Mechanisms underlying formation of tissue domains integrating the skeletal components

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293395
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Shukunami Chisa 広島大学, 医歯薬保健学研究院, 教授 (60303905)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 滝本 晶 京都大学, 健康長寿社会の総合医療開発ユニット, 特定助教 (00378902) ; 秋山 治彦 岐阜大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (60402830)
• Research Collaborator: GERD SCHERER Freiburg University ; RALF KIST Newcastle University
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 発生・分化 / 腱 / 靭帯 / 硬組織 / 遺伝子改変動物 / ゲノム編集

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we generated and analyzed genetically modified mice to analyze the mechanisms underlying tendon/ligament and enthesis formation. We analyzed mice lacking Scleraxis (Scx), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, to find that Scx is required for maturation of tissue domains for proper integration of the musculoskeletal system. Analysis of conditional knockout mice lacking Sox9 in the Scx-expressing region, we found that Sox9 is important for formation of the tenpolomandibular joint during development. Lineage analysis and double immunostaining revealed that cells expressing both Scx and Sox9 contribute to formation of the enthesis.

Free Research Field

分子生物学