Establishment of dolphin iPS cells

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14983
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Aquatic life science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Asakawa Shuichi 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 教授 (30231872)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: バンドウイルカ / 腹ビレイルカ / iPS / 細胞株 / 不死化 / イルカ / リプログラミング / アルカリフォスファターゼ染色

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Because dolphin resources are limited, we first established and immortalized dolphin fibroblast culture technology. Gene transfer of SV40T and hTERT into four finned dolphin primary fibroblasts resulted in immortalization and establishment of cell lines. We used co- transfer of human reprogramming factors Oct 3/4, Sox 2, L-Myc, Klf 4, Lin 28 gene, then we observed colony-like cell population. The stains were confirmed by alkaline phosphatase staining, suggesting that the colonies obtained were in a dedifferentiated state. Based on these results, attempts were made to convert normal dolphin fibroblasts into iPS. However, fibroblasts used were poorly proliferated and did not succeed to form iPS cells. In the future we will obtain new fibroblasts and try again. We also are cloning reprogramming inducers derived from cetacean species.

Free Research Field

水圏生物工学