Glycobiology in disease based on the functional analysis of chondroitin sulfate chains

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biological pharmacy
• Research Institution: Kobe Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Kitagawa Hiroshi 神戸薬科大学, 薬学部, 教授 (40221915)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NADANAKA Satomi 神戸薬科大学, 薬学部, 講師 (60378578) ; MIKAMI Tadahisa 神戸薬科大学, 薬学部, 講師 (20330425)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: プロテオグリカン / コンドロイチン硫酸 / グリコサミノグリカン / 胚性幹細胞 / 骨粗鬆症 / 線虫 / 酸化ストレス / カドヘリン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans have been implicated as regulators of a variety of biological events, including cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, cell proliferation, morphogenesis, and neurite outgrowth. Many of the physiological roles of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans are attributed to the chondroitin sulfate side chains. In this study, we found that chondroitin sulfate was required to maintain the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells and promoted initial embryonic stem cell commitment to differentiation compared with heparan sulfate. In addition, we showed that estrogen-induced, osteoanabolic effects were mediated via enhanced production of chondroitin sulfate-E, which could act as an osteogenic stimulant in our cell-based system. Moreover, we demonstrated that chondroitin sulfate is present in nematodes and that chondroitin 4-O-sulfation plays an important role in maintaining normal life span and oxidative stress responses.

Free Research Field

生化学・分子生物学・糖鎖生物学