Decoding the universal cell differentiation mechanisms.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20936
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0904:Internal medicine of the bio-information integration and related fields
• Research Institution: Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (2022); Yokohama City University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: Nishimura Koutarou 公益財団法人神戸医療産業都市推進機構, その他部局等, 研究員(上席・主任研究員クラス) (30909982)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞分化 / 転写因子 / エピゲノム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cell differentiation is one of the unique life processes specific to eukaryotes, and its precise spatiotemporal control is essential for the development processes and maintenance of homeostasis. In recent years, epigenetics has revealed new aspects of various biological processes, which is also true for cell differentiation. In this study, we focus on the cell differentiation of hematopoietic cell lineages and the master transcription factors, aiming to elucidate unknown epigenomic regulatory mechanisms. These findings could uncover lineage-specific insights into hematopoietic cell differentiation and decode the fundamental principles of cell differentiation and aims to elucidate various disease mechanisms caused by abnormalities.

Free Research Field

エピジェネティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞分化を制御する転写因子や細胞表面マーカーは、個々の細胞系譜に特有のものが多く、細胞分化全体に共通のメカニズムに関する知見は乏しい。細胞分化に伴うエピゲノム制御という未だ知見に乏しい領域に注目し解析した本研究では、p53が分化に与える影響を明らかにした。この結果はあらゆる細胞系譜に共通する普遍的分化メカニズムを解明する可能性があり、生物学的にきわめて意義深いものである。また、終末分化細胞を正常に維持する分子機構の解明は、医学・医療に新たな局面を切り開く可能性があり、社会的にも非常に意義深いと考えられる。