Dynamics of chromatin potential associating with cellular differentiation and its molecular mechanism

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Chromatin potential for gene regulation
• Project/Area Number: 18H05530
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Shinkai Yoichi 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 開拓研究本部, 主任研究員 (20211972)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 平谷 伊智朗 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, チームリーダー (40583753)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: クロマチン / エピジェネティクス / 生化学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Gene expression is regulated in a multilevel hierarchical manner at the nucleosome level, the cell nucleus level, and the intermediate levels of "chromatin domains" and "nuclear compartments," which are megabases (Mb) of chromatin higher-order structure. This higher-order chromatin structure fluctuates during cell differentiation and is thought to be closely related to changes in the potential transcriptional susceptibility of chromatin. In this study, through biochemical approaches and analysis of genome structure using early embryos and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, we have elucidated some of the mechanisms of chromatin structural regulation at the Mb unit level that occur during cell differentiation.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本課題では、初期発生や細胞分化に伴ってクロマチン構造がダイナミックに構造変換することで遺伝子発現が調節される分子機構の一端を明らかにした。また、細胞複製のタイミングと遺伝子発現制御の関係性に関しても新たな知見を得た。本研究の成果は、生命現象のより深い理解に寄与するだけでなく、任意に特定の遺伝子の発現を調節する技術の開発にも有用な情報を提供しており、それを通して、様々な社会的unmet needsの解決に貢献することが期待される。