Investigating the crosstalk between angiogenesis and neurogenesis: elucidating the mechanism of cerebrovascular morphogenesis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K06740
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 48010:Anatomy-related
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Eiji 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50405750)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 血管形成 / ゼブラフィッシュ / ゲノム編集 / CRISPR/Cas9 / 脳血管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms of formation of the cerebrovascular system, which has a complex morphology. We selected 30 genes that showed specific expression patterns in the brain, which represents the perivascular tissue in the head, and were found to be associated with cerebral vasculature formation. These genes were disrupted using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and their effects on cerebral vasculature formation were assessed, with the aim of elucidating the cerebral　vasculature specific morphogenesis system. As a result, several gene disruptors were successfully generated and their phenotypic analysis is currently underway. In parallel, a developmental atlas visualizing the relationship between the cerebral blood vessels and the surrounding tissues was successfully generated, which will allow the phenotypic analysis of several gene disruptors in the future.

Free Research Field

発生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の実施により、頭部発生過程において特徴的な発現パターンを示す複数の遺伝子群の破壊帯の作成を行うことに成功した。これらの破壊体における脳血管系への影響を今後明らかにすることで、複雑な形態を示す脳血管系の形成メカニズムの解明へとつなげていく。また並行して作成した頭部組織と脳血管の走行に関するアトラスに関しては、今後様々な遺伝子破壊体の表現型解析において指標となる貴重なデータとして活用していく。