Identification and functional analysis of the GPI-anchored proteins involved in the germline niche formation of the nematode C. elegans

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570165
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: NOMURA Kazuya 九州大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30150395)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: GPIアンカー / 配偶子幹細胞 / 幹細胞ニッチ / 卵母細胞 / 配偶子 / PIGA / CGGDBデータベース / C. elegans

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Inhibition of GPI-anchored protein (GPI-AP) synthesis of C. elegans results in severe germline abnormalities. By analyzing a deletion allele of the GPI-anchor synthesizing gene piga-1, we confirmed that the phenotypes were caused by the decrease of dividing germline stem cells (GSCs) at the distal end of the gonad where distal tip cell is providing Notch signal to maintain GSC niche. In this study, we studied GPI-APs enriched in the germline by biochemical analysis, by DNA microarray and RNA-Seq. We also examined RNAi phenotypes of all the GPI-AP genes to identify essential GPI-APs in the GSC niche. From these analyses, we identified seven different GPI-AP coding genes. Among them, two genes seem to be especially important. Thus, we isolated CRISPR-Cas9 mediated deletion allele of the two genes, and found that the germline formation was severely affected in the allele. We are examining the possible involvement of these two genes in the Notch signaling pathways of the GSCs.

Free Research Field

発生生物学、糖鎖生物学