Analysis of the role of Pdx-1 gene in liver progenitor cells during liver regeneration and carcinogenesis.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25430086
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Laboratory animal science
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: KOIKE Toru 静岡大学, 理学部, 講師 (20377716)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIOJIRI Nobuyoshi 静岡大学, 理学部, 教授 (70162568) ; TAGAWA Yoh-ichi 東京工業大学, 生命理工学研究科, 准教授 (70262079)
• Research Collaborator: ABE Naohiro ; SUENAGA Koudai ; Yamauchi Masashi
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 肝臓 / 肝再生 / 肝前駆細胞 / Pix-1遺伝子 / CRISPR/Cas9 / ノックアウト / マイクロアレイ / ラットES細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Proliferation of liver progenitor cells (LPCs) accompanies on many types of liver injury when the replication of hepatocytes is blocked. Although there are enormous number of researches for the characterization of LPCs, their origin and their roles in liver regeneration is still on debate. We recently found that a subpopulation of liver progenitor cells, which situate in periportal area after GalN-induced rat liver damage, express Pdx-1 gene. To address the roles of Pdx-1 in LPCs during liver regeneration, we performed overexpression and gene knockout experiments of Pdx-1 using a LPC cell line. We found that the change of Pdx-1 expression does not alter LPC proliferation. We also performed microarray analysis to compare gene expression of wild type- and knockout- LPCs for the Pdx-1 gene. The data implies that Pdx-1 is involved in the expression of neuroendocrine phenotype of LPC, as well as the suppression of hepatocyte differentiation.

Free Research Field

発生生物学