Genetic dissection of cell competition in Drosophila

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Cell competition: a mechanism for survival of the fittest in the multi-cellular community
• Project/Area Number: 26114002
• 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: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: IGAKI TATSUSHI 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (00467648)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高松 敦子 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 教授 (20322670)
• Research Collaborator: OHSAWA Shizue
• Project Period (FY): 2014-07-10 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞競合 / がん / 細胞間コミュニケーション / 細胞死 / 細胞内シグナル伝達 / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Oncogenic polarity-deficient cells emerged in the epithelial tissue are actively eliminated from the tissue by ‘cell competition’ when surrounded by wild-type cells. We used fruit fly Drosophila as a model organism and identified the molecular mechanisms of how wild-type cells recognize neighboring mutant cells and how mutant cells are eliminated from the tissue by nearby wild-type cells.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学、遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、細胞間の適者生存を司る新たな細胞間相互作用と考えられる細胞競合の分子機構の理解が大きく進んだ。また、本研究により明らかになった分子機構を基に、がん細胞と正常細胞の細胞間相互作用に着目したこれまでにない新たながん治療戦略の基盤を構築できる可能性がある。