Establishment of basic technologies for developmental engneering using transplantation of spermatogenic stem cells in chicken

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14570
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 42010:Animal production science-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Yoshiaki 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(生), 助教 (30613723)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ニワトリ / マウス / 始原生殖細胞 / 精子幹細胞 / 移植

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was conducted to improve research infrastructure in the field of chicken developmental engineering using transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Using chicken as a model, an effective method for removal of endogenous germ cells was developed. The feasibility of this method for chicken SSC transplantation are to be evaluated in near future but is available for transplantation of primordial germ cells, progenitor cells for SSCs. To establish a strategy to improve SSC transplantation, fate behavior of individual SSCs were analyzed in mouse. As a result, transplanted SSCs follow stochastic fate and a major fraction of them were lost through differentiation and cell death. Based on this finding, SSC transplantation efficiency was dramatically improved by inhibiting differentiation of transplanted SSCs. To apply this strategy to chicken SSC transplantation, an approach to inhibit differentiation of chicken SSCs to be explored in near feature.

Free Research Field

発生工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マウスで開発された精子幹細胞の移植法は、遺伝的多様性の保全や男性不妊治療への応用が期待されている。ニワトリにおいても精子幹細胞移植の成功例はあるが、実用レベルには達していない。本研究で開発したニワトリ生殖細胞の効率的な除去法は、精子幹細胞の移植に利用可能か検討中であるものの、始原生殖細胞の移植には利用可能であった。また、マウスで確立した精子幹細胞の移植効率を改善する方法論は、定説を覆すものであり、特にがん治療後の妊孕性回復へ貢献することが期待される。本研究では、この方法論がニワトリ精子幹細胞移植へ応用できるか結論を出すに至らなかったため、今後多角的なアプローチで検討を進める必要がある。