Author interview with Dr Kazuyoshi Tsutsui

Posted Tue, Nov, 24,2009

Dr Kazuyoshi Tsutsui is the author of Neurosteroid Biosynthesis and Action in the Purkinje Cell which was recently published in Journal of Experimental Neuroscience.

The Editor in Chief of Journal of Experimental Neuroscience recently issued a call for papers.

Dr Tsutsui is a member of our favorite author program. Under the program authors are eligible to receive: prioritised peer review, prioritised author PDF, and an article processing fee discount. All former authors are eligible to join the favorite author program.

What is the primary focus of your research?

Probing undiscovered neurohormones, such as neuropeptides and neurosteroids, that play important roles in the regulation of brain function in vertebrates is essential for the progress of neuroendocrinology and neurobiology. To open the door to a new research field in neuroendocrinology and neurobiology, my main research over the past decade has been focusing on the discovery of novel neurohormones and the demonstration of their mode of action and functional significance.

What are the most exciting developments arising from current research in your area?

Our studies over the past decade by focusing on novel neuropeptides and neurosteroids have uncovered several “firsts” and contributed to the progress of neuroendocrinology and neurobiology.

In 1995, we first found de novo neurosteroidogenesis in the avian brain from cholesterol and subsequently demonstrated the biosynthetic pathway of neurosteroids in birds. We also discovered that the Purkinje cell, an important brain neuron, is a major site for neurosteroid formation in the brain of a variety of vertebrates. This discovery has allowed deeper insights into neuronal neurosteroid formation and diverse actions of neurosteroids have become clear by our studies using the Purkinje cell as an excellent cellular model, which is known to play an important role in memory and learning processes. The promotion of neuronal growth, spinogenesis and synaptogenesis and the modulation of synaptic neurotransmission by neurosteroids have been demonstrated.

We have further identified 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone as a novel bioactive neurosteroid in the brain of vertebrates. 7alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone acts as a key factor for induction of locomotor activity of vertebrates and melatonin regulates synthesis of this neurosteroid, thus inducing diurnal locomotor changes of vertebrates.

In 2000, we discovered GnIH as a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide in birds. The neuropeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is known to be the primary factor responsible for the hypothalamic control of gonadotropin secretion. However, an inhibitory neuropeptide of gonadotropin secretion was, until recently, unknown in any vertebrate. Subsequently, we demonstrated that GnIH inhibits gonadal development and maintenance by decreasing gonadotropin synthesis and release in birds. It is also becoming clear that a similar gonadotropin-inhibitory system is present in mammals including primates and humans. Thus, the discovery of GnIH has opened a new research field in reproductive neuroendocrinology from a novel standpoint.

Who are your main collaborators? Please describe your work with them

To discover novel neuropeptides and neurosteroids and demonstrate their mode of action and functional significance in vertebrates, I am collaborating with a number of eminent scientists throughout the globe, such as: Drs. Hubert Vaudry (France); Etienne E. Baulieu (France); Peter J. Sharp (UK); Robert W. Lea (UK); Robert P. Millar (UK); John C. Wingfield (USA); Stacia A. Sower (USA); Pierre Deviche (USA); Lance J. Kriegsfeld (USA); George E. Bentley (USA); Mary Ann Ottinger (USA); Rae Silver (USA); Stuart Tobet (USA); Pat Johnson (USA); Heike Muenzberg (USA); W. R. Butler (USA); Clay Lents (USA); Ei Terasawa (USA); Barbara Karten (Canada); Iain J. Clarke (Australia); John Cockrem (New Zealand); Vinod Kumar (India); Kyungjin Kim (Korea); Sakae Kikuyama (Japan); Hiroshi Kawauchi (Japan); Hitoshi Okamura (Japan); Yoshitaka Fukada (Japan); Mitsuhiro Kawata (Japan); and Yoshitaka Nagahama (Japan).

How did you come to be working in your research area?

How can a scientist contribute to the progress of neuroendocrinology and neurobiology? My answer is "start from zero" to create a new way in neuroendocrinology and neurobiology. Therefore, I first looked for undiscovered neurohormones, such as neuropeptides and neurosteroids, in the brain of vertebrates and then analyzed their mode of action and functional significance.

What do you think about the development of open access publishing? What motivated you to use it?

The development of open access publishing has allowed the easy access of manuscripts. It has also expanded the type of manuscript we can access. I have published in several open access journals including Journal of Experimental Neuroscience. Open access publishing is changing our way of thinking and working.

What articles and/or books have you published recently?

I have published recently several review papers in the first rank journals including Progress in Neurobiology, Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, Mass Spectrometry Reviews, Endocrinology, Molecular Neurobiology and Journal of Experimental Neuroscience. I have also published an impressive set of original papers in journals including Nature Medicine, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences of United States of America, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neurochemistry, Neuroscience and Endocrinology.

I have edited recently the book Trends in Comparative Endocrinology by the Asia and Oceania Society for Comparative Endocrinology and the Japanese Society for Comparative Endocrinology.

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