Molecular role for Geminin in maintaining cardiac muscles

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: TAKIHARA Yoshihiro 広島大学, 原爆放射線医科学研究所, 教授 (60226967)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YASUNAGA Shin'ichiro 広島大学, 原爆放射線医科学研究所, 准教授 (50336111) ; OHNO Yoshinori 広島大学, 原爆放射線医科学研究所, 助教 (10548986) ; SHIRAI Manabu 独立行政法人国立循環器病研究センター, 研究所, 室長 (70294121)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ポリコーム遺伝子群 / Geminin / 心筋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Polycomb-group of (PcG) genes maintain expression of Nkx2.5 gene, a developmental regulator for cardiac development and further act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for Geminin. On the other hand, overexpression of Rae28 and Pcgf5 deficiency gave rise to dilated cardiomyopathy. Thus, PcG genes are not only involved in cardiac development but also in maintenance of cardiac muscle. We visualized a Geminin molecule by generating Geminin-EYFP knock-in mice. Curiously, we identified cardiac muscles with high Geminin expression in the adult, indicating that these are corresponding with cycling cardiac muscles or cardiac stem cells.

Free Research Field

幹細胞生物学