Regulation of cellular heterogeneity for collective cell movement during tissue morphogenesis

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K21065
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cell biology; Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Shindo Asako 名古屋大学, 理学研究科, 助教 (60512118)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 組織形態形成 / アクトミオシン / アフリカツメガエル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Convergent extension is a ubiquitous process of collective cell movement that elongates the tissue axis in developing animals. It is still unknown how the multiple cells are coordinately regulated to achieve the right shape of tissue. In this study, we performed the 4D imaging of actomyosin in Xenopus laevis mesoderm, and show that the actomyosin oscillations are asynchronous between neighboring cells during the cells move. We also found that such asynchrony is essential to elongate the tissue properly, and the regulatory molecules, which relate to human congenital disease, control the temporal pattern of the actomyosin oscillation. Our study provides new insight into the function and control of actomyosin in the tissue formation.

Free Research Field

発生生物学