Dynamics and regulation of genomic imprinting and DNA methylation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Analyses and regulation of germline epigenome
• Project/Area Number: 25112010
• 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: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Hiroyuki 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 教授 (30183825)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ICHIYANAGI Kenji 名古屋大学, 大学院生命農学研究科, 教授 (70401560) ; UNOKI Motoko 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 助教 (30525374)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 生殖細胞 / エピゲノム / 発生・分化 / DNAメチル化 / ゲノムインプリンティング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have studied the profiles and roles of epigenomic modifications involved in genomic imprinting and transposon repression during mammalian gametogenesis and early development. We found that: histone H3K9 methylation, which is known to be important for transposon repression, is essential for germ cell development; the mechanism of transposon repression switches from RNA degradation to DNA methylation during spermatogenesis; the profiles of DNA methylation and gene expression change upon spermatogonial stem cell formation; a factor responsible for DNA methylation maintenance in somatic cells is involved in de novo methylation in oocytes; primordial germ cell-like cells in culture, which provide an important source for biochemical analyses of germ cells, recapitulate the DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of their in vivo counterparts. Our results provide important insights into the genomic and epigenomic regulation of gametogenesis and early development.

Free Research Field

分子生物学、遺伝学