Budget Amount *help |
¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
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Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) plays key roles in gonadal development. Initially, the Sf1 gene is expressed in mouse fetal gonads of both sexes from 9.5 dpc, but later is up-regulated in testes and down-regulated in ovaries after sex determination. While Sf1 expression is activated and maintained by Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) and LIM homeobox 9 (LHX9), the mechanism of sex-specific regulation remains unclear, especially suppressive mechanisms in ovary. We focused on the transcription factor Forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) which has been considered to be important for ovarian folliculogenesis and granulosa cell development. By using in vitro analysis and Foxl2 knock out mice, we showed that FOXL2 negatively regulates Sf1 expression by antagonizing WT1-KTS during early ovarian development in mice and provide new mechanistic insight into the differentiation of ovaries, especially granulosa cell differentiation.
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