An Evo-Devo study for mechanisms of body axis formation in vertebrates

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570244
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
• Principal Investigator: TAKEUCHI Masaki 川崎医療福祉大学, 医療技術学部, 准教授 (00392019)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脊椎動物 / 体軸 / 転写因子 / 条鰭類 / ポリプテルス / ホメオボックス / 両生類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Xenopus siamois is a homeobox gene cording for a transcriptional mediator of the dorsal Wnt signaling pathway and is necessary for the head formation. Despite its importance in Xenopus development, no siamois-related genes have been found in other taxa. In this study, I found a novel siamois-related gene, dioskouroi, in bichir. The bichir gene, which is different from siamois, plays roles in not only organizer formation but also endoderm differentiation endogenously. These results lead to a hypothesis that the siamois-related protogene in a common ancestor of bony fishes played central role in early embryogenesis. The protogene as a Wnt signal mediator might be derived into Xenopus siamois which play a role in head formation and bichir dioskouroi which play a role in endoderm differentiation.

Free Research Field

分子発生生物学・比較発生生物学