2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Functional analysis of JNK-type MAPKs on C. elegans spermiogenesis
| Project/Area Number |
19K06448
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 42030:Animal life science-related
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| Research Institution | Setsunan University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | JNK型MAPK / 線虫 / 精子形成 / 精子活性化 / spermiogenesis / 化合物 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
JNK-type MAPKs are well known to act in stress response and apoptosis. However, it is unclear whether JNKs are involved in reproduction. The C. elegans genome encodes four JNK-type MAPKs (JNK-1, KGB-1, KGB-2, C49C3.10). This study was carried out to identify JNKs that act during C. elegans spermiogenesis and their substrates. It has been so far suggested that C. elegans spermiogenesis is induced via either of the SPE-8 class dependent, the SPE-8 class independent or the DDI-4-triggered pathways. When kgb-1 and kgb-2 genes were examined using mutant worms in which either or both of these two genes are disrupted, I found that these two genes are presumably involved in the DDI-4 pathway. On the other hand, it was suggested that C49C3.10 gene participate in the SPE-8 class-dependent pathway. Currently I am trying to identify substrate proteins for KGB-1/KGB-2 and C49C3.10.
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| Free Research Field |
生殖生物学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
従来より，JNK型MAPKがストレス応答やアポトーシスに関与していることは知られているが，本研究では，線虫における精子形成・活性化にもJNK型MAPKが関与していることを初めて示唆した．さらに，線虫精子と哺乳類精子の活性化が互いに類似したプロセスを経ることから，哺乳類精子の活性化にもJNK型MAPKが寄与していることが予想される．現在，JNK型MAPKを活性化する化合物が知られているが，そのような活性を持つ化合物を創製することにより，男性不妊に対する新規治療薬・検査薬のシード（種）化合物となることが期待される．
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