Elucidation of the principle of change from planar structure to 3D morphology in lobster larvae

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22428
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kondo Shigeru 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 教授 (10252503)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 脱皮 / 形態形成 / 甲殻類 / クチクラ / 折り畳み

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The lobster larva (phyllosoma) has an extremely thin, planar morphology, but after a single molt, it changes into the three-dimensional shape of a normal shrimp. Since the molt takes only 20 minutes, the shape after the molt must already be internalized into the flat shape of the larva. The purpose of this study is to elucidate how this deformation is possible. In our research, we first reared phyllosoma in collaboration with the Mie Prefectural Fisheries Laboratory and successfully obtained samples during the metamorphosis and videotaped them during the metamorphosis. The samples were then examined in detail by scanning electron microscopy and micro-CT, and the principles underlying the short deformation were inferred from the surface morphology of the samples.

Free Research Field

理論生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義：変態がわずか20分で起きるということは、平面形状の中に、既に詳細な立体形状が内包されていることになる。そのような現象が起きる原理は、全く知られていないため、解明できれば、生物の形態形成原理において、新しいロジックを明らかにできるはずである。
社会的意義：平面形状は、重ねることが可能であるため、多数の対象物を保存するために有利である。立体形状が、平面から簡単に作る方法が明らかになれば、輸送・保存にかかるコストが著しく軽減されるはずである。