Investigation of biological chirality by using a cell-based mathematical model

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440117
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: HONDA Hisao 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 学術研究員 (10289118)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 心臓ループ / チューブのねじれ / 細胞頂点モデル / 自己構築 / 細胞のキラリティー / Vertex dynamics

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Organs consist of cells. I would like to elucidate formation process of chiral structures of organs using cell-based mathematical models of tissues. Hearts in the early development of birds and mammals are known to form chiral structure, a helical loop. I showed that a simple straight tube of the initial heart makes a helical loop by (1) bending accompanying ventral protrusion of the tube and (2) dividing cells perform a chiral behavior, that is, counter-clockwise rotation of two daughter cells. The problem of cardiac looping made progress to a problem that cell chiral behavior is an intrinsic cell properties or caused by asymmetric circumference of the animal body.

Free Research Field

理論生物学