2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study of molecular mechanisms and controlling ofoocyte aging
| Project/Area Number |
18590316
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Human genetics
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| Research Institution | National Research Institute for Child Health and Development |
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Principal Investigator |
HATA Kenichiro National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Director (60360335)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KATO Kiyoko Kyushu Univ., OB&GY, Lecturer (10253527)
HATA Kenichiro NRCHD, Maternal-Fetal Biology, Director (60360335)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Keywords | oocytes / aging / DNA methyylation / epigenetics / inferlity |
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| Research Abstract |
The oocytes are aging-sensitive cells. Molecular mechanisms of the aging of oocytes are not clear though aged sterility women's nuclei of oocytes are rejuvenated under special conditions. Theses results strongly suggest that unknown reversible factors are involved in aging in addition to genetics abnormality of the chromosome structure etc. In this research, we focus to the function of "Epigenetic" regulation of genomic functions, especially DNA methylation. Our aims are analysis of methylation molecular mechanisms, detection of methylation changes in aging and rejuvenating of aberrant methylation patterns.
Male and female gametes establish specific DNA methylation patterns according to their own sex specific manner: Dnmt3L (DNA methyltransferase-Like) gene is essential for this methylation step. It is thought that other unknown factor(s) may be necessary to form specific DNA methylation patterns during the differentiation of germ cells. We identified a candidate protein which can interact with Dnmt3L protein. The function of the candidate protein is being analyzed, by overexpression in cultured mammalian cells. Addition, a targeting of the candidate gene is on going.
It is known that DNA methylation related genes are suppressed in aged oocytes. We hypothesized that their could be aberrant DNA methylation in aged oocytes. We collected young (around eight week-old) mice oocytes and aged (48 week-old) mouse oocytes and classified them by their diameter, and analyzed details of the DNA methylation. In most target regions, DNA methylation correlates with the diameter. We improved techniques to collect aged oocytes efficiently and it was suggested that some genomic region might methylated abnormally in aged oocytes. Now we are preparing hybrid mice to confirm these preliminary data with SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) between mice sub-strains.
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Research Products
(14 results)
