Identification of critical molecular links that regulate cell sorting and morphogenesis

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06219
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44010:Cell biology-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Togashi Hideru 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (90415240)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞間接着 / 細胞骨格 / 細胞選別

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Nectins, a family of cell adhesion molecule, can engage in homophilic and heterophilic trans-interactions; however, their heterophilic trans-interactions are much stronger than their homophilic trans-interactions. When cells expressing different types of nectins were cocultured, they arranged themselves into a mosaic pattern, which was the result of repetitive intercalations between these cells. In this research, we found that heterophilic trans-interactions of nectins lead the asymmetric distribution of cadherin-catenin complex to only one junction of the two heterotypic junctions, which drive cell intercalation in the mosaic pattern formation.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、細胞間の接着力の違いにもとづく形態形成の素過程のメカニズムの一端が明らかになり、新しい細胞選別モデルを提示することができた。これによって、形態形成メカニズムの理解が進み、細胞が自律的に様々な組織をつくるという生物学の根本原理の解明に貢献できる。また、組織や器官で細胞の配置の異常に伴う様々な疾患の理解にもつながる。本研究で得られた知見をもとに、生体内の組織を構成する多様な細胞間の相互作用に対する理解を深めれば、より複雑な細胞パターンとともに組織構造を自律的に作らせることも容易になるだろう。