Mechanisms to control the number and size of the nucleolus

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15166
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Saito Tetsuichiro 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 教授 (00202078)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MUROYAMA Yuko 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 特任講師 (20422248) ; BABA Atsushi 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 特任講師 (70405215)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝子 / ゲノム / 細胞・組織 / 発現制御 / 発生・分化 / 電気穿孔法 / 神経幹細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The nucleolus, in which rRNA is transcribed and processed, and ribosomal subunits are formed in eukaryotic cells, disassembles and reassembles every cell division. The number and size of the nucleolus are typical of cell types, but the mechanism to control them is largely unknown. We found that Nepro, which is necessary for the maintenance of early neural stem cells in the neocortex, is also crucial for the size and number of the nucleolus in preimplantation embryos. We have also found that Nepro is localized in a specific part of the nucleolus, and its QVEQC, hydrophobic and DDIDDIF domains, and nuclear localization signal are necessary for the function of Nepro.

Free Research Field

神経科学