Establishment of sexual epigenome of germ cell via RNA-mediated mechanism

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Analyses and regulation of germline epigenome
• Project/Area Number: 25112002
• 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: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Saga Yumiko 国立遺伝学研究所, 系統生物研究センター, 教授 (50221271)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KATO Yuzuru 国立遺伝学研究所, 系統生物研究センター, 助教 (60570249) ; AJIMA Rieko 国立遺伝学研究所, 系統生物研究センター, 助教 (10615066) ; NINOMIYA Yoichirou 国立遺伝学研究所, 系統生物研究センター, 特任研究員 (90237777) ; SUZUKI Atsushi 横浜国立大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60467058)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 生殖細胞 / 性分化 / RNA制御 / Nanos2 / Stra8

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found that the TGF-b signaling system, especially the Nodal/activin-SMAD2 pathway, works upstream of Nanos2, an RNA binding protein essential for germ cell male differentiation. On the other hand, we found that the BMP-SMAD4 pathway is important for female differentiation. We showed that removal of two factors, Stra8 and SMAD4 in female germ cells resulted in induction of prospermatogonia, even in the ovary. Based on this finding, we proposed that an unexpected model that testis-specific inducers are not essential for the determination of maleness in germ cells. We demonstrated that RNA binding protein DND1, a partner protein of Nanos2, is essential for recognition and binding of Nanos2 target RNA.

Free Research Field

発生遺伝学