JP
Labs and Faculty
Core Laboratories
Laboratory of Innovational Biology

FUJIWARA Haruhiko Prof. Ph.D.

Theme

Evolutionary genetics, Molecular biology

Keyword

Mimicry, Metamorphosis, Chromosome

Message

I am mainly studying the molecular mechanisms underlying interesting insect developmental phenomena such as "mimicry and metamorphosis" and adaptive strategies of selfish genes (retrotransposons) that transpose only into specific sites of chromosome, such as telomere or ribosomal DNA. "Mimicry / metamorphosis / chromosome (Gitai/Hentai/Senshokutai in Japanese)" is the catchphrase of the laboratory. I would like to elucidate the adaptation strategy of the life system from an evolutionary perspective.

Introduction

The main projects currently underway in the laboratory are as follows.
1．What is LINE? Elucidation and application of the retrotransposition mechanism of retrotransposon (LINE)
2．Unusual insect telomeres: mechanisms of targeting telomeres and their evolutionary background
3．Are swallowtail larvae bird droppings? molecular mechanism of mimicry pattern formation on the surface of insects (Photo 1)
For details, please see the homepage of the laboratory.
　In addition to these studies, we are also studying the molecular mechanism and survival strategy of Batesian mimicry of swallowtail butterflies, Papilio polytes, which inhabit in Okinawa Islands in Japan (Photo 2). Only a part of females of Papilio polytes mimics a poisonous butterfly Pachliopta aristolochiae. This female-limited Batesian mimicry is controlled by a supergene composed of multiple genes. By comparing the mimicry supergene of the closely related species Papilio memnon, we are trying to reveal the adaptation strategy, evolutionary background, and the mystery of supergene construction.

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    Younger and final instar larva of Papilio butterfly, P. xuthus

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    Mimetic female of Papilio polytes

Biography

2004 – present 　Professor, Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
1999 – 2004 　Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
1995 – 1999 　Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
1992 – 1993 　Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Washington
1989 – 1995 　Lecturer, Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, The University of Tokyo,
1986 – 1989 　Researcher, National Institute of Health Japan
1986 Ph.D. 　 Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
1983 M. Sc. 　 Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
1981 B. Sc. 　 Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Science, The University of Tokyo
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