Mechanisms of constructing totipotent nuclei

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Program of totipotency: From decoding to designing
• Project/Area Number: 19H05751
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: Miyamoto Kei 近畿大学, 生物理工学部, 准教授 (40740684)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 島本 勇太 国立遺伝学研究所, 遺伝メカニズム研究系, 准教授 (80409656)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 全能性 / 核構造 / 核骨格 / 核アクチン / ラミン / リプログラミング / 転写 / 機械特性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the structure of mouse embryonic nuclei in order to understand the characteristics of totipotent mammalian embryos. We showed that fertilized eggs have a unique nuclear structure composed of actin proteins and the formation of this structure is important for the acquisition of totipotency. We also discovered a novel phenomenon in which embryonic gene expression is controlled by the temporary softening of embryonic nuclei. We finally reported an experimental system that enables to induce embryonic nucleus-like gene expression in various types of cell nuclei. In this way, we elucidated changes in nuclear structures of early embryos and demonstrated their importance in embryonic gene expression and acquisition of totipotency.

Free Research Field

分子発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

全能性を有する胚の核構造とその機能の観点から、新たな胚発生制御機構の同定に至った。この成果は受精卵や初期胚の新たな特性を示し、生殖補助医療技術の発展に資するものである。また、野生動物を含めた様々な細胞核を胚様の状態に変化させる新たな実験系を作りだし、動物繁殖分野における新技術発展につながる成果ともいえる。これら応用的な側面に加えて、基礎的にも新しい細胞核の性質を突き止めた研究であり、新たな研究領域の創出につながることが期待される。