Scaling mechanism revealed by single-molecule detection technologies and mathematical modeling

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24770221
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: ARATA Yukinobu 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 佐甲細胞情報研究室, 研究員 (40360482)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞極性 / PAR/aPKC / 1分子イメージング / 定量計測 / 数理モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Spatial distribution of morphogens and polarity proteins is scaled to cell and embryonic size. To reveal molecular and physical basis of the scaling, we measured intracellular protein dynamics using single-molecule detection technologies. By incorporating the parameters to describe the protein dynamics in vivo into a mathematical model, we succeeded in reproducing asymmetric localization of polarity protein PAR-2. Based on the in vivo measurements and theoretical analyses, we demonstrated that the asymmetric PAR-2 localization is maintained by a rapid-local exchange of PAR-2 between the cortex and cytoplasm. We will investigate how the rapid-local exchange contributes to the scaling.

Free Research Field

発生生物物理学