei H. Structural and functional analysis of 3' untranslated region of mouse Period1 mRNA. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003;301(1):1–7.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12535631

2000

Kojima S, Yanagihara I, Kono G, et al. mkp-1 encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1, a verotoxin 1 responsive gene, detected by differential display reverse transcription-PCR in Caco-2 cells. Infect Immun. 2000;68(5):2791–2796.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10768974