Other Appointments/Positions

Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology

Faculty member, GDBBS BCDB Graduate Program

Pathology Division(s):
Experimental Pathology

Email Address:
sono@emory.edu

Education:

B.S.   Chiba University, 1987 - 1991

M.Sc.   Chiba University, 1991 - 1993

Ph.D.   Chiba University, 1993 - 1996

Research Interests:

- Cytoskeleton-Cell Biology
We are interested in the mechanisms of the regulation of actin cytoskeletal dynamics. Actin filaments are reorganized during development, cell migration, and cell division. Proper regulation of the actin reorganization is required for normal celluler activities, while its misregulation often causes diseases. We have been studying functions of actin-binding proteins using biochemical, cell biological, and genetic techniques.

- Alternative pre-mRNA splicing
A number of genes produce mutiple transcripts by alternative splicing. Misregulation of this mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy. We identified a muscle-specific regulator of pre-mRNA splicing in the nematode C. elegans and have been studying how this splicing factor functions. This splicing factor is conserved in humans, and we hope to gain insights into the mechanism of tissue-specific pre-mRNA splicing.

Honors / Awards:

Guest Associate Editor, PLoS Computational Biology, 2012

Editorial Board, World Journal of Biological Chemistry

, 2010-present

Editorial Board, Cytoskeleton, 2009-present

Editorial Board, International Journal of Cell Biology, 2008-present

Editorial Board, Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology: Cell Biology Section, 2008-present

Editorial Board, Advanced Studies in Biology, 2008-present

Editorial Board, Cell Health and Cytoskeleton, 2008-present

Albert E. Levy Research Award, 2005

American Heart Association National Center Scientist Development Grant, 2001

American Heart Association Southeast Affiliate Beginning Grant, 1999-2001

Uehara Memorial Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1997-1998

JSPS Predoctoral Fellowship, 1994-1996

Selected Publications:

Published and Accepted Research Articles -

Lee, C. -Y., Lou, J., Wen, K. -K., McKane, M., Eskin, S. G., Ono, S., Chien, S., Rubenstein, P. A., Zhu, C., and McIntire, L. V. (2013) "Actin depolymerization under force is governed by K113-E195-mediated catch-slip bonds." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA In press.

Liu, Z. and Ono, S. (2013) "Regulatory role of the second gelsolin-like domain of Caenorhabditis elegans gelsolin-like protein 1 in its calcium-dependent conformation and actin-regulatory activities." Cytoskeleton In press.

Ono, S. and Pruyne, D. (2012) "Biochemical and cell biological analysis of actin from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans." Methods 56, 11-17.

Nomura, K., Ono, K., and Ono, S. (2012) "CAS-1, a C. elegans cyclase-associated protein, is required for sarcomeric actin assembly in striated muscle." J. Cell Sci. 125, 4077-4089.

Cox-Paulson, E. A., Walck-Shannon, E., Lynch, A. M., Yamashiro, S., Zaidel-Bar, R., Eno, C. C., Ono, S., and Hardin, J. (2012) "Tropomodulin protects ±-catenin-dependent junctional actin networks under stress during epithelial morphogenesis." Curr. Biol. 22, 1500-1505.

Ohno, G., Ono, K., Togo, M., Watanabe, Y., Ono, S., Hagiwara, M., and Kuroyanagi, H. (2012) "Muscle-specific splicing factors ASD-2 and SUP-12 cooperatively switch co-transcriptional pre-mRNA processing patterns of the ADF/cofilin gene in C. elegans." PLoS Genet. 8, e1002991.

Ono, S., Nomura, K., Hitosugi, S., Tu, D., Lee, J., Baillie, D. L., and Ono, K. (2011) "The two actin-interacting protein 1 genes have overlapping and essential function for embryonic development in Caenorhabditis elegans." Mol. Biol. Cell 22, 2258-2269.

Obinata, T., Ono, K., and Ono, S. (2011) "Detection of a troponin I-like protein in non-striated muscle of the tardigrades (water bears)." BioArchitecture 1, 96-102.

Liu, Z., Kanzawa, N., and Ono, S. (2011) "Calcium-sensitive activity and conformation of Caenorhabditis elegans gelsolin-like protein 1 are altered by mutations in the first gelsolin-like domain." J. Biol. Chem. 286, 34051-34059.

