Developmental mechanisms and conserved genomic sequences that are involved in the formation of common characteristics of morphology of an animal clade.

• Project/Area Number: 15H04374
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Tamura Koji 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (70261550)
• Research Collaborator: SEKI Ryohei ; IRIE Naoki ; Zhang Guojie
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥16,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,750,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥6,890,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,590,000)
• Keywords: 進化発生 / ゲノム進化 / 鳥類 / 発生進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We can recognize a bird as a bird at the first glance because of the birds'- specific features. This study attempted to elucidate the mechanisms of the formation of these unique features, that is, common characteristics of the morphology in birds especially from the viewpoints of "development" and "genome". Among its characteristics, we focused on "three digits in wings", "flight feathers" and "hip joint (which has a unique morphology for bipedal walking on two legs)". Comparative analysis of birds' genomes revealed that one of the avian-specific highly conserved genomic region could be involved in the development of flight feathers through regulating Sim1 gene expression. We also described the developmental mechanisms of the formation of three digits in wings and hip joint.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、1万種近く存在する現存鳥類全体を対象とした「保存性」に着目していることが特色である。本研究は、鳥類ゲノムにおいて鳥類のみで保存された塩基配列のほとんどが遺伝子そのものをコードした領域以外にあること、それらの配列によってSim1などの遺伝子が鳥類独自の発現様式を獲得したことが、鳥類の保存形態の形成に繋がっているであろうことを示した。これらの成果は、動物進化を駆動するゲノム変化について大きなインパクトを与える成果となった。また、これらの鳥類の保存形態の多くが鳥類の祖先である恐竜にも存在することから、恐竜の進化を発生学的に考察する新しい進化学、恐竜学の基礎を作った研究成果であるともいえる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Flight feather development: its early specialization during embryogenesis (2018)
  • Author(s): Kondo Mao、Sekine Tomoe、Miyakoshi Taku、Kitajima Keiichi、Egawa Shiro、Seki Ryohei、Abe Gembu、Tamura Koji
  • Journal Title: Zoological Letters Volume: 4 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1186/s40851-017-0085-4
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Morphogenetic mechanism of the acquisition of the dinosaur-type acetabulum (2018)
  • Author(s): Egawa Shiro、Saito Daisuke、Abe Gembu、Tamura Koji
  • Journal Title: Royal Society Open Science Volume: 5 Issue: 10 Pages: 180604-180604
  • DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180604
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Functional roles of Aves class-specific cis-regulatory elements on macroevolution of bird-specific features (2017)
  • Author(s): Seki, R., Li, C., Fang, Q., Hayashi, S., Egawa, S., Hu, J., Xu, L., Pan, H., Kondo, M., Sato, T., Matsubara, H., Kamiyama, N., Kitajima, K., Saito, D., Liu, Y., Gilbert, M.T.P., Zhou, Q., Xu, X., Shiroishi, T., Irie, N., Tamura, K., and Zhang, G.
  • Journal Title: Nature Communications Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Pages: 14229-14229
  • DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14229
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Early segregation of the adrenal cortex and gonad in chicken embryos (2017)
  • Author(s): Saito Daisuke、Tamura Koji、Takahashi Yoshiko
  • Journal Title: Dev. Growth Differ. Volume: 59 Issue: 7 Pages: 593-602
  • DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12389
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] AP-2β is a transcriptional regulator for determination of digit length in tetrapods. (2015)
  • Author(s): Seki R, Kitajima K, Matsubara H, Suzuki T, Saito D, Yokoyama H, Tamura K.
