Morphogenetic mechanisms based on connecting cellular, tissue, and organ-level dynamics.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15KT0150
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Constructive Systems Biology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI takayuki 名古屋大学, 生命農学研究科, 准教授 (40451629)
• Research Collaborator: MORISHITA yoshihiro
• Project Period (FY): 2015-07-10 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: システムズバイオロジー / 階層 / 発生 / スケール / 器官形成 / 定量

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tissue-level characterization of deformation dynamics is crucial for understanding organ morphogenetic mechanisms, especially the interhierarchical links among molecular activities, cellular behaviors and tissue/organ morphogenetic processes. We constructed tissue deformation maps for chick limb development with high precision, based on snapshot lineage tracing using dye injection. From the geometrical analysis of the map, we identified three characteristic tissue growth modes in the limb and showed that they are consistent with local growth factor activity and cell cycle length. We also found anisotropic tissue deformation along the proximal-distal axis. Morphogenetic simulation and experimental studies suggested that this directional tissue elongation, and not local growth, has the greatest impact on limb shaping. Our study marks a pivotal point for multi-scale system understanding in vertebrate development.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでは脊椎動物の器官全体といった大きなスケールの形の出来方は研究する手法が無かった。今回我々は、細胞の動きや細胞の動きを制御しているメカニズム、また器官全体の形の変化をニワトリ胚の後ろ足の元になる肢芽（しが）という組織を用いて定量的に調べた。本研究成果は、今後試験管の中で器官全体を再生するときに、どのようにして形を制御してけば良いかを考えるための大きな一歩となることが期待される。