the functions of the Rest gene in neural crest cells

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870292
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Developmental biology; General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: AOKI Hitomi 岐阜大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 講師 (10550361)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経堤細胞 / 転写調節因子 / 神経分化制御 / 遺伝子組み換え / コンディショナルノックアウトマウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) is a transcriptional repressor of neural genes. Rest null mice have embryonic lethality which prevents further investigations of the functions of the Rest gene in vivo . I studied neonatal but not embryonic lethality that was characterized by gastrointestinal tract dilation in the neural crest cell (NCC)-specific Rest conditional knockout (CKO) mice. While no histological abnormalities except the thinning of the digestive tract as a consequence of the gas accumulation were found in the digestive tract of the mutant mice, they do not have proper gastric retention after oral dye administration and the reduction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in NCC-derived myenteric plexus in the stomach was detected. High CO2 concentration in the dilated digestive tract of the Rest CKO mice indicates a failure of gut function by underdeveloped cholinergic transmission in the enteric nervous system.

Free Research Field

発生生物学、神経科学