Qualitative analyses of totipotency-related chromatin structure

• Project/Area Number: 17K19383
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biology of Cells to Organisms, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Okada Yuki 東京大学, 定量生命科学研究所, 教授 (60546430)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000)
• Keywords: 初期胚発生 / クロマチン構造 / 全能性 / 初期胚 / クロマチン / エピジェネティクス / リプログラミング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on the recent knowledge that chromatin structural transformation and totipotency acquisition in early embryos are closely related, this study aimed to explore the chromatin factors involved in totipotency acquisition and to clarify their functions. In silico screening identified 10 candidate factors, including candidate factor A, which showed nuclear actin-like localization in the pronucleus, and candidate factor B, in which the overexpression induced early embryonic arrest.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞の全能性獲得や高効率リプログラミングに関与する新規候補因子を同定した本研究成果は、今後その効果の確認と分子メカニズムの解明を通して、初期胚発生メカニズムの理解や再生医療に有用な知見を提供し得ると期待される。