Golgi-localized Fam20C phosphorylation and osteocyte functions

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670801
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Morphological basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Toyosawa Satoru 大阪大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 教授 (30243249)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SAEKI MAKIO 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (30273692) ; SATO SUNAO 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 講師 (70335660) ; USAMI YU 大阪大学, 歯学部附属病院, 助教 (80444579)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: Fam20C / リン酸化 / 骨細胞 / 骨芽細胞 / 骨基質蛋白質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Golgi-localized protein kinase Fam20C phosphorylates secretory pathway proteins with S-x-E/pS motifs. In the bone tissue, Fam20C is slightly expressed in the osteoblasts and highly expressed in the osteocytes. Therefore, the bone matrix proteins which are produced by osteoblasts and osteocytes, are phosphorylated by Fam20C within these cells. Considering that Fam20C-null mice have osteomalacia with decreased bone mineral density, these findings suggest that phosphorylation of these matrix proteins by Fam20C is critical for bone formation and maintenance. To understand the functional significance of phosphorylation for the bone matrix, we generated transgenic mice that had Fam20C-overexpression in osteoblasts (Fam20C-Tg mice), and we are examining the change of the bone tissues in Fam20C-Tg mice.

Free Research Field

口腔病理学