Mechanisms and roles of the quality control of epiblast during its formation in mouse embryos

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03261
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44020:Developmental biology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Hiroshi 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 教授 (10211939)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞競合 / 着床前胚 / 細胞分化 / エピブラスト / Hippo シグナル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During development, "variability" exists in the state of individual cells within the embryo, but little is known about how the embryo overcomes this variability to accurately form the body. In this study, we focused on the cell competition that resolves variability of cell differentiation during epiblast formation in mouse preimplantation embryo and aimed to understand its mechanisms and roles. Comparison of the gene expression profiles revealed a candidate signal of cell competition. We also established an in vitro model of cell competition with ES cells, which can be used for functional screening. Furthermore, we found that the inhibition of cell competition caused transient disruption of cell arrangement in the early post-implantation embryos, but cell arrangement was gradually corrected.

Free Research Field

マウス初期胚発生

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果の学術的意義は、発生過程で見られる数少ない生理的な細胞競合現象であるマウス着床前胚のエピブラスト形成時の細胞競合について、その分子機構を解明するための具体的な手掛かりを与えたこと、また、その着床後胚における役割を明らかにしたことである。特に、着床後初期胚の組織構築の乱れが次第に補正されたことは、胚は細胞競合以外にも発生を正確に進める仕組みを持つことを示す重要な知見であり、今後、その仕組みの研究も進めることにより胚の持つ多様な発生調節能力の解明につながることが期待される。