Identification and analysis for the function of maternal factors using CRISPR/Cas system

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26660246
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Integrative animal science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: AOKI Fugaku 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (20175160)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 母性因子 / 初期発生 / 初期胚 / CRISPR/Cas9 / RNAシーケンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to develop the experimental system using RNA sequence and CRISPR/Cas9 to identify the maternal factors involved in the regulation of preimplantation development. First, we selected the genes which are specifically expressed in oocytes and whose encoding mRNAs are rapidly degraded after fertilization. Second, we chose 4 genes from those genes and made a deletion in them by CRISPR/Cas9. In one of these 4 genes, a deletion caused unusually tight chromatin structure in the oocytes and 1-cell stage embryos. Thus, we have developed the useful system to identify the maternal factors.

Free Research Field

動物育種繁殖学