Study on regulation of FGF signaling during planarian regeneration

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07376
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: Umesono Yoshihiko 兵庫県立大学, 生命理学研究科, 教授 (20391881)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: FGFシグナル / 再生 / プラナリア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Planarians exhibit extraordinarily high regenerative ability based on somatic pluripotent stem cells. Previous studies suggest that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays a crucial role in the regulation of head tissue differentiation during planarian regeneration. In this study, we have established an assay system using Xenopus laevis embryos and examined whether planarian FGF (DjFGF) can bind Ig domains of planarian FGF receptor-related protein. This assay provides evidence of positive interaction between DjFGF and Ig domains of a certain planarian FGF receptor-related protein in vivo.

Free Research Field

再生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の研究成果により、プラナリアは、nou-darakeを代表とする偽FGF受容体遺伝子をそのゲノムに複数個獲得することによって、FGF活性調節の多様性を生み出すという脊椎動物とは異なる非常にユニークなゲノム戦略を進化の過程で獲得したことが考えられた。