Analysis of regulation of the biological systems by novel calcium signal transducers

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Experimental pathology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Okamoto Kazuo 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 特任准教授 (00436643)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 造血 / 免疫 / 骨代謝 / 赤血球

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Calcium signals play crucial roles in maintaining many biological systems including the skeletal and immune system. A number of proteins with EF hand motif that mediate the biological effects of Ca2+ have been identified so far, but the physiological roles of some of them remain largely unknown. The applicant focused on an EF-hand protein Efp and found that hematopoietic cell-specific deficiency of the Efp gene causes severe abnormalities in multiple tissues such as anemia and bone loss. In this study, I tried to elucidate the biological functions of novel Ca2+ signal transducers, Efp and its homologous gene EfpLG, in hematopoietic cell differentiation and bone metabolism mainly by analyzing the genetically deficient mice.

Free Research Field

骨免疫学