Analysis of gene expression rhythms in a population of mobile cells

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44020:Developmental biology-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Uriu Koichiro 金沢大学, 生命理工学系, 助教 (90726241)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 体節形成 / 分節時計 / 数理モデル / 同期 / 細胞移動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We analyzed the effect of cell movement on synchronization of the zebrafish segmentation clock by using both theoretical and experimental approaches. We derived a statistical description of mobile cellular oscillators and revealed that cell mobility effectively strengthens cell-cell coupling and thereby promotes synchronization of gene expression rhythms. Mobility also increases local phase variance of rhythms. This depends on the wavelength of the rhythmic gene expression pattern and we found that proper segments cannot be formed due to large variance if cells move in the anterior tissue where the wavelength of pattern is shorter compared to the posterior part. To validate theory, we imaged a live reporter of the segmentation clock in zebrafish embryos. We found complex phase patterns during resynchronization processes.

Free Research Field

数理生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生物の発生では、組織の中を細胞が動き、それにより形作りが起きる。また、細胞は細胞間のコミュニケーションにより遺伝子発現を変化させ、その運命を決める。細胞の動きと遺伝子発現の変化はこれまで別々に研究されてきた。そのため細胞の動きがどのように細胞間のコミュニケーションに影響を及ぼし、遺伝子発現を変化させるかは分かっていない。本研究では理論と実験を組み合わせたアプローチにより、細胞の動きが遺伝子発現リズム(分節時計)に及ぼす影響の解明をおこなった。