Analysis of relationship between somite segmentation and vertebra segmentation

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23570263
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: National Institute of Health Sciences
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Yu 国立医薬品食品衛生研究所, 毒性部, 室長 (60321858)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YASUHIKO Yukuto 国立医薬品食品衛生研究所, 毒性部, 主任 研究官 (40370944)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Keywords: 体節形成 / 脊椎骨 / resegmentation / 椎間板

Research Abstract

Formation of the vertebral body from somites involves a process called resegmentation, by which the caudal half of a sclerotome is combined with the rostral half of the next sclerotome. We examined the relationship between resegmentation and rostro-caudal patterning of somite by using the Uncx4.1-LacZ transgene. Our results suggested that in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the Uncx4.1-expressing caudal sclerotome gave rise to the intervertebral disc (IVD) and rostral portion of the vertebral body (VB). In the cervical vertebrae, the caudal sclerotome contributed to the IVD and both ends of the VB. This finding suggests that the rostro-caudal gene expression boundary does not necessarily coincide with the resegmentation boundary. Expression analysis of IVD marker genes including Pax1 in the wild-type, Mesp2 KO, and Ripply1/2 DKO embryos also supported the idea that a metameric pattern of IVD/VB is generated independently of Mesp2/Ripply-mediated rostro-caudal patterning of somite.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Metameric pattern of intervertebral disc/vertebral body is generated independently of Mesp2/Ripply-mediated rostro-caudal patterning of somites in the mouse embryo (2013)
  • Author(s): Takahashi, Y., Yasuhiko, Y., Takahashi, J., Takada, S., Johnson, R. L., Saga, Y., Kanno, J
  • Journal Title: Developmental Biology Volume: 380 Pages: 172-184
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.05.020
• [Journal Article] Spatiotemporal disorder in the axial skeleton development of the Mesp2-null mouse : A model of spondylocostal dysostosis and spondylothoracic dysostosis (2013)
  • Author(s): Makino Y, Takahashi Y, Tanabe R, Tamamura Y, Watanabe T, Haraikawa M, Hamagaki M, Hata K, Kanno J, Yoneda T, Saga Y, Goseki-Sone M, Kaneko K, Yamaguchi A, Iimura T
  • Journal Title: Bone Volume: 53 Pages: 248-258
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.11.033
• [Presentation] Metameric pattern of intervertebral disc/vertebral body is generated independently of Mesp2/Ripply-mediated rostro-caudal patterning of somites in the mouse embryo (2013)
  • Author(s): Yu Takahashi, Yukuto Yasuhiko, Jun Takahashi, Shinji Takada, Randy L. Johnson, Yumiko Saga and Jun Kanno
  • Organizer: 第36回日本分子生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸
  • Year and Date: 20131203-06
• [Presentation] Metameric pattern of vertebral body/intervertebral disc is correlated with Pax1 expression and is formed irrespectively of rostro-caudal patterning of somites (2011)
  • Author(s): 高橋雄,安彦行人,相賀裕美子,高田慎治,菅野純
  • Organizer: 第44回日本発生生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 沖縄
  • Year and Date: 20110500