2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Regulatory mechanisms of primordial follicle activation mediated by RNA-binding proteins
| Project/Area Number |
20H03267
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 44020:Developmental biology-related
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| Research Institution | Osaka University (2022-2023)
National Institute of Genetics (2020-2021) |
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Principal Investigator |
Kato Yuzuru 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 特任講師(常勤) (60570249)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | マウス / 原始卵胞 / 卵母細胞 / RNA制御 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This study aimed to understand continuous egg production in the mouse ovary. Particularly, we examined the regulatory mechanisms of the maintenance and growth of primordial follicles, a finite reservoir of eggs in mammalian ovaries, by focusing on two RNA-binding proteins (protein A and B). To examine the role of these RNA-binding proteins, we generated oocyte-specific knockout mice. We found that deletion of gene A results in the loss of oocytes in postnatal ovaries. To further examine the role of gene A, we next generated an over-expressing (OE) mouse line. We found that primordial follicles were abnormally enlarged in the OE ovaries. These results suggest that protein A is required for the survival and growth of primordial follicles. On the other hand, disruption of gene B results in the abnormal oocyte enlargement, suggesting that protein B is required for the maintenance of primordial follicles.
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| Free Research Field |
発生生物学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究はマウスをモデルに哺乳動物の継続的な卵子産生メカニズムの解明を目指すものである。哺乳動物の卵巣は長期に渡る生殖を可能にするため、原始卵胞と呼ばれる最も未成熟な卵胞を限りある卵子の供給源として維持している。そして原始卵胞の卵胞成長を逐次的に開始することで継続的に卵子を作り出している。このメカニズムの破綻は早発卵巣不全などの女性不妊症の原因となることから、生殖医学的にも重要な研究課題である。本研究ではRNA結合タンパク質が介する遺伝子発現制御に注目し、原始卵胞の維持と成長を制御する分子機構の理解に迫った。本研究の成果により、原始卵胞の維持と成長開始に関わる二つのRNA制御因子が同定された。
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