Topic: Intracellular degradation by autophagy and its related pathways

Speaker: Prof. Noboru Mizushima

Time: 16:00-17:30 PM, 19 Sep. , 2025

Venue: Lecture hall 110,Library

Abstract:

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system conserved in many eukaryotes. In the process of autophagy, a portion of the cytoplasm is surrounded by autophagosomes and then delivered to lysosomes for degradation. Studies on the molecular mechanism and physiological function of autophagy have made remarkable progress over the past 30 years since the landmark genetic studies in yeast by Dr. Ohsumi and other groups. In this seminar, Dr Mizushima will discuss some recent topics on autophagosome-lysosome fusion and the reversibility of cellular dysfunction caused by autophagy defects. In addition to these autophagy-dependent pathways, Dr Mizushima will show a new organelle degradation system in the lens, which is mediated by the cytosolic lipase PLAAT (phospholipase A and acyltransferase) family.

Brief introduction of the speaker:

Noboru Mizushima, a distinguished Japanese cell biologist and prominent disciple of Nobel laureate Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi, is a pioneering researcher in the field of autophagy. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including Young investigator award of the Japanese Biochemical Society, Mitsubishi Chemical Award from the Molecular Biology Society of Japan, Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Commendation for Young Scientists, Japan Academy Prize, Nakao Memorial Prize, Inoue Academic Award, Shigeru Kakiuchi Memorial Prize from the Japan Biochemical Society, and the Takeda Medical Prize. He currently serves as the President of the Japanese Society of Cell Biology. 
Professor Mizushima earned his Ph.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU). He conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi at the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB) in Okazaki, focusing on yeast autophagy. In 2004, he became an independent Research Group Leader at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. In 2006, he was appointed as Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and is now Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Tokyo. Since 2012, he has been a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo. From 2021 to present, he has been serving as the Vice Dean at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo.
His scientific work centers on elucidating the mechanisms and physiological roles of autophagy using diverse model organisms, including yeast, zebrafish, and mice. He has achieved groundbreaking advancements in understanding autophagosome formation and maturation, as well as the molecular mechanisms of autophagosome-lysosome fusion, significantly advancing the field of autophagy research.