Mechanisms underlying determination of positional information through Dachsous/Fat signaling system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Molecular mechanisms underlying reconstruction of 3D structers during regeneration
• Project/Area Number: 22124003
• 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: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: NOJI Sumihare 徳島大学, 本部, 理事 (40156211)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OHUCHI Hideyo 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (00253229) ; MITO Taro 徳島大学, 大学院ソシオテクノサイエンス研究部, 助教 (80322254) ; BANDO Tetsuya 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 助教 (60423422)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脚再生 / Dachsous/Fat / Wnt/BMP/EGF / dachshund/Distal-less / マクロファージ / Enhancer of zeste/Utx / ゲノム編集 / ノックイン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have investigated molecular mechanisms underlying insect leg regeneration by means of regeneration-dependent RNA interference. Our results suggested that leg regeneration occurs as follows:
(1) Activation of macrophage-like cells by amputation at the amputated site, (2) Cytokines produced by the macrophage-like cells induce formation of a blastema consisting of undifferentiated cells, (3) In the blastema, EGF (epidermal growth factor) is induced by cross-talk of Wnt/BMP signaling pathways. Furthermore, genes involved in epigenetic regulations such as Enhancer of Zest and Utx are activated, (4) EGF induces expressions of dachshund/Distal-less and regulates expression of Dachsous/Fat signaling systems, which then determine re-patterning of the leg and its size. We speculated that the leg size regulation may be related to the number of Dachsous/Fat molecules in each cell membrane with a proximodistal gradient. This was simulated with our modified steepness model.

Free Research Field

再生生物学