2026年 8月 Student Monthly Progress を開催しました

8月28日 (金)にStudent Monthly Progressが開催されました。3名の大学院生が研究内容について発表しました。

 

【Presenters】

1. KABAMBA Frances Chilekwa: Laboratory of Biological Response Analysis

<Molecular detection and phylogenetic characterization of mastadenoviruses in Zambian rodents and shrews.>

 

2. TSUBO Tomoya: Laboratory of International Research Promotion

<Biological Characterization of a Novel Bat-Derived Paramyxovirus Closely Related to Human Parainfluenza Virus 2>

 

3. MIYAMOTO Shiori: Laboratory of Toxicology

<Functional Characterization of Bitter Taste Receptors (T2Rs) with a Focus on Scavenging Adaptation in the Striped Hyena.>

 

 

 【Chairs】

RAUTENBACH Ilana: Laboratory of Toxicology

MOTAI Yoshinosuke: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases

 

 

 

 

 ❖座長レポート❖ 

 

《Molecular detection and phylogenetic characterization of mastadenoviruses in Zambian rodents and shrews.》

Chilekwa Frances Kabamba

 

 

This study investigated the diversity of mastadenoviruses in rodents and shrews collected from four districts in Zambia. Adenovirus genomes were detected by PCR, and partial genomes were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis identified several distinct viral clusters, including a widely distributed group mainly detected in Mastomys natalensis. Closely related sequences were also detected in a shrew, suggesting possible interspecies transmission. The low amino acid sequence identity of the DNA polymerase to known mastadenoviruses suggested that this group may represent a previously uncharacterized mastadenovirus species circulating among small mammals in Zambia.

 

 

《Biological Characterization of a Novel Bat-Derived Paramyxovirus Closely Related to Human Parainfluenza Virus 2》

Tomoya Tsubo

 

 

This study characterized a novel bat parainfluenza virus (BPIV) isolated from Egyptian fruit bats in Zambia and compared its biological properties with those of human parainfluenza virus type 2 (HPIV2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that BPIV is closely related to HPIV2 but represents a novel paramyxovirus species. BPIV showed distinct biological properties from HPIV2, including differences in hemagglutination activity and dependence on exogenous trypsin for viral growth. During the discussion, the zoonotic potential of BPIV was raised. He explained that pathogenicity in hamsters has been reported, but further studies are needed to clarify its host range, pathogenicity, and potential for cross-species transmission.

 

 

 《Functional Characterization of Bitter Taste Receptors (T2Rs) with a Focus on Scavenging Adaptation in the Striped Hyena.》

 Shiori Miyamoto

 

 

This study set out to determine whether the hyena bitter-taste receptors respond differently from those of a non-scavenging relative, the domestic cat. Taste receptor genes from both species were synthesized, cloned into expression vectors, and transfected into cells to assess their response to 23 bitter compounds. Cat receptors responded to these compounds consistently with previous reports, thereby validating the experimental approach. Hyena receptors showed a similar, though weaker, response to the same compounds. These findings raise questions for future investigation, namely whether hyenas retain the ability to detect the degree of decomposition in a carcass and use it to judge food safety, or whether they have instead become less sensitive to the bitter cues associated with carrion.