Obinata, T., Ono, K., and Ono, S. (2010) "Troponin I controls ovulatory contraction of non-striated actomyosin networks in the C. elegans somatic gonad" J. Cell Sci. 123, 1557-1566.

Liu, Z., Klaavuniemi, T., and Ono, S. (2010) "Distinct roles of four gelsolin-like repeats of Caenorhabditis elegans gelsolin-like protein-1 in actin-filament severing, barbed-end capping, and phosphoinositide binding." Biochemistry 49, 4349-4360.

Sedeh, R. S., Fedorov, A.A., Fedorov, E. V., Ono, S., Matsumura, F., Almo, S. C., Bathe, M. (2010) "Structure, evolutionary conservation, and conformational dynamics of Homo sapiens fascin-1, an F-actin crosslinking protein." J. Mol. Biol. 400, 589-604.

Fifadara, N., Beer, F., Ono, S., and Ono, S. J. (2010) Interaction between activated chemokine receptor 1 and FceRI at membrane rafts promotes communication and F-actin rich cytoneme extensions between mast cells." Int. Immunol. 22, 113-128.

Ono, S. (2010) "Dynamic regulation of sarcomeric actin filaments in striated muscle." Cytoskeleton. 67, 677-692.

Kalman, D. and Ono, S. (2010) "Rickettsia pays the piper; new actors and some bad actin'". Cell Host Microbe 7, 335-336.

Ono, K. and Ono, S. (2009) "Actin-ADF/cofilin rod formation in Caenorhabditis elegans muscle requires a putative F-actin binding site of ADF/cofilin at the C-terminus." Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 66, 398-408.

Ono, K., Yamashiro, S., and Ono, S. (2008) "Essential role of ADF/cofilin for assembly of contractile actin networks in the Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonad." J. Cell Sci. 121, 2662-2670.

Yamashiro, S., Cox, E. A., Baillie, D. L., Hardin, J. D., and Ono, S. (2008) "Sarcomeric actin organization is synergistically promoted by tropomodulin, ADF/cofilin, AIP1, and profilin in C. elegans body wall muscle." J. Cell Sci. 121, 3867-3877.

Klaavuniemi, T., Yamashiro, S., and Ono, S. (2008) "Caenorhabditis elegans GSNL-1 is a novel actin filament severing protein with four gelsolin-like repeats." J. Biol. Chem. 283, 26071-26080.

Ono, K., Yu, R., and Ono, S. (2007) "Structural components of the non-striated contractile apparatuses in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonadal sheath and their essential roles for ovulation." Dev. Dyn. 236, 1093-1105.

Yamashiro, S., Gimona, M., and Ono, S. (2007) "UNC-87, a calponin-related protein in C. elegans, antagonizes ADF/cofilin-mediated actin filament dynamics." J. Cell Sci. 120, 3022-3033.

Mohri, K., Ono, K., Yu, R., Yamashiro, S. and Ono, S. (2006) "Enhancement of actin-depolymerizing factor/cofilin-dependent actin disassembly by actin-interacting protein 1 is required for organized actin filament assembly in the Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle." Mol. Biol. Cell. 17, 2190-2199.

Ono, K., Yu, R., Mohri, K., and Ono, S. (2006) "C. elegans kettin, a large immunoglobulin-like repeat protein, binds to filamentous actin and provides mechanical stability to the contractile apparatuses in body wall muscle." Mol. Biol. Cell. 17, 2722-2734.

Procaccio, V., Salazar, G., Ono, S., Styers, M., Gearing, M., Davila, A., Jimenez, R., Juncos, J. L., Gutekunst, C-. A., Meroni, G., Fontanella, B., Sontag, E., Sontag, J. M., Faundez, V. and Wainer, B. H. (2006) "A ¿-actin gene mutation associated with autosomal dominant dystonia, deafness and ventral midline defects results in abnormal actin depolymerization dynamics." Am. J. Hum. Genet. 78, 947-960.

Polet, D., Lambrechts, A., Ono, K., Mah, A., Peelman, F., Vandekerckhove, J., Baillie, D. L., Ampe, C., and Ono, S. (2006) "Caenorhabditis elegans expresses three functional profilins in a tissue specific manner." Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton. 63, 14-28.

Yu, R. and Ono, S. (2006) "Dual roles of tropomyosin as an F-actin stabilizer and a regulator of muscle contraction in Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle." Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton. 63, 659-672.

Yamashiro, S., Mohri, K., and Ono, S. (2005) "The two Caenorhabditis elegans actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin proteins differently enhance actin filament severing and depolymerization." Biochemistry 44, 14238-14247.