  • Journal Title: Dev Biol. Volume: 407 Issue: 1 Pages: 75-89
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.08.006
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Quantitative analysis of chondrogenic pattern in cultured limb mesenchymal cells (2017)
  • Author(s): 北嶋慶一、川平直史、阿部玄武、森下喜弘、田村宏治
  • Organizer: the 50th annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists (JSDB), cosponsored by APDBN
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] The evolution of acetabular morphogenesis on the line to extant birds (2017)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗、阿部玄武、齋藤大介、田村宏治
  • Organizer: the 50th annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists (JSDB), cosponsored by APDBN
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 恐竜はいかにして恐竜型の股関節を獲得したのか (2017)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗、阿部玄武、齋藤大介、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第７回 Tokyo Vertebrate Morphology Meeting
• [Presentation] 恐竜型股関節の獲得過程の復元：実験発生学的観点から (2017)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗、阿部玄武、齋藤大介、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本進化学会大9回大会
• [Presentation] 鳥エンハンサー獲得までの道のり－大規模ゲノム情報を動物学にどう使っていくか (2017)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第88回富山大会2017
• [Presentation] 肢芽間充織培養系における軟骨パターン形成過程の定量解析 (2017)
  • Author(s): 北嶋慶一、川平直史、大塚大輔、阿部玄武、森下喜弘、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第88回富山大会2017
• [Presentation] 鳥類において収斂進化した水かきの形成に関わる、保存されたゲノム配列と発生メカニズムの探索 (2017)
  • Author(s): 宮腰拓、米井小百合、関亮平、阿部玄武、Sean D. Keeley、工樂樹洋、牧野能士、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 2017年度生命科学系学会合同年次大会
• [Presentation] ニワトリ脚羽系統と羽毛恐竜をつないだゲノム比較研究 (2017)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: NBRP第４期開始記念シンポジウム －基礎研究から応用研究にわたる成果報告
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 実験発生学的観点からの恐竜研究 (2017)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗、阿部玄武、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会 第166回例会
• [Presentation] Quantitative analysis of chondrogenic patterning in cell culture of developing limb mesenchyme (2017)
  • Author(s): 北嶋慶一、川平直史、阿部玄武、森下喜弘、田村宏治
  • Organizer: The 2017 Japan-NIH joint Symposium -on Advances in Biomedical Research and Disease-
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ペンギン前肢における第１指形成不全機構 (2016)
  • Author(s): 佐藤智彦 阿部玄武 山本達也 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第86回大会2015新潟
  • Place of Presentation: 新潟コンベンションセンター 朱鷺メッセ（新潟市、新潟県）
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-17
• [Presentation] 風切羽に特異的な発生プロセス (2016)
  • Author(s): 近藤眞央 松原遼 関亮平 阿部玄武 齋藤大介 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第86回大会2015新潟
  • Place of Presentation: 新潟コンベンションセンター 朱鷺メッセ（新潟市、新潟県）
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-17
• [Presentation] Developmental and genomic aspects of macroevolution in vertebrates. (2016)
  • Author(s): Tamura K., Seki R., Kitajima K., Uemoto T., Sato T., Kondo M., Abe G., Shiroishi T., Li C., Irie N., Zhang G.
  • Organizer: Avian Model Systems 9: A New Integrative Platform
  • Place of Presentation: Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-28
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Inference for the acquisition of a dinosaur-type acetabulum (2016)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗、阿部玄武、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第22回国際動物学会 第87回日本動物学会 合同大会
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Flight feather formation; new insights from integration of B10K project with developmental biology (2016)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第22回国際動物学会 第87回日本動物学会 合同大会
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] An approach with cell culture to a complex system of limb patterning (2016)
  • Author(s): 北嶋慶一、阿部玄武、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第22回国際動物学会 第87回日本動物学会 合同大会
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Re-patterning and re-sizing in regeneration of vertebrate appendages (2016)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: Joint Meeting of the German and Japanese Societies of Developmental Biologists
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Roles of Aves class specific cis-regulatory elements on macroevolution of bird-specific features (2016)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: JSDB Special Symposium: Frontier of Developmental Biology
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] 様々な培養系を用いた、四肢形態形成の複雑さへのアプローチ (2016)
  • Author(s): 北嶋慶一、阿部玄武、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会・平成28年度東北支部大会
• [Presentation] ヒレから四肢への進化を考える進化細胞生物学 (2016)
  • Author(s): 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第39回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 四足動物における基脚部（手根骨・足根骨）の発生 (2016)
  • Author(s): 杉浦雄貴、阿部玄武、田村宏治
  • Organizer: 第39回日本分子生物学会年会
• [Presentation] 恐竜の股関節形態形成機構の推論 (2015)
  • Author(s): 江川史朗 阿部玄武 田村宏治
  • Organizer: 日本進化学会第17回東京大会
  • Place of Presentation: 中央大学後楽園キャンパス（文京区、東京都）
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-20
• [Presentation] Initial activation of restricted sonic hedgehog expression in early limb development (2015)
  • Author(s): Matsubara H., Saito D., Tamura K.
  • Organizer: 13th International Limb Development & Regeneration Conference
  • Place of Presentation: The Vinoy Renaissance St Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
  • Year and Date: 2015-06-28
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Remarks] 鳥類の進化に関わったDNA配列群を同定-鳥エンハンサーの発見-
  • URL: http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/2017/02/press20170203-02.html