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Reproductive and Developmental Biology Group (Mizushima)
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The lab uses quail to explore the mechanism of fertilization in birds and the origin of germ cells.
AboutAbout the lab
Approaching the mysteries of avian fertilization
The Mizushima Lab studies the mechanism of fertilization in birds and genetic engineering techniques for birds that make use of that mechanism.
In bird fertilization, polyspermy occurs, in which dozens of sperm enter a single egg.
The lab has shown that stimulation by multiple sperm is required for embryonic development to begin.
Currently, using quail and molecular biology methods, the lab is investigating how fertilization is involved in the origin of germ cells.
Key terms
- Polyspermy
- A type of fertilization in which multiple sperm enter a single egg. It is seen in birds and reptiles, and only one sperm fuses with the egg nucleus
- Primordial germ cells
- Cells that appear at a very early stage of development and later become sperm or eggs
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
- Chemicals that enter the body from outside and may disrupt the action of hormones
ResearchResearch themes
The lab uses molecular biology to study the signals inside the egg that are unique to birds and are produced by polyspermy. Currently, using quail, it investigates the mechanism that links fertilization to the origin of germ cells.
*Illustrative imageHow are surplus sperm broken down?
Many sperm that do not take part in fertilization also enter a bird's egg. The lab is investigating the mechanism by which the surplus sperm, which were not selected to fuse with the egg nucleus, are broken down.
*Illustrative imageFertilization signals and the origin of germ cells
In birds, the precursors of germ cells arise immediately after fertilization. It has become clear that signals produced inside the egg by the surplus sperm play a part in their origin, and the lab is trying to uncover the mechanism behind this.
*Illustrative imageChemicals and early germ cells
Using endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the lab analyzes how early germ cells (primordial germ cells) respond.
MembersFaculty
- Associate ProfessorShusei Mizushima
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “1 week old Japanese quail chicks 04” BrokenSphere / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How are surplus sperm broken down?: “Quail eggs (Перепелиные яйца)” Alon-De-Lon / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Fertilization signals and the origin of germ cells: “Chick embryo 3d yolk” PaulT (Gunther Tschuch) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Chemicals and early germ cells: “GermCellMigration” Ioannaclark / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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