Molecular dynamics of Nanog on its binding loci facilitates to induce ground state pluripotency

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16158
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 44020:Developmental biology-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University (2020); Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Okamoto Kazuko 金沢大学, ナノ生命科学研究所, 特任助教 (40710265)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 1分子計測 / 転写因子 / Nanog

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent stem cells, and their pluripotency is controlled by various types of transcription factors. One of such transcription factors, Nanog is known that it centrally controlled in the maintenance of pluripotency in association with other transcription factors. Recently single molecular microscopy has been greatly progressed to observe single molecular inside a living nucleus. Then we observed single molecular behavior of Nanog in nuclei of living ES cells. We observed and measured the molecular dynamics of Nanog both in pluripotent ES cells and differentiating ES cells. We found the difference of molecular dynamics of Nanog between pluripotent and differentiating cellular conditions. The difference should connect the molecular system to maintain pluripotency. Our data can explain Nanog’s function by the single molecular behavior.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

1分子顕微鏡法は、いまや生細胞核内での観察も可能となり、核中で動き回るタンパク質の1分子動態も実測可能である。そこで、未分化維持に重要な転写因子Nanogの核内での振る舞いを実測した。Nanogの結合領域での振る舞いを可視化し、未分化・脱未分化状態での振る舞いの差を定量解析した。特に結合領域での滞在時間に着目し、脱未分化状態での振る舞いに着目した。本研究は、脱未分化状態時に、未分化維持機構を増強するNanog分子の振る舞いを明らかにし、未分化維持機構の一端を分子の振る舞いから説明するものである。