Researcher basic information

• Ph.D, Kanazawa University, Mar. 2007

• https://researchmap.jp/NIG?lang=en

• https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=201301091549171830

• 201301091549171830

• Nuclear positioning
• Cytoplasmic streaming
• 初期発生
• モータータンパク質
• 細胞骨格
• オルガネラ
• 線虫C. elegans

• Life Science, Cell biology
• Life Science, Developmental biology

• Master's degree program, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
• Doctoral (PhD) degree program, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering

Research activity information

• Tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans embryos exhibit enhanced tolerance to osmotic stress
  Yuiko Oyama; Misako Ohama; Namu Yamada; Nozomi Suzuki; Kenji Kimura; Yuki Hara
  Journal of Cell Science, 139, 10, The Company of Biologists, 15 May 2026, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal, ABSTRACT
  
  Polyploidy is a widespread phenomenon in development and evolution and is frequently associated with altered cellular physiology and developmental robustness. However, how genome doubling influences an embryonic robustness to environmental stress remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated developmental traits and osmotic responses in tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Tetraploid animals exhibited increased body and tissue sizes and produced larger embryos than diploids, accompanied by moderately delayed development and partial embryonic arrest. When exposed to a range of osmotic environments, both diploid and tetraploid embryos swelled or shrank in response to external osmolarity. Strikingly, tetraploid embryos at the early stage maintained normal cell division across a broader range of osmotic conditions than diploids. Quantitative analyses further revealed that tetraploid embryos exhibited reduced cytoplasmic mass density, primarily reflecting lower protein concentration, while lipid and RNA levels remain unaffected. These compositional differences likely buffer cellular size fluctuations and underlie the enhanced osmotic tolerance of tetraploid embryos. Together, our findings demonstrate that genome doubling reshapes embryonic cellular physiology in a non-proportional manner to ploidy, thereby enhancing robustness during early development.
• Mechanics of oogenesis: Lessons from C. elegans germline cysts
  Kenji Kimura; Fumio Motegi
  Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 175, 103644, Aug. 2025, [Peer-reviewed], [Invited], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Ribosomal protein mutation suppresses gonadal leader cell migration defects in mig-17/ADAMTS mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  Kim HS; Mitsuzumi K.; Kondo S.; Yamaoka R.; Ihara S.; Otsuka H.; Yoshikata C.; Kubota Y.; Tomohiro T.; Fujiwara T.; Kimura K.; Motegi F.; Shibata Y.; Takahashi M.; Nishiwaki K.
  Scientific Reports, 15, 1, 26435, Jul. 2025, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal
• Visualization and Analyses of Cytoplasmic Streaming in C. elegans Zygotes
  Kenji Kimura; Fumio Motegi
  Methods in Molecular Biology, 2872, 131, 139, Springer US, 01 Dec. 2024, [Peer-reviewed], [Invited], [Lead author, Corresponding author]
  English
• Endogenous chondroitin extends the lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans.
  Shibata Y; Tanaka Y; Sasakura H; Morioka Y; Sassa T; Fujii S; Mitsuzumi K; Ikeno M; Kubota Y; Kimura K; Toyoda H; Takeuchi K; Nishiwaki K
  Scientific Reports, 14, 1, Feb. 2024, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal
• Repulsive guidance molecule acts in axon branching in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  Tsutsui K; Kim HS; Yoshikata C; Kimura K; Kubota Y; Shibata Y; Tian C; Liu J; Nishiwaki K
  Scientific Reports, 11, 1, 22370, 22370, Nov. 2021, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
  English, Scientific journal, Repulsive guidance molecules (RGMs) are evolutionarily conserved proteins implicated in repulsive axon guidance. Here we report the function of the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog DRAG-1 in axon branching. The axons of hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs) extend dorsal branches at the region abutting the vulval muscles. The drag-1 mutants exhibited defects in HSN axon branching in addition to a small body size phenotype. DRAG-1 expression in the hypodermal cells was required for the branching of the axons. Although DRAG-1 is normally expressed in the ventral hypodermis excepting the vulval region, its ectopic expression in vulval precursor cells was sufficient to induce the branching. The C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor of DRAG-1 was important for its function, suggesting that DRAG-1 should be anchored to the cell surface. Genetic analyses suggested that the membrane receptor UNC-40 acts in the same pathway with DRAG-1 in HSN branching. We propose that DRAG-1 expressed in the ventral hypodermis signals via the UNC-40 receptor expressed in HSNs to elicit branching activity of HSN axons.
• Fluid flow dynamics in cellular patterning
  Kenji Kimura; Fumio Motegi
  Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, Jul. 2021, [Peer-reviewed], [Corresponding author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Cytoplasmic streaming drifts the polarity cue and enables posteriorization of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote at the side opposite of sperm entry
  Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura
  Molecular Biology of the Cell, 31, 16, 1765, 1773, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), 21 Jul. 2020, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author, Corresponding author]
  English, Scientific journal, The polarity cue moves before polarity establishment through a stochastic cytoplasmic streaming in C. elegans zygotes.
• Endoplasmic-reticulum-mediated microtubule alignment governs cytoplasmic streaming
  Kenji Kimura; Alexandre Mamane; Tohru Sasaki; Kohta Sato; Jun Takagi; Ritsuya Niwayama; Lars Hufnagel; Yuta Shimamoto; Jean-Francois Joanny; Seiichi Uchida; Akatsuki Kimura
  Nature Cell Biology, 19, 4, 399, 406, Apr. 2017, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Rab6 is required for the exocytosis of cortical granules and the recruitment of separase to the granules during the oocyte-to-embryo transition in Caenorhabditis elegans
  Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura
  Journal of Cell Science, 125, 23, 5897, 5905, 01 Dec. 2012, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Localized accumulation of tubulin during semi-open mitosis in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo
  Hanako Hayashi; Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura
  Molecular Biology of the Cell, 23, 9, 1688, 1699, May 2012, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal
• A novel mechanism of microtubule length-dependent force to pull centrosomes toward the cell center
  Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura
  BioArchitecture, 1, 2, 74, 79, Landes Bioscience, Mar. 2011, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Intracellular organelles mediate cytoplasmic pulling force for centrosome centration in the Caenorhabditis elegans early embryo
  Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 108, 1, 137, 142, Jan. 2011, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• Knockdown of mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 promotes progeria-like phenotypes in Calenorhabditis elegans
  Kenji Kimura; Nozomu Tanaka; Nobuhiro Nakamura; Syuichi Takano; Shoji Ohkuma
  Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282, 8, 5910, 5918, Feb. 2007, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal

