Mechanisms of intergenerational transfer of epigenetic marks in mammals

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06481
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 43010:Molecular biology-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: MATSUZAKI Hitomi 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 助教 (50436242)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: エピジェネティクス / ゲノム刷り込み / DNAメチル化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the phenomenon of genomic imprinting, a typical example of intergenerational epigenetic regulation in mammals, mono-allelic gene expression is controlled by allele-specific DNA methylation of the imprinting control region (ICR) at the locus. In our previous study, we found that paternal allele-specific de novo DNA methylation of the 'H19-ICR' in preimplantation embryos is essential for maintaining the stable imprinted state of the Igf2/H19 locus. In this study, we investigated the function of Zn finger proteins in the regulation of this post-fertilization imprinted DNA methylation.

Free Research Field

エピジェネティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ゲノム刷り込みは哺乳類の正常発生に必須の制御であり、ICRのDNAメチル化異常に起因する遺伝子発現量の変化は、ヒト疾患の原因となる。ICRのメチル化を制御する因子を探索・同定することで、正常状態を安定に維持するための基盤を明らかにできると同時に、病態発症メカニズムを理解するための知見を得ることができる。