Massive Apoptosis of the Gonadal Somatic Cells in Stony Corals: Investigation of the Role and Mechanism of Apoptosis in Sexual Reproduction of Stony Corals.

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Project title

Code/計畫編號

MOST107-2311-B019-001

Translated Name/計畫中文名

探討珊瑚有性生殖中生殖腺體細胞凋亡的功能和機制

Project Coordinator/計畫主持人

Shinya Shikina

Funding Organization/主管機關

National Science and Technology Council

Co-Investigator(s)/共同執行人

張清風

Department/Unit

Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology

Website

https://www.grb.gov.tw/search/planDetail?id=12667611

Year

2018

Start date/計畫起

01-08-2018

Expected Completion/計畫迄

01-07-2019

Co-Investigator(s)

Ching-Fong Chang

Bugetid/研究經費

950千元

ResearchField/研究領域

生物技術(理)

細胞凋亡為計畫性細胞死亡之一，演化上具有保守性，在各種生物及生理過程中扮演重要的角色。有性生殖中細胞凋亡為控制生殖細胞數量、品質及去除過量或受損的生殖細胞，且普遍發現在脊椎與無脊椎動物的生殖細胞中，刺絲胞動物被認為是演化上原始的動物，其有性生殖與細胞凋亡的研究較少，目前只有水螅生殖細胞的細胞凋亡已被研究。在這7年裡，我們從分子和細胞的觀點以腎形真葉珊瑚（Euphyllia ancora）為實驗物種，研究石珊瑚的有性生殖。在預備實驗，利用TUNEL檢測珊瑚的生殖腺發現有大量細胞凋亡的訊號且凋亡小體表現在生殖腺體細胞而不是生殖細胞。目前為止，有400多種的珊瑚其有性生殖已被研究，但沒有關於生殖腺體細胞凋亡的研究被發表，且生殖腺體細胞凋亡的現象在刺絲胞動物或是後生動物中也都沒有被發表，因此進一步研究並探討珊瑚生殖腺體細胞凋亡的功能和機制。在三年計劃中，我們將回答以下問題：（1）進一步確認E. ancora生殖腺體細胞凋亡的細胞和分子特徵？（2）在E. ancora生殖腺中細胞凋亡的機制？如何控制體細胞凋亡？（3）細胞凋亡是否發生在有性生殖的特定時間？精子生成和卵子生成之間細胞凋亡的時間有差異嗎？（4）生殖腺體細胞凋亡是否發生在其他珊瑚和珊瑚蟲綱中（海葵）？（5）生殖腺體細胞凋亡的功能是什麼？與珊瑚生殖細胞發育有關嗎？本計劃以分子及細胞生物、組織學技術和超微結構分析等方法，首次探討生殖腺體細胞凋亡可能的功能和機制，這不僅在珊瑚及後生動物中為一項新的發現，也在後生動物生殖生物學和細胞凋亡研究領域具有高度的新穎性和重要性，也為石珊瑚的生殖生物學提供一項新的見解。 "Apoptosis –an evolutionarily conserved type of programmed cell death- plays essential roles in various biological and physiological processes such as tissue morphogenesis during development, physiological regulation of cell number, and immunity. Apoptosis also serves to minimize the collateral damage following many stresses for the maintenance of normal physiological function and homeostasis. In sexual reproduction, apoptosis is known to be a critical process for controlling the number and quality of the germ cells. Generally, apoptosis occurs in germline cells of both vertebrates and invertebrates for the removal of excess or damaged germline cells as a result of exposure of environmental toxicants or heat. In cnidarians (e.g., corals, hydras, sea anemones, and jellyfish), which are regarded as evolutionarily primitive animals, relatively little is known about the characteristics of apoptosis in sexual reproduction. Thus far, apoptosis in germline cells has only been reported in freshwater Hydra. During these 7 years, we have been studying the sexual reproduction of stony corals from molecular and cellular perspectives using a stony coral Euphyllia ancora as a model. Through the course of the investigation, we unexpectedly found that massive apoptosis occurred in the gonadal somatic cells but not the germline cells, as assessed by TUNEL assay. To date, although a plenty of data regarding the sexual reproduction of corals from more than 400 species has been accumulated, no study has described the apoptosis of gonadal somatic cells. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, similar phenomenon (massive apoptosis in gonadal somatic cells) has not been reported in any cnidarians, and more generally, metazoans. This finding prompted us to perform the further investigation to explore the role and mechanism of apoptosis of the gonadal somatic cells in sexual reproduction of corals. In this three-year’s project, we then will attempt to answer following specific questions. (1) Do other cellular and molecular characteristics of apoptosis surely exist in the gonadal somaticcells of E. ancora? (Further demonstration of the presence of apoptosis)(2) What are the mechanisms of apoptosis in the E. ancora gonads? How is apoptosis controlled?(3) Does the apoptosis occur at the specific timings of sexual reproduction? Is there difference in the timing of apoptosis between male (spermatogenesis) and female (oogenesis)?(4) Does the apoptosis of gonadal somatic cells occur in other corals and anthozoans (e.g., sea anemones)?(5) What is the biological function of massive apoptosis in gonadal somatic cells? Is it related to germ cell development in stony corals?The present project will be the first to explore the possible role and mechanism underlying the apoptosis of gonadal somatic cells using various methodologies (e.g. molecular and cellular biology techniques, general histological techniques, and ultrastructural analysis) in metazoans. Since the phenomenon we found is biologically novel not only in corals but also metazoans, the present project possesses very strong novelty and significance particularly in the research fields of reproductive biology and apoptosis in metazoans. Furthermore, the present project will provide new insights into the reproductive biology of stony corals."

Keyword(s)

石珊瑚
有性生殖
細胞凋亡
腎形真葉珊瑚
生殖腺體細胞
Stony corals
Sexual reproduction
Apoptosis
Euphyllia ancora
Gonadal somatic cells

DSpace CRIS

Massive Apoptosis of the Gonadal Somatic Cells in Stony Corals: Investigation of the Role and Mechanism of Apoptosis in Sexual Reproduction of Stony Corals.

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