Elucidation of transcription factors that regulate cell death of a specific subpopulation of motoneurons

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24500414
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: YAGINUMA HIROYUKI 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90230193)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NISHIYAMA Keiji 郡山女子大学, 家政学部, 教授 (10106354) ; HOMMA Shunsaku 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (20261795)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 運動神経 / 細胞死 / 頚髄 / ホメオボックス / 転写因子 / ニワトリ胚 / マウス胎仔 / 発生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The major results obtained in this study are as follows. (1) Detailed observation in the vicinity of the upper end of the cervical spinal cord revealed that expressions of Foxp1 and HoxC5 well corresponded with the distribution of cell death. However, it was not possible to get a conclusion about the cause-and-effect relationship. (2) Cell death was suppressed by the forced expression of HoxC6. Rescued motor neurons of the cervical spinal cord showed the differentiation similar to the lateral motor column. (3) After forced expression of Bcl2, the cervical motor nerve survived and showed the differentiation similar to the lateral motor column. (4) In mice, early cell death also occurs in Lim3-negative motor neurons in the cervical spinal cord. However, Lim3-negative motor neurons are not completely eliminated by cell death.

Free Research Field

神経解剖学、神経発生学