Study of the mechanism to regulate egg maturation and activation by MEK-MAPK pathway in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

• Project/Area Number: 25892032
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Insect science
• Research Institution: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Megumi Kasashima 独立行政法人農業生物資源研究所, 遺伝子組換えカイコ研究開発ユニット, 研究員 (90458290)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: MAPK経路 / カイコ / ICSI / 遺伝子組換え / 卵賦活 / 発生、分化 / 卵成熟 / 発生・分化 / シグナル伝達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For stable maintenance of silkworm strains that are industrially important, establishment of Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) system is needed. To find the way to release cell cycle arrest of matured egg before fertilization is essential technique for the ICSI. In this study, I identified 1) MEK-MAPK pathway regulated cell cycle during egg maturation. 2) the timing when cell cycle is arrested by monitoring phosphorylated MAPK and nuclear morphology. 3) methods of the activation of matured unfertilized egg in adult’s ovary.