2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Enucleation of red blood cells was essential for the emergence of mammals(?)
| Project/Area Number |
25650106
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Morphology/Structure
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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| Keywords | 赤血球 / 細胞物性 / 原子間力顕微鏡 / 有核赤血球 / 無核赤血球 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The enucleation of red blood cells (RBCs) is a unique biological characteristic of mammals. However, the biological significance of enucleated RBCs remains unclear. We hypothesized that mammalian RBCs are enucleated in the final stage of erythropoiesis to create RBCs with the ability to pass through fine capillaries. Mammals require a network of dense capillaries with small diameters to ensure sufficient oxygen, nutrient, and heat exchange in tissues, and to maintain high metabolic organs, such as the brain and placenta. Results: Measurement of cell rigidity by AFM revealed that mouse RBCs were markedly less rigid than nucleated chicken and Xenopus RBCs, particularly in nuclear regions. We concluded that enucleated RBCs are more suitable than nucleated RBCs for passing through finer capillaries. Thus, the enucleation of RBCs may have been a key step in the development of the mammalian brain and placenta by providing these organs with a high rate of gas and nutrient exchange.
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| Free Research Field |
発生生物学
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