エゾリス（旭川医科大学RI実験施設　長原稔和氏提供）

日本動物学会北海道支部 第607回支部講演会

日時：2025年7月7日（月）　16時～
場所：北海道大学 理学部5号館8階 813号室

演者：大塚 海 博士（東京理科大学 創域理工学部）

演題：Potential functions of KRAB zinc-finger proteins in murine spermatogenesis

要旨：More than half of the mammalian genome consists of transposable elements (TEs) which are originated from the retroviral invasions into ancestral genomes during evolution. TEs pose a potential risk for the host genome, as their transposition can disrupt endogenous genes and regulatory elements. To counteract this threat, host cells, especially germ cells, have developed a multi-layer defensive system against retroviruses, including piRNAs, DNA methylation, and other epigenetic machinery, to safeguard genome integrity.
Recently, we discovered that KRAB zinc-finger proteins (KZFPs), the most rapidly evolving transcription factors, bind to evolutionarily young TEs and serve repressive epigenetic marks, H3K9me3, in spermatogonia, suggesting an additional layer of genome surveillance against TEs during male germline development. Furthermore, our analysis uncovered a co-evolutionary relationship between KZFPs and their target TEs, implying that a co-opting arms race takes place in germlines in mammalian evolution.
To further investigate the biological roles of KZFPs in male germline development, we newly generated mouse models harboring deletions of multiple KZFPs-clusters. In this seminar, I will present our recent data from these mutants and discuss the biological significance of KZFPs in male germ cell development.

世話人：
木村 敦（北海道大学 理学研究院）