Functional analysis of Hox gene clusters using zebrafish

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06177
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 43050:Genome biology-related
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAMURA AKINORI 埼玉大学, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (10466691)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Hox / 脊椎動物 / CRISPR-Cas9 / 変異体 / 全ゲノム重複 / CTスキャン解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hox clusters, in which multiple Hox genes are arranged, and play a fundamental role in the development of animal body. Due to whole genome duplication that occurred during vertebrate evolution, Hox clusters diverged into four in mouse and human, and into seven in zebrafish. Until now, most of functional studies have been performed in mice, which have revealed the functions of the Hox genes, however it remained unclear whether the functional roles revealed in mice are conserved among vertebrates. In this study, we generated seven zebrafish Hox cluster mutants and compared their functions. Our results revealed many functional differences of Hox genes between zebrafish and mice, suggesting that the vertebrate Hox cluster has acquired different sub/neofunctinalization after the quadruplication of Hox clusters.

Free Research Field

発生生物学、ゲノム生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

動物の発生を司るHox遺伝子クラスターは、動物の体づくりの基盤となる役割を担う遺伝子群であるため、進化的にも機能が高く保存されていると考えられてきた。本研究において、マウスと進化的に離れたゼブラフィッシュと比較した結果、共通な機能が一部見られるものの、多くの機能的な相違点が明らかとなった。本研究から、分岐したHoxクラスターに生じた機能変化が、脊椎動物の様々な形態形成に寄与した可能性が示唆された。