Research on sexual differentiation of chicken germ cells

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06387
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42010:Animal production science-related
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Tagami Takahiro 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 畜産研究部門, 上級研究員 (60355104)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ニワトリ / 始原生殖細胞 / 性分化 / 配偶子分化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Female primordial germ cells (PGCs) transplanted into males differentiate into motile spermatozoa with the W chromosome, a female-specific sex chromosome, however fertilization was considered difficult. On the other hand, male PGCs transplanted into females failed to differentiate into normal follicles in the ovary, forming degenerated white tissue.
Analysis of genes expressed in PGCs in opposite-sex embryos revealed that the A gene, which was highly expressed in male PGCs in the male gonad on days 9 and 19 of incubation, was hardly expressed in male PGCs transplanted into female embryos. It was considered important that the sex of the individual and the germ cells match and be male in order for the A gene to be expressed in the gonadal germ cells before hatching.

Free Research Field

家畜繁殖学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生殖細胞の分化における細胞自身の性(性染色体)の影響についてはほとんど解っていない。本研究によるPGCsが同性または異性の生殖巣内で発現する遺伝子の網羅的解析は、生殖細胞自身の性が配偶子形成に与える影響を明らかにする上で学術的に重要な基礎的知見となる。また性の組み合わせにより発現が変化する遺伝子が配偶子形成に重要である場合、ゲノム編集技術等でその遺伝子発現量をコントロールすることにより、異性由来のPGCsを受精可能な配偶子に分化誘導できる可能性がある。家禽は産業形態により必要な性が異なるため、ニワトリの性比をコントロールする技術への応用が期待できる。