• Butterfly Effect on Cell Polarization in C. elegans Zygotes
  Kenji KIMURA; Akatsuki KIMURA, Seibutsu Butsuri, 61, 4, 248, 250, Aug. 2021, [Peer-reviewed], [Invited], [Lead author]
  Biophysical Society of Japan, Japanese
• 細胞質流動が自発的に流れの方向をそろえるしくみ、逆転させるしくみ
  木村健二; 高木潤; 庭山律哉; 島本勇太; 内田誠一; 木村暁, 実験医学, 35, 13, 2250, 2253, Aug. 2017, [Invited]
  Japanese, Introduction commerce magazine
• 細胞質流動の発生および逆転は小胞体のネットワークにより支配される
  木村 健二, ライフサイエンス新着論文レビュー, Apr. 2017, [Invited]
  Japanese, Introduction commerce magazine
• 細胞表層の流動によるアクチン線維の整列と細胞質分裂
  木村 暁; 木村 健二, 実験医学, 35, 8, 1323, 4, 2017, [Invited]
  Japanese, Book review
• How Does a Cell's Nucleus Know Where the Center of the Cell Is?
  TANIMOTO Hirokazu; KIMURA Kenji; KIMURA Akatsuki, Seibutsu Butsuri, 56, 327, 271, 274, 2016, [Peer-reviewed]
  

  The various molecules and organelles in a eukaryotic cell are suitably positioned within the cell to carry out their functions at the appropriate time. This intracellular positioning is accomplished through interplay among the active transport mechanisms, intracellular fluctuations, and physical properties of the components inside the cell. Here, we review the recent advances in research on how the nucleus moves toward, and maintains its position at, the geometrical center of the cell. This question has attracted researchers from various fields, and is a good subject for interdisciplinary collaboration.

