The function of elastin for the formation of bulbus arteriosus in teleost

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06268
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44020:Developmental biology-related
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: Koshiba-Takeuchi Kazuko 東洋大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (30467005)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ゼブラフィッシュ / 動脈球 / エラスチン / 心筋 / 平滑筋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Teleost such as zebrafish have the unique outflow tract called as bulbus arteriosus, which is composed from smooth muscle and rich in elastin, whereas the outflow tract of many vertebrates is composed from myocardium. The previous study has indicated that the duplication and sub/neofunctionalization of elastin gene is critical for the formation of bulbus arteriosus. In this study, I focused on ltbp and fibulin which promote the elastin synthesis, and found that the expression patterns of these genes were identical to that of elastinb gene in zebrafish heart development. Moreover, I revealed that the expressions of these elastin-related genes in the outflow tract are regulated by TGFbeta signaling.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エラスチンは脊椎動物にのみ存在する細胞外基質で、哺乳類では皮膚や肺、動脈に存在し、マウスでエラスチン遺伝子をノックアウトすると血管平滑筋が異常増殖し血管が閉塞する。一方、真骨魚類は2種類のエラスチン遺伝子（elna、elnb）を有し、このうち動脈球に発現するelnbを機能阻害すると動脈球に異所的に心筋が分化するという心筋・平滑筋分化制御に関連した機能を示す。動脈球エラスチンの特殊性や発現制御メカニズムを解明することは、進化学的、発生学的に意味があるだけでなく、エラスチンの生体材料としての新規利用法につながる。