The 23rd (2023) Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize Winner
Biotechnology and Medical Science
Establishment of the auxin-inducible degron technology for rapid control of protein expression in human cells and mice
| Winner | ||
|---|---|---|
| Masato Kanemaki Professor, 1. Department of Chromosome Science, National Institute of Genetics 2. Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI 3. Department of Biological Science, The University of Tokyo |
Reason for award
Dr. Kanemaki established the Auxin-Inducible Degron (AID) technology by focusing on the mechanism in plant cells whereby auxin induces the degradation of specific transcription repressors, and introducing this degradation pathway into animals. This AID technology enables the specific and rapid degradation and removal of target proteins tagged with a degron tag through the administration of auxin. While conventional target protein removal technologies, such as the siRNA method, required more than 24 hours to degrade the target protein, the AID technology achieves degradation within several tens of minutes to a few hours, making it possible to observe the direct effects of target protein removal. Initially developed for cultured cells, the AID technology has now evolved to be applicable to mice, enhancing its applicability (AID2). Furthermore, a system for the commercial sale of reagents designed for use with AID technology and the distribution of research materials has been established to make this technology widely available to researchers. In actual fact, researchers around the world have recognized the importance of AID technology, and numerous papers on research using AID technology have been published in leading academic journals.
As described above, Dr. Kanemaki, through the development of AID technology, has made outstanding creative contributions leading to the advancement of life sciences, and he is awarded the 23rd Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize in the field of Biotechnology and Medical Science.