  , The Biophysical Society of Japan General Incorporated Association, Japanese, Introduction scientific journal
• アクチンの細胞内流動が細胞の移動速度と直進性の共役関係をもたらす
  木村 健二, 細胞工学（別冊バイオ論文解説）, 54, 2015, [Invited]
  Japanese, Book review
• 細胞分裂の力学的理解
  木村健二; 木村暁, 細胞工学, 32, 3, 280, 284, Feb. 2013, [Invited]
  Japanese, Introduction scientific journal
• An organelle tug-of-war model for centrosome centering in the C. elegans early embryo
  Kenji Kimura; Akatsuki Kimura, GENES & GENETIC SYSTEMS, 84, 6, 487, 487, Dec. 2009
  English, Summary international conference

• The polarity cue moves with two types of cytoplasmic streaming in the C. elegans zygote
  木村 健二
  第43会日本分子生物学会年会, 03 Dec. 2020, English, Nominated symposium
  [Invited]
• Effects of two cytoplasmic streaming depending on microtubules and actomyosin on cell polarization in the C. elegans zygotes
  KIMURA Kenji
  The 91st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Biochemical Society, 24 Sep. 2018, Japanese, Nominated symposium
  [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• Cytoplasmic streaming controls organelle positioning during the oocyte-to-embryo transition in the C. elegans zygote
  KIMURA Kenji
  The 2018 joint annual meeting of JSCB & JSDB, 07 Jun. 2018, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• 細胞の中の流れ・細胞質流動はどのようにして起こるのか？
  木村健二
  山口大学セミナー・第7回IoLコロキウム―特別講演会―, 20 Dec. 2017, Japanese, Public discourse
  [Invited]
• Analysis of the mechanism and roles of meiotic cytoplasmic streaming in the C. elegans zygote
  KIMURA Kenji
  第69回日本細胞生物学会大会, 15 Jun. 2017, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• The mechanism of the alignment of cortical microtubules that generates cytoplasmic streaming in the C. elegans zygote.
  Kenji Kimura
  第39回日本分子生物学会年会, 01 Dec. 2016, English, Public symposium
  [Domestic Conference]
• キネシン依存の線虫細胞質流動のメカニズム
  木村 健二
  第6回分子モーター討論会, 24 Jul. 2016, Japanese, Invited oral presentation
  [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• 表層微小管によって駆動される線虫の減数分裂期細胞質流動〜植物細胞との相違
  木村 健二
  植物細胞骨格研究会, 27 Nov. 2015, Japanese, Invited oral presentation
  [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫減数分裂期の細胞質流動は「微小管の整列による集団的な力の発生」と「流動による微小管の整列の促進」間の正のフィードバックにより自発的に生成する
  木村 健二
  第67回日本細胞生物学会大会, 02 Jul. 2015, Japanese, Public symposium
  [Domestic Conference]
• Quantitative analysis of microtubule orientation and organelle movements during meiotic cytoplasmic streaming in C. elegans early embryos
  Kenji Kimura
  C. elegans Development, Cell Biology and Gene Expression Meeting in association with The 6th Asia-Pacific C. elegans Meeting, 15 Jul. 2014, English, Oral presentation
  [International presentation]
• 減数分裂期細胞質流動：線虫胚における自己組織化による流れ
  木村 健二
  第36回日本分子生物学会, 04 Dec. 2013, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• Quantitative Analysis of Intracellular Organelle Movements during Cytoplasmic Streaming in C. elegans Early Embryos.
  Kimura, K; Sasaki, T; Niwayama, R; Uchida, S; Kimura, A
  The 10th NIBB-EMBL Symposium 2013 –Quantitative Bioimaging, 17 Mar. 2013, Poster presentation
  岡崎, 国立遺伝学研究所以外との共同発表あり, [International presentation]
• 線虫C. elegansの受精卵を再構築するオルガネラ動態の解析
  Kimura, K
  国立遺伝学研究所研究集会「生殖とオルガネラ：細胞質における遺伝情報の次世代への伝達・分配」, 30 Nov. 2012, Invited oral presentation
  三島, [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫初期胚における 線虫初期胚におけるmeiotic細胞質流動の集団的な動きを生むメカニズム解析
