Splicing mechanism of novel introns in a split form and their evolutionary diversity

• Project/Area Number: 15H04406
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMOTO Tetsuo 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (50208451)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 奈良 武司 いわき明星大学, 薬学部, 教授 (40276473) ; 稲垣 祐司 筑波大学, 計算科学研究センター, 教授 (50387958) ; 谷藤 吾朗 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 動物研究部, 研究員 (70438480)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,140,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥7,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,650,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥5,980,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,380,000)
• Keywords: 機能進化 / スプライシング / 分割イントロン / ゲノム / Giardia / Kipferlia / スプライセオソーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A protozoan parasite, Giardia intestinalis, previously considered as a primitive eukaryote, possesses novel introns with a split form (split introns) which are spliced by trans-splicing. We evolutionarily analyzed the genome and transcriptome of Giardia and found a new split intron of this type and suggested the presence of other candidates. We also sequenced and surveyed the genome and transcriptome of Kipferlia, a close relative of Giardia, and found several candidates of split introns. On the other hand, in order to search for spliceosomal factors participating in the trans-splicing of split introns, we try to isolate and purify spliceosomes from Giardia and to compare the spliceosomal components with those of other eukaryotic model organisms.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The draft genome of Kipferlia bialata reveals reductive genome evolution in fornicate parasites (2018)
  • Author(s): Tanifuji G, Takabayashi S, Kume K, Takagi M, Nakayama T, Kamikawa R, Inagaki Y, Hashimoto T
  • Journal Title: PLOS ONE Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Pages: e0194487-e0194487
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194487
  • NAID: 120007134280
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Organelles that illuminate the origins of Trichomonas hydrogenosomes and Giardia mitosomes (2017)
  • Author(s): Leger M, Kolisko M, Ryoma Kamikawa, Stairs CW, Kume K, Cepicka I, Silberman JD, Andersson JO, Xu F, Yabuki A, Zhang Q, Takishita K, Inagaki Y, Simpson AGB, Hashimoto T, Roger AJ
  • Journal Title: Nature Ecology and Evolution Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Pages: 0092-0092
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0092
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Comparative genomics of mitochondria in chlorarachniophyte algae: endosymbiotic gene transfer and organellar genome dynamics. (2016)
  • Author(s): Goro Tanifuji, John M. Archibald, Tetsuo Hashimoto
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Pages: 21016-21016
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep21016
  • NAID: 120007129623
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] ランブル鞭毛虫近縁種における分割イントロン（splintron）の探索：splintron の普遍性と成立 過程の解明に向けて (2017)
  • Author(s): 杉崎 真, 神川 龍馬, 稲垣 祐司, 橋本 哲男, 谷藤 吾朗
  • Organizer: 日本寄生虫学会第86回大会
• [Presentation] Comparative analysis of chlorarachniophyte mitochondrial genomes; evolutionary insights from genome architecture and endosymbiotic gene transfer (2015)
  • Author(s): Tanifuji G, Archbold JM, Hashimoto T
  • Organizer: VII ECOP-ISOP Joint Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Sevilla, Spain
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-05
  • Int'l Joint Research