| Budget Amount *help |
¥14,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,300,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥7,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥6,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,700,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Apoptosis is an important self-destruction mechanism involved in a variety of biological phenomena including morphogenesis and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Apoptosis is an important theme not only in biology but also in medical field because dysregulation of apoptosis leads to various diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Although apoptosis is known to be mediated by a unique family of cysteine proteases, called caspase family (originally ICE family), the molecular basis of apoptosis is still largely unknown, particularly how signal transduction downstream of caspases proceeds. To obtain some insights in signal transduction pathway downstream of caspases, we have chosen a genetical system with Drosophila. We have established several lines of Drosophila in which human ICE (or caspase-1) is ectopically expressed, resulting in morphological abnormalities or lethality. Starting with these lines, we have obtained many mutants after random mutagenization with EMS, that bypass the abnormalities. By carrying out genetic mapping, we have identified several apparently novel genes in three chromosomes, that are involved in apoptotic cell death. The information we have obtained from these genetical analyses provides a solid basis from which we are able to molecularly clone these apparently interesting genes.
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