Research Summary

Selected Publications

Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.

• 1. ¹Dewa, K-I., ¹Kaseda, K., Kuwahara, A., Kubotera, H., Yamasaki, A., Awata, N., Komori, A., Holtz, M.A., Kasai, A., Skibbe, H., Takata, N., Yokoyama, T., Tsuda, M., Numata, G., Nakamura, S., Takimoto, E., Sakamoto, M., Ito, M., Masuda, T., Nagai, J. (¹co-first authors)
  "The astrocytic ensemble acts as a multiday trace to stabilize memory."
  Nature 648(8092):146-156. (2025).
• 2. Liu, Y., Lin, W., Bai, Z., Ge, Y., Xiao, Y., Zhu, F., Zhang, J., Wang, B., Li, Q., Gao, L., Li, Y., Shan, C., Nagai, J., Wu, Y., Xu, T-L., Gao, Z.
  "Lcn2 from neutrophil extracellular traps induces astrogliosis and post-stroke emotional disorders."
  Neuron 113(24):4199-4216.e8. (2025).
• 3. Wulaer, B., Holtz, M.A., Nagai, J.
  "Homeostasis to Allostasis: Prefrontal Astrocyte Roles in Cognitive Flexibility and Stress Biology."
  Advances in Neurobiology, 39, 137–163. (2024)
• 4. Dewa, K-I., Arimura, N., Kakegawa, W., Itoh, M., Adachi, T., Miyashita, S., Inoue, Y-U., Hizawa, K., Hori, K., Honjoya, N., Yagishita, H., Taya, S., Miyazaki, T., Usui, C., Tatsumoto, S., Tsuzuki, A., Uetake, H., Sakai, K., Yamakawa, K., Sasaki, T., Nagai, J., Kawaguchi, Y., Sone, M., Inoue, T., Go, Y., Ichinohe, N., Kaibuchi, K., Watanabe, M., Koizumi, S., Yuzaki, M., Hoshino, M.
  "Neuronal DSCAM regulates the peri-synaptic localization of GLAST in Bergmann glia for functional synapse formation."
  Nature Communications, 15(1), 458. (2024)
• 5. Nagai, J., Bellafard, A., Qu, Z., Yu, X., Ollivier, M., Gangwani, M.R., Diaz-Castro, B., Coppola, G., Schumacher, S.M., Golshani, P., Gradinaru, V., Khakh, B.S.
  "Specific and behaviourally consequential astrocyte Gq GPCR signaling attenuation in vivo with iβARK.”
  Neuron 109(14):2256-2274.e9. (2021).
• 6. *¹Wang, W., ¹Schuette, P.J., Nagai, J., Tobias, B.C., Cuccovia V Reis, F.M., Ji, S., de Lima, M.A.X., La-Vu, M.Q., Maesta-Pereira, S., Chakerian, M., Leonard, S.J., Lin, L., Severino, A.L., Cahill, C.M., Canteras, N.S., Khakh, B.S., Kao, J.C., Adhikari, A. (¹co-first authors)
  "Coordination of escape and spatial navigation circuits orchestrates versatile flight from threats.”
  Neuron 109(11):1848-1860. (2021).
• 7. ¹Nagai, J., ¹Yu, X., Papouin, T., Cheong, E., Freeman, M.R., Monk, K.R., Hastings, M.H., Haydon, P.G., Rowitch, D., Shaham, S., Khakh, B.S. (1co-first authors)
  "Behaviorally consequential astrocytic regulation of neural circuits.”
  Neuron 109(4):576-596. (2021).
• 8. *¹Yu, X., ¹Nagai, J., Marti, M., Coppola, G., Babu, M. M., Khakh, B.S. (¹co-first authors)
  "Context-specificastrocyte molecular responses are phenotypically exploitable.”
  Neuron 108(6):1146-1162. (2020).
• 9. *¹Yu, X., ¹Nagai, J., Khakh, B.S. (¹co-first authors)
  "Improved tools to study astrocytes.”
  Nature Reviews Neuroscience 21,121-138. (2020).
• 10. *Nagai, J., Rajbhandari, A.K., Gangwani, M.R., Hachisuka, A., Coppola, G., Masmanidis, S.C., Fanselow, M.S., Khakh, B.S.
  "Hyperactivity with disrupted attention induced by activation of an astrocyte synaptogenic cue.”
  Cell 177(5), 1280-92. (2019).

Recent Research Results

• 

  Oct. 16, 2025
  Astrocytes are superstars in the game of long-term memory

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