Establishment of sex differences through sex-specific enhancer

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Molecular mechanisms for establishment of sex differences.
• Project/Area Number: 22132002
• 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: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: MOROHASHI Ken-ichirou 九州大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 主幹教授 (30183114)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIMA Yuichi 九州大学, 大学院医学研究院, 講師 (80425420) ; BABA Takashi 九州大学, 大学院医学研究院, 助教 (40435524) ; YOKOYAMA Atsushi 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 助教 (20572332) ; MATSUMOTO Takahiro 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部, 准教授 (70447374)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ゲノム / 発生 / 遺伝子発現 / クロマチン構造 / 精巣 / ライディッヒ細胞 / セルトリ細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The gonads, testis and ovary, acquire the sexes under genetic regulation, and then establish endocrine regulation by starting sex steroid production. Thereafter, genetic and endocrine regulation, through their synergistic interaction, result in exhibition of sex differences in the gonads and other many organs. In the present study, based on the hypothesis that the sex-dependent gene expression in the establishment of the sex differences would be regulated by sex-specific chromatin structure via variety of histone modification, we aimed to uncover the molecular bases for establishment of the sex differences. In particular, we focused on the function of Ad4BP essential for gonadal development and the chromatin structure. As the consequence, we succeeded to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for sex-dependent differentiation of Sertoli (nursing cells) and Leydig cells (steroid hormone producing cells), both of which are crucial for testicular functions.

Free Research Field

性差生物学