Multi-potential epithelial cells linked with branching airway structure.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26713029
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Morimoto Mitsuru 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 多細胞システム形成研究センター, チームリーダー (70544344)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NOGUCHI MASAFUMI 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 多細胞システム研究センター, 研究員 (50714870) ; SUMIYAMA KENTA 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命システム研究センター, ユニットリーダー (00370114)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 呼吸器上皮 / 組織幹細胞 / 枝分かれ構造 / Notchシグナル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aim to elucidate the developmental process of the stem cell - niche complex tissue "NEB" at the bronchial branch point, and elucidate the molecular dynamics of the tissue stem cells contained in NEB. Our new transgenic mice demonstrated that Notch-activated cells surrounding NE cells do not reduce the number of NE cells by cell-cell contact. On the other hand, mouse genetic analysis revealed that Notch-Hes1 cascade coordinates the number of NE cells by supressing the NE cell fate in the cell autonomous fashion in the early stages of development. Furthermore, we succeeded in 4D live imaging of developing NE cells using multiphoton-microscopy in being the first in the world, and illustrated that solitary NE cells in the early fetal lung directionaly migrate to the bronchial branch point to form NEBs. Finally, we established the technique to isolate NE cells from fetal lung and conducted a micro array analysis.

Free Research Field

呼吸器発生遺伝学