Project/Area Number |
17K15396
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
Integrative animal science
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Research Institution | Kyushu University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
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Budget Amount *help |
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
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Keywords | 生殖細胞間架橋 / 精子形成 / セルトリー伸長期精細胞間密着結合 / KIAA1210 / 精巣特異的細胞間結合 / Intercellular bridge / EPS / ノックアウトマウス / ノックインマウス / Blood-testis barrier / 繁殖生物学 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Intercellular connections are essential for spermatogenesis, and deficiency of them leads to male infertility. These cell-cell junctions include the intercellular bridge (ICB) which formed between germ cells, the blood-testis barrier (BTB) which formed between Sertoli cells, and the Ectoplasmic specialization (ES) which formed between Sertoli cells and elongating spermatids. These cell-cell junctions are expected to have a role in cell-cell communication and germ cell synchronization, etc., but their functions still remain to be elucidated. Usually, these cell-cell junctions are studied individually, but in this study, we focused on KIAA1210 and structurally and functionally analyzed the relationship between cell-cell junctions in the spermatogenesis. Through analyses of KIAA1210 knockout mice as well as knock-in mice in which a fluorescent protein were fused with an intercellular bridge protein, we have published new findings obtained from the preparatory experiments.
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
ICBを含む精巣特異的細胞間結合欠は損すると不妊になることから、精子形成において重要な存在であるかは明白である。各々の細胞間結合は低分子輸送など細胞間コミュニケーションを担っていると予想されるが、機能は未だに不明である。また、ダイナミックな精子形成を滞りなく実現するには異種の細胞間結合が連携制御されていると予想される。我々が同定した新規ESタンパク質KIAA1210はICBタンパク質と複合体を形成し、異種の細胞間結合の関連性を研究するのに適している。成果は生殖生物学分野において重要な知見となるだけでなく、医療、畜産、養殖、野生動物など幅広い分野への応用的貢献が期待される。
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