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In sea urchin embryo, the skeletogenic cells are called primary meshenchymen cells derived from micromeres at 16-cell stage. We reported a promotive effect of hypergravity in the low serum concentration culture of the skeletogenic cells. In this condition, cultured skeletogenic cells were so sensitive that they showed a clear difference of skeletogenesis also for the different substrate of culture plate. The decrease of spicule number by the inhibitor of Ca(2+)-channel is recovered under hypergravity condition. The culture in low Ca(2+) concentration also decreased the number of formed spicule and the number was recovered under hypergravity, too. These results show the possibility that the Ca(2+) uptake is one of a candidate process that is affected by hypergravity condition. The spicule also contains spicule matrix proteins. The expression of their mRNA under hypergravity was examined and the level was not different from control condition., 資料番号: AA0063349095

The mission of Ochanomizu University, which has a history of women's education stretching back 130 years, is to support the growth of women, regardless of nationality or age, and the development of their qualifications and skills. Ochanomizu University has been conducting the Afghanistan Women Teacher's Training program on behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since FY2002. This is the tenth year of our project working to strengthen education for Afghanistan. We designed an appropriate training program for Afghanistan science teachers to improve the quality of science teaching in elementary and secondary schools. This study presents the curriculum of a professional development program for science teachers from Afghanistan containing science practices, lectures, and visiting an elementary school and Board of Education. In order to examine the effectiveness of this program, we carried out a survey using a questionnaire for 20 trained participants. The questionnaire results showed that participants felt that our program met their expectations regarding acquiring skills for ‘syllabus planning', ‘lesson planning' and ‘teaching methods.' Also, we found that the program has had a positive impact on the participants' attitudes toward improving the quality of science teaching in elementary and secondary schools.

Spicule formation by the cultured micromere of sea urchin was used as a model for the morphogenesis in biomineralization to be adapted as an experimental system in space. Several experiments were carried out in the different gravity environment to examine a role of gravity in the cells isolated from whole embryo and reported that spicule elongation was suppressed in the experiments of centrifugation, clinostat and the parabolic flight. The spicules of sea urchin larvae consist of calcite with magnesium and organic substances, called spicule matrix proteins. To examine the detail of the effect of these gravity conditions, RT-PCR was used to measure the level of expression of spicule matrix proteins in the cultured cells under each condition. The expression of one spicule matrix protein (SM30) was suppressed under the centrifugal condition. It also suppressed in the cells whose spicule elongation was suppressed in the culture on the ground after the parabolic flight. These results demonstrate that each gravity condition can effect on the gene expression of spicule matrix protein., 資料番号: AA0046917010

第22回宇宙利用シンポジウム(2006年1月17日-19日, 日本学術会議6階会議室 六本木、東京), The Twenty-second Space Utilization Symposium (January 17-19, 2006: Science Council of Japan, Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan), Sea urchin and other echinoderm animals have calcitic endoskeleton. In sea urchin embryo, skeletogenesis starts at late gastrula stage and then the spicles grow up to larval skeletons. This skeletogenic cells are called primary mesenchymen cells and are derived from micromeres at 16-cell stage. Spicule formation by the cultured micromere of sea urchin was used as a model for the morphogenesis in biomineralization to be adapted as an experimental system in space. We have detected an effect for spicule formation by cultured micromere in the different gravity environment. In this study we examined the effect of hypergravity in the culture medium with different serum concentration. Though the culture medium containing 4 % horse serum is suitable for the spicule formation, it was difficalt to detect significant difference in hypergravity conditon. In the low concentration of serum the number of spicule decreased and it recovered significantly in hypergravity. It was observed that extra spicules were formed later under hypergravity condition. Next, Ca(2+) transport was examined. The inhibitor of Ca(2+) - channel (diltiazem) was added to the micromere culture. The number of spicules was decreased in the culture with deltiazem. But the decrease of spicule number was recovered under hypergravity condition. These results show the possibility that the Ca(2+) uptake is one of a candidate process that is affected by hypergravity condition., 共催: 日本学術会議, Meeting sponsors: The Science Council of Japan, The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS)(JAXA), 資料番号: AA0064113079

第27回宇宙利用シンポジウム (2011年1月24日-25日, 宇宙航空研究開発機構宇宙科学研究所相模原キャンパス), 相模原市, 神奈川県, The Twenty-seventh Space Utilization Symposium (January 24-25, 2011. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)(ISAS)), Sagamihara, Kanagawa Japan, Sea urchin and other echinoderm animals have calcitic endoskeleton. In sea urchin embryo, skeletogenesis starts at late gastrula stage and then the spicules grow up to larval skeletons. The skeletogenic cells are called primary mesenchyme cells derived from micromeres at 16-cell stage. We already reported a promotive effect of hypergravity on skeletogenesis in the culture of the skeletogenic cells with low concentration of horse serum. For the culture of skeletogenic cells, micromeres isolated by sucrose gradient are used. In this study, we examined more simple method to isolate skeletogenic cells. In calcium deficient seawater, embryos developed without cell adhesion and failed to form blastura. At the time of hatching, most cells were dispersed but mesenchyme cells attached on the substrate. By the gentle stream, dissociated cells were removed and mesenchyme cells left on the bottom were used for the culture. These mesenchyme sometimes contained not only skeletogenic cells but also secondary mesenchyme cells. This isolation method is simple and possibly is useful to improve a procedure of the gravity experiment., 形態: カラー図版あり, Physical characteristics: Original contains color illustrations, 資料番号: AA0065129071

Sea urchin and other echinoderm animals have calcitic endoskeleton. In sea urchin embryo, skeletogenesis starts at late gastrula stage and then the spicules grow up to larval skeletons. The skeletogenic cells are called primary mesenchyme cells derived from micromeres at 16-cell stage. We already reported a promotive effect of hypergravity on skeletogenesis in the 0.25 percent horse serum culture of the skeletogenic cells. In this condition, cultured skeletogenic cells are so sensitive that they show a clear difference of skeletogenesis under the hypergravity though it is difficult to detect significant difference in the culture medium containing 4 percent horse serum. In 0.25 percent serum, the number of spicule is less than that in 4 percent serum under 1 xg condition. It recovers to the similar level significantly even in 0.25 percent under hypergravity (100 xg). In this study, we examined the effect of hypergravity on the spicule formation of the sea urchin embryo. The embryos cultured under hypergravity showed some abnormal skeletogenesis. The elongation of two arm rods (post oral rod) was suppressed in 80 percent of embryos under 100 xg condition. Under 5 xg condition most of them developed into normal larvae, but additional branching, abnormal partial thickening and excess spicule formation were observed. It is considered that spicule formation in embryo is accepting not only direct hypergravity effect but also indirect effect via surrounding tissues. The excess spicule formation observed in the embryo is correspond to the increase of spicule in the culture experiment and supposed to be one direct effect of hyper gravity., 資料番号: AA0063706057