The understanding of tracheal mesenchyme patterning at single-cell resolution

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K15111
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 44010:Cell biology-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Nakayama Shogo 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, 基礎科学特別研究員 (50917747)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 気管 / 間充織 / scRNA-seq / 多様性 / 分化 / 細胞間相互作用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, we investigate the transcriptional dynamics of tracheal mesenchyme patterning at single-cell resolution. The single-cell transcriptome of trachea staged between 11.5 and 14.5 days of gestation provides a global view of tracheal developmental processes during the cartilaginous patterning. The network-based computational methods for single-cell sequencing analysis that predict lineage specification process, and lineage tracing experiments identify Sox9+ progenitor, which can be differentiated into tracheal chondrocyte and fibroblast before periodically patterned. These finding provides the knowledge regarding the lineage specification process of tracheal mesenchyme.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

気管の管状構造は生命を維持に必要な呼吸を行うための空気の通り道として重要な役割を持つ。そのような重要性にもかかわらず、気管間充織の形態形成機構に関する知見は非常に乏しい。今回の研究成果において、我々は、気管を構成する間充織細胞集団を同定し、どのようなメカニズムで、多様性を生み出すのかに関する知見を得た。これらの知見は、今後、気管形成異常の先天性疾患の理解や治療法の確立に役立つのみならず、多数の臓器形態異常に関する理解を深めると考えられる。