  Kimura, K; Niwayama, R; Kimura, A
  定量生物学の会第５回年会, 24 Nov. 2012, Poster presentation
  東京, [Domestic Conference]
• The role of Rab6 in cortical granule exocytosis in C. elegans early embryos
  Kimura, K; Kimura, A
  5th East Asia C. elegans Meeting, 27 Jun. 2012, Oral presentation
  Taipei, [International presentation]
• Quantification and mechanics of meiotic cytoplasmic streaming in C. elegans early embryos.
  Kimura, K; Niwayama, R; Kimura, A
  Joint Meeting of The 45th Annual Meeting of JSDB and The 64th Annual Meeting of JSCB Workshop, 30 May 2012, Oral presentation
  神戸, [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫初期胚におけるmeiotic細胞質流動の駆動メカニズムと役割
  Kimura, K; Niwayama, R; Kimura, A
  定量生物学の会第４回年会, 08 Jan. 2012, Poster presentation
  名古屋, [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫C. elegansにおける中心体中央化のための中心体-オルガネラ間の相互引きモデル
  Kimura, K; Kimura, A
  第63回日本細胞生物学会大会ワークショップ2「細胞内輸送とオルガネラ」, 27 Jun. 2011, Oral presentation
  札幌, [Domestic Conference]
• Centrosome centration is driven by dynein-dependent movement of intracellular organelles along astral microtubules in C. elegans early embryos
  Kimura, K; Kimura, A
  18th International C. elegans Meeting, 24 Jun. 2011, Poster presentation
  Los Angeles, [International presentation]
• Organelle movement by dynein generates microtubule pulling force for centrosome centration in C. elegans early embryo.
  Kimura, K
  4th East Asia C. elegans Meeting, 13 Jul. 2010, Oral presentation
  Tokyo, Japan, [International presentation]
• 線虫C. elegansにおける中心体の中央配置機構
  Kimura, K
  第二回中心体研究会, 26 Jun. 2010, Oral presentation
  東京, [Domestic Conference]
• Dyein-dependent movement of intracellular organelles drives centrosome centration in C. elegans early embryo.
  Kimura, K
  C. elegans Development and Gene Expression, 18 Jun. 2010, Oral presentation
  Heidelberg, Germany, [International presentation]
• 線虫初期胚における中心体中央配置機構としての中心体-オルガネラ間の綱引き移動モデル
  Kimura, K
  定量生物学の会第２回年会, 10 Jan. 2010, Poster presentation
  吹田市, [Domestic Conference]
• Centrosome centering requires dynein-dependent movement of intracellular organelles in C. elegans early embryo
  Kimura, K
  The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan, 09 Dec. 2009, Poster presentation
  横浜, [Domestic Conference]
• A tug-of-war model for the centrosome centering in Caenorhabditis elegans early embryo
  Kimura, K
  The 17th International C. elegans Meeting, 25 Jun. 2009, Oral presentation
  Los Angeles, USA, [International presentation]
• 線虫C.elegansの初期胚における微小管とモータータンパク質に依存した核-中心体複合体の中央配置機構の解析
  Kimura, K
  第8回核ダイナミクス研究会, 19 Jun. 2009, Poster presentation
  修善寺, [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫C. elegansの初期胚における微小管とモータータンパク質に依存した中心体の中央配置機構の解析
  Kimura, K
  定量生物学の会・遺伝研キャラバン, 13 Mar. 2009, Poster presentation
  三島, [Domestic Conference]
• 線虫C. elegansの初期胚における微小管とモータータンパク質に依存した中心体の中央配置機構の解析
  Kimura, K
  第31回日本分子生物学会年会・第81回日本生化学会大会 合同大会 (BMB2008), 09 Dec. 2008, Oral presentation
  神戸, [Domestic Conference]
• A tug-of-war model for the centrosomal centration in C.elegans early embryo
  Kimura, K
  The 3rd East Asia C.elegans Meeting, 18 Apr. 2008, Oral presentation
  Shanghai, China, [International presentation]
• 線虫C.elegansの初期胚における微小管に依存したオルガネラの配置
  Kimura, K
  第30回日本分子生物学会年会・第80回日本生化学会大会合同大会(BMB2007), 12 Dec. 2007, Poster presentation
  横浜, [Domestic Conference]

