The 59th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists

Chairpersons:Wataru Kimura(RIKEN BDR/Shinshu Univ.), Kazu Kobayakawa(Kyushu Univ.)

The transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial life represents a fundamental shift in the history of vertebrate evolution, during which organisms underwent extensive reorganization of their morphology, metabolism, physiology, and developmental programs. The challenge of adapting to life on land arises not only in evolutionary history but also during ontogeny, such as amphibian metamorphosis and birth in amniotes, where organisms are confronted with terrestrial stresses including oxidative stress, desiccation, and temperature fluctuations. These transitions are thought to involve diverse physiological and developmental regulatory processes, including metabolic remodeling, the establishment of oxidative stress response mechanisms, and changes in tissue regenerative capacity.
In this symposium, under the conceptual framework of "From Water to Land," we aim to discuss the mechanisms acquired for terrestrial adaptation and their applications from diverse perspectives, including development, regeneration, metabolism, and evolution. Topics will include the evolution of tolerance to various stresses associated with terrestrialization, as well as medically relevant implications of life-stage dependent changes in regenerative capacity, as observed in amphibians and mammals. By bridging basic research and translational perspectives, this symposium aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum that connects basic and clinical sciences.