Identification of the ER signaling system that regulates cell fate decision

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570222
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cell biology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Morishima Nobuhiro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 小林脂質生物学研究室, 専任研究員 (40182232)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 筋分化 / 小胞体ストレス / カスパーゼ / カルシウム / 小胞体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the place of protein synthesis and the starting point of vesicular transport. In addition to these roles, the ER sends out intracellular signals that include those for cell fate decision. This study focuses on the ER signaling that we have already found to be involved in skeletal muscle formation from the progenitor cells (myoblasts) by cell fusion. We have found that ER calcium depletion occurs in differentiating myoblasts, just prior to cell fusion. Because critical enzymes that assist protein folding in the ER require calcium for their activity, calcium depletion causes ER stress. This result suggests that ER stress evoked by calcium depletion activates ATF6, a stress sensor, and caspases in a specific manner. We have also identified a substrate candidate of caspase-12 which was previously shown as the ER stress-specific caspase by us.

Free Research Field

細胞分化制御