1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Functional phylogenetic analysis of developmental mechanisms of pigment cells
| Project/Area Number |
09440254
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
遺伝
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
YAMAMOTO Hiroaki Tohoku Univ., Graduate School of Science, Associate Prof., 大学院・理学研究科, 助教授 (40174809)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
IDE Hiroyuki Tohoku Univ., Graduate School of Science, Professor, 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (70022704)
GOJOBORI Takashi National Institute of Genetics, Professor, 教授 (50162136)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1998
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| Keywords | Pigment cell / TRP gene / Tyrosinase gene / Ascidians / Vertebrates / Urochordata / Phylogenitic analysis / Genomic analysis |
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| Research Abstract |
The purpose of this project is as follows.
1. Cloning of ascidian homologues for vertebrate genes involved in differentiation of pigment cells.
2. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes and their expression patterns.
3. Discussion of evolution of developmental systems of pigment cells.
We obtained the following results.
a. Putative ascidian MITF(microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) gene was cloned. We found that MITF-M is an essential isoform to allow differentiation of melanocyte from neural crest cells in vertebrates. Ascidian MITF homologue can not express the M-isoform.
b. Ascidian MITF homologue can transactivate both ascidian tyrosinase (tyrs) and tyrosinase-related protein (TRP) genes but also vertebrate tyrs and TRP genes. On the other hand, only one of vertebrate MITF isoforms can transactivate the ascidian TRP gene.
It is suggested that the MITF-M specific first exon and its regulatory sequence have obtained in the evolution of vertebrates.
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