how skeletal muscles find correct tendons to connect during embryogenesis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06697
• 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: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: Inui Masafumi 明治大学, 農学部, 専任准教授 (20643498)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 骨格筋 / 腱 / 軟骨 / 発生 / Scleraxis

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to shed light on to the mechanisms underlie the muscle - tendon connection formation during embryonic development in mammal. We have generated the mouse in which tendon progenitor cells were reduced from the embryo, and showed their essential role in muscle patterning. By analyzing gene expression in this mouse, we have identified more than 20 genes that are expressed in muscle-tendon interface in the embryo. Moreover, gene knockdown using iGonad method revealed that loss of function of multiple ligands of a particular signaling pathway (anonymized here) affected the patterning of hind limb muscles. In sum, substantial progress was made through this study to understand the molecular mechanism for muscle-tendon interaction during embryonic development.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、哺乳類の全身に多数存在する骨格筋が間違いなく正しい腱・骨と結合するメカニズムの一端を明らかにすることができた。この成果は生物の複雑な形態形成を理解するという基礎研究としての意義があるだけでなく、将来的には骨格筋や腱の再生医療に際し、より効率よく・正しい形態で再生組織を形成するための重要な情報を提供する基盤となる研究であり、基礎研究・応用研究両面から意義のあるものと考える。