瀬戸内海産ゾウ類化石をもちいて化石に眠る太古のタンパク質を「見る」技術を開発～恐竜化石にも応用可能～

2025-07-18 岡山理科大学,岡山大学,University of Manitoba,倉敷市立自然史博物館,北海道大学,たんば恐竜博物館

図 1．備讃瀬戸から産出した絶滅ゾウ類の復元ロボット（倉敷市立自然史博物館提供）

＜関連情報＞

• https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/release/release_id1408.html
• https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/up_load_files/press_r7/press20250718-1.pdf
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jproteome.5c00078

化石中の内因性タンパク質の可視化のための組織学的染色の新たな応用 New Application of Histological Staining for Visualization of Endogenous Proteins in Fossil Material

Hayato Inaba,Kentaro Chiba,Mototaka Saneyoshi,Takaaki Miyaji,Asako Kawakami,Noriyuki Nagaoka,Yasushi Takechi,Kiyofumi Takabatake,Kirstin S. Brink,Miu Tanaka,Masaki Eda,Yoshitsugu Kobayashi,and Hidetsugu Tsujigiwa
Journal of Proteome Research  Published: June 25, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.5c00078

Abstract

Biochemical applications are increasingly utilized in paleontological studies, especially for detecting ancient proteins in fossil samples. Histopathological staining techniques have been applied, but they have yet to specifically target type I collagen, the primary bone matrix protein and the most significant protein of interest in paleoproteomic research. Moreover, these staining methods are often applied to demineralized fossils, which remove the original microstructure of the bone matrix and increase the risk of contamination. To address these limitations, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of special staining methods for detecting collagen using Pleistocene-aged fossil specimens. Trials on demineralized and nondemineralized modern bone samples, as well as nondemineralized fossil samples, demonstrated Van Gieson’s staining method as the most suitable for visualizing collagen distribution in hard tissue matrices. Colorimetric analysis, electrophoresis, and subsequent mass spectrometry of extracts further confirmed the endogenous nature of the collagen in the fossil samples. Future studies may benefit from employing Van Gieson’s staining on nondemineralized bone samples to detect collagen in fossils, advancing our understanding of ancient protein preservation.