Establishment of Bichir (Polypterus) Experimental Models

  In our laboratory, Prof. Okabe has started to collect bichir embryos and whole-genome data since 2005 (Takeuchi et al, 2009). We are now preparing cutting-edge methods in order to elucidate proto-mechanisms of organogenesis in the field of the vertebrate evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) and basic medical sciences (Moriyama et al, 2016; Nagasawa et al, 2016; Tatsumi et al, 2016).

References:

Takeuchi M, Okabe M and Aizawa S (2009) "The Genus Polypterus (Bichirs): A Fish Group Diverged at the Stem of Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii)", Cold Spring Harbor Protocols doi:10.1101/pdb.emo117.

Moriyama Y, Ito F, Takeda H, Yano T, Okabe M, Kuraku S, Keeley FW and Koshiba-Takeuchi K (2016) "Evolution of the fish heart by sub/neofunctionalization of an elastin gene", Nature Communications 7, 10397.

Nagasawa T, Kawaguchi M, Yano T, Sano K, Okabe M, and Yasumasu S (2016) "Evolutionary changes in the developmental origin of hatching gland cells in basal ray-finned fishes", Zoological Science 33(3):272-281.

Tatsumi N, Kobayashi R, Yano T, Noda M, Fujimura K, Okada N and *Okabe M (2016) "Molecular developmental mechanism in polypterid fish provides insight into the origin of vertebrate lungs", Scientific Reports Jul 9;6:30580.