Comparing the sexualization mechanisms of related species planarians using sex-inducing factors to clarify the evolution of reproductive strategy

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06323
• 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: Tsuyama National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Maezawa Takanobu 津山工業高等専門学校, 総合理工学科, 准教授 (90548398)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 柴田 典人 津山工業高等専門学校, 総合理工学科, 教授 (60402781)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: プラナリア / 有性化 / 生殖器官

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Planarians have different asexual states depending on the species, and Dugesia ryukyuensis has only ovarian primordia, whereas Dugesia japonica has both ovarian primordia and testicular primordia. The purpose of this study was to clarify the commonalities and differences between various planarian sexualization mechanisms. First, it was clarified that the D. ryukyuensis OH strain was sexualized by administration of sex-inducing factors at 20 ° C, while the SSP strain of D. japonica was sexualized by administration of sex-inducing factors at 14 ° C. In the OH strain, the testis primordia appears at the stage of st.3 when the ovary develops, and develops toward st.5. On the other hand, in the SSP strain, it was clarified that the development of the testis primordia occurs from the early stage of sexualization as in the ovary.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

プラナリア種間の有性化機構の違いを細胞レベルで明らかにした。さらに、これまで有性化しないと考えられていたモデル動物のS.mediterraneaを生殖転換できたことでプラナリア有性化機構を遺伝子レベルで解析する準備が整った。多くの動物が有性化することが知られており、本研究は、それらの機構を理解するための基盤となると考えられる。