Clarification of mechanism for controlling intracellular signal transduction
Possible pathway for design and creation of new drugs
Under the leadership of Associate Professor You WADA of the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, a group of Osaka University researchers has clarified that lysosomal degradation is essential for patterning in early mouse embryogenesis. Lysosomes are cellular organelles that break down waste materials. Cells without genes necessary for forming lysosome cannot terminate BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) signaling.
An abnormal mouse without such genes cannot control the patterning of BMP activation in the embryo, forming an abnormal-shaped embryo. These results have clarified that lysosomal degradation regulates signal transduction.
BMP, a protein stimulating the production of bone, is known to be related to cell proliferation, degradation, tissue regeneration as well as carcinogenesis. It also plays an important role in maintaining pluripotent differentiation of ES cells and iPS cells. This research achievement has clarified the mechanism for controlling BMP signaling pathway and molecular targets. It is viewed as being useful in the design and creation of new drugs and searching for new biomarkers.
This research was conducted in cooperation with Professor Hiroshi Hamada of the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Professor Kahon WADA of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, and Professor Akitsugu YAMAMOTO of Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology.
Figure
Figure
To learn more about this important discovery, please read the full research report entitled " Spatial Restriction of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling in Mouse Gastrula through the mVam2-Dependent Endocytic Pathway " available at this page at the Developmental Cell website.
Related link :
