Environmental, Evolutionary Developmental Study on Changes in Gcm genes and Regulating Organs for Blood Calcium Concentration.

在它们的进化过程中，脊椎动物是从水中入侵陆地的。血钙需要恒定的浓度来维持正常的生命活动。然而，在脊椎动物中确实存在一些器官来调节钙，这取决于钙浓度和/或钙在特定环境中的分布。我们以小鼠、斑马鱼和代表鳐鱼（放光鳍鱼）共同祖先的现存物种之一的polyterus为研究对象，研究了许多Gcm基因的变化及其调控途径对各器官发育和功能的进化影响。我们进行了条件敲除小鼠的构建、参与斑马鱼离子细胞形成的Gcm基因的增强子分析、polyterus外鳃的发育分析和Gcm基因组的比较基因组学。

During their evolution, vertebrate animals had invaded the land from water. Blood calcium needs a constant concentration to maintain normal life activities. However, a number of organs do exist for calcium regulation among vertebrate animals, depending on calcium concentration and/or its distribution in a given environment. Using mice, zebrafish and Polypterus, one of living species representing common ancestors of ray-finned fishes (actinopterygians), we have investigated evolutionary effects of changes in a number of Gcm genes and their regulatory pathways on development and function of each organ. We have carried out a construction of conditional knockout mice, enhancer analyses of Gcm genes involved in the formation of zebrafish ionocytes, developmental analyses of external gills in Polypterus and comparative genomics of Gcm genomes.