• 受精に伴うキネシン活性制御機構とその生理的意義の解明
  科学研究費助成事業
  01 Apr. 2024 - 31 Mar. 2027
  木村 健二
  日本学術振興会, 基盤研究(C), 北海道大学, 24K09463
• 生殖細胞間の競合的な細胞質の獲得による生存競争の解明
  科学研究費助成事業
  01 Apr. 2024 - 31 Mar. 2026
  木村 健二
  日本学術振興会, 学術変革領域研究(A), 北海道大学, 24H01387
• Neuropeptide regulation of organogenesis through cell surface FoF1-ATP synthase
  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  01 Apr. 2022 - 31 Mar. 2025
  西脇 清二; 木村 健二; 金 憲誠; 柴田 幸政
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Kwansei Gakuin University, 22K06241
• オルガネラ間サイズネットワーク機構の実験的検証
  科学研究費助成事業
  01 Apr. 2020 - 31 Mar. 2024
  原 裕貴; 木村 健二; 久米 一規
  日本学術振興会, 基盤研究(B), 山口大学, 20H03253
• Analysis of the effect of cytoplasmic streaming on organelle positioning during early embryogenesis
  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  01 Apr. 2019 - 31 Mar. 2022
  Kimura Kenji
  Cytoplasmic streaming, the collective flow of the cytoplasm, occurs in the fertilized eggs of many animals. There are multiple types of cytoplasmic streaming. However, the role of each type of cytoplasmic streaming is poorly understood. In this study, the effect of cytoplasmic streaming, in which the direction of flow changes stochastically, on the development of C. elegans zygotes was analyzed. We found that sperm-derived pronucleus/centrosome complex (SPCC) drifted dynamically through cytoplasmic streaming after fertilization. Some of the SPCC were pushed away to the opposite side of the sperm entry point by cytoplasmic streaming, resulting in the reversal of the anterior-posterior polarity of the embryo. These results indicate that the stochastic behavior of cytoplasmic streaming contributes to the determination of cell polarity.
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Kwansei Gakuin University, 19K06681
• What is the difference among mechanisms that regulate the nuclear positioning in various cell types?
  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  01 Apr. 2014 - 31 Mar. 2016
  kimura kenji
  In this study, I analyzed the dynamics of the nucleus in the fertilized embryo and in the multinucleated intestinal cell of C. elegans to reveal a diverse mechanisms of the nuclear positioning in the cell. Previously, a motor protein dynein has been known as a major regulator of the nuclear positioning. I found that (1) the sperm-derived nucleus utilizes cytoplasmic streaming that emerges after fertilization to position itself in the proper location in the embryo, and (2) a motor protein kinesin-1 is involved in the nuclear positioning in the intestinal cell. This study will reveal new mechanisms of the nuclear positioning in various cell types.
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), National Institute of Genetics, 26840072