Molecular basis of periodic cellular dynamics to facilitate convergence movements

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07088
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Basic Biology
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Makoto 基礎生物学研究所, 形態形成研究部門, 助教 (10533193)
• Research Collaborator: UENO Naoto ; TAKADA Shinji ; YABE Taijirou
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 収斂運動 / ゼブラフィッシュ / アクトミオシン / 神経管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to clarify the significance and the molecular mechanism of periodic cellular movements observed in convergence movements, a typical example of collective cell movement in animal development. The results from the analyses using zebrafish embryos suggest that the periodic and isotropic contraction of actomyosin in the cell cortex leads to the anisotropic cellular movement through the interaction between the cellular protrusion and the extracellular matrix on the leading edge, which ensures robustness of the convergent movements during neural tube formation.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アクトミオシン骨格と細胞の挙動の周期性は他の器官形成過程でも報告が相次いでおり、その新たな意義を明らかにした本研究の成果は動物に保存された集団的細胞運動の基本原理の理解に繋がることが期待される。また細胞の集合に基づく神経管の形成機構は哺乳類胚でも尾部領域で観察されることから、本研究の成果の更なる発展は神経管の形成異常により発症するヒト先天異常である神経管閉鎖障害の病態理解に貢献することが期待される。