Roles of calcineurin signaling pathway during meiosis in Drosophila and mice

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25840083
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: TAKEO Satomi 筑波大学, 生命領域学際研究センター, 助教 (10642100)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: カルシニューリン / GSK-3 / 受精 / 卵活性化 / 減数分裂 / マウス / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To understand the generality and diversity of the molecular mechanisms which regulate the function of germline cells among species, we performed functional analyses of genes using mice and Drosophila. In Drosophila, Ca2+-dependent phosphatase calcineurin and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) play essential roles in meiotic progression upon egg activation. We found that in mice these molecules are involved in sperm-oocyte fusion and block to polyspermy. In addition, we demonstrated the first evidence for a wave of increased Ca2+ during egg activation in Drosophila.

Free Research Field

分子発生生物学