| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥2,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000)
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| Research Abstract |
C. elegans has over 300 genes that code for protease-like proteins. We carried out RNAi analysis on about 190 protease-like genes. Proteases essential for the life cycle of C. elegans were found to be as follows: proteasome, signal peptidase, Lon protease, a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, a trypsin-like serine protease, some of the ubiquitin-specific proteases, mitochondria processing protease and so on. RNAi on these genes led to lethality. Most of the proteasome subunits except for Rpn9, Rpn10, and Rpn12 are essential. Simultaneous interference of Rpn10 and Rpn12 caused lethal effect. Additionally, we found a novel ADAMTS protease essential for morphogenesis. Two metalloproteases that have a CUB domain and a TSP-1 domain were required for molting. Six serine proteases homologous to dipeptidyl peptidase IV or acylaminoacyl peptidase were found to participate in migration of distal tip cells of gonad. In order to reveal the distribution of these proteases, we performed GFP-expression analysis, in situ hybridization, immunostaining, etc. Some of the proteases were enzymologically characterized using proteins prepared by heterologous expression system or purified from C. elegans
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