Gen Ohtsuki

Gen’s research field is the electrical- and optical- physiology.

After writing PhD thesis at Kyoto University, he did posdoc research at Erasmus University, Medical Center, in the Netherlands, and at the University of Chicago. He carried out his experiments with multiple patch-clamping from neurons in the cerebellum and studied the synaptic- and non-synaptic plasticity, which are nowadays thought to be the basement of the learning in the brain.

Further returning to Japan, at Kyushu University, he learned the methods with two-photon microscopy, and revealed the functional correlation among clonally-related neurons in the visual cortex, thanks to talented colleagues and bosses.

In his Hakubi project, Gen will seek for the reason why people can learn and even think, by focusing the neuronal population stemmed from a single progenitor cell, basically by using multiple-recording. It is because such clonally-related neurons, but not all, in a living brain were found to share function.

Executive summary

(ref. 15)
Journal of Neuroscience, 4 Nov 2019. pii: 3211-18. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3211-18.2019
Modification of synaptic-input clustering by intrinsic excitability plasticity on cerebellar Purkinje cell dendrites.
*^†Ohtsuki G.
(This paper was single-authored.)

(ref. 14)
Cell Reports, Volume 28, 2923-2938.e8. 10 Sep 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.078
Microglia-Triggered Plasticity of Intrinsic Excitability Modulates Psychomotor Behaviors in Acute Cerebellar Inflammation.
*Yamamoto M, *Kim M, *Imai H, Itakura Y, ^†Ohtsuki G.
(*, These authors contributed equally to this work)
(This study was selected to the Press Conference Abstract in the Society for Neuroscience, USA, in Chicago, October 19-23^rd. The selection rate is ~ 50 / 14,000+! Quite rare from Asian counties.)

(ref. 13)
iScience, Volume 1, 49-54, 23 Mar 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.02.001
Synaptic Potential and Plasticity of an SK2 Channel Gate Regulate Spike Burst Activity in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells.
*Ohtsuki G, Hansel C.
(This paper was selected to the cover issue.)

(ref. 12)
Cell Reports, Volume 14, Issue 11, 2546-2453, 22 Mar 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.054
Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Spike Pauses in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells.
Grasselli G, He Q, Wan V, Adelman JP, Ohtsuki G, Hansel C.

(ref. 11)Cerebellum, Volume 14, Issue 3, 292-307, Jun 2015, doi: 10.1007/s12311-014-0640-x
The spontaneous ataxic mouse mutant tippy is characterized by a novel Purkinje cell morphogenesis and degeneration phenotype.
Shih EK, Sekerková G, Ohtsuki G, Aldinger KA, Chizhikov VV, Hansel C, Mugnaini E and Millen KJ.

(ref. 10)
Neuron, Volume 75, Issue 1, 108-120, 12 Jul 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.025
SK2 channel modulation contributes to compartment-specific dendritic plasticity in cerebellar Purkinje cells.
*Ohtsuki G, Piochon C, Adelman JP, Hansel C.

(ref. 9)
Neuron, Volume 75, Issue 1, 65-72, 12 Jul 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.023
Similarity of visual selectivity among clonally related neurons in visual cortex.
*Ohtsuki G, *Nishiyama M, *Yoshida T, Murakami T, Histed M, Lois C, Ohki K.
(*, These authors contributed equally to this work)

(ref. 8)
Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 30, Issue 45, 15330-15335, 10 Nov 2010, doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4344-10.2010
Purkinje cell NMDA receptors assume a key role in synaptic gain control in the mature cerebellum.
Piochon C, Levenes C, Ohtsuki G, Hansel C.

(ref. 7)
Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 30, Issue 41, 13630-13643, 13 Oct 2010, doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3226-10.2010
Intrinsic plasticity complements long-term potentiation in parallel fiber input gain control in cerebellar Purkinje cells.
Belmeguenai A, Hosy E, Bengtsson F, Pedroarena C, Piochon C, Teuling E, He Q, Ohtsuki G, De Jeu M, Elgersma Y, De Zeeuw CI, Jörntell H, Hansel C.

(ref. 6)
Neuron, Volume 67, Issue 4, 618-628, 26 Aug 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.07.009
Purkinje cell-specific knockout of PP2B impairs potentiation and cerebellar motor learning.
Schonewille M, Belmeguenai A, Koekkoek SK, Houtman SH, Boele HJ, van Beugen BJ, Gao Z, Badura A, Ohtsuki G, Amerika WE, Hosy E, Hoebeek FE, Elgersma Y, Hansel C, De Zeeuw CI.

(ref. 4)
European Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 28, Issue 12, 2393-2400, Dec 2008, doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06539.x
Bidirectional Plasticity at Developing Climbing Fiber – Purkinje Neuron Synapses.
*Ohtsuki G, Hirano T.

(ref. 3)
PLoS ONE. Volume 3, Issue 5, e2297, 28 May 2008, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002297
Enhancement of both long-term depression induction and optokinetic response adaptation in mice lacking delphilin.
*Takeuchi T, *Ohtsuki G, *Yoshida T, Fukaya M, Wainai T, Yamashita M, Yamazaki Y, Mori H, Sakimura K, Kawamoto S, Watanabe M, Hirano T, Mishina M.
(*, These authors contributed equally to this work)

(ref. 2)
Journal of Neurosciense, Volume 24, Issue 48, 10900-10907, 1 Dec 2004, doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2240-04.2004
Enhanced inhibitory synaptic transmission in the cerebellar molecular layer of the GluRdelta2 knock-out mouse.
*Ohtsuki G, Kawaguchi SY, Mishina M, Hirano T.

(ref. 1)
Journal of Neurosciense, Volume 24, Issue 10, 2440-2448, 10 Mar 2004, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0783-03.2004
Oscillating Purkinje neuron activity causing involuntary eye movement in a mutant mouse deficient in the glutamate receptor delta2 subunit.
Yoshida, T, Katoh A, Ohtsuki G, Mishina M, Hirano T.