The endocytosis-mediated mechanism for the germ plasm assembly

• Project/Area Number: 16K07374
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Tsubasa 熊本大学, 発生医学研究所, 助教 (00392027)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: 生殖細胞 / 生殖質 / 細胞極性 / エンドサイトーシス / 卵黄タンパク / ショウジョウバエ / 細胞骨格

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Germ cells ensure the continuity of life through the generation. In many species, germ cells are determined by the inheritance of the germ plasm, which contains mRNAs and proteins that specify germ cell fate and promote germline development. In this study, we focused on the function of yolk protein receptor Yolkless in the germ plasm assembly in Drosophila and found that the ligand-dependent and independent endocytic regulation of Yolkless is important for the establishment of oocyte polarity and the germ plasm assembly.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

卵内に卵黄タンパク質を蓄積して、胚発生時に栄養素として利用するという機構はショウジョウバエに限らず、多くの動物種で共通している。したがって、私たちの見い出した『卵黄タンパク受容体のエンドサイトーシスを介した細胞極性・生殖質形成の制御』という新規概念の分子基盤を明らかにすることで、細胞極性・生殖質形成の制御機構における種間の共通原理の解明につながると期待される。

Research Products

• [Presentation] Roles of yolk uptake in the Drosophila oocyte polarization and germ plasm assembly (2018)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, T., Otsu, S., Tani, N., and Nakamura, A.
  • Organizer: The 3rd International Symposium on Stem Cell Traits and Developmental Systems
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] The endocytic regulation of the yolk protein receptor Yolkless is required for the polarity establishment and germ plasm assembly in the Drosophila oocyte (2017)
  • Author(s): Tsubasa Tanaka, Sachiko Otsu, Naoki Tani, and Akira Nakamura
  • Organizer: 第50回日本発生生物学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: タワーホール船堀
  • Year and Date: 2017-05-10
• [Presentation] Ligand-induced endocytosis of the yolk-protein receptor Yolkless is required for the oocyte polarization and germ plasm assembly in Drosophila (2017)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, T., Otsu, S., Tani, N., and Nakamura, A.
  • Organizer: The International Research Symposium on Regulation of Germ Cell Development in vivo and in vitro
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ショウジョウバエにおいて卵黄タンパク受容体Yolklessのエンドサイトーシス制御は卵母細胞の極性形成と生殖質形成に必要である (2017)
  • Author(s): 田中翼、大津佐千子、谷直紀、中村輝
  • Organizer: 第５０回日本発生生物学会大会
• [Presentation] 卵黄タンパク質受容体Yolklessのエンドサイトーシス制御は細胞極性と生殖質の形成に必要である (2016)
  • Author(s): 田中翼
  • Organizer: 日本発生生物学会 秋季シンポジウム2016
  • Place of Presentation: 三島市民文化会館
  • Year and Date: 2016-10-19
• [Presentation] Oocyte polarity establishment and germ plasm assembly require the endocytic regulation of the yolk protein receptor Yolkless (2016)
  • Author(s): Tsubasa Tanaka, Sachiko Otsu, Naoki Tani, and Akira Nakamura
  • Organizer: 第12回日本ショウジョウバエ研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 立教大学
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-09