Nakashima, K., Nakagaki, T., Sato, N., Abe, H., Ono, S., and Obinata, T. (2005) "Two mouse cofilin isoforms, muscle-type (MCF) and non-muscle-type (NMCF), interact with F-actin by different efficiency." J. Biochem. 138, 519-526.

Ono, S., Mohri, K., and Ono, K. (2005) "Molecular and biochemical characterization of kettin in Caenorhabditis elegans." J. Muscle Res. & Cell Motil. In press.

Mohri, K., Vorobiev, S., Fedorov, A. A., Almo, S. C., and Ono, S. (2004) "Identification of functional residues on Caenorhabditis elegans actin-interacting protein 1 (UNC-78) for disassembly of actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin-bound actin filaments." J. Biol. Chem. 279, 31697-31707.

Ono, K. and Ono, S. (2004) "Tropomyosin and troponin are required for ovarian contraction in the Caenorhabditis elegans reproductive system." Mol. Biol. Cell. 15, 2782-2793.

Anyanful, A., Ono, K., Johnsen, R. C., Ly, H., Jensen, V., Baillie, D. L., Ono, S. (2004) "The RNA-binding protein SUP-12 controls muscle-specific splicing of the ADF/cofilin pre-mRNA in C. elegans." J. Cell Biol. 167, 639-647.

Ono, S., Mohri, K., and Ono, K. (2004) "Microscopic evidence that actin-interacting protein 1 actively disassembles actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin-bound actin filaments." J. Biol. Chem. 279, 14207-14212.

Van Troys, M., Ono, K., Dewitte, D., Jonckheere, V., De Ruyck, N., Vandekerckhove, J., Ono, S., and Ampe, C. (2004) "TetraThymosin-beta is required for actin dynamics in C. elegans and acts via functionally different actin binding repeats." Mol. Biol. Cell. 15, 4735-4748.

Mohri, K. and Ono, S. (2003) "Actin filament disassembling activity of Caenorhabditis elegans actin-interacting protein 1 (UNC-78) is dependent on filament binding by a specific ADF/cofilin isoform." J. Cell Sci.116, 4107-4118.

Vorobiev, S., Strotopytov, B., Drubin, D. G., Frieden, C., Ono, S., Condeelis, J., Rubenstein, P. A., and Almo, S. C. (2003) "The structure of nonvertebrate actin: Implications for the ATP hydrolytic mechanism." Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 100, 5760-5765.

Ono, S. (2003) "Regulation of actin filament dynamics by actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin and actin-interacting protein 1: new blades for twisted filaments." Biochemistry 42, 13363-13370.

Ono, K., Parast, M., Alberico, C., Benian, G. M., and Ono, S. (2003) "Specific requirement for two ADF/cofilin isoforms in distinct actin-dependent processes in Caenorhabditis elegans." J. Cell. Sci. 116, 2073-2085.

Gearing, M., Juncos, J. L., Procaccio, V., Gutekunst, C-. A., Marino, E., Gyure, K. A., Ono, S., Santoianni, R., Wallace, D. C., and Wainer B. H. (2002) "Aggregation of actin and cofilin in identical twins with juvenile-onset dystonia." Anal. Neurol. 52, 465-476.

Ono, S. and Ono, K. (2002) "Tropomyosin inhibits ADF/cofilin-dependent actin filament dynamics." J. Cell Biol. 156, 1065-1076.

Ono, S. (2001) "The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-78 gene encodes a homologue of actin-interacting protein 1 required for organized assembly of muscle actin filaments." J. Cell Biol. 152, 1313-1319.

Ono, S., McGough, A., Tolbert, V., Pope, B., Pohl, J., Bui, A., Benian, G. M., Gernert, K, and Weeds, A. G. (2001) "The C-terminal tail of UNC-60B (actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin) is critical for maintaining stable association with F-actin and is implicated in the second actin-binding site." J. Biol. Chem. 276, 5952-5958.

Book Chapters -

Ono, S. (2007) "The mechanism of depolymerization and severing of actin filaments and its significance in cytoskeletal dynamics." Int. Rev. Cytol. 258, 1-82.

Ono, S. (2003) "Function of ADF/cofilin in muscle cells: an important regulator of actin dynamics during myofibril assembly and muscle diseases" in Recent Developments in Cell Research, Research Signpost, India, pp31-44.