Elucidation of Differentiation Control Mechanism of Fertilized Eggs Using Gold Nanoparticles and Laser Light

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22364
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 42:Veterinary medical science, animal science, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Minami Naojiro 京都大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (30212236)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 受精卵 / 遺伝子発現 / 金ナノ粒子 / ヒートショック

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, in order to develop an experimental system to control gene expression in one blastomere of developing mouse fertilized eggs, we devised a system to induce heat shock in specific blastomeres by irradiating gold nanoparticles introduced into fertilized eggs with a laser, and to forcibly express genes downstream of the HSP70 promoter. As a result, it was confirmed that the promoter functions under high temperature conditions and that blastomere can be heated by irradiating a laser on gold nanoparticles introduced into fertilized eggs. Since the production efficiency of fertilized eggs introduced with the HSP promoter was as low as 10-30%, the establishment of a knock-in mouse line was tried, but the target knock-in mouse could not be obtained.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

受精卵における発生初期の細胞分化の研究は、細胞がどのような過程をたどって個体へと発生していくかの第一歩を明らかにするものであり、どのような遺伝子発現により細胞の分化が始まるかは明らかになっていない。本研究で目的とした、各割球における遺伝子発現の差を人的に誘導することが可能になれば、割球の分化開始シグナルを同定することができ、これまで不明であった全能性から多能性への移行メカニズムの解明や正常な発生に必要な遺伝子発現ネットワークを理解することができ、将来的には生殖補助医療などの治療に貢献できる。