Surface- and Non-surfave dividing progenitors utilize different vascular niche during neocortical development

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08479
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Kobe Gakuin University (2017-2018); Doshisha University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Ken-ichi Mizutani 神戸学院大学, 薬学研究科, 特命教授 (40469929)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 神経幹細胞 / 血管発生 / 微小環境 / 神経発生 / 大脳皮質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mammalian neocortical development encompasses an entire set of events that leads to the generation of excitatory and inhibitory neurons from neural progenitors in the dorsal and ventral telencephalon. During these processes, the developing neocortex acquires its vasculature by angiogenesis, a process consisting of proliferation of endothelial cells in existing blood vessels or vascular plexuses, and leading to formation of new blood vessels. Recent studies have suggested that neocortical angiogenesis progresses in a spatially and temporally restricted manner to construct a specialized vascular niche that supports ongoing neurogenesis during neocortical development. Here we showed that periventricular blood vessels selectively influence neocortical progenitors behavior and neurogenesis, highlighting how CNS angiogenesis is utilized to construct neocortical cytoarchitecture.

Free Research Field

神経発生学、血管発生学、組織学、菅細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

血管は、組織細部にわたり養分や酸素を運搬する極めて重要な器官の一つであり、木の枝のごとく一定の組織空間に分布する。血管が空間に如何に伸展し、その伸展を止めるのかという、血管発生を調節する分子機構は未だ未解明の問題が数多く残されている。組織内に構築される血管がどのようにつくられ、これが周囲の組織幹細胞と如何に連携しながら組織・臓器を構築するのかという問いは、効率的な幹細胞の培養法の確立や幹細胞を用いた再生医療の実現化に重要な知見が見出されることが期待される。