Study on the post-embryonic development of the echinoids

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06307
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44040:Morphology and anatomical structure-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Minokawa Takuya 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 准教授 (60400305)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 日比野 拓 埼玉大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (60513835) ; 根岸 剛文 国立遺伝学研究所, 遺伝形質研究系, 助教 (30726576)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ウニ / 後胚発生 / 成体 / 幼生 / 変態 / 消化管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study deals the questions related to post-embryonic development, such as what is a larva, what is an adult, and what is the mechanism that forms an adult. We focus on the following two topics: [1] Formation process and structure of adult rudiment in normal echinoid development, and [2] Understanding the mechanical relationship between embryonic and post-embryonic development using the regeneration experimental system. For [1], We have discovered a new feature in the morphological change of the digestive tract during the metamorphosis period from larva to adult. Regarding [2], it was verified whether or not the larval constituent cells are involved in post-embryonic development using a larval regeneration experimental system. It was confirmed that the larvae can regenerate the missing part and reconstruct the functionally and structurally normal digestive tract even if most of the digestive tract is removed experimentally.

Free Research Field

進化発生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究結果は、これまで理解の進んでいなかった間接発生型動物における幼生と成体の発生生物学的理解を深めることに貢献する。我々、脊椎動物は本研究で取り扱うタイプの幼生（一次幼生）をその生活史に持たない。しかし、脊椎動物の祖先が一次幼生を持つ祖先型動物から進化した可能性は極めて高い。我々の進化を考えるうえで、幼生とはなにか、成体とはなにか、という本研究の追求する疑問は、我々自身の進化を考える上で極めて重要であるだけでなく、社会における生物学的世界観の充実の素材のひとつとして意義深い。