Quantitative measurements of mesodermal cell migration in the chick embryo

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07385
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Nakaya Yukiko 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, 研究員 (70415256)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞集団運動 / 定量解析 / ニワトリ / 中胚葉

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Collective cell migration is an important phenomenon for morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. However, little is known how migratory cells coordinate collectively in a living organism. In this study, we show the mechanism by which mesenchymal cells, which have an ability to move independently, move collectively using the chick mesodermal cells migration as a model. We found that mesoderm cells are organized as a meshwork by N-cadherin mediated cell-cell contact and cooperatively migrate as a group undergoing constant re-organization. Loss of N-cadherin function impairs the directionality of movement for each cell group and resulted in a decreased mean velocity of global migration of that group, leading to abolish the efficient mesoderm tissue expansion. We propose that the dynamic meshwork is a possible mechanism allow cells to be collective during mesoderm cell migration.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、ライブイメージングとその後の定量的な画像解析系を発展させて、これまでに報告されていたstreamingやchain migrationとは全く異なる間充織細胞の新しい遊走様式を明らかにした。
細胞が網目様にまとまって動く現象は、ある上皮性ガン細胞種の浸潤過程においても観察されている。今後、網目形成のメカニズムとその制御機構を分子的に明らかにすることにより、中胚葉の形態形成のみならず、ガン転移の制御メカニズムの研究にも応用されることが期待される。