Elucidation of retinoid acid-dependent mechanism of organogenesis and its evolution in chordates

• Project/Area Number: 25440192
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Shigeki 高知大学, 教育研究部自然科学系理学部門, 教授 (40229068)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SASAKURA Yasunori 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (10400649) ; NISHINO Atsuo 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 准教授 (50343116)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: レチノイン酸 / ホヤ / 脊索動物 / 進化 / Hox1 / レチノイン酸合成酵素Raldh2 / レチノイン酸分解酵素Cyp26 / 転写調節 / 遺伝子発現制御 / レチノイン酸合成酵素 / レチノイン酸分解酵素 / オタマボヤ / 遺伝子発現調節

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Retinoic acid is a signaling molecule important for the chordate development. This study identified region-specific enhancer elements of the genes encoding retinoic acid-synthesizing and degrading enzymes (Raldh2 and Cyp26 respectively) in ascidians. Dominant negative experiments suggested that the transcription factor Mesp activates the Raldh2 enhancer.
Although the body plan of larvaceans is similar to that of ascidians, they completely lack biological pathways to synthesize retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is required for transactivation of Hox1 gene in ascidians but not in larvaceans. The present study revealed that an enhancer of larvacean Hox1 can be activated in ascidian embryos. The results suggest that a retinoic acid-independent mechanism of transactivation of Hox1 has been equipped in the common ancestor of ascidians and larvaceans. This mechanism may have enabled the larvaceans to survive the loss of retinoic acid-synthesizing pathways during their evolution.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] バルセロナ大学(スペイン)
• [Int'l Joint Research] アリゾナ大学(米国)
• [Journal Article] ANISEED 2015: a digital framework for the comparative developmental biology of ascidians. (2015)
  • Author(s): Brozovic, Martin, Dantec, Dauga, Mendez, Simion, Percher, Laporte, Scornavacca, Di Gregorio, Fujiwara, et al.
  • Journal Title: Nucleic Acids Research Volume: 44 Issue: D1 Pages: 808-818
  • DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv966
  • NAID: 120007129589
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Chondroitin 4-O-sulfotransferases are required for cell adhesion and morphogenesis in the Ciona intestinalis embryo. (2015)
  • Author(s): Nakamura, J., Tetsukawa, A. & Fujiwara, S.
  • Journal Title: Dev. Growth Differ. Volume: 57 Issue: 1 Pages: 58-67
  • DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12188
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Chondroitin 6-O-sulfotransferases are required for morphogenesis of the notochord in the ascidian embryo. (2014)
  • Author(s): Nakamura, J., Yoshida, K., Sasakura, Y. & Fujiwara, S.
  • Journal Title: Dev. Dyn. Volume: 243 Issue: 12 Pages: 1637-1645
  • DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24213
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Two arginine kinases of Tetrahymena pyriformis: characterization and localization. (2014)
  • Author(s): Michibata, J., Okazaki, N., Motomura, S., Uda, K., Fujiwara, S. and Suzuki, T.
  • Journal Title: Comp. Biochem. Physiol. Part B. Volume: 171 Pages: 34-41
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2014.03.008
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Transcriptional regulation in the early ectodermal lineage of ascidian embryos. (2013)
  • Author(s): Horikawa, Y., Matsumoto, H., Yamaguchi, F., Ishida, S. and Fujiwara, S.
  • Journal Title: Develop. Growth Differ. Volume: 55 Issue: 9 Pages: 776-785
  • DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12100
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Retinoid X receptor-mediated transdifferentiation cascade in budding tunicates. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kawamura, K., Shiohara, M., Kanda, M. and Fujiwara, S.
  • Journal Title: Dev. Biol. Volume: 384 Issue: 2 Pages: 343-355
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.10.004
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of a retinoic acid-responsive neural enhancer in the Ciona intestinalis Hoxl gene. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kanda M, Ikeda T, Fujiwara S.
  • Journal Title: Development, Growth & Differentiation Volume: 55(2) Issue: 2 Pages: 260-269
  • DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12033
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Transcriptional regulation of the retinoic acid-synthesizing and degrading enzymes in the Ciona intestinalis embryo (2015)
  • Author(s): Hatakeyama, Y., Taagashira, A., Moriyama, Y., Nabeshima, M., Fujiwara, S.
  • Organizer: The 8th International Tunicate Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: リンクステーションホール青森（青森県青森市）
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-14
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ホヤ胚の遺伝子発現に対する有機スズの影響 (2014)
  • Author(s): 愛甲由紀，山田友香里，安住薫，藤原滋樹
  • Organizer: ホヤ研究集会 2014
  • Place of Presentation: 東京都，筑波大学東京キャンパス
  • Year and Date: 2014-10-13
• [Presentation] ホヤとオタマボヤにおけるHox1 転写調節機構の比較解析 (2014)
  • Author(s): 田川泉実，神田美幸，Adriana Rodriguez-Mari，Cristian Canestro，藤原滋樹
  • Organizer: ホヤ研究集会 2014
  • Place of Presentation: 東京都，筑波大学東京キャンパス
  • Year and Date: 2014-10-13
• [Presentation] Role of glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferases in the ascidian embryogenesis (2013)
  • Author(s): Nakamura, J. and Fujiwara, S.
  • Organizer: The 7th International Tunicate Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: イタリア，ナポリ Parthenope 大学
• [Presentation] Transcriptional regulation in the early ectodermal lineage of ascidian embryo (2013)
  • Author(s): Matsumoto, H., Yamaguchi, F., Horikawa, Y., Ishida, S. and Fujiwara, S.
  • Organizer: The 7th International Tunicate Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: イタリア，ナポリ Parthenope 大学
• [Presentation] Gene loss impact on EvoDevo: dismantling the retinoic acid genetic machinery in Oikopleura dioica (2013)
  • Author(s): Martí-Solans, J., Beliaeva, O., Kanda, M., Badia-Ramentol, J., Godoy-Marin, H., Postlethwait, J. H., Fujiwara, S., Chourrout, D., Albalat, R. and Cañestro, C.
  • Organizer: The 7th International Tunicate Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: イタリア，ナポリ Parthenope 大学
• [Presentation] カタユウレイボヤにおけるmiR-124の発現機構 (2013)
  • Author(s): 松崎信生・西岡雅都・藤原滋樹
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第84回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 岡山市，岡山大学
• [Presentation] 尾索動物のセルロース合成酵素の示す組織特異的発現の仕組み (2013)
  • Author(s): 笹倉靖徳・小椋陽介・横森類・朴聖俊・中井謙太・藤原滋樹・吉田慶太
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第84回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 岡山市，岡山大学