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2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Genetic analysis of the function and development of the inner ear pigment cells essential for hearing acuity.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 14340236
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 遺伝
Research InstitutionTohoku University

Principal Investigator

YAMAMOTO Hiroaki  Tohoku University, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Associate professor, 大学院・生命科学研究科, 助教授 (40174809)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) GOJOBORI Takashi  National Institute of Genetics, Laboratory for Dna Data Analysis, Professor, 生命情報・DDBJ, 教授 (50162136)
IKEO Kazuho  National Institute of Genetics, Laboratory for Dna Data Analysis, Associate Professor, 生命情報・DDBJ, 助教授 (20249949)
YAMAMOTO Kazuo  Tohoku University, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Professor, 大学院・生命科学研究科, 教授 (20093536)
Project Period (FY) 2002 – 2004
Keywordsmouse / coat color mutant / pigment cell / Hearing / cochlea / stria vascularis / in situ hybridization / hearing loss
Research Abstract

Little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which melanocytes, developed from neural crest cells, play an essential role in hearing acuity. The aim of this study is to elucidate the gene expression profile of the mouse inner ear affected by differentiation of the inner ear melanocytes and to infer the evolution of this melanocyte-envolved inner ear system. First, we found that inner ear melanocytes produce black melanin irrelevant to the coat color of mice. Next, we made two cDNA libraries prepared from the stria vascularis and its surrounding area of the inner ear obtained from wild type mouse and Mitf^<mi-bw> mutant mouse that shows aberrant pigmentation and hearing loss due to the failure of melanocyte differentiation. Then we obtained a subtraction library between those libraries. Differential screening was also carried out using this subtracted library. Micro array analysis of gene expression in each strain was also performed. Expression of many clones that showed differential expression in these two mouse strains was analyzed using in situ hybridization. Strangely enough, many of clones did not show significant in situ signals in each strain, nor many other clones showed prominent differences in expression between these two strains. Still, there were several clones express differentially and some of them did not express in the melanocytes but in their surrounding tissues. Although we need to analyze the sequence structure of these clones in detail, one putative gene seems to be involved in. stress reaction in melanocytes and another one seems to share a conserved roll with ascidian brain pigment cells that play as sensory organs. Functional analysis of these genes should be very important in future.

  • Research Products

    (10 results)

All 2004 2003

All Journal Article (8 results) Book (2 results)

  • [Journal Article] Pigment cell lineage-specific expression activity of the ascidian tyrosinase-related gene.2004

    • Author(s)
      Toyoda, R., -Ikeo, K., Gojobori, T., -Yamamoto, H.
    • Journal Title

      Gene 332

      Pages: 61-69

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Isolation and developmental expression of Mitf in Xenopus laevis2004

    • Author(s)
      Kumasaka, M., Sato, H., Sato, S., Yajima, I., Yamamoto, H.
    • Journal Title

      Dev.Dyn. 230

      Pages: 107-113

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Pigment cell lineage-specific expression activity of the ascidian tyrosinase-related gene.2004

    • Author(s)
      Toyoda, R., Kasai, A., Sato, S., Wada, S., Saiga, H., Ikeo, K., Gojobori, T., Numakunai, T., Yamamoto, H.
    • Journal Title

      Gene 332

      Pages: 61-69

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Isolation and developmental expression of Mitf in Xenopus laevis.2004

    • Author(s)
      Kumasaka, M., Sato, H., Sato, S., Yajima, I., Yamamoto, H.
    • Journal Title

      Dev.Dyn. 230

      Pages: 107-113

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Cloning and functional analysis of ascidian Mitf in vivo : insights into the origin of vertebrate pigment cells.2003

    • Author(s)
      Yajima I., ---Ikeo K., Gojobori T., Goding C.R., Yamamoto H.
    • Journal Title

      Mech.Dev. 120

      Pages: 1489-1504

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Isolation and developmental expression of tyrosinase family genes in Xenopus laevis2003

    • Author(s)
      Kumasaka, M., SATO, S., Yajima, I, Yamamoto, H
    • Journal Title

      Pigment Cell Research 16

      Pages: 455-462

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Cloning and functional analysis of ascidian Mitf in vivo : insights into the origin of vertebrate pigment cells.2003

    • Author(s)
      Yajima I., Endo K., Sato S., Toyoda R., Wada H., Shibahara S., Numakunai T., Ikeo K., Gojobori T., Goding C.R., Yamamoto H.
    • Journal Title

      Mech.Dev. 120

      Pages: 1489-1504

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Isolation and developmental expression of tyrosinase family genes in Xenopus laevis2003

    • Author(s)
      Kumasaka, M., SATO, S., Yajima, I, Yamamoto, H.
    • Journal Title

      Pigment Cell Research 16

      Pages: 455-462

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Book] 脊椎動物色素細胞と進化「ゲノムから見た生物の多様性と進化」(五條掘孝編)2003

    • Author(s)
      山本博章
    • Total Pages
      222
    • Publisher
      シュプリンガー・フェアラーク東京
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Book] Evolution of vertebrate pigment cells in Genomics Unveils Diversity and Evolution(T.Gojobori)(Tokyo)2003

    • Author(s)
      Yamamoto, H.
    • Total Pages
      222
    • Publisher
      Springer-Verlag Tokyo
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2006-07-11  

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