Yasuhito Shirai is a Professor and Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Agricultural Science at Kobe University. He also serves as the Director of Americas Division in the Institute for Promoting International Partnership. He conducts signal transduction research focusing PKC and DGK to develop functional food, medical food and medicine.


Talk Title: “Amelioration of Diabetic Nephropathy by ?-tocopherol and epigallocatechin gallate: A road to discovery of Vitamin-E receptor”

Talk Abstract:
The increasing number of patients with diabetes and its complications has become an issue for achieving a healthy life around the world. Especially diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, significantly affects the quality of life and medical expenses. It is recognized that impaired lipid signaling, especially abnormal protein kinase C (PKC) activation by de novo-synthesized diacylglycerol (DG) under high blood glucose, is one of the causes of diabetic nephropathy. On the other hand, DG kinase (DGK) is an enzyme that phosphorylates DG and generates phosphatidic acid, i.e., DGK can inhibit PKC activation under diabetic conditions. Indeed, our group found that ?-tocopherol and epigallocatechin ameliorated diabetic nephropathy by activating DGKalpha via 67KDa laminin receptor. In this seminar, I will talk about detail mechanism of the amelioration and discovery of a novel receptor of ?-tocopherol.



An in-person reception will be hosted at 11:30am, outside FIC 277 auditorium on Innovation Campus.
Seminar: Noon - 1pm CT
This seminar will be in-person & streamed via Zoom if the presenter allows.

Email Allie Eaton for Zoom connection information.