Chromoatin organization and transcription regulation during zebrafish zygotic genome activation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0143
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Genetics/Chromosome dynamics
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Sato Yuko 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 助教 (70435882)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2020
• Keywords: クロマチン / ZGA / ゼブラフィッシュ / ライブイメージング / HCR / RNA FISH

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Nuclear localization of genes during zebrafish early zygotic genome activation (128-512 cell stages) was investigated using Hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The results showed that relative distances of genes varied in the nucleus, which suggested that each gene localizes randomly in the nucleus during early zygotic genome activation. The living embryos injected with live-cell probes for transcription activation and histone modification were imaged using a SiMView lightsheet fluorescence microscope at Janelia Research Campus (VA, USA). The principal and operation of a diSPIM lightsheet microscope were learned by anticipating the diSPIM workshop held in Marine Biological Laboratory (MA, USA).

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

初期発生過程における胚ゲノム活性化メカニズムは、未だ明らかでない部分が多く残されている。細胞核内のDNAはヒストンタンパク質と結合したヌクレオソームを基本単位として、クロマチンと呼ばれる高次構造を形成して機能的に収納されている。近年のクロマチン研究において、初期発生過程の転写活性化とクロマチン高次構造の制御に注目が集まっている。本研究成果は当該分野の新たな知見として重要な意義を持つことが期待される。