Novel signal network controls craniofacial morphogenesis.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11352
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthodontics/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Nara Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kawakami Masayoshi 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 学内講師 (20244717)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 和中 明生 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90210989)
• Research Collaborator: Shimomura Tadahiro ; Richman J. M.
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 発生・分化 / 細胞・組織 / 遺伝子 / シグナル伝達 / 歯学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined whether the Wnt signaling pathway is required for maxillofacial development in chick embryo.Affi-Gel Blue beads soaked in Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1）ｗere inserted on right side of the maxillary prominence of chick embryo at HH stage 22. Total RNA was isolated and real-Time RT-PCR was performed. The bead-implanted embryos were injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) 2 h before euthanization.　BrdU-positive cell numbers in the treated maxillary prominence were　ｓignificantly lower at both 24 and 48 h after implantation. Down-regulation of the expression of Bmp4, Tbx22, Sox9, and Barx1 was confirmed in the maxillary prominence treated with Dkk-1, which indicated that the deformity of the maxillary bone was controlled by gene targets of the Wnt signaling pathway.
Our findings indicate that the Wnt signaling regulates maxillary morphogenesis and growth through Bmp4, Tbx22, Sox9, and Barx1.

Free Research Field

歯科矯正学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

顎顔面は複雑な発生過程を有し、そのメカニズムは不明な点が多い。唇顎口蓋裂をはじめとする顎顔面の形成異常に対して、発生生物学的手法を用い、発症メカニズムを明らかにしようとする本研究は、歯科矯正学の分野ではあまり手のつけられていなかった研究である。本研究で得られた結果は、Wntシグナル伝達の異常が、ヒトの口唇裂や口蓋裂の原因であり、その発症機構の一端が明らかとなることが予想される。