Chihiro Motozono, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Division of Division of infection and immunity, Joint research center for Human Retrovirus infection, Kumamoto University

Present address

Division of infection and immunity, Joint research center for Human Retrovirus infection, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811 Japan

Tel: +81-96-373-6824, Fax: +81-96-373-6825

E-mail address: motozono(at)kumamoto-u.ac.jp

EDUCATION/TRAINING

03/2004  Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan   B.S.  Biochemistry

03/2006  Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan   M.S. Medical Sciences

03/2010  Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan    Ph.D. Viral immunology

09/2010  Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan    Postdoctoral  Viral Immunology

06/2012  Cardiff University, Wales, UK           Postdoctoral  Immunology

Position and Employment

2012-2016:   Assistant professor, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

2016-2017:   Assistant professor, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

2017-2020:   Assistant professor, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan                                                                                                                

2020-2022:   Lecturer, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan 

2023-        Associate Professor, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Honors

2023: Best paper award in Joint research center for Human Retrovirus infection, Kumamoto University, 2022, Kumamoto, Japan.

2022: Best Research award in Kumamoto University, 2022, Kumamoto, Japan.

2022: Best paper award in Joint research center for Human Retrovirus infection, Kumamoto University, 2021, Kumamoto, Japan.

2021: Best presentation award, 30th Japan cytometry Society annual meeting, Japan

2018: Best presentation award, 47th Japanese Society for Immunology annual meeting, Japan

Selected peer-reviewed publications

1. Motozono, C*., Toyoda, M., Tan, TS., Hamana, H., Aritsu, Y., Miyashita, Y., Oshiumi, H., Nakamura, K., Okada, S., Udaka, K., Kitamatsu, M., Kishi, H., Ueno, T*. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 spike G446S mutation potentiates antiviral T cell recognition. Nature Communications 13(1):5440, 2022. *Corresponding equally

2. Shibata, K, Motozono, C., Nagae M., Shimizu, T., Ishikawa, E., Motooka, D., Okuzaki, D., Izumi Y., Takahashi, M., Fujimori N., Wing JB., Hayano, T., Asai Y., Bamba, T., Ogawa Y., Furutani-Seiki M., Shirai M., Yamasaki S. Symbiotic bacteria-dependent expansion of MR1-reactive T cells causes autoimmunity in the absence of Bcl11b in lymphocytes. Nature Communications, 13(1):6948, 2022. 

3. Motozono, C., Toyoda., M, Zahradnik, J., Saito, A., Nasser, H., Tan, TS., Ngare, I., Kimura, I., Uriu, K., Kosugi, Y., Yue, Y, Shimizu., R, Ito, J., Torii, S., Yonekawa, A., Shimono, N., Nagasaki, Y., Minami, R., Toya, T., Sekiya, N., Fukuhara, T., Matsuura, Y., Schreiber, G., Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Ikeda, T*., Nakagawa, S*., Ueno, T*., Sato, K*. SARS-CoV-2 spike L452R variant evades cellular immunity and increases infectivity. Cell Host & Microbe 29(7):1124-1136.e11., 2021. *Corresponding equally

4. Takano, T., Motozono, C*., Imai, T., Sonoda, KH., Nakanishi, Y., Yamasaki, S*.

Dectin-1 intracellular domain determines species-specific ligand spectrum by modulating receptor sensitivity. J. Biol. Chem. 292(41):16933-16941, 2017. *Corresponding equally

5. Motozono, C*., Pearson, JA*., De Leenheer, E., Rizkallah, PJ., Beck, K., Trimby, A., Sewell, AK., Wong, FS., Cole, DK. Distortion of the Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Binding Groove to Accommodate an Insulin-derived 10-Mer Peptide. J. Biol. Chem. 290(31): 18924-18933, 2015. *Contributed equally

6. Motozono, C., Bridgeman, JS., Price, DA., Sewell, AK., Ueno, T. Clonotypically similar hybrid αβ T cell receptors can exhibit markedly different surface expression, antigen specificity and cross-reactivity. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 180(3): 560-570, 2014.

7. Motozono, C*., Kuse, N*., Sun, X., Rizkallah, PJ., Fuller, A., Oka, S., Cole, DK., Sewell, AK., Takiguchi, M. Molecular basis of a dominant T cell response to an HIV reverse transcriptase 8-mer epitope presented by the protective allele HLA-B*51:01. J. Immunol. 192(7): 3428-3434, 2014. *Contributed equally

8. Motozono, C., Yokoyama, M., Sato, H., Ueno, T. Cross-reactivity analysis of T cell receptors specific for overlapping HIV-1 Nef epitopes of different lengths. Microbes. Infect. 16(4): 320-327, 2014.

9. Motozono, C., Miles, JJ., Hasan, Z., Gatanaga, H., Meribe, SC., Price, DA., Oka, S., Sewell, AK., Ueno, T. CD8(+) T cell cross-reactivity profiles and HIV-1 immune escape towards an HLA-B35-restricted immunodominant Nef epitope. PLoS One. 8(6): e66152, 2013.

10. Motozono, C., Yanaka, S., Tsumoto, K., Takiguchi, M., Ueno, T. Impact of intrinsic cooperative thermodynamics of peptide-MHC complexes on antiviral activity of HIV-specific CTL. J. Immunol. 182(9): 5528-5536, 2009.