Nepro network and reprogramming of neural stem cells

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19369
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 46:Neuroscience and related fields
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Saito Tetsuichiro 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 教授 (00202078)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 神経幹細胞 / 大脳新皮質 / 核小体 / 遺伝子 / 発現制御 / 電気穿孔法 / 発生・分化 / 細胞・組織

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Early neural stem cells (NSCs) have potential to give rise to many cell types in the mammalian forebrain, but the potential gradually decreases during embryonic development. The mechanism to confer the multipotential on early NSCs is largely unknown. Nepro, which encodes a unique protein, is expressed in and essential for maintaining early NSCs. We examined the function of Nepro in early NSCs by using exo utero electroporation in the forebrain of the early mouse embryo and confocal time-lapse imaging of organ cultures of the electroporated forebrain. Nepro is specifically localized in the nucleolus of early NSCs in the S phase, and its expression oscillates during their cell division, in which the morphology of the nucleolus dynamically changes. Moreover, the dynamics of the nucleolus also requires the function of Nepro, suggesting the relationship between the dynamics of the nucleolus and the multipotential of early NSCs.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

大脳新皮質の初期神経幹細胞は大きなポテンシャルを有し、成体の神経幹細胞を発生初期の状態へ若返らせることができれば、画期的な治療応用に道を開くことにつながると期待される。本研究では、初期神経幹細胞で発現するNeproの局在と役割を研究代表者ら独自の実験系で詳細に解析し、初期神経幹細胞のポテンシャルと核小体の機能やダイナミクスとの関連を初めて明らかにすることに成功した。