Taniguchi Laboratory

Taniguchi lab aims to better understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms of gene expression underlying pathological behaviors in substance use disorder and stress-related mental disorders. Among the many symptoms in these brain-behavior diseases, we focus on reward-related behaviors, such as reward-seeking, the ability to experience a hedonic state, and motivation toward a natural and/or drug reward. We use a combination of molecular biology techniques and rodent behavior assays to accomplish this research theme. 

Taniguchi research dopamine       

Research:
Taniguchi lab aims to better understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms of gene expression underlying pathological behaviors in substance use disorder (ref1-2) and stress-related mental disorders (ref3). Among the many symptoms in these brain-behavior diseases, we focus on reward-related behaviors, such as reward-seeking, the ability to experience a hedonic state, and motivation toward a natural and/or drug reward. We use a combination of molecular biology techniques and rodent behavior assays to accomplish this research theme.

Experimental approach:
Molecular mechanisms of gene expression:
We use molecular biology techniques to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of gene expression, such as epigenetic modifications, genomic DNA 3D loop structure, and non-coding RNA function. We generate new genetic tools to manipulate gene expressions and regulatory mechanisms in vivo.

Rodent behavior assay:
We use viral-mediated approaches to manipulate epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and expression of target genes and test the role in reward-related behaviors in vivo. These animals who receive viral-mediated gene manipulation are subjected to exposure to cocaine/heroin or stressors, followed by the behavior assay, including general learning and memory, mood-related behaviors, reward-seeking behaviors, drug addiction, and depression-related behaviors.

These approaches using newly develop tools provide novel insights into the fundamental neuroscience field and identify the pathological mechanisms of human mental disorders.

Reference
Taniguchi M, Carreira B.M., Smith N. L., Zirlin C. B., Neve L. R., Cowan W. C. Histone deacetylase 5 limits cocaine reward through cAMP-induced nuclear import. Neuron, 2012, 73, 108-120, PMCID: PMC3259532.

Taniguchi M*, Carreira B*. M., Cooper A. Y., Bobadilla C. A., Heinsbroek A. J., Koike N., Larson B E., Balmuth A, E, Hughes W. B., Penrod D. R., Kumar J., Smith N. L., Guzman D., Takahashi S. J., Kim T-K., Kalivas. W. P., Self W. D., Lin Y., Cowan C W. HDAC5 and its target gene, NPAS4, function in the nucleus accumbens to regulate cocaine conditioned behaviors. Neuron, 2017, 96, 130-144, (*These authors contributed equally), PMCID: PMC5761688

Hughes BW., Siemsen BM., Berto S., Kumar J., Cornbrooks RG., Akiki RM., Carter JS., Scofield MD., Cowan CS., Taniguchi M. NPAS4 in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates chronic social defeat stress-induced anhedonia and dendritic spine loss. BioRxiv preprint, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.04.433930v2.


Team:
 
Makoto Taniguchi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Biography: Dr. Taniguchi is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Taniguchi earned his Ph.D. from Tokyo Metropolitan University in Tokyo, Japan in molecular biology training. For the postdoctoral training, He joined Dr. Christopher Cowan laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (TX) and extended the research scope to psychiatric neuroscience, Drug addiction. Dr. Taniguchi was then recruited to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School, as an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry (MA) and investigated stress-related psychiatric disorders. Dr. Taniguchi studies on the epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms that control behavioral plasticity in response to emotional events, including stress and abuse of drugs.

 
Rose Marie Akiki, B.S.
MD-PhD Student
Biography: Rose Marie's ambitions are focused on studying the molecular neurobiology of mental illnesses notably the molecular mechanisms behind drug reward learning. During her undergraduate and her medical school years, she investigated immune disturbances underlying Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders. She later gained interest in psychiatric illnesses while working on a clinical study on Major Depressive Disorder treatments. As a Ph.D. student in the Cowan lab and Taniguchi Lab, Rose Marie is using cutting-edge molecular tools to investigate the role of long non-coding RNA in driving neuronal plasticity underlying learning of drug reward. She hopes that via her work she could contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms of emotions.


Taniguchi Laboratory Recent Publications (2020-current):
Hughes BW., Tsvetkov E., Siemsen BM., Snyder KK., Akiki RM., Wood D., Penrod RD., Scofield MD., Berto S., Taniguchi M. and Cowan CW. NPAS4 supports drug-cue associations and relapse-like behavior through regulation of the cell type-specific activation balance in the nucleus accumbens. BioRxiv preprint, 2022. doi: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.09.04.506434v1.full.

Anderson EM, Taniguchi M. Epigenetic Effects of Addictive Drugs in the Nucleus Accumbens. Frontier Molecular Neuroscience, 2022

Hughes BW., Siemsen BM., Berto S., Kumar J., Cornbrooks RG., Akiki RM., Carter JS., Scofield MD., Cowan CS., Taniguchi M. NPAS4 in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates chronic social defeat streee-induced anhedonia and dendritic spine loss. BioRxiv preprint, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.04.433930v2.

Penrod RD, Thomsen M, Taniguchi M, Guo Y, Cowan CW, Smith LN. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein, Arc/Arg3.1, influences mouse cocaine self-administration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 2020 Jan.