Analysis of the common mechanisms of tissue stem cell activation shared in different cell lineages during the organ regeneration

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14590
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory animal science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: FUKAZAWA Taro 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 助教 (10565774)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 再生 / アフリカツメガエル / interleukin-11

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Xenopus laevis tadpole tail poses high regenerative ability. It was suggested that regenerated tail tissues are derived from progenitor cells which were induced from each tissue stem cells. We found that, (1) interleukin-11 (il-11) induces and maintains progenitors of different cell lineages during tail regeneration, and (2) knockdown of gene X, a gene which lies downstream of the IL-11 signaling, inhibits tail regeneration. We think that the IL-11 signaling owe its function of induction and maintenance of progenitors to the gene X.

Free Research Field

器官再生・免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、アフリカツメガエル幼生尾再生において、尾切断後に発現するインターロイキン11が尾再生の源となる複数組織の未分化細胞の誘導・維持に必要十分であることを明らかにした。複数種の未分化細胞の誘導・維持を単一の因子が担うことを示すもので、未分化細胞の誘導・維持の機構が各組織で共通であることを意味するものと考えている。