Molecular mechanisms of flounder metamorphosis regulating the pigment cell differentiation in ocular side and inhibiting it in blind side

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05813
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40040:Aquatic life science-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Yokoi Hayato 東北大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (40569729)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 徹 東北大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (70344330)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ヒラメ / 変態 / 異体類 / 色素胞分化 / メダカ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Japanese flounder is one of the important fish species because of their commercial value, however, abnormal pigmentation is problematic in the aquaculture production. Aim of this study is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the left/right asymmetric pigment cell differentiation. Genes involved in pigmentation were isolated by comparing gene expression profile of ocular side and blind side of flounder. Gene expression analysis using abnormal pigment fish with ectopic pigmentation revealed that these genes were expressed in such ectopic pigment sites and peripheries, which suggested that these genes also involved in ectopic pigmentation. In order to investigate the function of these genes, GFP-knock in strains were generated by using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system: gene expression can be monitored in live embryos with the GFP fluorescence.

Free Research Field

マリンゲノミクス、発生遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

天然水産資源の不安定化が続いており、持続可能な水産業の将来のためにも水産増養殖の重要性はますます高まっている。ヒラメは日本や周辺アジア諸国において重要な魚種であり、種苗生産および放流事業が行われているが、体色の異常は放流時の選別や放流後の生残率の点で、またその後の市場価値の点で問題である。本研究では色素異常を理解して低減に結びつけるため、色素胞の分化に関与する遺伝子を単離し、その解析を行った。黒化異常個体における異所的な発現が確認され、それを制御するメカニズムの理解が期待される。また遺伝子の機能解析を行うために、実験操作を行いやすいメダカをモデルとしてGFPノックイン系統を作出した。