Researchers

IHARA Makoto

IHARA Makoto
Associate Professor
Faculty Department of Applied Biological Chemistry / Graduate School of Agriculture
Researchmap https://researchmap.jp/makoto.ihara

Education and Career

Academic & Professional Experience

  • Apr. 2018 - Today , Kindai University Fuculty of agriculture Associate professor
  • Apr. 2013 - Mar. 2018 , Kinki University Faculty of Agriculture Lecturer
  • Dec. 2012 - Mar. 2018 , RIKEN SPring-8 Center Visiting Scientist
  • Dec. 2012 - Mar. 2013 , Okayama University, Graduate school of medicine, dentistry and pharmaceutical sciences Assistant Professor
  • Oct. 2006 - Nov. 2012 , RIKEN
  • Apr. 2005 - Sep. 2006 , 近畿大学 研究員

Research Activities

Research Areas

  • Life sciences, Bioorganic chemistry
  • Life sciences, Functional biochemistry
  • Life sciences, Structural biochemistry
  • Nanotechnology/Materials, Molecular biochemistry

Research Interests

Ion channels, Bioorganic chemistry, Pesticide science, 構造生理学, Structural Biology

Published Papers

  1. Impact of a worker bee thoracic ganglion RIC-3 variant on the actions of acetylcholine and neonicotinoids on nicotinic receptors in Apis mellifera.
    Mayuka Takebayashi; Sumito Mori; Ryo Ito; Koichi Takayama; Hisanori Ojima; Miyu Takeuchi; Hiyori Takahashi; Niina Yamamoto; Runa Egawa; Yuki Kimura; Makoto Ihara; Ken Sasaki; David B Sattelle; Kazuhiko Matsuda
    Pest management science  21, Aug. 2024 
  2. Crystal Structure of the Native Chromoprotein from Pleurotus salmoneostramineus Provides Insights into the Pigmentation Mechanism.
    Makoto Ihara; Noriko Tsuchida; Marina Sumida; Tomoki Himiyama; Takashi Kitayama; Norifumi Shirasaka; Yasuhisa Fukuta
    Journal of agricultural and food chemistry  72  (31)  , 17626-17632, 7, Aug. 2024 
  3. Unravelling nicotinic receptor and ligand features underlying neonicotinoid knockdown actions on the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae
    Ryo Ito; Masaki Kamiya; Koichi Takayama; Sumito Mori; Rei Matsumoto; Mayuka Takebayashi; Hisanori Ojima; Shota Fujimura; Haruki Yamamoto; Masayuki Ohno; Makoto Ihara; Toshihide Okajima; Atsuko Yamashita; Fraser Colman; Gareth J. Lycett; David B. Sattelle; Kazuhiko Matsuda
    Open Biology  14  (7)  24, Jul. 2024 

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Conference Activities & Talks

  1. セイヨウミツバチのニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体の機能的発現と薬理特性に対する補助因子の効果 , 伊原 誠; 高山 浩一; 伊藤 稜; 森 澄海人; 武林 真由花; 江川 瑠夏; 山本 新菜; 木村 裕紀; 松田 一彦 , 日本農芸化学会2024年度大会 , 25, Mar. 2024
  2. Paraherquamide A の C. elegans ニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体サブタイプ選 択性の分子機構 , 伊原誠; 大坪柊也; 高山浩一; 松田一彦 , 2023 年度 日本農芸化学会 中部・関西支部合同大会 （中部支部：第 196 回例会）（関西支部：第 527 回講演会） , 1, Oct. 2023
  3. Determinants of sub-type selectivity of Paraherquamide A on Caenorhabditis elegans nicotinic acetylcholine receptors , Makoto Ihara , Control of Human Disease Vectors, Pests and Parasites , Sep. 2023

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MISC

  1. Ligand-gated ion channels as targets of neuroactive insecticides. , Makoto Ihara , Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry , 86 , 2 , 157 , 164 , 24, Jan. 2022
    Summary:The Cys-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels (Cys-loop receptors) is one of the most ubiquitous ion channel families in vertebrates and invertebrates. Despite their ubiquity, they are targeted by several classes of pesticides, including neonicotinoids, phenylpyrazols, and macrolides such as ivermectins. The current commercialized compounds have high target site selectivity, which contributes to the safety of insecticide use. Structural analyses have accelerated progress in this field; notably, the X-ray crystal structures of acetylcholine binding protein and glutamate-gated Cl channels revealed the details of the molecular interactions between insecticides and their targets. Recently, the functional expression of the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has been described, and detailed evaluations using the insect nAChR have emerged. This review discusses the basic concepts and the current insights into the molecular mechanisms of neuroactive insecticides targeting the ligand-gated ion channels, particularly Cys-loop receptors, and presents insights into target-based selectivity, resistance, and future drug design.
  2. Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Molecular Targets, Resistance, and Toxicity. , Kazuhiko Matsuda; Makoto Ihara; David B Sattelle , Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology , 60 , 241 , 255 , 6, Jan. 2020
    Summary:Copyright © 2020 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved. Neonicotinoids have been used to protect crops and animals from insect pests since the 1990s, but there are concerns regarding their adverse effects on nontarget organisms, notably on bees. Enhanced resistance to neonicotinoids in pests is becoming well documented. We address the current understanding of neonicotinoid target site interactions, selectivity, and metabolism not only in pests but also in beneficial insects such as bees. The findings are relevant to the management of both neonicotinoids and the new generation of pesticides targeting insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
  3. Neonicotinoids: molecular mechanisms of action, insights into resistance and impact on pollinators. , Makoto Ihara; Kazuhiko Matsuda , Current opinion in insect science , 30 , 86 , 92 , Dec. 2018
    Summary:© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Neonicotinoids are insecticides that target insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), exhibiting high selective toxicity to insects over vertebrates and good systemic activity in crop plants. For these reasons, neonicotinoids currently make up ∼30% of insecticide sales worldwide. However, due to their adverse impact on pollinators such as honey bees and bumble bees, neonicotinoids are being banned from the EU, and other countries may follow. It is therefore crucial to understand the mechanism underlying neonicotinoid actions on pollinators as well as on the nAChRs of pests, with a view to understanding their selectivity. Here we review the molecular mechanisms of neonicotinoid actions at an atomic level, through structural and resistance mechanism studies and propose relevant research topics for further studies on the future of pest management.

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Awards & Honors

  1. Mar. 2018, 日本農芸化学会, 農芸化学奨励賞
  2. 2008, 日本農学進歩賞
  3. 2007, 望月喜多司記念賞 奨励賞

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Research Grants & Projects

  1. 日本学術振興会, 科学研究費助成事業 基盤研究(B), 選択的害虫防除に向けた種選択能を有したニコチン性受容体標的薬剤設計の分子基盤研究 , 近畿大学
  2. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), Elucidation of the molecular determinants of neonicotinoid toxicity , Kindai University
  3. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Elucidation of molecular mechanism of pyrethrin biosynthesis by a GDSL lipase and its application to creation of insect resistant plants , Kinki University